//------------------------------// // Magic // Story: Dual Elements: Bearers // by RainEStar //------------------------------// Previously on Dual Elements: “I need you take a trip using a very important and extremely rare spell. Head to the Starswirl the Bearded section and take out the scroll at the top of the bag. Use it immediately and do not stop the spellcasting process unless I, myself, order you to. Understood?” “Yes!” Sunset replied enthusiastically. “Though, if I might ask-” “There is no time!” Celestia barked as she glanced outside the window. She turned back to see her student’s shell-shocked expression. “I am truly sorry, Sunset,” Celestia said remorsefully. “But I cannot help you anymore. Everything else will be made clear to you in time. Now, make haste. Equestria is counting on you.” … "Don't think you can trick me into allying with you so easily," said Sunset Shimmer warningly. "Trick you?" Nightmare Moon asked in mock indignation. "You think too lowly of me. I only wish to show you the truth." … “I will never betray Celestia! I will never ally with you! And I willnever, ever forgive you for ripping her from me! You monster!" … "You could have simply rejected my offer and I would've let you go free,” the blue alicorn hissed furiously as her mane began expand across the room. “But you have insulted me beyond your position! I cannot let this grievous offense go unpunished!" ... "Twilight, you're not really considering this are you? I mean, if one of the Queen's spies finds out then you could be in serious trouble!" … "Relax, Spike. I know what I’m doing.” … “Just… one... more… try...” Twilight gasped as she struggled to get up from the ground. “No way!” Spike protested. “You already tried it twelve times today. You don’t even have the strength to stand! There’s no way you could cast that spell again.” … “Why did you have to do that, Twilight? You knew you were too tired to do try it again.” He sighed and dropped to the ground, sending up a cloud of ash as he did so. “Now our home is ruined!” “Worth it,” Twilight said breathlessly as her eyes widened. … "Who are you?" The two mares stared at each other in a moment of confusion and shock. Twilight cleared her throat. “My name is Lady Twilight Sparkle of the House of Star,” she introduced herself formally with a polite dip of her head. Gently, she nudged Spike to follow her lead, but the purple dragon still stared at Sunset Shimmer with his mouth agape. “And this is Spike, my number one assistant,” Twilight said in Spike’s stead. “And you would be...” The other unicorn mare straightened herself to an erect position. “I am Sunset Shimmer, personal student of Princess Celestia, Bringer of the Sun and Day!” the orange unicorn replied with pride. Twilight was taken aback. “You studied under the Banished Sun Princess?” Twilight gasped. “That’s-” “Crazy,” Spike stated as he finally snapped out of his petrified state. “That’s impossible!” “Spike!” Twilight admonished him as she turned her head to face the young dragon. “You can’t call her a liar without proper evidence to support your claim!” “Twilight, this isn’t a courtroom,” Spike reminded her. “Besides, I do have evidence! I studied all the books on the Banished Sun Princess just like you did, but I’ve never seen or heard of a pony like her in any of the books! Did you?” Twilight paused for a moment. “I… can’t argue with that,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we should automatically assume she’s lying. After all, the lack of evidence does not count as evidence!” “You do realize that I’m standing right here, listening to every word you to say, right?” “What would prove that she actually knows the Banished Sun Princess?” Spike asked Twilight, leaving Sunset to fume silently. “It’s not like we can ask her for signed letter or something.” “I’m not sure, Spike.” Twilight had to think about this for a moment. “Hold on,” she said slowly in realization as she turned her attention back to a scowling Sunset. “You said your name was Sunset Shimmer, right?” “Don’t tell me you’re deaf as well,” Sunset grunted in response. Twilight cocked her head. “Was that a yes, or a no?” she asked. Sunset facehoofed. “Yes, duh! Seriously, are you usually this addle-brained?” “I’m not addle-brained!” Twilight protested. Then she noticed the look Spike was giving her. “Well, most of the time, anyway.” Sighing and grumbling, Sunset turned her head to look outside the window, observing the moon as it rose to its usual position in the night sky. “So, was there a point in you asking about my name?” she asked without turning her head. “Ah!” Twilight exclaimed. “Yes, I remember your name from somewhere! Spike, go get the book I used for the spell!” Spike took a step towards the book, and then glanced towards Sunset Shimmer before taking a more hesitant step forward. Sunset watched his movements out of the corner of her eyes and snorted as the dragon took another step in her direction. “I’m not a book you know,” she said dryly. Spike’s cheeks gained the tiniest amount of pink color to them. “Well, um, the book I need is…” Spike pointed a claw to the book lying beside Sunset’s hooves. Sunset sighed as she started to levitate the book towards the nervous reptile, but paused when she glanced at the front cover. “Wait a minute,” she said as she opened the book up and read the first page. Her eyes widened, and she began furiously flipping through the pages. Twilight gave Spike a confused look, but the dragon only shrugged in response. “Sunset, would you mind passing my book back?” the purple unicorn asked. “I need to check something, but I’ll be glad to let you read after-” “This isn’t your book,” Sunset said pointedly as she slammed the book shut and pointed to the red and yellow sun on the front cover. “This is my book!” She then pulled her saddlebag a side, revealing a patch of clean orange fur that had an image identical to the one on the book’s cover. Twilight paled. “That’s your book?” she said nervously. “Duh.” “With your cutie mark?” Twilight’s voice shrank to a whisper. “Does it look like paint to you?” Sunset Shimmer snapped back. By now Twilight’s voice was barely above a squeak. “Uh-oh.” “YOU DID WHAT?” Twilight and Spike flinched as Sunset’s eyes blazed with unbridled fury. While Twilight had expected Sunset to be angry after she revealed that she had dragged Sunset through time and space, she had severely underestimated the temper of the orange unicorn mare. Sunset’s glare burned like living coals, threatening to roast the pair where they stood. Twilight and Spike could almost swear that they felt the temperature in the library rise. “I’m just the assistant!” Spike exclaimed in panic as he jumped behind Twilight for protection. “It was only an accident!” Twilight said apologetically. Sunset snarled as her glare intensified. “Princess Celestia told me to use a time spell to save Equestria, and you two morons messed up her plans by calling up me with your crazy spell!” Sunset Shimmer shouted as the room continued to become increasingly warmer. “Now I’m stranded in the wrong period of time!” “Couldn’t you simply recast the spell?” Twilight suggested nervously. Sunset turned to her sharply to focus her gaze on Twilight, causing a wave of heat to wash over Twilight’s entire body. “No, because the spell is too long and complicated to cast from memory!” she shouted. “It took me several minutes to use it even when I had the scroll in front of me! And since I’m stuck