Chapter 27 -Breaking Seals-
-Breaking Seals-
A few days had passed since the strange being made itself aware to Skyfall. He had been shocked by its amount of raw power, but more so by the fact that he couldn't sense it until it came within a few hundred feet of Skyfall, something that should have been impossible, considering the rage he felt emanating from it.
Shortly after returning to Farhaven, he hugged Cadance, but refused to speak about that, or what else he had seen in the treeline. Namely, the cloaked mare that had been summoning the crystals. Cadance had pestered him because she knew something bad had happened, and grew concerned. So, like all good parents, Skyfall did the best thing he knew he could do; take a coffee break at a local coffee shop called 'Third Cup' and read the newspaper, or at least try to.
Skyfall tried to enjoy his cappuccino, but every manner of pony wanted to talk to him about one thing or another, but none demanded his attention more so than the Mayor.
"Skyfall?"
Sky lowered a corner of the paper to see Mayor Mare giving him a weak smile. He rolled his eyes and folded his paper.
"Sorry to interrupt your reading." The Mayor's mane was slightly frazzled.
"It's fine, there’s nothing worth reading anyway." Skyfall stirred his drink as he watched the Mayor struggle to get into the seat next to him. "I take it you have a request of me."
The Mayor winced. "I do."
"Does it have to do with my position in the guard?"
Mayor Mare shook her head. "No, it has to do with my position as Mayor."
"No." Skyfall said curtly.
"But I haven't said anything."
"Didn't need to."
The Mayor furrowed her brow. "Captain Skyfall, please, just hear me out."
Skyfall let out a windy groan, even on his days where he wanted to relax, he was pestered by official business. He glanced over to see the Mayor fumbling with her hooves and he relented. "Fine, what do you need?"
"My re-election just took place. Every two years Ponyville has an election, but for the past ten elections I've run unopposed." The Mayor started off quietly.
"And in two years you'll have someone running against you?" Skyfall asked.
"No, nopony ever runs for it." The Mayor proclaimed. "After some thoughtful life choices, I've decided to leave for Whinneapolis."
"You're running for Mayor of Whinneapolis?" Skyfall asked pointedly.
The Mayor winced again and remained silent.
"If you're moving on, that's up to you. I try not to judge when it comes to life choices, but you do know that Ponyville will feel abandoned, not to mention leaderless."
"There's Princess Twilight and you." The Mayor offered.
Skyfall gave a hearty laugh. "Like I said, leaderless. I'm only a Captain by Celestia's commission and Twilight is busy fighting those Spirits in the forest."
"Which is why I'm here." Mayor Mare countered. "I want you to take over for me when I leave."
"Why?" Skyfall asked.
"Frankly?" The Mayor said. "There's nopony else that could do it. Everypony else has a job and very few even come close to Mayoral duties."
Skyfall disagreed greatly, but the distress on the Mayor's face was all he needed to see. "I can try, if worse comes to worst, Celestia will turn it over to Twilight. Might even be 'Friendship' opportunity."
The Mayor chuckled as Skyfall whipped his paper open. "Do I need to dye my mane to be Mayor?"
The Mayor reeled back for an instant. "You know I dye my mane?"
Skyfall raised an eye brow. "So you do?"
The Mayor gave Skyfall a wry look.
"Is your name even 'Mayor Mare?'"
The Mayor shook her head. "N-No, honestly this-" The Mayor gestured to her form. "-was the result of bad advice years ago that I've been forced to uphold. It would be weird for a Mayor to go from a grey mane to a pink one overnight and then go by a different name."
"True." Skyfall offered. "If Mayor Mare isn't your real name, then what is it?"
The Mayor looked around for any eavesdroppers and leaned toward Sky. "Gothic Writ."
"That..." Skyfall paused in shock which embarrassed the Mayor. "I did not expect."
"You see why I go by Mayor Mare." Gothic placed her head between her hooves.
"Do yourself a favor, when you run for Mayor of Whinneapolis, run under your real name and mane color. That way no one will be able to call out your credibility." Skyfall said.
Writ looked up. "You think I could win without this ponysona?"
"Yes." Skyfall said curtly. "Real leadership has nothing to do with a ponies name or look, contrary to what others say."
The Mayor nodded and stood. "So you'll be the next Mayor?"
"I can help, but be the Mayor? I'm leaning towards a no." Skyfall replied earnestly.
