Remnant

by preaplanes

Chapter 11: Information

ARC II: FALL

He hadn't been there long, but the dim lighting of the hall made the earth pony stallion wary of just what he had gotten himself into.

Three days ago he had received a royal summons from Princess Luna, requesting an audience. Request, he thought, taking a deep breath, usin' that word pretty lightly. Considering what ponies would say, he would have had to have been mad to refuse. For all he knew, she had counted on that.

The princess had been cordial to him when they spoke, even flattering. Maybe a bit too flattering, he thought to himself. She'd played off his pride in his work and made him agree before he knew what happened. Now he was sitting and waiting on his immediate superior, who was out on assignment.

Well, at least I'm moving up in the world a bit, and she did say I'm allowed to use my time to help out the family if I can get a spare moment.

He looked at the hall. It was black stone, pure onyx that shone with polish, but had obviously fallen into disrepair for a long period of time. The torches that lit the area cast a soft light that could be seen in, but no better than at night; he guessed he should have expected that from somepony who ruled over that time of day.

Suddenly, his ears perked up. A steady metallic clacking came from down the hall, unmistakably in the pattern of a pony's hoofsteps. Sure enough, in a few moments another stallion came into view, wearing the armor of the Lunar Guard, his helmet in his teeth. Judging by the scars on his neck, this was the pony he was waiting for: Captain of the Lunar Guard, Midnight Cloak.

“Northern Spy?” the captain asked, speaking clearly despite the helmet.

“Sir, yes sir!” Spy snapped into a salute, going rigid.

Midnight Cloak rolled his eyes. “Do I look like a bloody solar to you?”

Oh horseapples. “No sir,” Northen blurted.

“Then drop the sir sandwich, I actually work for a living.” Midnight growled, only to see the new recruit nod his head. He was obviously nervous, as was usually the case. It didn't really matter, that would change soon enough.

The pegasus pulled out a key on a chain around his neck, which had been covered by his armor. He put it into a nearby door. “This branch is a bit more... practical. C'mon in.”

Northern Spy followed the pony into the large, mostly empty room. A single plaque hung on the back wall, bearing a picture of the Equestrian flag and the symbol of the Lunar Guard, positioned a few feet behind an oversized desk. The walls were plain stone, cold and dimly lit by a candlelit chandelier, save for a single painting of a white ghost in the corner; likely a cutie mark, though he couldn't place who it belonged to.

“Take a seat,” the captain said, grabbing the attention of Northern Spy, who quickly sat down.

The guard looked through a number of papers on his desk, leading to a few minutes of silence. The only noise that could be heard were those of a desk clock ticking steadily away and the occasional ruffle of papers.

Finally, Midnight spoke. “Northern Spy, chief overseer of most non-local produce shipment and business for the Apple family north of Canterlot. So, you're the new logistics officer?” he asked, to which NS nodded enthusiastically. Captain Cloak let slip a small sigh of relief, as if a headache was beginning to fade. “'bout bloody time, that mare's been running herself ragged,” he commented.

“What do ya mean?”

“That's for the two of you to discuss,” the pegasus replied as he opened a drawer with a soft wooden thunk, pulling a couple items out of it. “Here,” he said, placing them for Spy to see. On the desk sat a key, a set of eight identical knives and several pairs of glasses.

The knives looked like combat knives, but the way they sat in their handles made it looks like they were meant to be thrown. There were five different styles of glasses, but all of them had deep amber lenses and were shaped in such a way that no angle provided a good view of the wearer's eye.

“Lunar Guard standard issue equipment. Pick one pair of sunglasses. If you need minor corrective lenses, you won't for long. Moderate, you're expected to wear contact lenses. Members of the Lunar Guard are expected to carry concealed arms at all times while on duty, and are encouraged to continue to do so off duty. Standard issue short swords and light crossbows are in the Lunar Guard armory. You are not to carry them outside of watch duty and combat operations. Given your position, you are authorized to approve use of combat arms, and are expected to show good judgement about this.

Arms and armor beyond standard issue are available for requisition should you prove proficient enough to warrant them. You'll find your standard armor, ceremonial armor, and recon gear in the barracks; you've been briefed on the effects of the enchantment. This key will open your equipment locker,” he recited as the recruit picked up a pair of glasses, putting them on and placing the weapons in his saddlebag. “Alright, you're dismissed.”

For several moments the two were silent, the only noise the ticking of the clock above them, which read two past midnight. “Uh, 's that it? I was expectin' somethin', I don't know, fancier.”

“Yeah, congratulations, you're now officially in the service of the once-forgotten crown. If you're looking for self-gratifying fanfare and pointless ceremony, go eavesdrop on the Solar Guard.”

“It- but, what about basic military trainin'?”

“Oh, you'll get it...” the pegasus said, hiding a smirk at the thought, “but in the meantime, suit up and get to work. Take a picture first if you want, last time anypony's gonna see those red eyes for a very long time.”

Spy perked up slightly, suddenly feeling less nervous. “The enchantment wears off when you retire?”

“No, when you die.”

“Oh,” he sighed, his ears drooping for a just a moment before he found his nerve once more. “Sir,” he said, giving a salute and turning about face, and walking out the door.

After he was gone, Midnight chuckled to himself, wondering how well he would fit in with the Lunar Guard. Still, if he was as good as Black Book said he was, he was going to prove invaluable in its day-to-day operations.

Alpha sixty-two Northern Spy thought as he stared at a bunk and a locker which, judging by the number the princess had given him, was his. It looked much, much newer than the room itself, and the quarters weren't as cramped as he would have thought. The room had several occupants, most of whom were fast asleep in their bunks.

He placed his key in the lock and turned. As soon as he did so, there was high pitched noise and a flash of light, startling him. The locker was apparently enchanted because the image of a calendar, his cutie mark, appeared on the front.

“Huh. Well, guess I won't be havin' any problems findin' it again,” he thought aloud, pulling the door open and setting his saddlebag down on the bed behind him.

Inside the locker were two sets of armor. Both were plate mail, covering most of the body, but one was more ornate than the other, made of a gleaming obsidian material (that actually might have been obsidian the more he looked at it), with silver filigree and a sapphire eye that would make a dragon drool. Obviously that one was for ceremonial purposes. Along with them was a cloak with a heavy hood, made of a thick material he couldn't recognize, and a relatively light chain mail shirt.

He took the regular suit of armor out of the locker and inspected it. Now, how in tarnation am I supposed to put this on? he wondered.

“Hey short-ear!” a voice said behind him. He turned around to see a unicorn mare, but beyond that he couldn't distinguish her from any other lunar guard. “I'm Maira Breeze, but you can call me Maria, happy to meet you! What's your name?” she asked.

“Uh, howdy, Maria. I'm Northern Spy, a plea-”

“You're a spy?”

“No, see, it's an a-”

“Not that there's anything wrong with that! We do a lot of that around here. Need a hoof with that?” Maria asked.

The earth pony blinked. “Uh, sure. Thanks, that's awful kind'a ya, Maria Breeze.”

Maria smiled. “No problem, almost everypony needs help with it,” she replied, horn lighting up and beginning to apply the armor to the earth pony.

“So,” Spy asked as the barding clicked and clacked around him, “this armor's all enchanted?” He rubbed his eyes. It felt like something was in them, but he couldn't get it out.

“Some of it, yeah! The shoes make your hoofsteps quieter, breastplate changes your coat color, the croupiere changes your hair color. The glasses are a little tougher than normal, and when you put on all the required gear, this happens.”

With the final click of a steel fastener, the effect was instantaneous. The apple yelled in pain, closing his eyes tight and covering them with his front hooves. “YEARGH! MY EYES! Sweet Celestia, it's like starin' at the sun after two hours in a box!” he screamed.

“Yeah, it stings a little,” Maria admitted, failing to suppress her snickering.

“A little?! Iodine on a wound stings a little, this is-” he protested, but stopped himself short. The stinging sensation was much milder now. He opened his eyes just a crack, testing out the light, before cautiously opening them wide, stating “... not as bad as it was.”

The mare chuckled. “Things look a little different now?”

Northern Spy craned his neck, looking around the room. He could tell that the room hadn't changed, and that things were just as dark as they were before. He knew that, but at the same time, it all looked different. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn the room was in direct sunlight. Even the colors were bright and vivid. “Yup, I gotta say they do. Does this mean I can't see in bright light?”

“Nope! Not any less than you could before, anyway.”

“How does THAT work?”

Maria shrugged. “I know, it's weird, right? Luna made it, but I don't know how.”

“Right,” he said. He knew better than to think all unicorns knew a lot of magic, let alone enough to figure out a goddess' spellcraft. After all, he was an earth pony, and part of a family of well known farmers, but he was hopeless when it came to farm work.

His train of thought was cut short when Maria asked “So what kind of spy are you?”

“Ugh, I'm not a spy, that's just my name. It's a kind of apple that grows west 'a Detrot,” he griped. After twenty-seven years, that mixup had gotten very, very old.

“Oh, uh, heh... sorry. So what is your special talent, then?”

“Logistics and requisitions, I'm pretty darned good at it, too. So, what's your job, miss Breeze? If you don't mind me askin', of course.”

“I'm a procurement specialist,” she said.

“Oh, you're helpin' with requisitions? I thought I was the only one on that,” he asked, a little confused.

“Not exactly. Hm, most famous thing I've appropriated... oh, I know! Ever heard of the Pony Lisa?” she asked, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

The stallion's mouth hung open. “You didn't.”

“Mhm! That was me,” she boasted, tapping her hoof on her chest with a dull metallic clang.

Northern Spy was taken aback. He'd definitely heard of that caper, it was all over the news. “You're the seven day snatcher?!” he yelped in shock.

“Yup! I never liked that nickname, though, it sounds stupid and makes me sound like a common thief.”

“Beggin' your pardon, miss, but yeah ya are!”

The mare turned up her nose, closing her eyes. “I was a gentlemare thief, and anything but some common burglar or pickpocket. If it wasn’t a challenge, I just wasn’t interested, and I use my talents to help Equestria now, thank you very much,” she humphed.