Celestia knows how many years in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised if the scroll was locked up somewhere or burnt to ashes! Do you know what this means?” Spike and Twilight shook their heads frantically. “This means Equestria is doomed to be ruled by Nightmare Moon, forever!” Twilight and Spike winced in unison. “Please, don’t repeat those words,” said Spike nervously as he cast a furtive glance out the window. “I’m the one who’s stuck in this miserable time so I can say whatever I want!” Sunset snarled. “Look, I’m really, really, really sorry about everything,” said Twilight apoplectically. “But it’s night, and if any of the guards hear you we could all be in serious trouble! The destruction I caused using the spell already made this place beacon for unwanted visitors, literally!” “And whose fault would that be?” “I said I’m sorry!” “Well, ‘sorry’ doesn’t cut it!” Sunset snapped as she slammed her hooves on the ground. “You destroyed my chances of completing my mission, and now I’m stranded in time with an addle-brained mare and an incompetent dragon hatchling!” “We get the point!” Spike growled with a touch of anger. He was terrified of Sunset, but her unyielding abrasive attitude gave him the surge of courage he needed to take a stand against her. “Twilight already apologized!” “Look,” Twilight said before Sunset could snap back a reply. “I know that you’re really, really mad at us right now, but if we keep this up the guards will come and it will be a big problem if they find a soot-covered unicorn with a sun as her cutie mark in the middle of my library. We could end up being thrown in jail, or worse! Can we settle this in the morning? Hopefully after everypony has had a chance to calm down?” “It’s supposed to be morning for me,” Sunset growled. “We’ll be settling this tonight!” Despite her claim, she could feel the weariness of the previous events finally start creeping up to her. After all, she had cast a very long and complicated spell after pulling an all-nighter. As far as her body was concerned, it was time for some long overdue sleep. “Or maybe we could settle it after breakfast?” Spike suggested. He was no longer scared or angry; rather, he just wanted to sleep. “I’ll be making blueberry scones,” he added, knowing that very few ponies could resist the offer of a delicious breakfast. Fortunately for him and Twilight, Sunset wasn’t in that minority. While Sunset would normally be suspicious about the offerings of a dragon chef, especially one she had just met, she was tired and knew she would be famished when she awoke the next morning. Common sense and reasoning were no match for her physical needs. “Fine,” the mare said stiffly. “We’ll settle this tomorrow after breakfast, but those scones better be worth it!” It was amazing what a good’s night rest could do for a pony. When Sunset woke up bright and early the next morning, the first thing on her mind wasn’t the traumatic events from the previous day. She didn’t think about her narrow escape from Nightmare Moon, or her sudden arrival in the future, or the fact that she was stranded in time with no way of returning. Instead, she thought about the pleasantness of the sunlight she could feel streaming through the windows and the familiar scents of her inks and papers. Yes, the morning was perfect. At least, until Sunset realized that the inks and papers she was smelling weren’t actually hers. Downstairs, a sleepy Twilight nearly dropped her cup of coffee at the sound. It was loud and bloodcurdling, like a hundred cats simultaneously giving their final yowls as their lives slipped from their claws. After taking a careful sip of her coffee, Twilight asked Spike, “Still having doubts that she’s the student of the Banished Sun Princess?” “Sure am,” Spike replied as he tossed a salad. While his promised scones were baking in the oven, he decided that scones alone did not make a healthy breakfast. So, he had taken the liberty of providing a well-balanced meal that included oats and milk, salad, apples, and orange juice. “She sounds like one of the crazy nobleponies you keep avoiding. The Banished Sun Princess was known to be kind and understanding, and I don’t see how a student of hers could come out like that.” Twilight couldn’t deny that the personality contrast was troubling, but the evidence that supported Sunset’s claims were heavy. “The book did mention her by name,” Twilight pointed out. “She could’ve been named after the Sunset Shimmer that was mentioned in the book,” Spike countered. “Her cutie mark is the same as the image on the front cover of the book.” “We still didn’t check if it was painted!” “She woke up at the exact time the sun rose.” “I’m pretty she’s not the only pony who does that.” “She appeared in the library after I had cast the spell, Spike!” “You don’t know that!” Spike protested. “For all you know, she could have been hiding in the library and was simply caught in the explosion. We can’t trust her! She could be one of the Queen’s spies. She could be a hired assassin from a jealous noble. She could-” The dragon’s rant of suspicions was cut off when a bedraggled orange unicorn teleported into the middle of the large kitchen. Sunset swerved her gaze until her eyes locked onto Spike’s paralyzed form. “Scones. Now,” she ordered with a look on her face that gave her the appearance of a hungry manticore. As if on cue, the oven timer dinged, much to Spike’s relief. The baby dragon opened the oven and pulled out a tray that held a dozen, steaming blueberry scones. “Scones are officially ready!” he announced. “Get them while they’re-” Sunset stuck out a hoof and grabbing the first steaming pastry she laid her eyes on. “Hot?” Spike finished dumbly as he watched Sunset devour the scone in two quick bites before grabbing another. Twilight wisely levitated two scones out of the tray and onto her plate as she watched Sunset quickly devoured each of the remaining scones in a mere bite or two. When the orange unicorn had finished, Spike looked at the empty tray forlornly. “There was more for breakfast besides scones,” he said glumly as he set the empty tray aside. Sunset took one look at the rest of the food on the table before sitting down and levitating everything within range onto her plate. As Spike sat down, Twilight passed him a scone and gave him a wink. Spike returned it with a smile and quickly devoured the delicious pastry before it could be swallowed into the mass of food that topped Sunset’s plate. Twilight’s plate held only half the amount of food as Sunset’s. And although she was eating rather quickly, she had not thrown away all of her table manners in her moment of hunger; which was more than could be said for the other mare. Roughly half of Sunset’s food actually made it to her mouth, while the rest splattered messily on her unwashed coat, the floor, and the table. In order to distract himself, Spike slowly sipped a glass of orange juice and nibbled on a gem he had left lying on the table earlier. After the three had filled their bellies, Sunset finally said, “Time to get down to business.” Her voice no longer held the sharp and biting tone that it had held the previous night. Instead, it was calm and relaxed. Sunset’s blind rage had died out, and now her focus and energy were solely fixed on her current situation. “Again, I’m really sorry-” Sunset held up a hoof to silence Twilight. “You already apologized. Just explain how you brought me here so I can figure out how to get back.” “I thought she already told you last night,” said Spike. “I need to know the specifics,” Sunset clarified. She neglected to add that she had been extremely tired during last night’s conversation and most of Twilight’s previous explanation had gone in one ear and out the other. “Well, it would be helpful if I actually had the book with me,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “I know the basics of the spell, but describing in detail would require me to reread it.” Spike jumped from his seat. “I’ll go grab it!” he announced as he dashed out of the kitchen. Sunset looked at Spike’s retreating figure for a moment before turning back to Twilight. “So, is he your pet or indentured servant?” she asked. Twilight jumped in surprise at the unexpected question. “What?” “I’ve seen dragon hatchlings kept as exotic pets for stuffy nobles,” said Sunset casually, as if she was discussing the weather. “But yours seems to be moderately intelligent, not to mention helpful. So what is he to you?