"Will you think about it?"
Skyfall nodded slowly.
Gothic Writ smiled and left Third Cup.
"It's very rude to eavesdrop, Pinkie Pie." Skyfall called without hesitation.
The burly, trench coat covered stallion behind Skyfall deflated and out popped the Pinkie explosion of sweets. She bounded twice and landed in the chair where the Mayor had sat moments before. "How'd you know it was me? Most ponies don't know I'm there until I throw confetti on them!"
"You have a slightly deviated septum which makes your breathing very noticeable. Plus, you smell of freshly made bread." Skyfall smirked. "Only a few ponies in Ponyville smell like fresh bread, but only one would drink their sugary coffee from a twisty straw."
Pinkie looked to her drink on the other table and saw her pink twisty straw. "You're very smart."
Skyfall chuckled. "I prefer cunning, but thank you. Now, what can I do you for?"
Pinkie giggled. "Just stopping by to say hi! We never really get to talk."
"And Rainbow Dash as well as Rarity came looking for me at Sugarcube Corner, leading you to play detective?" Skyfall asked rhetorically. He saw Pinkie's mouth open wide, but he stopped her with a hoof. "That's why I'm here, I know they're looking for me and I want to relax with some coffee."
"But why?"
"I like coffee?"
Pinkie giggled again. "No, silly. Why are you avoiding Rainbow and Rarity? Does it have to do with their names beginning with R?"
Skyfall tapped is hoof on his cappuccino. "You're observant, what do you think?"
Pinkie shuffled her hooves. "I'm not smart, I'm just lucky with my answers."
Skyfall furrowed his brow. "Lying is bad Pinkie. I've told you before, you don't need to wear a mask around me."
Pinkie's hair deflated a bit when she remembered the time he was talking about.
One Month In The Past
Sugarcube corner was deserted at two in the afternoon, mainly because it was that awkward time between lunch and dinner. The only two ponies in the bakery were Pinkie Pie and Skyfall.
"Hiya there Skyfall!" Pinkie bounced around Skyfall as he read that day's newspaper.
"Hi Pinkie." Skyfall groaned briefly.
"Whatchya doin?"
"Enjoying my lunch." Sky was being short with the spunky baker. Pinkie was a nice pony and Sky liked her, but she was a little too happy for ponies trying to relax.
"Oh!" Pinkie said. "Sky, can I ask you a question?"
"Depends."
"On?" Pinkie asked.
"Can you?" Skyfall tittered at his attempt at humor.
"Why don't you like me?" Pinkie sat down calmly on the chair directly across from him as he lowered his newspaper before folding it. "I mean I try so hard to make you smile and you just don't" Pinkie started to deflate.
"I like you Pinkie, but do you want the real answer as to why I don't laugh?" Skyfall placed the paper down. Pinkie waited before nodding slowly. "Are you happy?"
"Huh? How can you answer a question with another question? That doesn't make any sense. I mean how can-"
"Ah. Ah. Ah. Pinkie, focus." Sky reprimanded, punctuating his sentence with three hoof taps on the table "Are you happy pretending to be perpetually happy?"
Pinkie and Sky sat in silence just staring at one another. Pinkie tried to answer, but kept sputtering at his question. When Skyfall grabbed his paper and reached for his coffee, Pinkie broke the silence. "You think I'm not happy?"
"It was rhetorical, Pinkie, I know you are not happy." Sky looked Pinkie in the eyes. "May I ask you some questions and ask that you answer them earnestly and to the best of your ability?"
"Y-Yes." Pinkie sat back slowly, unsure of what was to come next.
"If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build the same wall?"
"No time, silly, it's already built." She giggled at the trick question.
Sky nodded and leaned closer. "Name all the numbers from one to one hundred, which have the letter 'A' in their spellings?"
Pinkie fidgeted nervously for only a brief moment. "None?"
"If there are six apples and you take away four, how many do you have?"
"The four you took" Pinkie spat out the answer without giving it any thought.
Sky leaned even closer to the sweating mare and loosed his final question. "You have two ships, one has 200 healthy ponies and the other has 400 terminally ill ponies and they are both on fire. With only enough time to save one, which do you choose?"
Pinkie reeled back at the grotesque question. "D-Do I have to answer?"
"No, but you should, if only to prove something to yourself."
Pinkie teared up slightly. "I would save the 200." She looked up at Skyfall while she whipped away a tear. "Did I pass?"
