The Fourth Star.

by Golden Paw

Many paths lead to a free Equestria

Foresight trembled, as the 'Lithi' watched her with impassive eyes and what unsettled her was how young this pony looked. Foresight would have guessed the young stallion's age to be about the same as hers, but those eyes bore an ageless darkness about them. She was in no mind to trust this stone pony, but it seemed unlikely that it meant her harm considering it was breaking into her cell.

"Um hello, what is it you want?" She asked after a tense pause.

The Lithi studied Foresight with an utterly blank expression, its face giving away no hints to its purpose before it finally replied, "Thou art the one they call Farsighted?" She shuddered as the pony spoke in heavy grating tones completely at odds with its young appearance.

"What if I am?" Foresight asked cautiously, pressing herself further against the bars to her cell.

"Thou bear the mark of one who hast opened the orb of history. Come, there is no time to delay, the fallen will be aware of our intrusion soon," The Lithi didn't speak with haste or with feeling, even if the words implied urgency.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Foresight asked, fighting to keep the tremble out of her words.

The Lithi didn't blink; it just stared at her without any change of expression as it replied, "Thou doest not know that thou can, but if thou stay here thou wilt die, either by thine captors hooves or by our own: We cannot allow what thou carries to fall into the clutches of the fallen, better that thou perish than allow such." The Lithi watched Foresight coldly, "This is thy choice."

Foresight shuddered remembering how the other lithi had killed with hardly a word and didn't want to put that statement to the test, but she couldn't leave the others trapped here either.

"Okay I'll come, but not without my friends," She decided.

The Lithi shook it's head, "There is no time we must leave now."

Foresight would not be moved on this point, and despite her fear she stood her ground, "Then make time! I would have been dead twice over if it wasn't for these ponies and I will not leave without them," She felt her anger rising.

The Lithi stayed motionless for what felt like forever while Foresight trembled, fearing it would make good its threat from before. After the drawn out moment passed stone pony pushed its way out of the hole causing more stone to tumble upon the floor. Foresight pressed herself further into the bars and closed her eyes.

"Thou shalt stand aside," The dead response of the Lithi came coldly.

Shaking, Foresight opened her eyes and shuffled against the unbroken wall before, to her amazement, the Lithi walked straight at the cell's bars. Without noticeable effort, the Lithi shouldered iron rods apart with a scraping and grinding sound, the now bent bars clanged to the floor and caused the others to awake fitfully from their sleep.

"This course of action is foolish, but thou art of greater use to Equestria alive," The Lithi commented as it moved over to Enigma's cell and using its fore hooves, pushed the metal barrier aside as easily as a normal pony would open a curtain.

The sound of metal under stress caused Foresight to wince, but that wasn't the only noises: There was the sounds of muffled shouts coming beyond the door leading to the prison. It seemed there was fighting occurring beyond. Not stopping the Lithi moved forwards repeated the same treatment on Shakala's cell.

He gabbled in his own language and Foresight couldn't help but feel sorry for him: Shakala visibly trembled with terror as their saviour moved almost mechanically onto Enigma's prison before Foresight quickly rushed up to him.

"It's okay, he's here to help. Just take my hoof and follow me," Foresight assured Shakala, who almost leaped forward at her call and clung to Foresight with relief.

The Lithi had just finished removing the iron work from Enigma's cell when Foresight emerged from Shakala's and called over to her, "Can you take care of Sky? I think there will only be space for one at a time down the tunnel." To Foresight's relief Enigma nodded slowly and Foresight thought she caught a brief flash of fire return to Enigma's eyes.

The Lithi made short work of the last cell and soon Sky Strike was freed as well. Enigma quickly moved other to lead him out of the cramped space. Their rescuer then lead the way down the hewn tunnel without another word and after a short pause Foresight and the others followed.

As they squeezed through the broken wall, Foresight's realised the tunnel was cut right from the stone of the mountain. She saw no tools or mining equipment, just their Lithi escort. A further shock came when, pressing further in the darkness Foresight saw that more lithi of all ages and sizes were supporting the ceiling, using their own stone bodies to hold up the rock above. She even saw a pair of stone foals standing on one another's backs and the wonder mixed with sadness as they watched Foresight with their dead eyes.