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she gave her reply. “I hatched him from an egg and raised him since then,” the mare said with a slight edge to her voice. “He’s my assistant, but not a servant and certainly not a pet!” Sunset nodded in understanding. “Motherly instincts as well,” she commented. “Never thought I’d see a noblemare act so protective over a dragon. My curiosity is now satisfied.” “Do you normally ask other ponies insulting questions for the sake of your curiosity?” Twilight asked with a glare. Sunset smirked. “Take a guess, genius.” A knock on the front door drew their attention before their conversation could become any more heated. Twilight took another look at her new guest, who still hadn’t showered off the remaining ash from her mane and coat. “Stay out of sight,” Twilight ordered Sunset in a low whisper as she made her way to the door. “Who is it?” she called out. “Local Guard!” the pony at the door replied. Frowning, Twilight turned back to Sunset and tossed her head to indicate the stairs. Sunset complied by disappearing a flash of teleportation. “Coming!” Twilight called back, taking her sweet time to walk to the door. She opened it with a nervous smile. The pony outside was a light grey pegasus stallion. Like all members of the Local Guard, he was dressed in a light grey armor that covered his hooves and chest. On his head was a light grey helmet that had a sapphire blue frill. A silver four-pointed star on the front of his helmet identified the stallion as a deputy. Twilight’s smile dipped into a troubled frown. While she had known that a guard would visit her after last night’s destruction, she had only expected to receive a visit from one of the local sergeants. The Local Guard had four ranks of command: private, sergeant, deputy and sheriff. Receiving a visit from a private was not considered unusual. If the local sergeant stopped by then there was definitely a problem. But if you had a deputy on your doorstep, that was never a good thing. To make matters worse, Twilight had specifically chosen to live in this location because she was just outside the city limits of Manehattan. Of the four deputies in Manehattan, none would leave their post to visit a pony who lived outside of their legal domain unless they had received orders from somepony above them. Despite her understandable worries, Twilight managed to keep her appearance calm and collected. “Yes, officer?” she greeted the stallion politely. “Greetings, Lady Sparkle,” the deputy replied gruffly. “I am Deputy Steelwing. I trust you know what I’m here for?” Twilight nodded, not trusting herself to speak. “May I come in?” Steelwing queried. “Oh!” Twilight finally realized that she had been standing in the doorway. After taking a quick glance inside the house to make sure Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be seen, she stepped aside to let the guard inside her house. “Would you like to sit in the living room?” she asked. “It was probably a long flight.” “I’m not planning to stay long,” the pegasus replied. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, and then blushed when she realized that Steelwing had noticed. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “It’s just that I have so much to do; the library is filthy-” “You mean destroyed,” Steelwing rectified. Twilight blushed even more furiously, and only nodded in response. “Lady Twilight, while the local guard does not have the authority to make demands of nobles such as yourself when it comes to their own property—especially when you live outside of the legal city limit—your recent experiments have been a cause of alarm for the local community.” “No pony was hurt,” Twilight pointed out meekly. “Yes,” the stallion agreed. “However, the constant explosions and flashes of light have been disturbing your neighbors greatly. Several of them have trouble sleeping during The Queen’s glorious night, and many ponies fear that it’s only a matter of time before your experimentation goes out of hand.” “The spells I use are not designed to harm—” “And yet the top floor of your house is clearly in charred ruin,” Steelwing interrupted. “The events of last night prove that you cannot be trusted to reside here without risking the safety of yourself and other ponies. Do you understand?” “Yes, sir,” Twilight replied dejectedly. “Good. And unless you can find a certified temporary guardian, I will be forced to evict from the premises in a week.” This took the mare by surprise. “A w-what?” Twilight gasped in shock. “I’m nineteen years old! I don’t need a guardian!” “You do now.” Steelwing pulled several sheets of paper out of a compartment in the front of his armor and allowed Twilight to pick them up with her magic. “This hereby decrees that the unicorn noblemare, Lady Twilight Sparkle, is no longer considered to be an adult capable of independence and must be accompanied by certified adult at all times. Due to your new status, we, the Local Guard of Manehattan, retain the right evict you from this property at any time. However, we have generously decided to give you a week so you could prepare your arrangements.” Twilight’s face fell as she scanned the documents. There was no mistaking it. Somehow, some ponies had managed to find a way to declare her a legal minor despite her age, status, and prestige. She was both depressed and furious, but decided not to take out her frustrations on the messenger. “Thank you,” she said as civilly as possible before returning the documents back to the guard, who replaced them in his armor. “Is there anything else?” “Well… since the Local Guard was generous enough to give you some time to prepare, it would do a great deal of good for you to return the favor,” Steelwing said slyly. Twilight scowled. “I’ll send a check,” she replied tartly as she opened the door for him. “Have a nice day, Deputy Steelwing.” “To you as well, Lady Sparkle” the deputy replied politely as he exited. Twilight made sure to slam the door before the pegasus had fully left the doorway, and smirked when she heard him give a painful yelp. “That corrupt, thieving, annoying, arrogant jerk!” she grumbled loudly. “He should be known as Deputy Stealing!” “Don’t forget that he was rude!” Spike pipped up as he stuck his head out from the library floor. “Seriously! He didn’t bow or remove his helmet indoors. He rejected an open invitation to recline. And he had the nerve to ask for a bribe! That goes