Northern Spy shifted his hooves guiltily. He had been warned by the princess that roughly half of the guard had a shady past. He sighed. “Sorry, Maria Breeze, I didn' mean to offend you.”

Maria opened an eye halfway, looking down at him silently for a moment. “Call it even for the name thing?” she asked, offering him a hoof.

“Sounds like a good trade to me,” he said, taking the hoof with a smile and shaking it. He saw her begin to smile back, but it turned into a yawn. “I didn't think y'all got tired at night,” he remarked, attempting to tease her in good nature.

“Of course we do. And you're part of the family now, too, you know,” she said. “Night, Northern.”

“Night,” he said as Maria started walking away. Before she got far, he piped up. “Hey, Maria!” he asked. She turned around. “What's a 'short-ear'?”

She smirked. “It means 'newbie', short-ear.”

“Alright, thank you kindly, Maria Breeze. That's all,” he said, making a mental note not to shave his ears as she walked to her bed.

With Maria gone, he turned his focus inward, observing what he could. The armor, while heavy, felt lighter than he would have expected steel plate would be. It was some kind of titanium alloy, perhaps. More expensive and likely less durable than steel, but much lighter. As he looked at it, he noticed a hidden slot, and upon further inspection seven others. He then recalled the knives he had been issued. He opened the bag and pulled out the weapons, placing them one at a time into the slots, where they fit snugly, disappearing from sight behind the armor itself, invisible to those who didn't know where to look.

Spy whistled, mildly impressed. “Concealed weapons... that's a nasty little trick,” he thought aloud. With his curiosity towards his armor sated, he focused his attention on himself. His eyes no longer hurt at all, but despite Maria telling him that it wasn't the case, he wondered if they would do so again in the sunlight.

He got up, walking to the latrine between the two dorm rooms, opening the door. It looked no different from a typical gender-neutral public restroom for the most part, save for being much cleaner. Fortunately, that included indoor plumbing, working sinks, and what he came for, a row of mirrors.

He walked up to one and looked at his reflection; he barely recognized himself now, as a grey earth pony stared back at him with golden eyes. Ponies' facial recognition, while passable, was among the poorest of intelligent species'. Due to the myriad of colors they were born with, they could normally tell each other apart by the color of their mane, eyes, and coat. With all these brought into uniform, it became much more difficult. With his armor covering his cutie mark, it became even harder to tell.

Well, that might be the point, he thought. I guess I better get to work. Sheesh, this is nuts.

After using the facilities and going back for his saddlebag, he left the barracks, heading to the officers' quarters to look at the schedule before running his thoughts on it by the princess.

A few hours later, Northern Spy strode down the hallway, his hoofsteps quieter than those of a newborn foal.

He had a good understanding of what he needed to do, he felt, but would need to check base with Princess Luna and get her schedule, too. There had been several pages of maps of the castle in the officers' quarters, enough to direct him to the Princess Luna's bedroom. He was getting close now.

He rounded a corner. He could see the end of the hall was a regal double-door with an ivory moon emblazoned on the front, with another corridor in front of it running perpendicular to the one he was in. In front of that, however, he noticed two ponies, clad in the same armor as he.

They were still a ways off, but one of them had already noticed him. His front leg snapped up and he turned to face him. The other saw this, and looked at the newcomer as well. He said something to the first guard, though Spy was too far away to hear what, and the first guard lowered his hoof.

As he got closer, he saw that they were both stallions. The one that saw him first one was an earth pony, wearing a shield on his back, and the other was a pegasus, both standard size. The earth pony was already turned back around and staring at the door, the other was looking him dead in the eye and waving.

It was another half a minute seconds before he got close to the two. “Uh, howdy there,” he said to greet them.

The pegasus introduced himself. “Hey. You're new, I take it? Name's Fletch.” Fletch looked at the other guard, who had a very serious look on his face. “That's Targe.”

“We're on watch, Owl-eye, we don't have time to deal with the short-ear.”

“Well with your ears, we'll be fine,” Fletch retorted. “Don't mind him, he's overprotective like that.”

“I'm not overprotective,” Targe muttered, to which Fletch rolled his eyes.

“Please, you attacked a schoolmare who got lost on a field trip when she got too close to Princess Luna's room and got kicked out of the Solar Guard because of it.”

“Considering what happened earlier that week, I was entirely justified. I'd do it again, too” Targe firmly replied.

It seemed odd to Northern Spy that Princess Luna would accept a pony who got kicked out of the Royal Guard before, but then again, most of the outfit seemed odd. “Well, before I forget to introduce myself, I'm Northern Spy. Pleasure makin' your acquaintances. I've got a couple a things to run by the princess.”

Fletch nodded. “Alright, Princess Luna's told us to watch out for you. Erm, in the good way, not the bad way. Whitelist, not blacklist.”

“Uh... thanks?” Northern Spy responded.

“She'll be done with court in any time now,” Fletch said.

As if on cue, Targe's ears twitched. “She just teleported,” he said, “go ahead and knock.”

Wordlessly, the new guard walked over to the door and raised a hoof, hesitating for only a moment before knocking. “You may enter,” Princess Luna's voice announced.

Steeling himself, Spy opened the door, walking into the moonlit chamber.

The room looked to be about what he expected from a royal bedroom, or at least one belonging to a princess of purported equal standing to Princess Celestia. Lots of space, large new-looking windows with heavy decorative drapes, a grand chandalier, a very large bed made neatly, a hearth without a chimney undoubtedly powered by advanced fire magic, a wardrobe and a personal washroom, the works. If one added a kitchen to it, it would serve well as a luxury apartment. The only thing that seemed out of place was the veritable mountain of old books that were stacked on a desk at the back of the room.

Princess Luna approached him from said desk. “Yes, Northern Spy?” she asked as he gave a respectful bow. “Have you come to assist me with the duty roster?”

“Oh, uh, I already did that,” Spy answered, standing up straight.

Luna blinked, putting a hoof up to her ear and twisting it. “I'm sorry, what?” she asked.

“The duty roster's finished up, I just need you to look it over and make sure everythin' checks out and to tell me when basic training is, Miss Luna.” he asked, pulling open his saddlebag and pulling out a clipboard with several pages attached. He gave it to the alicorn, who took it and began reading.

“It was a little quicker than I thought,” he explained. “The personnel file mentioned a 'Shadowdancer' that can open portals to most of the country, so I was able to use her to free up some time and patch that up a bit.”

Luna kept reading. Several long, silent moments passed, punctuated only by the flipping of pages. “I, uh, did I do somethin' wrong?” he asked nevously.

“Your manner of addressing me was a rather informal, and technically incorrect, but acceptable,” Luna said, finishing up the last page, “if barely. I must say I am impressed. I must commend Midnight Cloak on his recommendation of you; at this rate, you are likely to prove quite a windfall, provided you do not disappoint during training,” she said.

That struck him as odd. “Wait, the captain recommended me?”

Luna giggled. “He did indeed. He has his connections from his previous line of work, and they have proven useful from time to time, so I have no intention of severing them. Beyond that I cannot say what activities you've engaged in to put you... 'on his radio', I think is the modern phrase.”

Northern Spy scratched his head in confusion for a few seconds before it clicked. “Oh, you mean on his radar, not radio.”

“What is the difference?” she asked. Another awkward pause. “I am being serious. Forgive me for being a bit behind the times, it was a rather long... leave of absence, you understand.”

That's one way to put it, the stallion thought. “A radio is used to send and receive signals, and radar is used to track thing in the air, like clouds or pegasi or zeppelins.”

“I see, so the tracking is the key to that phrase,” Luna said. “At any rate, you still require a synchronization of my schedule with training,” she said, horn lighting up. A small book rose up from behind the stacks of books, surrounded by a blue aura, and floated over to Northern Spy.

“Yeah. I'll just...”

He never ended his sentence.

His jaw hung open. Princess Luna's agenda was a nightmare. Court every night for four hours, a list of legal volumes that could make up a small library, nobles of every sort seeking an audience, a formal breakfast and dinner (in the afternoon and morning, respectively) that took between one and two hours each, and a large block of time each day was just labeled “RESEARCH” in all capital letters, underlined twice.

“Your highness...”

“Yes, Northern Spy?”

“... do you sleep?”

Luna shifted awkwardly. “I technically don't require sleep,” she muttered.

Spy raised an eyebrow. He was no doctor, and she was practically a goddess as far as he could tell, but that was a defensive answer if ever he'd heard one. “And there's no ill effects to skippin' sleep?” he asked, pressing his luck as well as for information.

“Uh...” Luna said nervously. Not a moment later she groaned, head and shoulders drooping in defeat. “I cannot say so honestly,” she admitted. She knew from personal experience that she could survive extreme sleep deprivation, but it hit her nearly as hard as any normal pony.

“Well then, mi-Princess Luna, if you want me ta do my job, you're gonna have to work with me here. I can't do nothin' if you won't take at least some of my advice. Way I figure it, if a schedule doesn' make things easier, it ain't worth the paper it's printed on.”

“Oh very well,” the princess said with a heavy sigh. Even she had to admit that she could only do so much in a day.

“A'ight, we'll start with the basics. What's the most important thing on here? Don't rush it, jus' think it over first.”

After a few moments considering, Luna answered. “Breakfast and supper with my sister.”

“Alright, do ya need to spend that long with both breakfast and dinner?” he asked. He was going to attempt to insist that she get enough time for basic activities first, but two hours on a meal was time that could potentially be better spent elsewhere.

“I went a thousand years without seeing my sister, Northern Spy,” she replied. “I would rue missing the best chance I have to see her each night.”

“Each day,” Spy corrected, immediately clapping a hoof over his mouth; this was probably not the mare to correct, especially when it came to day and night. Sure enough, the blue alicorn was squinting at him in annoyance when he looked up. “Uh, sorry 'bout that,” he apologized sheepishly, clearing his throat and regaining his composure.