"The tunnel shall collapse after us; the fallen will not be able to follow," The first Lithi explained as he led deeper into the tunnel and Foresight's muzzle scrunched up in confusion:

"What about those still fighting? You're not just going to leave them?" She asked in horror.

"They are already dead, even though they fight on. Thou demanded time and thou hast been given it," The Lithi said without anger or sorrow and the truth of what he said caused Foresight to stop before she raise a hoof to her mouth in shock.

"They created a distraction so we could escape, but couldn't they have come with us?" She said in a pleading voice as the first set of lithi holding the ceiling behind them stepped away from their position and rock above began to groan while little trails of dust spiraled downwards.

The Lithi leading them explained, "It was deemed the method that would give the greatest chance of our escape. Had thou done as we first instructed their loss would not have been necessary," Foresight's eyes were filling with tears at this: This stone pony had basically just told her she had caused the death of its fellows.

It made her feel sick with guilt and worst of all the Lithi didn't even raise its voice or sound accusatory: That made Foresight feel even worse, had their guide been angry with her that would have been easier to bear, instead it showed nothing, "Don't you care at all?!" Foresight pulled Shakala along as she caught up with the stone pony, and glared at him.

The Lithi didn't meet Foresight's pained eyes, simply staring forward and replying in the same deadpan manner, "We cannot, it is one of the curses the queen of darkness laid upon us when she placed us in her service." The other lithi were abandoning their posts and forming up behind the rescued equines.

Foresight felt the ground shake as the first part of the abandoned tunnel began to collapse behind them, the rock now free to answer gravity's summons. The lithi keeping just ahead of the falling stone

Foresight was stunned to silence and her heart fell into her hooves as she followed the Lithi, she wasn't that her rescuers were any safer than the cult ponies they were leaving behind, but as this stone pony had said Foresight had little choice but to trust them and so clutching the stumbling Shakala's hoof in her own she followed the Lithi deeper into the mountain.

---

It was a long journey following the tunnel, which was cut straight as an arrow and held no turnings or variation. For a long time there had been no talking, just the sound of hooves on stone as they passed dozens of Lithi who one after the other fell in line with the party in sombre silence as they passed. The lithi still took great cares to keep their distance from flesh and blood equines, no easy feat in such a confined space and Foresight found herself almost curios as no lithi dared to come within a few paces of them.

Further rumbling from behind caused Foresight to shudder, she feared that at any moment the falling rock would catch up with them and crush their little band, but the lithi seemed to know their art and the tunnel held only as long as needed, keeping those ahead safe.

"Enigma what's going on? I can’t see a thing," Sky whined and Foresight didn't blame him, not being able to see anything while the world trembled must have been terrifying.

"They’re leading us along a tunnel, there isn't much more to tell," Came the 'sent' reply from Enigma.

"Where are they taking us?" Sky pressed, his tone not any reassured.

"To Stone Haven," Came a rocky voice from behind the party, bearing a mare's tone under all that grinding sound.

"Where and what in the hey is that then?" Sky replied tetchily

"It is where the last of the lithi are: The caves of our vigilance," That was only slightly less cryptic than the last answer Foresight frowned in annoyance.

"What happened to the other lithi?" Enigma asked.

"We destroyed them," Echoed the flat reply.

"You killed them?! Why?" Foresight couldn't keep the slight note of panic from his voice.

"They were not killed, they were destroyed. A creature needs to be alive to be killed. The lithi are already dead and it was deemed in the best interests of Equestria that they be destroyed: Therefore those that would not renounce the queen of darkness were destroyed," This statement caused Foresight to shake in dismay.

"But would not a life under Nightmare Moon, be for your kind, a greater boon?" Shakala had finally gotten some composure to his voice.

"Under the Queen of Shadow's rule all would wither: Sun and life would fail. The land and its ponies would be gone and without them there would be no Equestria. Those that thought otherwise were destroyed. We do not have life, so what is best for us is of little recourse," That seemed to be the final word on that point and Shakala didn't push it any further even as Foresight felt her own stomach twist in repulsion.

"How can you even think like that? You move and talk and...." Foresight began but trailed off as understanding hit her like a hoof between the eyes.