against all formal customs for treating nobility! If he was still here I would’ve signed every feather off that wing of his!” “Sure, from all the way up there you could easily roast him,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. “Besides, I don’t mind being treated as if I’m ordinary pony. I just don’t appreciate corrupt guards asking me for bribes.” Spike quickly skipped down the stairs. “Want to file a complaint to the sheriff?” the dragon asked as he took out a parchment and quill. Twilight shook her head. “Nopony respects me enough to defend my experiments,” she reminded him. “At best, the sheriff would only insist that the punishment is fair. At worst, he could kick us out on the spot, bribe or no bribe.” “Then are you going to tell Shining that you need to move back in with him?” Spike asked, his quill still poised over the paper. Twilight shivered. “I’m pretty sure I can find another solution,” she said. “My parents have plenty of space.” “You did make a bet with your parents saying that you would be able to survive five years on your own as a capable adult,” Spike reminded her. “You still have a little over three years left before you can move in without losing the bet.” Twilight groaned. “But I can’t move back in with Shining!” she protested. “He just got back from his honeymoon! You and I cannot live under the same roof as a young, newly-wed, married couple!” “And what’s wrong with that?” Spike asked innocently. Twilight sighed and rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” “You always say that!” Spike grumbled. From the doorway above them, they could hear the sounds choked laughter. A freshly cleaned Sunset Shimmer stumbled into view, her sides heaving. “You two are too much!” She gasped for air as she stumbled down the last few steps. “Too much!” Spike gave Twilight a questioning look, but the mare merely shrugged in response as they watched Sunset fall to the ground in her tirade of laughter. After Sunset had finally calmed down, she got up from the ground and shook out her mane. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask,” she said to Twilight, getting back to her current predicament. “How long has it been Nightma-” she paused when she saw the other two cringe. “Fine,” she relented. “How long has The Queen been in power?” “Oh, ponyfeathers,” Spike muttered as he saw Twilight’s face light up. “Well that would depend on what you consider being ‘in power’,” Twilight replied as he magically conjured a map of Equestria on the nearest wall. “You see, in the year one hundred and eleven PE—Princess Era, of course—The Queen conquered Canterlot-” “What year is it now?” Sunset interrupted. “It’s the year two hundred and ten PE,” Twilight replied quickly. “Now, after The Queen’s forces—” “I already know all I need to know now,” said Sunset brusquely. “You can lecture me on pointless history later.” “But—” “Next question,” Sunset interrupted. “Where are we?” Twilight was still annoyed that Sunset had cut off her lesson, but she knew that answering Sunset’s questions were more important than a brief history lesson. Besides, she was used to ponies not taking interest in the same information she valued. “We’re in the Fire Empire,” she replied. “Just southeast of Manehattan, less than an hour’s walk from the shore. Didn’t you hear the guard say he was from Manehattan?” Sunset shook her head. “After you let the guard in, I had a quick wash, in case you didn’t notice. By the time I came out the guard was gone and you were having your little ‘conversation’ with your little dragon friend. By the way, has he had the talk about the birds and the bees yet?” “I know lots about birds and bees,” Spike said proudly before Twilight could respond. “Do you know that a queen bee—” “Not right now, Spike,” Twilight interrupted Spike. She glared at Sunset, who merely smirked in response. Then Sunset’s face drifted back to a serious expression. “Before that guard had interrupted us, you said were going to explain the process of the spell.” “Right,” said Twilight with a nod. “Spike, the book, please.” “Right here,” Spike said cheerfully as he pulled out blue-grey book and handed it to Twilight, who brought it towards her face with her magic. Sunset’s jaw dropped. “H-how… why… where?” Twilight looked up from the book. “Is something wrong?” she asked Sunset with concern. “Did you just see what he did?” Sunset asked as she pointed a hoof towards Spike. “He gave me the book?” Twilight replied uncertainly. “But he just pulled it out of nowhere!” “No, I brought it from the library,” Spike corrected her. “But you didn’t have it with you! I saw!” “But if you saw it, then wouldn’t that mean he had it?” Twilight asked with confusion evident on her face. Sunset faced was twisted into knots as she tried to make sense of what happened. “But, I, argh! Never mind!” Twilight and Spike shared a look and a shrug. Twilight quickly turned her attention back to the book. “And… here!” she declared. “The Champion Summoning Spell!” “Champion Summoning Spell?” Sunset echoed. “Yes,” Twilight replied with a look on her face that Spike was all too familiar with. The unicorn took a deep breath and explained. “You see, this spell is not designed to specifically summon any one pony. Rather, it was designed to summon any powerful pony that the caster wished. The summoned pony can be from anywhere, and any time in the present or future, just not the past. However, the spell requires a personal item of the pony, as well as some of their essence before it can be used.” “Essence?” “The book is written in old Equestrian, and that’s the best translation I have for the word it used,” Twilight replied apologetically. “I meant to use sunlight for essence, and the book as a personal item, but—” “Since the book was mine—” “And I used the spell at sunset—” “It got me instead of Celestia,” Sunset finished glumly. “Hold on a second, Sunset’s essence is the actual sunset?” Spike said doubtfully. “That doesn’t make any sense!” The orange mare shrugged. “It’s magic little guy,” she said. “Sometimes it doesn’t make sense.” “But—” “Spike, until we have evidence that says otherwise, that’s the best theory we have right now,” Twilight told him gently. “Though…” She turned back to Sunset. “This spell can only be used on ponies with high amounts of innate magic. You would have to be extremely powerful in order for the spell to substitute you for the Banished Sun Princess.” “I’m her personal student; of course I’m powerful,” Sunset bragged. “She’s trained me since I was just a filly!” “Then how come we haven’t heard of you?” Spike asked suspiciously. “Wouldn’t the media have hounded over your life if you actually were her apprentice?” “Personal student, not apprentice.” Sunset glared at the young dragon. “For your information, I spent most of my time studying so the media didn’t see much of me. Celestia also kept those pesky hounds away from the castle grounds when there wasn’t a major event going on. Besides,” she added as a new thought entered her mind. “Ni—The Queen, I mean—probably erased all traces of my existence. She was trying to kill me when I left.” “Wait, she was trying to kill you?” Twilight repeated. “Do I hear an echo?” “If we get seen with you, The Queen will have our heads!” Spike gulped. He pointed a claw accusingly at Sunset. “I knew you were bad news!” Sunset smirked. “Don’t worry, she isn’t expecting me,” she assured them, though the looks on their faces didn’t change. “You see, she