“Anyway, I understand, family is important,” he said. Even if they don't always get along, he added in thought. “Now, answer me honestly, how much sleep do you reckon you need each... twenty-four hour period?”

“Six hours, ideally. To the minute, once upon a time.”

“Standard for an earth pony, gotcha. Just had to make sure, you ain’t a normal pony after all. Now then, ya didn't leave any room for keepin' in shape.”

“Sadly true, though I do get some exercise whilst training the guard. Captain Cloak is an excellent dueling partner,” Luna remarked.

Northern Spy blinked as he tried to process that. He wasn't sure which he had a harder time wrapping his head around, the princess putting up a physical fight against that big galoot of a pegasus, or that he could put up a challenge against somepony who was more or less Nightmare Moon herself. “Oh-kay... next up is the list of ponies tryin' to get in to see you.”

The night mare sighed. “Yes, this is what has vexed me so. I have never had this many asking for an audience, but the majority are those who have been turned away for matters of greater import by my sister.”

“So turn down the ones who you think're wastin' your time.”

“But I could not do that, I am hardly taken seriously as it is! It would be rude to-”

“With all due respect, yer highness,” Spy interrupted, “it ain't bein' rude to prioritize. That's half of what I do for a livin' and that's what we're doin' here. There's a lot more ponies now than there used ta be, and your time gets more important because of it. You just said it yourself, Princess Celestia turns down things that ain't worth her time, and you gotta take yourself seriously first if you want other ponies to take ya serious.”

“It would be disrespectful of me to simply ignore them,” she objected.

“And it'd be disrespectful of them to take your time if it ain't important in the first place,” he countered.

Luna stood silent for a moment. “It is simply astounding how little respect is given when one gives 'all due respect'...” she began in a stern tone, eliciting a look of pure terror from her subject, “... but you are right. Though my sister can be flippant at times, flying off to who knows where without a moment's notice, there is a certain... pragmatism to this practice.”

Northern Spy held back a sigh of relief. So far it seemed that the princess wanted to be taken seriously as an authority, but was still pretty reasonable. “A'ight then, should I run down the list of names, your highness?”

“Please do.”

“Okay, first up, Cloud Chaser from the Spectrum in Los Pegasus...”

The list went on for over an hour, Princess Luna considering who seemed to need attention the most urgently. Slowly but surely the names went by, some being marked for form letters, others invited to a formal midnight luncheon and have their cases heard en masse, and a couple to be admitted at their earliest convenience.

Eventually they got down to the second to last name on the list, and the Apple was shocked at the response.

“Wait, you're turning down your great-somethin' grandson?” he asked.

“No, he is NOT my grandson, and though he often means well, he is a spineless narcissist who seems to believe that tact is a pin to place upon a schoolteacher's seat.”

“Wait, so he's your son? I didn't think unicorns lived that long.”

“No he is not, and no they do not,” Luna corrected with a frown.

“So hold on, you've got another sister or somethin'?”

The princess was officially annoyed with this line of questioning. Again. “No! I have no other siblings, neither my sister nor I have ever had children, Prince Compass Rose is not related to either of us by blood. Neither is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, nor any pony you could possibly point to.”

“But- but then why are-”

Luna smirked. “I shall simply say that, at times, my sister is an incorrigible dullard. Though she does her best to hide it, she does make mistakes, and I would be remiss to let her forget that easily. This line of questioning ends there.”

By this point in the conversation, Northern Spy had just heard more information revealed to him at once than he had had since he was a colt. Not only that, but he had NEVER heard anypony speaking so irreverently of Princess Celestia. He was just glad that he was almost finished; he needed to go lie down and process all of this.

“Okay, last name on the list is... oh wow.”

“Yes? Who is it?”

Northern Spy cleared his throat. “Twilight Sparkle.”

Silk walked into the main room. It was dim, but the twilight was enough to see by. The cottage always seemed to be as bright or as dark as it was outside. Though she could light a fire or any number of candles, she opted not to, as each time she had done so before she had gotten very irritated glares from Angel.

The sound of hoofsteps came from up the stairs as Fluttershy walked down. “Good morning, Silky. How did you sleep?” she asked in a whisper, careful not to wake up any animals sleeping nearby.

Silk grinned. “Eh, on a scale of zero to ten? About a.. Five? Six? Somewhere around there.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Oh, don't be, it's still a lot better than it was! For two months there were ones and zeroes everywhere. And I thought I saw a two. How about you?”

“Oh, I slept really well last night, don't worry,” the pegasus answered sincerely. “Would you like to help me with the nocturnal animals?”

“Happy to. Any in particular?”

“Well, there's a family of foxes that have been having a hard time finding food.”

“Erm, so you... want me to open the chicken coop or something?” Silk asked.

“Well actually,” the animal expert corrected, “some berries would be just perfect. A lot of ponies think foxes just eat meat but, like bears, they're actually omni-”

The cottage door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud slam and startling every creature inside. Twilight Sparkle ran in, a strong taste of worry and fear filled the room.

“Fluttershy! Silky! I woke up and there was smoke everywhere,” she blurted, eyes wide, “I thought about using a water spell, and I thought about asking Princess Celestia for help, but then I realized I COULDN'T and you two are the best in town and maybe all Equestria and it was too hot so I had to use my magic all the way here so you-” Twilight was muffled as Silk stuck a hoof hoof in her mouth.

Silk could tell that whatever had the bearer of magic so worked up was probably important. While she wouldn't put it past her to panic over something frivolous like a split infinitive in one of her letters, but neither she nor Fluttershy could do anything if Twilight kept babbling like that.

“Okay Twilight, I'm going to let go of your mouth, and when I do, you can tell us what's the matter without run on sentences and unclear antecedents. We'll help if we can, but we need you to make a bit more sense than Pinkie after she drinks a cup of coffee. Okay?” Twilight nodded, hyperventilating through her nose, and Silk removed her hoof.

“Something's wrong with Spike!” Twilight fretted. “He's burning up, and I don't know what to do! He's got a fever, and I can't keep him indoors, his temperature is so high that he's making whatever he touches start to smolder.”

“Oh no, that's terrible!” Fluttershy said. “Is that normal? How is he feeling? Where is he?”

“Some dragons do have body temperatures that high, 'scalding blooded' dragons, but this is probably not normal if this hasn't happened before his age,” remarked the changeling.

“He looks like he's in pain,” Twilight replied. “He's just outside, I had to levitate him the whole way here.”

Fluttershy was out the door before Silk could say “Okay, let's go,” and the horned mares quickly followed.

Spike was sitting in the lawn, leaning back against the metal wire fence of one of Fluttershy's animal enclosures. He was as awake, though his eyes were closed since really wished he wasn't at the moment. The scent of burning grass lingered around him. “Oh no, Spike, are you okay?” he heard Fluttershy ask.

“I've been better,” he moaned as Twilight and Silk arrived.

“I see what you mean,” Silk said. “Have you taken him to a medical worker- erm, doctor?”

“That's why I brought him here,” the librarian answered. “I don't have any books on dragons and the hospital can only treat Ponies, even if he wouldn't turn it into a smoking section. I know neither of you have any degrees-” Fluttershy decided not to mention her schooling in zoology at the moment. “but you're the closest to being a veterinarian in Ponyville and the ONLY dracologist I've heard of.”

“I'm not an animal,” Spike managed to protest.

The changeling and pegasus exchanged looks. Everypony there knew neither of them were strictly qualified for this. Fluttershy made a living selling and housing pets for ponies, and selling things like eggs and honey. While she provided aid and medical services to the less feral wild animals, she was still required by law to recommend domestic ones to licensed veterinarians elsewhere. Even then, as Spike said, he wasn't an animal in the classical sense.

While Silk knew plenty about dragons in general, a rarity now, she wasn't trained in medicine. She knew a few bare basics about first aid, but only workers and occasional soldiers received any formal training.

A cold truth of her former profession was nonintervention. She had seen a few dragons dying before, and not once had she lifted a hoof to help them. It didn't matter that they were an intelligent race, or how old they were, or whether or not she could help them, protocols designed to save changeling lives told not to.

Even so, they knew they needed to help as best they could. “We should cool him down,” Fluttershy suggested. “Can you bring him to the duck pond?”

“O-of course,” Twilight answered as her horn lit up and Spike was lifted slowly off the ground. “Where is it?”

“That way,” Silk pointed as Fluttershy said “It's this way.”

Twilight and Fluttershy started toward the water, but Silk lingered for a moment, trying to remember things that could cause Spike's body temperature to, well, spike. Hm. I'm sure there's something like that... Bombadier's phenominon? No, he'd be spitting up boiling water. A huge change in temperature could be Upis'... no, that's the opposite problem. Although-

Something hit her in the head with a thwack.

“OW!” Silk yelped, covering the back of her head with her front hoof. She looked to see what had caused that to see Angel holding a thin stick, wearing a disapproving frown on his face. “What?”

Angel snapped the stick in the direction of the duck pond.

“I know, I was just thinking what...” Her eyes fell on the the stick as an idea hit her. “... I'm going to borrow that for a bit,” she said, horn lighting up. She lifted the stick a couple feet off the ground and shook the rabbit off before running over to the pond as she muttered to herself.

“I swear, that rabbit is way too smart.”

Over at the pond, Fluttershy and Twilight carefully put the dragon into the water. “Not too quickly, now. We don't want him to go into shock,” Fluttershy reminded.

“Yeah, no shock please,” Spike answered.

“Just a little at a time, right,” Twilight repeated. She knew that, but wasn't thinking the most clearly at the moment. She lowered him slowly into the pond, like a foal skittish of a cold swimming pool, coming to rest for the moment at the hip.

Silk arrived a moment later. “Spike, could you hold your mouth open?” she asked. A stray thought called her a moron for asking a fire-breathing dragon to open his mouth, but was gone as soon as it arrived.

Spike complied, holding his mouth open. “Now be careful not to breathe any fire,” Silk cautioned, going against all instincts and slowly lowering the stick into the reptile's maw, careful not to touch anything. She looked closely for any sign of breath.