"Now you begin to see: We have no feelings and we have no breath; all we have is our strength and our thoughts. We would ache for what we have lost, but even that is beyond us now. We do not grow, we do not love and as such we are not alive." The Lithi paused for a moment before continuing, "But we work for those who are: Equestria ‘is’ the living ponies in it and what we do have is faith in Equestria."

Tears were forming in the eyes of the listening flesh and blood ponies. The whole idea was so miserable, but the Lithi may as well have been reading a boring text book for all the emotion it showed. Foresight stifled a little sob and Shakala hearing her discomfort did his best to lay a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"That these things have been taken from us is enough reason to fight those who would bring her back," The Lithi concluded as the tunnel before them began to widen. Looking past their guide, Foresight could make out a naturally formed cave up ahead.

There were a number of rock formations; both on the cave ceiling and further lining the floor below. In the centre of the space a circular area had been cleared, here a great number of lithi were standing in ordered ranks.

Foresight's breath caught as she took in the detail, what was first thought to be piles of rocks strewn about the cavern were in fact stone creatures. There were diamond dogs, timber wolves and other beasts all petrified with expressions of fear on their faces. Foresight hugged Shakala and drew back with a whimper.

"What troubles Foresight so, to make such sounds of fear I must know?" Shakala's voice trembled again as he felt the cold form of Foresight grasp him in distress.

"There are petrified creatures all around us and it would be a good guess the Lithi are responsible," Enigma sent, unable to keep the horror out of her thoughts also. "I would have said anywhere was better than those cells, but I admit to second thoughts now." The others found themselves nodding in agreement.

The procession lead the four companions to the edge of the assembled lithi. There must have been hundreds of them, all standing as still as the petrified examples of their unfortunate victims. The lithi who had rescued the prisoners made their way back to the others, falling in line as the whole formation adjusted for the recent losses.

Foresight, taking time to study the stone ponies around her, saw they were all different. It was easy to think they would all be uniform, but that was tragically far from the truth. Here a young mare stood next to an aged stallion and there, a well dressed pony beside a worn and moss covered beggar. Some had armour carved onto them, others had dresses of a bye gone age, the curse leveled on them making them all equal now.

Foresight cried to see the foals present, standing to attention with the same cold stillness of all the lithi. Even children had been turned to living stone and sent to war by Nightmare Moon’s madness.

One of their number, shaped as an elderly stallion came slowly forward and placed two pairs of dark sight goggles on the ground. Foresight gathered them up before passing them onto Sky who whispered a stunned, "Thank you,"

Not waiting for him to fit them Foresight passed before handing them to a grateful Shakala. Both blinked in wonder and repulsion at the sight revealed before, Ignoring their unease, the elderly lithi began to speak. The stone stallion sounded grim even by Lithi standards.

"Far seeing one, those left of the Lithi will ensure thy safe passage to our former home of Equestria. We understand that there is much that has been forgotten as we have stood watch here in the darkness and would give thee a chance to understand what is needed," Despite his frail appearance, the stallion carried himself like a pony half the age his carved form depicted.

"Know that we do this not to satisfy thy curiosity, or to make thee understand us more. We need to know that thou will be prepared to do what will be needed once thou leave this place. Should we deem that thou will fail then it is better thy life ends here," The words carried a certainty that left Foresight and the others in no doubt they meant every word.

"Ask of us what you will, we have been cursed for almost a thousand years and have seen much in that time. If we can answer we will," The notion of what the old lithi was saying began to sink in.

"You...you were there at the time of Nightmare Moon?" Foresight asked in muted awe.

The old looking Lithi nodded, "All that you see here is and hopefully ever will be the lithi. All here were cursed during the first war of Nightmare and these same ponies still endure."

Foresight's mind reeled. The lithi had been around all this time, these were the same lithi that she had read about in the account of Focal Balance. The idea was terrifying and fascinating at the same time; the things she could learn from these stone ponies, but the warning the old lithi had given reminded Foresight that this wasn't an archaeological dig. If the she couldn't convince the lithi that she could do what they wanted none of them would ever leave this place.