thinks that the spell was supposed to send me into a time pocket until she was defeated. That means she’s not expecting me to appear until somepony overthrows her. What she doesn’t know is that I’ll be that pony.” “Are you sure?” Spike asked warily. Sunset snorted in response. “Don’t worry, that little usurper will be off her throne in no time.” “I guess it’s a good thing we brought you here early then, right?” Twilight smiled weakly. Sunset frowned. “No,” she replied. “I’m certain Celestia was going to send me to the opportune time to overthrow The Queen. By pulling me out early, you made my assignment harder, but not impossible.” She closed her eyes and summoned her saddlebag in a flash of light. “I’ll just get some provisions and get on my way.” “Just like that?” Twilight asked in surprise. “What would I stick around for?” Sunset asked. She teleported to the kitchen and began rummaging through Twilight’s pantry. Twilight teleported behind the other mare. “But you can’t just leave and expect to take down the Queen on your own!” she protested. Sunset magically lifted up her saddlebag. “This has everything I’ll need to defeat her,” she said. “Celestia said so.” “So what’s in it?” Spike asked as he finally made it to the kitchen. Sunset paused just as she was taking out a loaf of bread. “I… haven’t checked yet,” she admitted slowly. “Well, my house is the safest place you’ll find for miles,” said Twilight. “And I could help you! After all, you traveled almost a hundred years in the future so a lot of things are probably different from your time.” “Has any of the capitals changed?” Sunset asked. “Well… no…” “How about major roads?” “Yes.” Sunset growled. “Governments?” “Radically.” “Nations?” “Same only to a certain extent. The guard system has also been completely revised. New constitutions have been set in place—” Sunset stuck a hoof in Twilight’s mouth to silence the purple mare, but then took it out and nodded to concede her defeat. She put the saddlebag on the table and lifted out the first item her magic could find. It was a map. The parchment was a leathery-brown color. The map named the different nations and major settlements, and depicted the varying geography in Equestria, all in black ink. “This looks like a fairly ordinary map,” said Twilight as she voiced the group’s collective thoughts. “It’s kind of old, but it doesn’t appear ancient to any extent.” “Maybe it has something written on the back,” Spike suggested. He reached out a claw to touch the map, but Sunset swatted his claws away. “I don’t want your little daggers ripping this to shreds,” Sunset growled. She surveyed the map. “Let’s see, if Manehattan is here—” As she jabbed the labeled city, the map began to glow. The two ponies and dragon gasped as a soft golden light shone from the parchment. The light wasn’t blinding, but the three flinched in surprise and looked at the map warily until the glow had slowly faded away. “What are those?” Spike asked as he looked at the map again. While the map itself looked the same, there were now six images on its borders. In the four corners of the map and on the top border were five gems. The final image was on the bottom border, and it was a golden star that looked remarkably like a compass with its two intersecting four-pointed stars. At five of its points hung five gems, with a sixth gem lying in the center. Sunset bit her bottom lip. She didn’t have an answer for Spike, but was hesitant to admit it. Twilight’s head suddenly snapped up. “I remember seeing a picture like that in a book!” she exclaimed as she pointed a hoof at the image on the bottom border of the map. She galloped upstairs to the library and began sifting through the burned remains. “Please be in one piece. Please be in one piece,” she whispered as she went to the section of the library the book had been. “Found it!” Spike exclaimed as he stuck his head out of a pile of smoldering planks. Twilight jumped. She hadn’t even realized he had followed her. “Thanks, Spike,” she said graciously as she took the book from him. The book’s cover was brown and faded by age. On the book’s front cover lay an image of a golden unicorn mare with teal eyes. A Fleur de Lis decorated each corner of the book, and two gold stripes went across the book’s binding. Sunset stuck her head up from the stairs and carefully stepped through the debris. “So what does it say?” she asked after she saw Twilight with her nose in the book. “It says that the images on the map are Elements of Harmony,” Twilight replied. She lay the book flat to let Spike and Sunset see a page with that had the same picture as the one on the bottom border of the map, but this one was colored in. The star was golden, and each of the six gems had their own color. “Apparently, they are said to be powerful magical artifacts with the power to dispel evil. However… they were a mere legend even in the time the book was written, and it’s from the times of Old Equestrian. I don’t think many ponies alive today would know about them.” “So this map shows the Elements of Harmony,” Sunset repeated thoughtfully. She took a second at the map and blinked. “Okay…” “What?” Twilight asked. Sunset turned the map around. Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw a blinking golden dot just southeast of where Manehattan was labeled on the map, which was exactly where Twilight’s house was. “Can I take a closer look?” Twilight asked. Sunset nodded and allowed Twilight to grip it with her telekinesis. Twilight looked at the front of the map, and then the back. She discovered that the glow could only be seen on one side, which was peculiar, but not entirely helpful. After flipping it over a few more times, she tentatively stuck out a hoof to touch the glowing dot. The second her hoof made contact with the parchment, it began to glow. Unlike the time Sunset had touched it, the glow was not small and golden. Rather, bright lavender light poured from the map, filling up the library in its brilliance. The light slowly dimmed just as it had before, but not without leaving a change to the map. The small image on the map’s bottom border was no longer the simple brown and black colors of the rest of the map. Now the compass-like star of the image was a golden color. Each gem had its own color: blue, orange, red, pink, purple, and green. “That was… astounding!” Twilight gushed. She began re-examining the map from all angles, but found no other differences besides the newly colored image. “The map has a kind of magic to it that I’ve never seen before. I wonder why it reacted to me. Spike, you try touching it to see if it glows!” “No!” Sunset protested as she hoisted the map out of Spike’s reach. “He’ll rip it with those sharp claws of his!” “I’ll have you know that I handle all of Twilight’s books, scrolls, and papers,” Spike said defensively. “I know how to hold paper without shredding it.” Sunset still looked hesitant, so Twilight pitched in. “Come on, don’t you want to know what happens? What if the map glows every time a pony—or dragon—touches it? Does the duration and intensity of the glow vary between individuals? Think of the science!” Sunset muttered something under her breath along the lines of, “It’s a hole for a hole if he destroys it,” as she levitated the paper down to Spike’s height. Catching Sunset’s thinly veiled threat. Spike gently rapped the paper the smooth top part of his claw. To everyone’s surprise, nothing happened. They waited a few seconds in