A flash of cherry lit the stick, which began burning of its own accord as the dracologist pulled it away.

“Spike, Silky told you to be careful,” the librarian reminded in a tone both concerned and scolding.

Silk, on the other hoof, just smirked with a soft chuckle. “He was,” she defended. “I think I know what's going on. I think. What has Spike been eating?”

“Well, the usual. Oats, gems, hay, a few sweets.”

“Well, eating pony food is unusual in and of itself, since there's not much precedent for it. Not that I'm one to talk, but I digress. What kind of gems has he been eating? Just in the last few days.”

“Well, rubies mostly. Rarity found a lot of them and-”

“Okay,” Silk interrupted. “Now I'm sure of it. It's what we called 'crimson flame poisoning'. A diet with excessive rubies or pyropes seems to cause it most of the time.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy interjected. “What's 'crimson flame poisoning'?”

“Well, most magical fire follows the law of magical flame.”

“Fire created through magical means does not excite gaseous particles beyond the visible boundaries of the flame; particles are decelerated once they leave those boundaries, and excited when they enter them, but combustion from nonmagical objects ignited by the magical flame are still subject to typical laws of thermodynamics” Twilight recited. She saw Silk looking lost all of a sudden and sighed, remembering that Silk's scientific knowledge, while not insignificant, was very dated in some areas. She doubted changelings knew molecular theory. “Magical fire ignores traditional convection with air. It won't burn something unless it touches it, but it if it touches something and sets it on fire, that fire acts normally.”

Twilight's second sentence made much more sense. “Right, you can dodge it if you need to. Anyway, red fire is the exception. At least it is for dragons, I'm not the magic expert in the room. Red fire heats up anything that gets too close to it, including any dragon with an excess of it in its system, and anything that dragon touches. When a dragon does show those symptoms, it's usually because of a poor diet, the body unable to convert that fire into one of the less self-destructive forms before it's stored.”

“So, how bad is it?”

“Nothing to worry about. Even without their fireproof scales, dragons are very heat tolerant. For most dragons, who don't know how to use red fire and just breathe it all out in a minute or two, it's only fatal two to three percent of the time.”

The others stared at Silk, aghast.

Oh hell, Silk thought. “Oh, uh, but don't worry! That two to three percent were usually weaker, solitary youth who refused to eat anything else! Just stick to aquamarines, sapphires, and amethysts for a little bit and try to vary the gems just a bit when he's feeling better. Oh, and stay in the shade, sunlight seems to make it worse.”

“Um, it does?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Yes, why?”

“Well, uh, it's just that...” the pegasus pointed at the moon growing ever closer to the horizon. “I'll go get a cool bath going,” she said, returning to the cottage.

Twilight turned to Silk. “I thought you didn't know anything about medicine.”

“I don't.”

“But how would you know about this then?”

“Diet and illness are basic behavioral observations,” the scout answered with a shrug. “It wouldn't be very good information gathering if we ignored things that were out of the ordinary. I'm basically going off of observed results of folk treatments. Draconic medicine is some of the worst of any race.”

“Folk medicine,” Twilight parroted, realizing just now that Zecora might be able to help as well. “Alright, thank you Silky. I think I know what to do.”

“You're welcome,” the changeling replied.

“I'm glad to hear the poor dear is doing better,” Rarity said the following day. “I mean really, who could have known too much of one kind of gemstone could make him sick?”

“Well,” Applejack replied, “good as they are, eatin' nothin' but apples can make you sick as a dog, so I reckon it makes sense. Course then again, Silky Sheets can eat nothin' but love and be fine,” she said, realizing as she said it that it was still strange to think of something as intangible as emotion as food.

Rarity, AJ and Rainbow Dash were visiting Twilight. Spike was upstairs now, resting in Twilight's bed. Zecora had looked up an old recipe that worked on heartburn and fever and upped the potency appropriately, reducing his body temperature to a manageable level. His basket, while not unrecognizable in the least, was badly charred from the morning before. While she did know a spell that could repair it, Twilight had taken this as a final straw and placed an order for a new bed for him.

Pinkie had been by some time earlier, judging by the very sudden appearance of a massive number of “Get Well Soon” balloons. Silk was running about town again, performing odd tasks and pestering the mayor's office about available properties, which was giving a lot of mixed signals. It was a tossup whether or not she'd show up. Fluttershy on the other hoof was busy with her animals as usual but, being Fluttershy, was probably going to make sure Spike was okay whenever she had a spare moment.

“Hey, I wish I set things on fire when I got touched,” Rainbow remarked. “That would be AWESOME!”

“Rainbow, honestly, the poor dear was in a lot of pain and couldn't even go to bed. I rather doubt you'd want that,” Rarity countered.

“Oh come on, Rarity! It's setting things on fire when when you touch them! You gotta admit that's still pretty sweet.”

“Actually, though the process of combustion was still active, there wasn't anything most would call fire,” Twilight corrected. “No open flame, just a lot of smoke and charring and coughing up a little soot a couple times.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. Killjoy Sparkle had struck again. “Yeah, yeah, fine. He's alright, though?”

“Yes, he was asleep upstairs last I checked. It's a good thing I already knew a spell to get rid of the burnt smell,” she said.

There was a knock at the door. The mares all looked at each other knowingly. “I did tell her she didn't need to knock when a business is open,” Rarity said.

“She wouldn't be her if she wasn't clueless once in a while,” Twilight said with a chuckle, walking over and answering the door. “Silky, you don't need to-”

Twilight blinked. It wasn't Silk at the door. Instead, there stood two ponies. One was earth pony stallion with a deep green coat and stripey red and green hair; he had a calendar as a cutie mark. The other was a unicorn mare with an even darker green coat and pitch black hair, with a sextant adorning her flank. Both wore a pair of tinted yellow sunglasses.

“Miss Twilight Sparkle?” the stallion asked in a southern accent.

“Yes? Can I help you?” the lavender unicorn asked. The unicorn looked very familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen her before.

“May we come in?” he asked. Twilight nodded, standing aside and eying the two warily. While the stallion had been polite so far, they were already acting suspicious.

As he walked in, the earth pony noticed the other three elements of harmony. “Oh, beggin' your pardon, I didn't know you had... hold on a second, cousin Applejack, is that you?” he asked, brightening up.

“Northern Spy?” Applejack asked. “Shucks, I ain't seen you since-”

“Cider season, 998 New Dawn. September 27th, twelve-sixteen in the afternoon,” Spy recalled.

“Yeah, heckuva bumper crop that year.”

“Friend of yours, dear?” Rarity asked.

“He's my second cousin from the northeast.” AJ answered.

Northern added “Big family. Endless support, endless grief.”

The farm mare grinned slyly. “Well if it weren' fer the braggin', the smugglin', and sittin' on your flank half the day, you wouldn't have half the clan bellyachin' about ya and the other half singin' yer praises,” she ribbed.

"Heh, and ah wouldn't have had so much time to kill if I weren't so dang good at my job."

“And the smuggling, Spy?” the bespectacled mare asked with a raised eyebrow.

Spy groaned. “Long story, Lieutenant Shadowdancer,” he grumbled. He had hoped to keep that under wraps.

That name rung a bell with Twilight. “Shadowdancer? The Shadowdancer that published the Atlas of Known Territories of the New Era?”

“And a good portion of the maps with any sort of accuracy published these days, yes, and I may need to update that in a few weeks,” Shadowdancer answered. “Anyway, we're here on royal business, Spy, you can catch up with your cousin later.”

“She got the letter after all? I'm sorry for bothering her, but Spike is doing better now,” Twilight said apologetically, jumping to the wrong conclusion.

“Actually, we're here because she didn't get a reply,” Spy said.

“Wait, a reply? Why would Princess Celestia be... wait a second,” she said. Something her mentor had told her came to her. A cartographer now in Princess Luna's employ.Suddenly everything clicked. “Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Is this about my request to talk to Princess Luna?”

Shadowdancer nodded. “The princess sent a letter asking when you'd like to meet with her. Since it's been a day with no reply, she asked North here to see why not.”

“I'm sorry, I never got it. Spike came down with something my friend Silky called 'crimson flame poisoning', the letter probably burnt up by mistake.”

“Well, that explains it,” Northern Spy said, pulling a clipboard out of his saddlebag with his teeth. “I've got a copy of her agenda for the next week and a half here. If you could put yerself down wherever you're both free, or where there's a group meetin' that suits ya.”

Shadowdancer let out a heavy sigh. “If you can't make the trip, I can make a portal for you to use,” she offered. She knew her spell was a dream for long-distance travel, but she wasn't thrilled about the idea of acting like a stagecoach for individuals, particularly those such as Twilight Sparkle.

“That's okay, thank you, I can take the midnight express to Canterlot,” she declined, taking a look at the schedule. The first thing she noticed was the inverted times, which made sense for the nocturnal princess. The second, however, was a bit more surprising. “Really? Anywhere open?” Twilight asked, blinking twice. Most of the schedule was blank.

“Yeah, she's schedulin' around your visit for some reason. Just do me a favor an' don't make it from 0700 to 1900 hours, alright? I've been tryin' to make sure she gets enough sleep, an' she wants to stay with her sister for breakfast and dinner.”

Rainbow Dash snuck a look over Twilight's shoulder. “Huh? Isn't that, like, months away? I thought you said that was a schedule for the next week and a half.”

“It's military time, Rainbow,” the bookworm informed. “It means seven in the morning to seven in the evening.” She took a pen off the clipboard with her horn, writing herself down in the early morning before dawn the next day.

The guard took the schedule and looked at it. “Alright, that looks fine to me. Much obliged, Miss Sparkle.”

Shadowdancer wordlessly went outside to find a shadow. The stallion made to follow, but Applejack stopped him. “Just a moment, Spy. I gather that you're in the royal guard now...”

“Just joined two days ago, royal summons outa the blue.”

“... but in that case, why aren't you gray?”

“'s part of the armor, AJ. Didn't bring it, Princess Luna thought it might give the wrong impression. Besides, there's one bit of the uniform I can't get rid of,” he said, taking off his glasses.