"It isn't a matter of passing Pinkie, those were questions to give some insight to your level of intellect. Judging from your answers and your lack of hesitation in answering them, I suspect you are a very intelligent young mare."
Wide eyed and slack jawed, Pinkie was speechless. "You think I'm smart?"
"Yes, I also know you play dumb to make your friends feel smarter, thus making them happier. You shouldn't have to wear a mask around your friends Pinkie."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Sky looked at his lunch mate skeptically. "I see you frowning when no one looks. When Twilight sits here in the morning to read the quizer section of the paper, I’ve heard you answer faster than her. You don't have to wear your mask with me and when you're ready to admit it. I'll be here waiting for the real Pinkie Pie"
Pinkie prepared a rebuttal, but the buzzer from the bread oven started to sound, demanding her attention.
Present
Skyfall smirked at Pinkie. "So is Pinkie here to speak with me?"
Pinkie's mane poofed a little. "What do you want to talk about?"
"What do you want to talk about?" Skyfall countered Pinkie with the same question.
"It's funny, my father always said that having a smart mare would turn stallions away." Pinkie chuckled.
"My father was wrong about a great number of things too." Skyfall muttered cryptically before the sounds of beating wings rocketed into the coffee shop.
"There you are!" Rainbow called as she landed in Skyfall's lap.
"And here I am." Skyfall repeated monotonously.
"I've been looking everywhere for you!" Rainbow Dash looked up into Skyfall's eyes as he stared back emotionlessly.
"I would never have guessed."
Rainbow looked up and over to see Pinkie Pie waving at her meekly.
"Pinkie Pie? I thought you said you didn't know where he was." Rainbow chided.
"Of course she knows where I am. We are married after all." Skyfall reached across a shocked Rainbow to sip his coffee. Pinkie was shaking her head rapidly at Rainbow's pleading look.
"That's mean, Skyfall-" Pinkie tried to scold, but Skyfall cut her off.
"You're right, Sweetie. What will the foals think. I know we've been dating in secret due to our status, but I think it's time to come to light with our family." Skyfall tried not to laugh at Rainbow's growing glare.
"That's not funny."
"Neither is you hunting me to ask me to the Gala." Skyfall muttered as he tried to salvage his quiet time through Rainbow's presence in his lap.
"So you did know?" Rainbow shifted in Skyfall's lap and pressed her hoof against his chest. "You could have said no instead of avoiding me."
"I'm going with Applejack as a business associate, I thought it best that she tell you." Skyfall reasoned. "Plus, you still haven't taken my advice."
"What advice is that?"
"See what I mean?" Skyfall tapped Rainbow's flank for her to hop off his lap, an action she did too slowly for his liking. "You would be a really nice mare if you didn't try so hard."
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a foal class to give at the guard barracks." Skyfall stood and started to walk.
"Hey, I'm not done with you!" Rainbow called a she followed.
He glanced back at both Pinkie and Rainbow. "You and whoever you want to come are invited."
Skyfall opened his wings and took off with a sudden, powerful beat.
Rainbow turned to Pinkie with a defeated look. "Pinkie, can I ask you some advice?"
"What kind?" Pinkie responded hesitantly with an uncharacteristically serious tone.
"Advice about Skyfall and Fluttershy."
Farhaven's council chambers
The rays of the sun peeked in through the windows of the council chambers and onto the back of Cadance's neck, giving her a warm feeling. She smiled and lifted her head and wiped some drool from her mouth.
"I see you've finally awoken." Spoke a cloaked being from the other side of the table, his voice was gruff and old.
Cadance had grown used to weird ponies appearing since she was reunited with her father, she stretched and leaning in her chair. Hekate floated into the room alongside Sif, River, and Akia.
"There's sleepy head." Sif pushed one of the large wooden chairs next to Cadance and chuckled as she felt the Alicorn sink into her fur.
"You're warm."
"Is she always so sluggish?" The same gruff voice asked curiously.
Sif chomped her teeth towards the cloaked guest.
"Easy, Lady Sif. I did not mean to offend."
Cadance looked up to see that the rest of the Spirits in the room were giving their guest an unwelcomed look. River sighed and placed her hoof on the table.
"I believe some introduction is in order." River looked as if she would rather lick ice for an hour than introduce their guest. "Anara, this is Grogar, the former Ruler of Tambelon."