anticipation, but the map still didn’t glow or change in any way. “Well, that did a lot of good,” Sunset said dejectedly. “At least the map is still in one piece.” “Hey!” “How about we check the rest of the things in your bag, Sunset?” Twilight suggested before another argument could ensue. Sunset reached inside the bag with her magic, but couldn’t seem to grip anything inside. “Oh come on…” she grumbled as she stuck a hoof in the bag. To her surprise, her hoof couldn’t seem to make contact with anything either. “What in Equestria is wrong with this thing?” Sunset asked in frustration as she tried to stick her hoof in deeper, only to find that no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t fit any more of her hoof inside the saddlebag. She felt no solid resistance on the inside, yet the fact remained that her hoof could not go any farther into her bag. “What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. After Sunset had explained her dilemma, Twilight offered, “I could scan it for magical enchantments.” Sunset immediately frowned. Twilight’s idea was a good one, but it infuriated Sunset that she, the student of Princess Celestia, had not come up with it instead. “No thanks, I’ll—” Sunset paused and shook her head. “Better yet, go ahead.” “Are you sure?” Twilight asked. Sunset nodded, a smile creeping up on her lips. “Let’s just see how strong of a unicorn you are, Lady Twilight Sparkle.” In truth, Sunset had more on her mind than simply gauging Twilight’s magical strength. An enchantment-revealing spell was far from the most difficult magical task to perform. Sunset just wanted to see how Twilight’s magic worked for complex spells. Sunset’s drew power from the sun when she had a difficult spell to cast, unlike most unicorns, who simply used their own supply of magic until it ran out. But if Twilight had cast a spell that brought Sunset Shimmer out of a suspension of time and blew up an entire library in the process with only her natural magical reserves… Sunset shivered at the thought. Twilight gave Sunset a hesitant smile as she lit her horn with the spell. After a few seconds of concentration, she let the magic die out. “It appears to be a kind of preservation spell,” the unicorn said finally. “However, it’s not a spell I’m familiar with. Maybe you would be able to identify it, since it comes from your era.” Sunset restrained from frowning. Obviously, the spell had not strained Twilight enough to test her full magical ability. Sunset would have to try again at later time. “It’s only been a century, not a millennia or something,” Sunset pointed out. Regardless, she cast the same spell Twilight used. “Huh. It’s one of Celestia’s.” “Do you always say her name so casually?” Spike asked incredulously. Sunset turned to the dragon who had spoken. “Why wouldn't I?” she asked coolly. Spike’s mouth suddenly turned dry. “W-well, when we a-address nobles and r-royalty we usually, well, use their title,” he replied nervously, regretting his sudden outburst. “You act like s-she’s just a friend.” “I’ve been wondering about that was well,” said Twilight. “Do you skip titles for every pony you meet? After all, that would be rude to—“ “Shut up.” Sunset said the words so icily that Twilight clammed up without a second thought. “As I was saying,” Sunset continued. “This is one of Celestia’s enchantments. When I was a little filly, she used this enchantment when she gave me extremely difficult and complicated tasks. The enchantment is designed to only provide me with the items inside when I need them.” “Which means whatever else is in the bag is unnecessary as of right now?” Twilight queried. “Precisely.” Sunset slung the bag on her side, making sure to cover her cutie mark. “So… I guess you’re going to get started on your journey.” “Yes.” “Can we come along?” “Hold on!” Sunset exclaimed. “Who said I was going to let you or him come with me?” “Well… I was the one who managed to fill in one of the symbols,” said Twilight. “And the map did stop indicating our position after I touched it.” “I still don’t see why I should take you along,” Sunset said stubbornly. “I’m going to go stop an evil queen, and there’s nothing a prissy noble could help me with.” “But you said it yourself that the bag only gave you what you needed, when you needed it,” Twilight replied, ignoring Sunset’s jab. “When you took it out, it indicated this place, until I touched it and activated… something. Whatever I did, it left a mark, literally. It probably means I’m important to your quest.” “I still don’t think—” “And what if your mentor actually meant for you to come here?” Twilight pressed. “After all, the book did manage to make it into my possession despite The Queen’s destruction of all evidence that mentioned you. I’ve heard that the Banished Sun Princess was an excellent power pl—I mean strategist. What if she set this up so I would summon you from the time spell?” Sunset opened her mouth to argue, but then considered it for a moment. “The Queen did believe that I was going to be locked until she was overthrown based on the spell’s design,” she said slowly. “And I wouldn’t put it past Celestia to use a fancy trick like that to tip the scales in my favor.” Twilight held her breath for several seconds as Sunset deliberated this. “Fine… you can come along.” Twilight squealed in excitement and jumped for joy like an exited schoolfilly. “Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You won’t regret it! Come on, Spike, let’s get packing!” “Hold on!” Sunset interrupted before Twilight could go galloping out of the library. “I said you could come along, but I have no reason to have him on my back as well.” “Hey!” Spike protested. “What’s wrong with Spike coming along?” Twilight asked the other mare. “He’s useless and annoying,” Sunset said bluntly. “No, I’m not!” Twilight steeped in front of Spike defensively. “He’s my assistant,” said Twilight firmly. “Where I go, he goes. I can’t just leave him here, especially with ponies like Deputy Stealing hovering around.” “Don’t you have parents? Ship him to them,” Sunset said dismissively. “I’m right here you know!” “Not happening,” Twilight replied with a firm shake of her head. “He’s under my care and stays with me wherever I go.” “That’s selfish of you, dragging him around while we go gallivanting into danger.” “I have thick scales,” Spike muttered. “It’s my job to care for him and protect him, but I can’t do that if we’re separated. He comes with me.” “He can stay with you, you mean,” Sunset amended. “I’m not having him with me.” Twilight stared at the other mare, who stared back coolly. Twilight was trapped in a moral dilemma. Traveling around the world with a student of the Banished Sunset Princess is a once in a lifetime opportunity, she thought. However… I can’t leave Spike. I’m responsible for him, and I can’t shirk my duties even for this. “Fine, I’ll stay with Spike,” Twilight declared aloud. “Help yourself to the fridge and pantry, the food’s just going to rot here if somepony doesn’t take it.” “Twilight,” said Spike softly as the unicorn turned away and headed for the steps. “You don’t have to give up your chance for adventure just for me. Night Light and Twilight Twinkle would be able to—” Twilight shook her head. “No, Spike. Taking care of you is my responsibility, and it wouldn’t be fair to you or them if I abandoned you for my own pursuits.” “Twilight…” Sunset rolled her eyes as she watched the two. Those two are rather trying to make