The element bearers gasped. “Holy moly,” Applejack breathed. His bright cherry red eyes were gone.

Her cousin chuckled . “Y'all take care of yourselves now, y'hear?” he said, snapping his cousin out of her stupor.

“You too.”

With that, Northern Spy walked out of the library and shut the door behind him. “What was THAT all about?” Rainbow asked.

Weighing her options quickly, Twilight decided to come right out with it. “You remember last week, when Princess Celestia asked to see me?”

“It's rather hard to forget, dear,” Rarity said.

“Well, it wasn't just to tell me about the plan to use the Elements of Harmony on Silky. She also told me that... that Princess Luna was acting strangely again.”

Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were all taken aback. “Oh my! You don't mean she's...” the seamstress trailed off, as if saying it aloud would make it happen.

Twilight understood. “I don't think it's that serious, but I'm not sure. All I know is she started worrying Princess Celestia after she rescued Silk from the griffin capital.”

“After she WHAT?!” the three blurted in unison.

Suddenly Twilight knew how her teacher had let that slip. “I had the exact same reaction. When Silk ran away, she ran into the marsh and got captured by griffins. I sent Princess Celestia a letter when I found out she was a changeling, and Princess Luna found out and had Silky followed. Her trail saw the abduction, and the gryphons...” she paused, making eye contact with Applejack and Rainbow Dash for a moment. She was thankful that Fluttershy wasn't there now. “... Princess Celestia used the word 'tortured'.”

“W-w-wha-” the farmer stammered. "H-how was she..."

Twilight shook her head. “Tortured? I don't know. If it left a scar, I doubt we'd see it unless it broke a bone. I don't really want to think about it. I don't know why she hasn't told anypony, but like I learned that day, putting ponies' secrets out in public can really hurt them. After all,” she said, looking at Rainbow Dash, “she'll tell us when she's ready.”

Anyway, Princess Luna snuck in and broke her out without her knowing, I'm guessing that was one of her stars that pointed to Silky's location. Ever since then, Princess Luna has been cooped up in her room, reading some really nasty things- head out of the gutter, Dash.”

Twilight having beaten her to the punch, Rainbow Dash changed her question. “Okay then, what kind of nasty things?”

“Old myths about ancient evils, lists of black magic, accounts of historical extinctions. It sounds like paranoia, I know, but after Nightmare Moon and the changeling queen, I don't want to assume somepony's jumping to conclusions when there could be a real cause for concern.”

“You mentioned extinctions?” Rarity asked. “Like what happened to the changelings, Twilight?”

The purple unicorn nodded. “It would make sense, yes, but correlation does not equal causation. I'm hoping to ask her about it. You saw how she acted after we used the elements. She might be afraid or ashamed to talk to her sister, so I thought maybe she might be okay talking to me about whatever it is.”

The hiss of steam blew through the air as the train to Canterlot came to a final stop. The sliding of doors heralded the hoofsteps of a couple dozen ponies walking through them, Twilight Sparkle among them.

She glanced up at a hanging clock, reading one fifteen. She pulled a roll of parchment out of her saddlebag and scanned it. “1:15- arrive in Canterlot Station. Check. 1:16- check schedule. Check. Hey, I'm ahead of schedule!” she smiled to herself.

A hoof from a tall figure behind her tapped her in the shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise.

“So does that mean you can pencil me in, Twilie?” the figure said.

There was only one pony who called her that. Twilight spun around. “Shiny!” she beamed, giving her brother a big hug. When she did so, she felt him wince a little. “It's been too long, BBBFF.”

“Two months is better than two years,” he said.

“Hard work being a prince?”

“Cadance is representative princess of central Equestria, and I only have that title from marriage; I'm hardly Princess Celestia. It's harder work being married than having a meaningless title,” he joked with a tired voice.

“Don't ruin the fun, Shiny,” Twilight pouted. Looking at him, he really did look exhausted; there were heavy bags under his eyes. One them was even black. It took a couple of seconds for that to click. “Wait, what happened to your eye?” she asked. It looked like he got into a fight, or maybe several fights, and lost. In fact, his coat had numerous red marks on it that looked like some kind of dye.

“Being Captain of the Guard has been even harder work for the last two months, sis,” he said. “After the changelings invaded Canterlot, Princess Luna chewed me out, big time. Princess Celestia did too, but she was nicer about it.”

“Why? That wasn't your fault! Queen Chrysalis had you under a spell,” she defended.

Shining Armor shuddered. “That's not why I'm in trouble. I got off easy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'll tell you on the way to the castle, Twilie.”

“It was easily the among the most pitiful displays we have ever seen, and unlike thyself, we have been around for quite a while!” Luna scolded. “This is the third time in two years that Equestria has been threatened, and each time the Solar Guard under your command has performed abysmally! We cannot even begin to tell you how much of an utter disgrace this is to the very armor you wear!”

“Sister, try to mind your pronouns,” Celestia reminded calmly.

It was Shining Armor's first day back on duty after his honeymoon with Cadance. He still had a lot of leave time, but felt he had to return to help with the cleanup from the battle. What he hadn't expected was to be briefed that the Lunar Guard had removed the changelings, all of them, and to then be invited to the first joint court in many, many centuries.

Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly as nice as it sounded. When one got right down to it, it was a military tribunal.

“This is not the time for pedantry, sister. This is a clear concern to the safety and wellbeing of Equestria, and this dismal performance of discipline beyond sophomoric tricks one could teach to a dog brings Captain Armor's leadership into question. Given the circumstances I suggest we, plural, dispense with the usual platitudes and begin rectifying this posthaste.”

“We cannot place the blame solely upon his back, Luna,” Celestia reminded.

Luna trained her eyes on her sibling, still scowling. “True, you are as much to blame as he, Celestia, and that is ignoring your foolish decision to cast Ray as your opening move against a changeling, a queen no less, and warn her beforehoof.

I know it is not my place to operate the Solar Guard, but the state of it is unacceptable. Not a single one of the changeling casualties has been attributed to any solar guard, excepting Captain Armor who crushed a few dozen scouts to death with his shield.”

Shining had been keeping himself as silent and stoic as possible to avoid (further) invoking his superiors' ire, staring straight ahead, but couldn't help showing his surprise for a moment. In a matter of seconds, without realizing it, he and his wife had taken dozens of lives. He knew that he was expected to do as he must the moment he joined the guard, but nopony in the guard had actually killed anypony for years, so that expectation had always seemed distant, ethereal. The thought of actually having done so sent an unwanted chill up his spine.

Celestia exhaled. “I hate to admit it, but that is a fair accusation, sister. I admit I've been negligent of the military in peace, such that we were caught nearly defenseless when war finally did return. The state of it is wholly unacceptable and highly embarrassing to say the least. However, as you said, Shining Armor was the only member of the Solar Guard who contributed adequately to the defense of the city, even after Queen Chrysalis' effects upon him. While somepony must be held accountable, does this not show that he at least should be shown leniency?”

“Following orders and prowess with such a spell alone would suffice only if he were but a low-ranking enlistee. I expect more from my officers, as should you,” the blue princess scoffed. A ghostly rumble of thunder sounded through the room. She took a deep breath, cooling herself down. “You have been very quiet, captain. Have you anything to say in your defense?”

The stallion sighed and shook his head. “No, your majesty. I realize now that the standards for practical training aren't good enough. Ponies would have died if the changelings tried to kill anypony. We're just lucky they didn't.”

“That is mostly true, yes, though apparently they thought me a threat, rightly so, and that I would make a poor food source, so they opted to send an assassin to remove me with permanency. Fortunately I can handle myself better than most, and the would-be assassin lost his plan's element of surprise with its subpar execution.”

In that moment, the three of them each thought something different.

Luna thought about her encounter with Cocoon, the changeling's self-titled “greatest assassin”, had put up only a mild fight; he was nowhere near the caliber she had come to expect from the race's elite. Perhaps the queen had underestimated her, not having seen fit to send a chevalier. Perhaps the chevaliers had gone the way of the original Lunar Guard and ceased to exist as an organization or, like the Solar Guard of this future era, paled in comparison to their forerunners. Perhaps still she had simply struck a decisive enough first blow to remove almost any chance he had had in the first place. Two things were clear in her mind: she would never know, and it would never really matter.

Celestia managed to resist a chuckle at her sister's choice of words. It was a serious situation, not something to joke about. Her sister was fine, true, but she never enjoyed hearing about another attempt on her life. It was not the first, and while she hoped otherwise, she feared it would not be the last. As an ageless being, it was nearly inevitable, especially with so many who still mistrusted her. One day, it may even succeed.

Had it been possible, Shining Armor's face would have paled. This was the third time he had heard of someone wishing the new princess harm had gotten close enough to do so. What would have happened to him should the worst have occurred didn't concern him, whatever it would have been would’ve been deserved. What did scare him was what it could do to Celestia, to lose her sister so soon after getting her back.

“Is that pertinent in this matter, Luna?” Celestia asked.

Luna placed a hoof on her chin. “Hm, yes, I suppose it is rather immaterial in this circumstance, even if he should be privy to it. My apologies. At any rate, are we still in agreement about the sentencing, sister? Neither new evidence nor an unexpected explanation from Shining Armor has been put forth as of yet.”

“Yes, it's probably best that we take care of this quickly, unless you have something to add, Shining.”

The staillion shook his head. “No, your highness. I'll go clear out my quarters and turn in my armor,” he said, ashamed of himself.

Celestia looked at him quizzically. “What are you talking about?”

“I'm being court marshaled.”

Celestia chuckled. “While you are welcome to resign your position given what happened, we decided that in these circumstances, you are not being fired.”

His jaw dropped in shock for a moment. “But then, what-”

“Nor are you being demoted, though if there were any promising candidates in the ranks I would have insisted upon it, I care not whom your sister is. Fortunately for you, Shining Armor, you are a mere incompetent amongst fools, buffoons, and utter morons,” the dark alicorn openly mocked.

