//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18: Blessed Beard 
// Story: When Snow Falls 
// by Prophet Of Doom 
//------------------------------//

     Midnight Snow placed a hoof on the white door to the N.o. 6 laboratory of the Canterlot Research Building. Taking a deep breath, Midnight mentally prepared himself.
It had been four moons since princess Celestia had offered private lessons in the art of magic. However, events in far away Yakyakisatn had forced to withdraw the offer and depart for the yak homeland several weeks ago.
Before she left, Celestia introduced him to a new tutor. A pony possible more suitable to teach him then the princess.

Midnight swung the door open, then stuck his head into the room.
“Professor Blessed Beard,” Midnight called.
Across the laboratory, a maroon unicorn sporting an enormous brown beard looked up from his work.
“BWA Ha Ha,” Blessed bellowed. “Midnight, there you are! Ready for today?”
A grin couldn’t help but find its way onto Midnight's face. It was just the effect Blessed had on others.
“You seem very jovial today’ professor,” Midnight commented.
“Why yes!” -Blessed moved up to Midnight- “Have you not heard the news?”
“Clearly not,” He replied, trying not to chuckle.
“Ha Ha Ha,” -Blessed placed a hoof on Midnight’s shoulder-  “They found it! I do believe they found the tomb of Formade!” 
“Who?” Midnight asked innocently’ releasing too late that he had just invited a lecture.
“Why, Formade the Terrible!” He said flamboyantly.
“He sounds like a bundle of joy,” Midnight replied jokingly.
“Ha Ha!” Blessed laughed’ hustling Midnight over to the book he was reading on his desk. “Formade the Terrible is a legend from times before the royal pony sisters.”
Blessed pointed to a picture in the book, an artist's impression of a red-maned, blue unicorn stallion. Standing in a stoic pose.
“He was a hero of the Crystal Empire well before the reign of King Sombre,” Blessed said, in full lecture mode.
"A hero? ” Midnight queried “So why ‘The Terrible’?”
“Were not sure,” Blessed answered. “Records from this time period are scant at best, to the point that we can’t say for certain that we have his name correct. However, the two main theories are that is was title given to him by his adversaries”
“And the other?” Midnight asked.
“That it was given to him by the ponies he protected, in bitterness.” Blessed continued.
“Bitterness?”
“Yes,” Blessed said. “Legend has it that he disappeared, leaving the empire exposed to multiple enemies, which lead eventually to King Sombre. Some believing he had abandoned them and fled. But if this find is his tomb, then it appears he died way before Sombre took over.”

Midnight smiled. Blessed Beard was a professor of archaeology and his enthusiasm at this discovery was contagious.
“So I take this tomb is in the Crystal Empire,” Midnight asked.
“Yes indeed,” Blessed answered. “Some construction workers digging new foundations stumbled upon a cavern leading to the tomb.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t taken the first rain up there’ professor,” 
“Well, that's the thing….” Blessed said’ bearing a smile of a filly with its hoof caught in the sweet jar.
Midnight rolled his eyes yet retained his grin. “You want to go up there.” 
“Well …” -Blessed rubbed the back of his neck-  “Yes.”
“Go on then,” -midnight rolled his eyes again- “We can postpone our lessons for a few weeks, but you're teaching me that teleportation spell when you get back.”
“Ah, thank you,” Blessed Beard nearly roared with approval. “Its a deal lad. Now then’ shall we begin today's lesson?”
“We had a lesson today!?!” Midnight said jokingly. “I nearly forgot.”
This got a hearty laugh from Blessed Beard.

A knock on the door drew their attention to it opening. The ever stern-faced Dr. Twinstar entered the room and looked directly at the professor.
“Professor Blessed Beard, I need to borrow Midnight again,” She said in her direct plain manner.
Blessed Beard moved away from his desk, trying to read the unreadable Dr.
“I’ll get us some herbal tea, lad,” -Blessed Beard walked towards Dr. Twinstar and the door- “Please don’t eat my student Dr. Twinstar.”
The joke was wasted on the mare, who watched him wander past. When he left, she walked over to the seated Midnight.
“So which piece of wreckage do you have for me today?”

Dr. Twinstar was in charge of the of the research and categorising of the wreckage of the aircraft that crashed in Ponyville. Since becoming Blessed Beard’s student, she had come to him nearly every day with some piece of scrap, on which was some writing that her translation spell couldn’t decipher and needed Midnight to translate. 
“Something quite different today,” She stated. “Were not even sure if it's from your transport but we do not recognise the engraving.”
Midnight didn’t mind translating these items, it was just the coldness of how she did things that bothered him and others for that matter.
She plonked two pieces of granite on the desk in front of him. Midnight raised an eyebrow at the two pieces that were clearly once one.
“An obelisk, how strange,” he said, handling it between his hooves.

From his arrival in Equestria, Midnight had to learn stuff that only the younger fillies and foals had trouble with. Magic had come naturally to him, but picking up stuff with his bare hooves was more difficult. Even now, handling the broken obelisk took a fair amount of concentration.
“Ok, it appears to say 'HERE LIES THE DEMON QUEEN'....” -Midnight wobbled his hoof to indicate a piece of the text  was missing- “...'MARE MOON'.”
“….Mare Moon?” Twinstar echoed.
“There's a bit of text missing,” -midnight pointed to the area mentioned- “But if I had to guess, I would say it was Nightmare.”
“Why would you say so?” Dr. Twinstar said, putting on her best poker face.
“Well, I remember a history lesson from when I was much younger,” He said’ looking up at her. “We were told of the legend of the demon queen Nightmare Moon who descended from the frozen north and conquered half the known world. She was defeated at the battle of Corsesand’ or so the legend tells.”
“You seem sceptical,” The Dr commented, with an arched eyebrow.
“Well, stories that are as old as this get exaggerated over time into legends. And this,” -He tapped the obelisk- “It's probably a replica.”
“I see,” she said thoughtfully.” Well, thank you for your time Mr Snow.”
“A pleasure as always’ Dr,” Midnight said with a twinge of sarcasm.

She picked up the pieces of the obelisk with her magic and headed out the door. Stopping halfway down the corridor, she levitated the pieces in front of her. 
This is no replica She mused. The integral patterns along the obelisks edges were actually runes, an ancient form of magic long since usurped in Equestrian by more modern forms of casting. 
Despite the damage and age, Twinstar could see it was a series of seals designed to contain magic inside the obelisk. 
But for what? Nightmare Moon? But that was part of princess Luna, wasn’t it? And wasn’t that part of her destroyed by the Elements of Harmony?
A conclusive thought crossed her mind, as she recalled reports by Twilight Sparkle from the times she crossed over to Midnight’s world. In them’ she tells of encountering  doubleganger of various ponies including herself.
From this Twinstar drew a logical conclusion.
There's a second Nightmare Moon! She had hold herself back from shouting it out loud.
After quickly calming herself, she continued her walk back to her lab. Carefully considering her next move.