me pity them, or are horrible at whispering, she thought. She mentally shrugged. Oh well, at least they passed my little test. Now I know how Celestia feels. “Where do you two think you’re going in such a hurry?” Sunset called out to the duo just as Twilight had descended the first step. The pair turned back to Sunset with confusion that only grew when they saw that Sunset was grinning at them. “Did you really think I’d let an adept unicorn and her dragon chef simply walk away from me? You two got me into this mess, and you’re sticking with me until we’re out of it.” “Adept?” Spike echoed. “Twilight graduated from Starswirl’s School for Gifted Unicorns at the top of her class! Now she’s the pupil of Mi Amora Candeza, from the house of Candeza! She’s more than adept, she’s a prodigy!” “Spike, it’s not that big of a deal,” Twilight said with a blush. “And you’re from the House of Star as well?” Sunset asked as she remembered their conversation from the previous night. Twilight nodded. Sunset nodded approvingly. “The House of Star dates back to Starswirl the Bearded. They're one of the most famous houses of nobility I know of. It doesn’t hurt to have connections,” she said thoughtfully. The gears in her head were turning, but she decided to file this tidbit of information away for later. “Alright, let’s pack up whatever we’ll need and set out as early tomorrow morning as possible.” “Where are we going exactly?” Spike asked. “The map will show us,” Sunset replied confidently as she rolled her eyes. Twilight looked at the map. “Um… it’s not glowing,” said Twilight. Indeed, the glowing dot had vanished when the mark had newly colored, so there was no longer any indication for where they needed to go next. “How will we know where to go?” “All I have to do is get it to work again,” Sunset replied without hesitation. She stared at the map, and then used her levitation to shake it, but to no avail. “Come on, you! Glow!” Twilight and Spike approached her cautiously. “Last time you touched it with your hoof,” said Spike helpfully. “I knew that,” Sunset growled. Without making eye contact her companions, she tentatively jabbed a hoof at the map. As a result, another soft golden glow filled the map. The light gradually faded away, but left one glowing dot on the map. “I know that place!” Spike exclaimed as he pointed a claw at the dot. “It’s on the mainland, and only a few miles from the shore!” “I’m not familiar with any settlement there,” said Sunset with a frown. “That’s because the town was founded only a few decades ago, no pony lived there during your time,” Twilight replied. “It’s a good thing you have a pony and a dragon who are in with the times,” Spike rubbed in as he elbowed Sunset’s leg. Sunset shoved him aside. “Just focus on packing up everything we’ll need.” One hundred years ago, Canterlot was known as a beacon of light across Equestria. The two Princesses of Equestria ruled the glorious city-state side by side. Celestia, of course, ruled by day, while her younger sister, Luna, ruled by night. Canterlot had been famous for its tall, white buildings that were trimmed with shimmering gold. Many ponies claimed that the radiance of the Princesses who ruled it kept the city sparkling clean, but those ponies had not seen the budget for public services. Canterlot was also home to the most prestigious magical university in Equestria, Starwirl’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Complete with two levels of higher education, attending this school was a dream that most unicorn colts and fillies aspired to achieve. Only the Princesses themselves surpassed the university’s level of popularity and tourism. By far, Canterlot was the most popular travel destination in Equestria for both scholars and tourists alike. The majority of Canterlot’s inhabitants included the Canterlot Royal Guard, their immediate families, and a collection of ponies with intellectual pursuits. However, that did not stop other ponies from buying property in the elegant city. Almost every famous pony in Equestria owned at least one house in Canterlot, and some of them were audacious enough to buy as much as three. Of course, sometimes the Princesses—namely, Luna—gave away a luxurious house to any noble that they found to be… undesirable. After all, the taxes on Canterlot’s true citizens needed to be kept low somehow. Things had changed drastically over the century. In present times, Canterlot still housed Starswirl’s School for Gifted Unicorns. However, instead of pristine white buildings with golden trimming, almost everything in the city came in shades of grey, black, and blue. Few ponies who weren’t related to the royal guards dared to live so close to the Queen of Equestria, especially with Equestria’s latest citizens making up the majority of Canterlot’s current population. Batponies. It was impossible walk down the streets of Canterlot without seeing at least one batpony—whether it be a guard or a civilian. The civilians were nice enough. If you ignored their creepy slit-like eyes and unusual wings, they didn’t seem any different from the ordinary pony. The talked, laughed, and held jobs just like the rest of Equestria’s citizens. However, the batpony guards were a different story. Batpony guards acted with a rigidness that made even the best of any nations’ soldiers uneasy. Crime in Canterlot was much lower than any other major city in all of Equestria because most criminals knew that batpony guards were the worst kind of guards to deal with. The batponies had the strength and durability to engage earth ponies in close quarters without being taken out by a single buck. Batponies had flight, agility, and stamina, which allowed them to catch all but the best of pegasi fliers. The batponies’ keen eyes and ears could render most unicorn enchantments useless for hiding and fleeing. The Royal Guard, the Queen’s personal army, was comprised almost exclusively of Batponies. They were her enforcers throughout Equestria. They displayed her presence and power. They showed that she was in control. A needless amount of the Royal Guard patrolled the Canterlot castle both day and night. Even the road leading up to the castle held three pairs of guards, which effectively scared off anypony who would attempt to approach the heart of The Queen’s domain. A single unicorn walked down the road to the castle. The unicorn was a large and muscular stallion. His coat was as dark and grey as coal, and his narrowed eyes housed tiny embers at their core. His pitch-black mane and tail were groomed at sharp angles, which only added to his fierce appearance. However, his most notable and frightening feature was his horn. Unlike most unicorn horns, it was not a straight, spiraling steeple. Rather, it was completely smooth and curved upwards like the horn of a rhino. While the horn started out as grey as the stallion’s coat, it gradually gained a red tinge until it ended in a fiery red curved point. The unicorn was dressed in a suit armor. Like all of the Royal Guards, the majority of his armor was a midnight blue, which accented his grey fur perfectly. Unlike most guards, however, he wore no crest on his helmet. His natural mane flowed freely from his head and neck. On the front of his helmet, a navy blue crescent moon signified his military rank. The stallion approached the gates to the castle without pausing in his step or looking at the guards. The gates swung outward for his arrival, and gently shut behind