Grogar growled when River said 'former,' but River shot him an annoyed glance.
"Grogar, this is Anara Mi Amore, daughter of Shattered Skies and Lady Crystal, next in line to rule Farhaven." Cadance went wide eyed at the implication of being an heir to Farhaven, but decided to ask her father about it later.
"I've heard of you, Grogar." Cadance tried to smile, but found it hard when Grogar lowered his hood to reveal gaunt features.
"Nothing good, I imagine." Grogar grumbled.
"I'm sure history may have mistaken some things." Cadance tried to be diplomatic, but Grogar laughed darkly.
"I doubt that, history usually gets me right." Grogar grumbled. "I swept this world in darkness for over three hundred years before a particularly annoying group of mares stopped me."
Sif chomped at Grogar once more, stopping him from continuing his gloating.
Cadance smiled thankfully up at Sif before turning back to the old goat. "I take it you're a friend of my father."
Grogar scoffed. "I was actually a friend of your mother. I heeded your father's summons out of respect for her."
Hekate turned towards Grogar silently and began to speak in echoing whispers. "You also didn't want Lady Sif hunting you down to leave another scar on your flank."
Cadance giggled when Sif bared her teeth at an indignant Grogar. "All I was trying to do was utilize a village."
"A village that had a pact with Shattered Skies." Sif growled.
Cadance saw the degrading situation and leaped into the conversation. "So Grogar, you knew my mother?"
Grogar's face lost the scowl it had been aiming at Sif and instead turned emotionless. "Yes, I knew Lady Crystal. In fact, I was at your parents wedding."
Cadance clapped her hooves in excitement. "Oh my gosh, you were at their wedding?"
"Yes, your mother was always very kind to me." Grogar smirked. "Your father and I rarely saw eye to eye. Often times, your mother had to keep us from fighting."
River scoffed while she rifled through scrolls. "The way I remember it, Crystal talked him down so he wouldn't turn you into a glorified house plant."
Grogar laughed. "Yes, back when he still had fire in his soul and was known as the Hero that rode hard in Artoria."
A long silence occupied the room.
"Sif, what does he mean?" Cadance asked.
Sif nuzzled Cadance. "Anara, forget everything you just heard and never bring it up to your father." Sif turned her searing blue eyes towards a grinning Grogar. "Some of us lack tact when bringing up the past and should know better."
"I take it none of you speak about Crystal?" Gorgar asked. "The foal probably doesn't even know the events surrounding the Spirit war. No doubt the work of the great Shattered Skies' anonymity."
Cadance sat back for a moment and looked around to see that the other spirits refused to meet her gaze. She had a great many questions that her father agreed to answer in the future, but what if that was a tactic to dodge the issue? 'What is my father not telling me?'
Grogar leaned over the table in Cadance's direction. "I can tell you a great many things about the ages before this one, I'm not a Spirit, but that doesn't stop me from living well after my time."
Cadance continued to look around for the others to interject, but it was clear that they didn't agree with her father's anonymity regarding the past.
"Would you like to know why your father has a scar on both sides of his body?"
"Grogar." Shattered Skies boomed from the doorway, drawing the attention of the room.
"Ah, and thus the hero arrives-"
"Quiet, Grogar." Skies barked. "I don't appreciate you trying to plant seeds of doubt in my daughter's mind."
Grogar grinned and sat back in his chair.
"He has a point, dad." Cadance admitted. "There are things I desperately want to know."
Skies opened his mouth and paused, he thought back to when he made a decision to not tell the Princesses about the fate of the Alicorns and how bad things have become because of it. He closed his mouth and sighed. "Perhaps you're right. It may be time for you to learn our history."
"Really?" Cadance asked, surprised at her father's sudden change of mind.
A long shadow emerged from behind Shattered Skies and started to form. Piercing blue eyes and a wicked grin were the only things that could be seen through the darkness.
"Dad, behind you!" Cadance shouted before firing a beam of magic past her father and into the shadow. It dissipated and reformed on Skies’ other side.
Shattered sighed and glanced to the tall, pony like figure next to him and shook his head.
"I thought it was funny." The shadow defended.
"Princess Luna?" Cadance asked as she watched the shadow evaporate to reveal a darker Princess Luna. "Or should I say, Nightmare Moon?"
Luna winced at the name and looked herself over. "I do look quite imposing, don't I?"
"Why do you look like that?" Cadance asked.