"What is the orb and what is it for?" Foresight asked after taking a moment to think.

"The orb was used to store the prophecy, but that was not it's only purpose: It was to provide a chance. There was a great mage who lived long ago, a pony asked for his help when she saw her mistress was falling to darkness. The rise of Nightmare Moon was foreseen by those who had the wisdom to look," The lithi's spokespony replied.

"Do you mean Star Swirl the bearded?" Foresight asked but the lithi shook his head.

"No the unicorn we speak of was called 'Focal Balance'. He lived during the time of Luna's fall and he aided a pony mare named 'Star Glow'," He corrected and Foresight's insides shook at the name: That was the pony from her last dream! Foresight had long given up trying to understand the nightmares she had been subjected to since being a little filly and as such, had paid little heed to this latest one. Now here was a pony that had lived in times past who was telling Foresight this filly was real.

The Lithi continued, "She was a maid to princess Luna and saw what was becoming of the regent of the Moon, but alas, she didn't fully understand the implications.” Foresight felt a shiver run down her spine, if Star Glow was real then Foresight had been seeing into the past.

“By the time events were brought to the attention of Focal Balance it was too late to stop what was happening. Celestia’s chief wizard tried to warn the princess of the day but she would not listen. Celestia simply refused to believe it possible that her sister was going mad with jealousy and envy," The wizened lithi explained slowly.

The four ponies listened as the tale was told by one who had been there, "Things came to a head and Nightmare Moon was unleashed upon Equestria, born of Luna's troubled state the 'Queen of Darkness' attempted to plunge the world into an eternal night. Nightmare Moon wanted followers, those that would be her army to help overthrow her sister: We, yourself and all altered are the result."

"I know about the history, you were telling me about the orb," Foresight interrupted impatiently, despite her fears.

"Very well, the orb. Not all the altered had been changed willingly. Many saw what was happening and fled to warn Celestia. One such pony was Star Glow, Luna's faith servant. Nightmare Moon out of some misguided idea of friendship transformed the unicorn to become the first altered. Despite being cursed, this brave mare wanted to do all she could to help Luna be returned to her former self."

The echoing voice filled the cavern with its monotone sound, as if the very earth was telling the story, "Nightmare Moon was defeated and banished to the moon for a thousand years. Equestria slowly recovered after the war and Celestia took on the duties of both Sun and Moon.”

“As for Focal Balance, he was charged with finding a way to allow Luna to be restored. He was convinced the answer laid in the elements of harmony and the magic of friendship. 'Balance' was sure Star Glow now played a key role in that magic. With her consent Star Glow’s spirit was placed within the orb along with the prophecy, to create the means to bring the true Princess of the Night back."

Despite the fact the Lithi claimed to feel nothing, the story teller’s face seemed to harden, "But they were not the only ones working toward the return of a princess: The fallen, those cast out who still wanted an eternal night, a ruler of darkness and shadow.”

“They worked their schemes well, they murdered Focal Balance, stole the orb and brought it to their new stronghold," Foresight could almost hear the echos of pride in the story teller's words now, "However, Focal Balance was Celestia's head mage for good reason and placed powerful protections upon the orb."

The words Foresight had read when she had accidentally opened the orb with her tears were starting to make more sense. That small jewel had also held the spirit of Star Glow! How was that even possible? What had happened to Star Glow when the orb was opened? The cold answer began to form in her mind and Foresight didn't dare think it to be true.

The lithi nodded, watching understanding form on Foresight's face. "Now thou start to realise far seeing one; why thou must never fall into the hooves of the fallen ones. With what thou hast inside thee they could bring forth another age of darkness and pain. Turning our last hope into a weapon of darkness to shatter Luna once and for all.”

"Was that why once I had opened the sphere the other nightborn couldn't get into my head? Was that part of the magic protections?" The Foresight asked.

The stone pony nodded once again, "Focal Balance made sure that she would be well taken care of, this was also how we knew where to find you. Powerful spells of confusion and misleading surrounded the fallen’s lair, but thy mind shone like a beacon through such."