“Luna...” Celestia warned in a low tone.

Her sister only rolled her eyes, replying in exasperation as she stood her ground. “Oh come now, Celestia. They are royal guards, not foals to be coddled, as they clearly have been. If they cannot withstand a much deserved insult they have no business in joining to begin with. While I do not like causing unemployment, it would be beneficial to... I believe it is 'remove the fat'.”

Celestia nodded and corrected the gryphon saying. “Trim the fat, sister, but I agree. Shining Armor, the Solar Guard will be required to undergo remedial martial training that I'll conduct personally, as well as joint training exercises with the Lunar Guard with frequency until my sister and I are satisfied with its ability to fill its intended role as Equestria's defensive branch. You yourself will also be required to undergo a personal training regimen devised by my sister.”

Shining Armor looked at Princess Luna. She was smirking, looking at him with an almost sadistic glint in her eye. A chill ran down his spine.

I am NOT going to like this.

The grassy terrace shimmered in the moonlight as dewdrops formed upon the blades. A collection of thunderclouds hung in the distance, raining over the farmlands and flashing bright white light on the city of Canterlot. Even here they could smell the sodden earth.

In the courtyard stood several dozen ponies, each with a coat of ash and raven hair. Some threw knives, others practiced with crossbows or swords. A select few who had proven their prowess with the preferred tools of the organization used more individualized equipment, such as shields or recurved bows. Most, however, were sparring directly with one another.

A few pegasi practiced dogfighting. Evasive maneuvers, leading an aerial target, airborne takedowns, use of cloud cover, and a host of other moves that had proven valuable in the past.

While it could not be everywhere at once, the Lunar Guard was designed to be more mobile than its sororal counterpart. At the moment, it was still a very small organization, so training was still on a nearly individual basis, and that included its captain.

Midnight hovered in the air, looking down at his regent. She didn't have her bow and quiver, but she wore her blunted practice sword in its sheath. “So, what's the handicap tonight, princess?” he asked. After over a year of these sparring matches, he had noticed that she rarely used everything she was capable of. He asked her to go all-out only once, and wound up utterly toyed with. Another time, she had used no wing, weaponry, or wizardry and was bested.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “If you think a foe would tell you what they are capable of, you are sadly mistaken.”

“Some idiots I've seen have,” he replied.

“A fair point. I shall pretend that does not imply that you think I may be such a fool,” she replied with a smirk. “Standard rules apply, now... en garde!” she said. She drew her blade, but he was already upon her, aiming a crushing blow at her side, throwing himself into the attack.

However, he slipped right through, sending him off balance. Damn, he thought. He should have known better; it wasn't like her to ready herself after she had told him to begin. It was another hologram-type illusion.

The next instant, he felt a solid blow on his back, knocking the air from his lungs and his body to the ground and standing on him.

“Round one to me, Captain,” Luna said from... behind him? But then who-

He rolled onto his back and saw a flight suit and goggles. “Shadowbolts?” he grunted.

“Indeed. Blackbird, let him up.”

The conjured mare nodded. “Yes, mistress,” she obeyed, stepping off of the pegasus.

In all honesty, he had only lost based on the potential kill rule. He got to his hooves with only small bruises on his chin, back, and ego. “You named your clones?” he deadpanned.

The shadowbolt sneered. “Watch whom you're talking to, you miserable-”

“Silence,” Luna commanded. Blackbird instantly cut her sentence short. “Unless they prompt me to cut them down, they have just under five years left one way or another. In the meantime they have enough intelligence and self-awareness to warrant a name, even without true autonomy. Unless you think I should treat them as less than pets?”

“I'm too busy thinking how to set you on your flank.”

Luna chuckled. “It shall take more than bravado to accomplish that. I am feeling sporting, so you may choose one to disallow, fabrications or the shadowbolts.”

“Shadowbolts. Illusions don't hit back,” he said without a moment's pause.

“Very well. Blackbird, Foxbat, Starbuster, I shan't be needing your assistance this eve,” she acquiesced, withdrawing the mare and the two hidden stallions as a chill went up her spine.

Captain Cloak only raised an eyebrow. “Was that a contraction, princess?”

“I am from the past, Midnight, not trapped there,” the alicorn retorted. An afterthought came to her. She sighed, casting another illusion as she did so, creating an image of herself, overlapping, and sending it flying away.

Midnight fell for the double bluff, thinking she had tried to gain higher ground using a stationary distraction. Shaking her head, she turned and walked behind a nearby statue, staying only just in sight of the courtyard. After creating a second image where she had stood a moment ago, she sat down, lost in thought.

Luna sat in thought, using telekinesis on the captain directly to mimic the resistance and force of her duplicate's actions. Even if she found it helpful at times, using machinations of her twisted alter-ego left a feeling of crawling through sewage. It was not the Shadowbolts' fault, she knew, even if they had personalities more akin to vipers than ponies, but she could not help but feel disgusted by them.

And yet she had used them, their intrinsic connection to her, as a means to commit an atrocity, one which she could blame none but herself for.

She looked at her captain. Even with his exceptional prowess, especially by today's deplorable standard, he had much to learn if he was to be able to play his role.

“Princess Luna?” a voice said behind her. She turned and saw Shining Armor had walked up to her. He looked between the three identical princesses. “Um, why are there-”

Luna cut him off. “An illusion spell, Shining Armor,” she said tersely. “I believe I asked you to wait for...” Twilight Sparkle walked into view. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, it is good to see you. I had not expected you for another two hours.”

Twilight was startled that her brother had led her to the princess. “Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I swear, I just didn't want to be late, and-”

“Nonsense!” Luna proclaimed, barely a whisper less noisily than her Royal Canterlot Voice. “I owe you and your friends much. I would not deny you my time unless in an emer-”

Luna suddenly careened away when Midnight Cloak landed a powerful kick. She slammed into the castle wall with enough force that the brother and sister could feel the ground shake as they gasped.

Twilight ran over to her as her brother stayed to confront his sole ranked equal.

“Oh my gosh! Luna, are you okay?”
“What in Celestia's name is the matter with you?!”

Midnight scoffed. “Combat training with the princess. It's not my problem you walked over in the middle of a fight.”

“And you didn't stop?!”

“Looking away in a fight only gets you one thing: a trip to the hospital or a trip to the grave. And I hate hospitals.”

“That doesn't matter in a... wait, you'd rather go to your grave than the hospital?”

“Visit a Stalliongrad hospital sometime and tell me you wouldn't, greenhorn.”

“I've been in the Royal Guard longer than you have, criminal.”

“Yeah, you're a lot better at staring contests and prancing about like a damned schoolfilly.”

“Why you-”

Luna's vision swam for a moment as the taste of iron filled her mouth. She could feel something in it. She raised a hoof and spat, thinking it crude the next instant, and saw crimson covering a back tooth. She stared, processing what had happened, only now registering the pain in her jaw. And then, she began to laugh.

“Hahaha! Splendid! Most splendid, indeed! A fine blow!” she praised. “It serves me right for allowing myself to be distracted. The second victory is yours, Captain Cloak. However, in live training, do try not to aim for the face unless holding back the force of your strike.”

“Yeah,” Midnight said, “sorry 'bout that. That could've gone better. You alright?”

Luna picked herself up off the ground, unfurling a wing and examining it. “It takes more than that to do me lasting harm. Now,” she said, horn lighting up blue to telekinetically preen herself, “I shall return to my chambers to converse with Twilight Sparkle, so for your third bout you will have to cross proverbial blades with Captain Armor. Just one bout, he does need to get his rest. When you're done, do help with aerial combat training.”

Shining Armor winced at the news, wearing an expression of mild dread. Midnight Cloak, on the other hoof, glanced over at the younger captain for a moment and smirked. “As you order, princess,” he said.

Luna walked back into the castle and Twilight followed, sparing a worried look behind her as the captains of the guard began fighting.

“Come on, kid, faster! You're never gonna hit me like that!”

“Argh!”

“Better. You gonna move that shield?”

“Of course not!”

“Your loss, then. Bloody shame you didn't figure this out from the last time!”

The ground shook underneath Twilight's hooves, accompanied a deafening shattering noise. “What was that‽”

Luna didn't even flinch. “Likely Captain Cloak breaking one of your Captain Armor's shields. They would be exceptional at keeping one another on their hooves, but Shining Armor lacks experience. His spells have great potency, but he has yet to develop any sense of how to use them beyond the most basic. If he knew how to use it properly, his magic would be the best possible way to counter Midnight's speed and striking power.”

So THAT'S why he's sore all over, Twilight thought. It boggled the mind that one pony could break one of her brother's shields when it required the changeling queen herself to weaken it beforehoof, but then again, there were lots of ponies who were capable of extraordinary feats. It could be that his smaller shields were weaker than his bigger ones, or that...

Actually, now that she thought of it, why had that been an issue at all? The changelings had taken them all by surprise, so how was it that they hand been warned first? Logically, the changelings shouldn't have had to deal with Shiny's shield.

“You are being awfully quiet, Twilight Sparkle. Is something the matter?”

“No, sorry, just thinking,” Twilight said. Looking up, she noticed the princess was walking on three hooves, her front left pressed to her cheek. Her shoe had frost on it.

As if reading her mind, Luna reassured, “I assure you, it is of no concern. My sister and I have modest regenerative capabilities, and the tooth will grow back in of its own accord in a few hours. The appearance can be covered up with illusionry in the meanwhile. I am not as adept at healing magic as I would like, but I have already treated the bleeding with a minor application of blood and ice magics.”

“You know blood magic?” Twilight asked, fishing for clues. Blood magic could certainly be used in dark magic far more easily than most, even if its usual applications were far more mundane. It was a restricted school for a reason.

“I am your senior many, many times over,” Luna remarked, mildly offended. “There are many spells I know, and I understand blood magic better than anypony I've met. Although... I can no longer confidently claim a greater knowledge of the practice than any in history.” Luna sighed.

A dead end. While she was curious about why Luna would claim to be so well versed in such a morbid form of magic, that meant she would not likely be researching anything on the topic, not if she already knew as much as anypony could teach. “Oh. I'm sorry.”