him once he had passed through. Through the corridors and rows of guards, the stallion walked with assurance in his step. He only stopped when he reached the closed doors to the throne room. Then the two guards who stood in front of the door moved aside and opened the door without question. As the unicorn entered the throne room, one of the batponies announced, “Presenting General Sombra of the Royal Guard!” Sombra strode deeper into the throne room with dignity. Most ponies would cower at the thought of meeting the queen in the royal throne room, but Sombra relished the opportunity. He was one of the three generals of the Royal Guard, and his regular meetings with the Queen did nothing to humble his ego. Nightmare Moon—or as she was now known as, The Queen of Equestria—was reclining on her throne. The alicorn was not wearing her armor, since it was impractical to wear aside from formal gatherings and public appearances. She had several sheets of paper levitating in front of her, and two stacks of papers resting at each side of her thrown. The flicking of her ears was the only indication that she had heard to the guard’s announcement. For several moments, the two guards simply stood at the doorway and watched Sombra slowly walk forward. The unicorn only stopped when he had reached the foot of the stairs. “Leave us,” The Queen finally said, even though she still didn’t look up from her work. The two batponies bowed low and shut the heavy wooden doors behind them. “You called, my Queen?” “Yes,” the alicorn mare replied with her eyes still fixated on the documents before her. “I’ve received reports of magical disturbance near Manehattan. I want you to investigate.” “Already done,” Sombra replied promptly. His job was usually to suppress uprisings and discipline rebels, but he never turned down an opportunity to assist his queen in other matters. “It turns out that a certain young noblemare by the name Twilight Sparkle—” “Oh, that foal…” The Queen interrupted with a grumble. “She’s the one who the Fire Empire nobles keep trying to banish from their nation, correct?” “As always, my Queen,” Sombra replied with a small bow. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Sombra.” “It is not flattery, my queen. It is a fact.” The Queen smiled as she finally looked up to face the grey unicorn. The alicorn’s fangs gave her smile a predatory appearance, but unlike most ponies, Somba didn’t flinch at the sight. Rather, his attention was focused on the weary expression on his queen’s face. He could tell by the bags under her eyes that she hadn’t slept in a long time. “There’s a reason you’re my favorite,” the mare said with a dry chuckle. “Now… what were you saying about this noblemare?” “Apparently, one of her latest experimental spells resulted in the destruction of the top floor of her house and caused panic across the metro-Manehattan area,” Sombra replied formally. “At least, that’s what the report says. Regardless, I allowed those foalish nobles to pass a petition that declared Lady Twilight Sparkle an indefinite minor. I believe now she will be unable to cause any headaches for you.” “She only gives headaches to the nobles, not to me,” The Queen corrected him. “The nobles complain about their headaches to you, which in turn gives you a headache. Therefore, she is the root cause of your headaches,” Sombra argued. The Queen chuckled. “Very good argument, Sombra, but I believe this little unicorn could be quite useful to me. She’s powerful, independent, and stubborn. In fact, she reminds me of how you acted when you were her age, and even how you act now.” “I have matured since my youth,” Sombra said with a growl. “And yet you still are the pony who fears me the least in Equestria, especially when your temper riles up,” the mare countered. “You are getting old, you know. She could do well as your apprentice.” “I’m not old and I would never work with somepony so childish,” Sombra replied stiffly. “You’ll have to accept the truth soon or later,” The Queen replied. “The mare could learn, but first, she’ll need to realize her own potential. I want you to bring her to me.” “Dead or alive?” “Very funny,” The Queen replied, but her voice contained no trace of amusement. “I want you to visit her home and—” “The Manehattan guards probably removed her from her home by now,” Sombra cut in. “I wouldn’t put it past them.” The Queen sighed. “Fine, figure out where she went and bring her to me. I wish to give her an offer she could never turn down.” “As you wish,” said Sombra as he turned to leave. “Don’t scare her,” the alicorn warned. “I want her to come willingly; otherwise my job will be much harder.” Her eyes narrowed. “I am dead serious about this Sombra. You may be a general, but remember that I am your queen. Do not take liberties in this assignment.” Sombra nodded mutely, opened the door with his magic, and left the throne room. The Queen sighed as the doors slammed shut behind Sombra. Slowly and painstakingly, she got up from her throne, hearing several pops and groans from her joints as she did so. After a cat-like stretch, she began pacing the throne room, deep in thought. While Sombra is very useful for maintaining order in Equestria when a strong hoof is needed, he lacks the tact needed for delicate situations, she thought as she sighed softly. However, with one of my generals at Equestria’s western border, and another dealing with those foalish Northern Water Tribers, I don’t have much of a choice. It’s not like I can send just anypony after all. The Queen gave her wings a few experimental flaps to stretch the tensed muscles. Satisfied, she jumped from the ground began gliding around the throne room in small circles. If only I could go myself, she thought regretfully. But somepny has to take to deal with these legal complexities, and I can’t trust any other pony with them. I’ll have to wait another time to enjoy some time to myself. After a few minutes, The Queen gently landed, her hooves hardly making a sound on the polished stone floor. She looked up at one of her stained glass windows. It depicted her, armored and in the prime of her power, sealing away the Princess of the Sun, Celestia. The memory of the event was still clear in The Queen’s mind; never could she forget the day she had defeated her sister and began her conquest of Equestria. “I know that your hoof is behind last night’s events,” the alicorn whispered to the glass image of Celestia. “You’ve always been a power player, after all; always putting up an act so you could slip your pawns into position!” The Queen snarled as her voice rose in volume. “I may not know what you have planned, but I will do everything in my power to stop you. I will rule Equestria better than you ever could have! And I will do so until I give my final breath!” The alicorn turned away from the window and returned to her throne. She tried to return to her task of reviewing petitions and revising legal drafts, but her mind wandered back to the assignment she had given her general. She had neglected to inform Sombra that she had known about the magical disturbance long before the report had reached her. The magic involved was immensely powerful and ancient, beyond the dreams of most magical scholars. Feeling it had stirred something in the old mare. It had been a long time since she had felt such a force, but she was certain that her senses were correct. After over two hundred years, she could once again feel the power of the Avatar.