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Foresight asked in a hesitant voice. Her mind jangling with all possible things they may require of her. She had a gut feeling that it wasn't going to be simple and would probably be very dangerous. Before the lithi could respond to this, the memory came unbidden into Foresight's mind once again:

"The Stars number shall be four, three shall come from each of her children in darkness. Of the pegasi who will fly only by night that they may be the mare's spies, listening a way to undo her enemies. The earth ponies turned to cold stone that they may bar the path for all who would bar her return. Finally the unicorn folk, turned to darkness that they may bend the minds of Equestria to her will that she may be accepted upon her return."

"The darkness that went forth shall return to she who sent it and break her prison. In so doing the Princess of the Night will be lost to her nightmares and the land shall forever mourn the sun's passing, but from that same darkness shall the fourth star come with the hope of salvation. Though the three are compelled, the fourth light will come by choice and lend its heart to unlock her cage. That the mare banished and lost to the world may return."

The old stone pony paused as if listening to the very same words forming in Foresight's mind and only continued once they had finished. "The fallen do not know of this plan, they know nothing of the 'fourth star' from the prophecy within thee and so there is still hope to save Luna, but this would not be without risk. We would be required to interrupt the ritual to free Nightmare Moon and turn it to our advantage."

"Hang on you're not seriously suggesting we allow these crazy cult ponies to allow Nightmare Moon to return! Can't we just stop them? I thought you stone ponies were all about destroying Nightmare Moon!" Sky Strike shouted aghast, "Why risk this insane plan failing, leaving us stuck with a corrupted mad alicorn?"

Foresight looked to Sky Strike with tears in her eyes, "Now who’s being heartless? Princess Luna needs our help and we're the only ones who can give her a chance."

Sky Strike snorted in anger and Foresight could feel his emotions keenly: This was just plain stupid in his mind. Why risk everything so that Equestria might be able to have a second ruler again. The world had been turning just fine without her for a thousand years. The price of failing was too great!

"That we give the lost a chance to return I agree. The world was not meant to be without it's balance or it's harmony," Shakala said in support.

"I am with them on this one Sky, so many have given so much to allow Luna a chance to come back and I for one want the chance for a normal life. Maybe if Luna is returned to normal then maybe there is a chance for us altered too," Enigma put in her thoughts on the matter.

"No! Too Tartarus with your 'Princess of the Night', she caused all these problems in the first place, let her rot on the Moon!" Sky shouted angrily.

The Lithi, as one, turned to regard the pegasus and Sky shrunk back in sudden fear. The elderly lithi took a dangerous step forward, even though they felt no emotion the threat of his body language was plain to see.

"Thou does not understand what thou wishes for. The Queen of Darkness will return, whether it be now or later there is no changing that fact. Celestia saw this truth as did many others and the lithi intend to follow the Regent of the Sun’s will in this matter.” Sky Strike quailed before the looming lithi, “Following the prophecy is the surest way to preserve Equestria, far better than having Nightmare Moon return without any idea of how to stop her. The world needs the balance of the night and the day and their regents, what it does not need is one more foolish pegasus," The stone stallion stated, not with threat, but with cold reason.

Foresight's mind was racing, even in their cursed state the lithi had managed to hold onto hope it seemed; hope that their lot could be improved. She couldn't condemn them to a certain half life. Plus Enigma's view was not one she had ever considered before: If they could save Luna, then maybe there was hope for her to be just like other ponies too?

Either way she had to stop Sky Strike from getting himself killed. Foresight interposed herself between the stone pony and her friends. Sky had gone very pale and though he was putting on a brave face it was clear he was unnerved. The sight of a couple of hundred stone cold killers focusing on you could do that to a pony.

"So what can we do to make this happen the right way?" Foresight said, feeling certainty that this was the right choice welling up in her.

Old stone pony, relented a little and explained further, "The plan is to force their hoof. If we can make them desperate enough then the fallen will try to free Nightmare Moon in haste, without the proper preparations: This will be our best chance to stop them."

"But how will the ponies of stone force the dark cult to act? They are many we are few, surely no amount of valour will change that fact?" Shakala asked, his voice growing more confident with every word.

"By doing what we lithi do best, we fight and kill them until they break or we are destroyed ourselves," The lithi saluted as one and even though it seemed to be the only course of action, Foresight fervently wished there was another way.