Luna sighed once more. “No, Twilight Sparkle, I am. It is... vexing, to be reminded so very often of how much time has passed, but I have little choice in the matter. The populace, the political climate, Everfree, Equestria, my sister, the Equestrian language, nothing at all is the same. Not even me.”

“I heard you used to be... bigger?”

The princess raised an eyebrow and looked at Twilight out of the corner of her eye. "Be certain to choose your next words very carefully, Twilight Sparkle,” she said half-jokingly.

AAAHH!!! I just called a princess fat! Twilight screamed in her head. “Aah! I mean, um, that is, what I meant to say was I heard that you used to be as tall as your sister!” she squeaked, stumbling over her words.

The next four seconds felt like forty. Twilight had a growing feeling of dread as Princess Luna silently stared, judging. The blue mare let out breathy chuckle. “I apologize. I should have known you would be less likely to believe whatever hearsay you encounter. You heard correctly, though I was just a bit shorter than my sister. Where did you hear this?”

“From Princess Celestia.”

Luna nodded. “Ah, of course, I should have expected as much from my sister's apprentice. Dirk Targe!” she said, suddenly shifting her tone. They had reached her room in their conversaion. “Return to the barracks immediately. I shall be discussing private matters,” she ordered. His hearing was good enough that she didn't take chances talking about anything personal or classified with less than two stone walls between them.

The shield-bearer objected “But your-”

Luna held up a hoof and stopped him. She smiled. “I appreciate your concern, Targe, but I am sure Fletch will be fine on his own, and miss Sparkle is no weakling herself. You need not worry.”

Targe was clearly still concerned. “Very well. At your order, princess,” he said, turning and walking down the hallway.

“Well, come in,” Luna said, walking behind a pair of large double doors.

Luna looked over to her hearth, narrowing her eyes in concentration as her horn began to glow. A moment later, a fire sprang into life, a courtesy for the diurnal pony in the room. Knowing a spell and having the power and ability to use it didn't always mean it was one one was talented at.

Around the hearth was what could be described as a small meeting area, far more casual than her desk, which faced the entryway, which possessed a much more authoritative air when it was not so cluttered with research material. Under the orange light she walked over to a silk cushion the size of a twin bed and sat down. “Please, have a seat,” she offered as the unicorn sat down on a sofa. “So tell me, why have you requested an audience? Not that I mind, of course, you are most welcome, but I find myself curious as to what would prompt this. Miss Sheets, perhaps? I do have something for her,” she said.

“She hates that name,” Twilight informed, “and no, not specifically.”

Luna laughed. “Does she? I shall have to remember that,” she said, turning to her desk, taking a large manilla envelope and giving to her. “I only finished this this afternoon. Sadly my sister has a greater patience for bureaucracy than me. I had much 'red tape to cut through.' I still believe I bypassed much regulation to accomplish this with expedience.” She magically handed Twilight the envelope.

Upon closer inspection, it had Luna's seal on it. If anypony but the intended recipient opened it, it was a serious felony, but its reluctance to bend meant there were two or three dozen pages inside. “What is this?”

“Mandatory legal registration, mandatory full naturalized citizenship waiving most of the application processes, a legal alias form for her assumed name, and a territory agreement for the inn she's planning. I ran into more red tape than I care to admit, and royal decrees must be used sparingly, so this land ownership document is written as more of a trade, so please have her read it before she signs it. I am certain I can acquire a better arrangement for her should she wish to withhold her signature, and she is welcome to decline royal assistance at all, but this was the best I could do with expedience without blowing through documentation with brute force.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, I'll give it to her,” she said, taking the envelope, “thank you.”

“Now,” Luna said, “why did you come here?”

“Well...” Twilight began nervously, “to be honest... I'm concerned.”

“From what my sister tells me, that is nothing new,” Luna teased. “What troubles you?”

Oh dear Celestia, they were talking about me? How embarrassing! She quickly put that thought aside, steeling herself. “Princess Celestia is concerned about what you're researching, and how much you've been doing so, too. ”

Luna was taken aback. “I- we-” she sighed. “Has it been that obvious?” she asked halfheartedly. “I really have lost a step.”

“What is it you're looking for?'

Luna looked to the numerous tomes stacked carefully on her desk. She stared wordlessly, lost in thought.

“Princess?”

“So you are here to interrogate me, I take it,” Luna said.

“Well, uh... that's not how I'd have put it,” Twilight muttered sheepishly.

The blue pony raised a hoof to her chin, thinking about what to do. “Hmm... very well, Twilight Sparkle, I shall play along, but I shall only do so quid pro quo. There are certain things I would like to know as well, and it is possible that you help shed some light on them.

When you ask a valid question, I will answer honestly, but divulge no more than is needed to satisfy the question. You are to do the same to the best of your abilities. If you lie or fail to answer the question, I shan't answer a single query more. Are these terms acceptable?”

“That sounds okay to me, Luna,” Twilight agreed. “When do we start?”

“We already have,” Luna chuckled as Twilight slapped her forehead with her hoof, having missed her chance. “This is going to be fun.”

It was one of Luna's tactics for information exchange when somepony tried to put her on the spot. By forcing an equal amount of information, and making things equally awkward for both parties, she could ensure that nopony could turn a common courtesy into an unwanted confessional.

“What did you talk about with Celestia the eve before most recent Summer Sun Celebration?”

Twilight was thunderstruck. Luna had cut right to the heart of the matter already. “She told me you invited us to the Summer Sun Celebration, what happened during my brother's wedding, about your studies, and...” she hesitated. What happened between the princess and Firefly had sounded very personal, but if she didn't answer fully, Luna would cut her off right then and there. “... and about Firefly.”

Luna involuntarily flicked her ears. “I... I see. It is your turn.”

“What are you researching?”

“Advanced curses, historical extinctions, mythical curses, known magical objects associated with changes in mental state, and notable witches and warlocks.”

Twilight gave Luna a look. “Huh? Witches? Curses? Uh, not to be disrespectful, but those aren't real, Luna.”

“On the contrary,” the dark regent corrected with an undertone of annoyance, “they are once technical terms that for some reason have become culturally taboo. Witches and warlocks are living beings with supernatural abilities that cannot be classified as normal spellcraft or considered common to one's species and subspecies. From what I understand, your friend Pinkie Pie would be considered a witch.

Curses are enchantments or other sustained magical effects that have primary aspects that are predominantly negative. The condition of Everfree or Discord's petrification could be considered curses.

I am behind the times, not a needlessly superstitious fool. One might call that additional inquiry, by the way.”

“Sorry.”

“It is fine. What is the origin of any and all magic that affects the mind that you know of?”

“Discord, changeling consumption and telepathy, the Elements of Harmony, Princess Cadance, Princess Celestia, myself, and possibly certain potions: I'm not really sure if that kind of effect is chemical or alchemical, or both.

Why specifically are you looking that kind of stuff up?”

“The similarities between the changeling swarm's condition, which prompted the 'Canterlot wedding incident', and events surrounding... my incarceration... lead me to believe that there may have been something else at play. Although I feel I may be paranoid in this manner, I have a personal stake in making sure... one way or another.

Tell me: from whence was Master Spike's egg procured?”

“I... erm,” Twilight stuttered. She thought for a moment. “I have no idea.”

“I feared as much; that is rather queer,” Luna commented with a frown. “I shall have to confront my sister on this matter. It is not exactly a standard practice, nor an acceptable one, to take a child of any intelligent race and dole them out as reward for as part of some arbitrary 'test' that is not even taken into account for admission.” There had best be a very reasonable explanation for this.

“It ISN'T?!” Twilight yelped.

The alicorn looked at Twilight quizzically with a raised eyebrow. This was the first time she'd heard Twilight sound... dense. “Uh, no, obviously not. You do not see a great many dragons wandering about Canterlot, after all, and if that were a standard practice, one would have to. One could not even procure that many eggs from angry dragon parents without being cooked and possibly inviting the reprisal of numerous squadrons of dragons, not to mention the destabilizing effect on foreign policy it would have if it appeared we were condoning something as immoral as the trafficking of sentient races. The mere notion is absurd.”

“Ugh,” the unicorn groaned. She flopped down on her seat, nearly fainting Rarity-style. She had worried so much back then for nothing?! And it didn't occur to her until now that there was something funny going on‽ The embarrassment alone was enough to make her want to pass out!

The princess merely looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “If you are quite finished, it is your turn to ask a question.”

She stood up, even more embarrassed, and cleared her throat. She thought for a moment. “What similarities were there between what happened back then and what happened to the changelings?”

“Banishment, corruption, an ill presence, betrayal, and... death,” Luna sighed. “A great deal of death. I seem to have run out of questions for the moment. You may make one more inquiry before I insist we discontinue this topic of conversation.”

Okay, I have to choose carefully, Twilight thought, and find some common ground. Wait, common ground? That's it! “What were your friends like?” she asked.

The regent did a double-take. “I'm sorry, I- what? Why would you ask that?”

“Because you were the bearer of the element of Magic before me,” Twilight said. “You must have had friends. I want to know about them.”

“Element of 'magic.’ It was named something else back then. Much like three is odd and odd is not always three, friendship is magic but magic is not always friendship. I daresay you would not attribute Discord's godlike power to it. Semantics aside, yes, you are right.”

Faces flashed before her as she thought back on them. "Cereus Nightbloom, Rime Floes, Comet Tail, Ribbon Flyer, Ritmo, Nightshade, Ebon Sky, Olive Pit, Flicker Light, Aura Shine.” She smiled faintly with a faint, breathy laugh. “They were... themselves. Faithful, incorrigible, professional, free spirited, brave, loyal, perfectionistic, competitive... no, that doesn't do them justice.”

One of those names sounded familiar. “Rime Floes?” she asked. As she did so, she recalled she'd read about him in a book about obscure unicorn history. He was arguably the most accomplished ice magician of the New Dawn era.

Twilight watched as Princess Luna turned her back. "My apprentice," the princess replied in a whisper. Her voice wavered subtly, delicately, hardly slipping by her millenia of practice speaking, but Twilight could hear it. After all, she'd known a mare just like that most of her life. “I... I am done now, Twilight Sparkle. I am sorry. I owe you a debt, but the collector does not decide which coins the debtor gives her. You are welcome to stay for supper.”

Celestia's apprentice shook her head. “No, thank you. I should go make sure Spike is okay.”

“Very well. It has been a... well, it was good to see you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“You too... Luna.” Twilight said softly, turning and walking out of the room and towards the train station.

Twilight could try to help a little more easily, now that she knew Luna was at least attempting to be rational about whatever caused it. Luna had her reasons, and whatever they were, she would have to trust her; but if the unicorn wanted to help, she would still need more to go on.

“Lousy stuck up mare. What is WITH these ponies!? I can't figure out their command structure at all.” Silk thought to the absent public. “But at least it makes more sense than this 'dewy decimal' system!”

This must have been her fiftieth time reading through the many book titles. The order seemed completely random to her, an arbitrary smattering of extremely arbitrary topics into numbers that jumped illogically from one to the next. The overuse of alliteration didn't help, either.

Of course, she didn't really have any experience in the matter. Changelings didn't exactly have a public library; any books would have just molded in the swamp, and they needed living space more than anything else.

She yawned. “Daily Dose of Diamond Dogs, no. Classification of Chiroptera, no. Magical Monsters of Mayhem, no. Ugh, I'm still in the wrong section.”

She continued to browse when the library door opened. Twilight Sparkle walked in, not seeing the changeling as she let out a sigh. “And now to check on Spike.”

“He's asleep,” Silk commented, startling the pony.

“WAH!” she yelped.

“Shh, you're the one who keeps saying not to make so much noise in the library,” the changeling hushed.

“Silky, what are you doing here?!” Twilight hissed. “It's six in the morning!”

“Is it? Huh. Honestly, first I'm allowed in, then I'm not. I wish you ponies would make up your minds,” Silk deadpanned.

Twilight's volume only increased. “Answer the question!”

“Looking for the laws for this stupid land thing. The mayor keeps avoiding me!” Silk griped. “You know, I only ever had to worry about being outranked by chevaliers and the queen, this whole system you have here is ludicrous!”

“Dragons didn't have a command structure?” Twilight asked.

The changeling grumbled. “It's an anarchy; small groups with local leaders and two or three larger ones with the most powerful dragons on the national scale, Salamandra and Incendius last I knew; nothing official. It was simple. This,” she motioned to the shelves, “is just a mess.”

“Well,” the librarian interjected, “this might help.” She put the envelope she had been holding under a leg onto the counter. “Courtesy of Princess Luna.”

Silk walked over. “What is it?” she asked, opening the seal by ripping the paper.

“It's what she said she'd give you,” Twilight said. “If you sign these, you'll be a full fledged Equestrian citizen with all the rights and responsibilities, and you'll be able to legally operate under your alias.”

“'If', Twilight?” Silk asked with an eyebrow raised. “I remember being sentenced to sign these.”

“Well, she did use the word mandatory for that,” Twilight recalled, “but there's something else that isn't.”

“Like what?”

“One of these documents gives you ownership of land, and an inn completely funded by the government,” she explained, “but she told me that to do get this together as quickly as she did, she put it as more of a trade agreement. She said you should read it first, but I think it might be a good idea to have Rarity and Applejack take a look at it. Between them and me, we should be able to break them down for you.”

"Well, I should take a look at them for myself first," Silk said. She took the documents out of the envelope, reading through the first page. “The party of the first ... yeah, you're right, I can't understand this. Don't know how to write a letter, either. I mean, how do you write a letter to a pony princess, who happened to send everypony you ever knew to Tartarus?”

“Well, I do write letters to Princess Celestia, but Princess Luna? You're right, that's... different. She did say there were similarities between what happened to the changelings and what happened a thousand years ago, but I don't even know where to begin. None of the history books I've read give me anything solid on it.”

“You mean the nightfall?” Silk asked, eyebrow raised.

“The what?”

Silk groaned. “Honestly, ponies beat us in technology, mathematics, industry, food distribution, and leadership. Why you suck at history I'll never know. The nightfall! The last war between the ponies and the gryphons, the banishment of Nightmare Moon and... hm, come to think of it, it must have been the first Lunar Guard. Huh.”

“You KNOW ABOUT THAT?!” Twilight yelled, tackling the changeling and pinning her back to the ground in the heat of the moment. “What in Equestria happened?!”

“I don't know all the gory details, I'm a dragon specialist!” the scout yelped. “It was just part of the general education I got from the workers. Equestria was fighting the Kingdom of Steel for the umpteenth time (you really hated each other), nocturnal ponies went from rare to nonexistant, Princess Luna went nuts and got booted to the moon, Everfree got wrecked, and after that a big chunk of the Equestrian military was gone. Equestria didn't have another war until a certain traitor decided to attack it, and that wasn't much of a fight. That's all I know except for a couple disjointed memories of memories of memories of thoughts from scouts that were around back then. Now get off me!”

“Oh. Sorry, Silky. I got a little overexcited,” Twilight apologized, clambering off.

Silk stood up and brushed herself off. “Nothing new there.”

“So you don't know anything else?”

“Not really, I didn't pay close attention to things aside from changeling and draconic history, that event was-”

“Not exactly relevant to the field of dragon studies!” a male voice said from behind the two, startling them. “True, true. History's rather my sort of thing.”

The mares turned to see a light brown earth pony stallion approaching from the doorway, which Twilight had forgotten to close. They both recognized the pony with the hourglass cutie mark as Time Turner, owner of a clock shop in town. “What?” they asked at the same time.

The stallion, however, didn't seem to hear them. “I do love a good bit of history, rather difficult to sort out fact from fiction for most, but it is a special talent of mine. That and clockwork.” He paused, eyes moving up and to the left for a moment. “Yeah, not quite sure which is a talent and which is a hobby. Oh well, Earth Pony cutie marks, what can you do. Of course the job is the clockwork bit, but I rather fancy myself a better historian than just about anypony, barring Princess Celestia of course, not that Princess Luna isn't trying to-”

“WAIT wait wait,” Silk objected. “So you're a historian?”

“E-yes!”

“I thought you were a timekeeper, Time Turner.”

“Can't I be both? Rather sure I can, unless of course I'm kidding myself, but I like to think otherwise. Anyway, nightfall! Wonderful time. Bit grim, mind you; in fact, it's rather depressing. Quite a dark chapter of Equestria, actually. Not a wonderful time at all, forget I said that, dreadful business. Interesting, sure, but not very nice. Bit grim, oh, I said that already.”

Silk leaned over to Twilight and whispered, “Chrys', he yammers as much as Pinkie.”

“I'm just waiting for him to take a breath so I can get him out of my house,” Twilight whispered back. “The library doesn't open until nine.”

“Fascinating, though, big changes in Equestria but nopony talks about it. Rather odd, too, since it bridges the Classical and New Dawn eras, you'd think ponies would, but nevermind that, I'd be more than happy to make an exception and tell you about it. Help you get to know what's 'going down' as the kids are saying. I think. Do kids say that?”

“Nopony says that.”

Silk commented, “They do when something's crashing. Or facing inevitable defeat. Or moving towards a strong gravitational pull.”

“Very funny.”

“I agree.”

“Look, whatever,” Twilight said, getting back on topic. “Even if I believe you, why is Tome Duster, the royal historian, completely clueless about this. And more importantly, how did you know we were talking about that?”

Turner put a hoof behind his head and rubbed his mane. “Well, the mare's sources are a bit... out of sorts. Terrible lot of misinformation and coverups in that century, really massive amount of stuff to pick through. Takes me a bit to get my sources together, too.

I was just passing through, by the way, and happened to overhear a bit. Luna did bless me with excellent timing. Well, not Luna exactly. Not Celestia either, for that matter. More a figure of speech than anything else. Anyway, feel free to bring your friends, I insist on it, over to Turner's Tinkers tomorrow. We'll have hay chips!”

“Is that like 'cow pies'?” Silk asked, revolted.

Twilight gave her friend a grossed out look. “Eww, no! He's from Trottingham, he just means hay fries.”

“Oh, regional vocabulary... is that why you gave me a lightbulb thingy when I asked for a torch?”

Turner raised an eyebrow. “When I what? Oh, of course, silly me. That's right, wow, that brings me back. Well, anyway, please do come over at 2:04 PM tomorrow, though make sure you tell miss Dash to come over at 1:45, that should fit right in with her median for tardiness so you don't have to wait on her. I'm sure the others will be more punctual, so long as somepony reminds Silk here what time it is.”

“Oh come on!” Silk objected. “My sense of time isn't that bad!”

“Yes it is,” Twilight deadpanned, “but how did you know that, Mr Turner?”

Time Turner laughed. “Doctor. Doctor Turner, actually. Everypony in Equestria knows you lot, except for Silk here, who is still pretty well known in town. Oh the way ponies talk! Anyway, whilst I'm here do you suppose I could check out a-”

“Oh no, Doctor Turner. Library's closed, come back later.”

“I see your point, sorry about that... although the door's ajar so technically it's open.”

Twilight's eye twitched. “... get out.”

“Right, been a pleasure. Until tomorrow, Miss Sparkle,” he said a bow. He turned and walked out of the building and out of sight.

“So, anyway about those documents,” Silk asked, “I'd really appreciate the help.”

“We'll take care of them tomorrow after we talk to Turner, Silky, I need some sleep.”

“Oh... okay, I'm pretty tired myself. Good night, Twilight,” she said.

She left the same way Time Turner did as Twilight Sparkle replied “Not night anymore.” As Silk shut the door behind her, the pony yawned. “Well, this could be enlightening. Anyway, back to checking on Spike.”

She walked up the first couple steps only to hear Spike yell “Twilight, be quiet! I'm trying to sleep!”

Twilight groaned.