Cadance watched her father sat and run his hoof over his mane. "In order to lift the seal on the vault door permanently, we need to access a joint memory. If she has her armor on, then we can do this in one go."
"Won't that exhaust you too much?" River asked.
A feeling of dread had built up in Cadance's chest when she heard of her father taking such a risk, but she relaxed at the simple touch from Sif's paw.
"No choice." Skies said. "I fear we're running out of time. The worst that will happen is I'll be bed ridden for a week."
"Aww, just to get my bell back?" Grogar gave a sickening grin.
"You will never own that bell again, Grogar." Skies boomed. "After your assistance with King Sombra and your atrocities over the centuries, I should crucify you and place you by the harbor for the crows."
"Then why did you summon me?" Grogar growled.
"You have something I need." Skies brought his head high to look at the scowling goat, making his distaste for him very known. "Information regarding a pony that can perform Necromancy."
Grogar gave a laugh barking laugh. "There are a few that still live that can perform Necromancy, it isn't new anymore. What makes you think I would know this peon?"
"A sickening stallion with multiple cutie marks sewn to him and ghastly green eyes." Skies squinted his eyes to watch every minutia of Grogar's movement.
The old goat leaned forward and placed his hooves on the large table. He let his head hang slowly before tapping his hooves together and giving Skies a solemn nod.
"Hekate, make sure he stays here." Skies commanded before turning to leave. "Everyone else, meet me at the vault."
Cadance stood reluctantly, she looked at Grogar who had been staring at her.
"You're as beautiful as your mother was."
Cadance couldn't deny that she felt her skin crawl at his words, but smiled none the less since the compliment was a sideways compliment to her mother. To avoid talking to him more, she teleported thrice before arriving at her father's side.
"Don't let him get in your head." Shattered said immediately when Cadance appeared.
Cadance silently agreed with her father. She looked around the castle to look for a change in subject. The castle had gone through a great many renovations since Farhaven was established and still had a great many to go through before it could truly be thriving city.
"Our people are really doing a number on the renovations, huh?" Skies remarked.
"That's what I was just thinking." Cadance giggled, brushing up against her father. "I think I like how it's looking so far. The dark and dreary was starting to bum me out."
"Well, one thousand years of abandon will do that." Skies chuckled. "I've always been a fan of stone and wood, so when Chance approached me concerning an enormous marble deposit in the mountains, it was too hard to try and find something else to use. He'll mine and place the stone, the living impaired ponies will chop the wood, and the Wyverns will lifts large beams and buttresses into place. So far everything is moving along nicely."
"Wyverns?" Cadance asked.
Skies pointed out one of the large corridor window to see four yellow, striped wyverns, and a large red Wyvern negotiating a large pile of stone over the lake.
"When did they arrive?"
"Early yesterday. They were given downtime, but demanded a part in building so River placed them immediately." Skies admitted.
"What about the Changelings?"
"Textiles and record keeping."
Cadance rubbed her ears. "Textiles? They're making cloths?"
Skies nodded while he continued his trek to the basement. "There are a few different types of Changelings and one of them can make silk naturally. So far they're very pleasant. Although, they refuse to get near you."
Cadance reeled back for a moment. "What? Why?"
"Because of what happened at your wedding and then the ensuing conflicts with some Changeling Queen afterward has put Changelings in an even tougher spot. They fear if they anger you they'll be turned away from Farhaven." Skies admitted.
Cadance opened her mouth to retort, but her father cut her off.
"You give them very angry glares and they have nowhere to go, so of course they're afraid." Skies stopped and glanced back at Cadance. "I've been looking into the incident when Canterlot was attacked, this Queen set Changelings back thousands of years. All I ask is that you give these Changelings a chance, they're each from a different hive and have something to offer, there is a chance you might like a few of them."
A smile crept onto Cadance's face when she saw her father's puffed cheeks and crossed eyes. "Okay, I can try."
"There, that wasn't so hard."
Everyone fell into silence until they reached the large stone doors in the lower chambers of the castle. Since the renovations started, the gargantuan room had considerably more items in it from large storage boxes to old furniture waiting to be restored. There were even work stations set up by Diamond Dogs so that they didn't have to travel from their caves to the castle.
Luna's breath started to sound shallow and labored when she looked at the vault, her eyes scanned the room, worry clear on her face. She jumped when a hoof rested on her pauldron.
"Easy, Luna. You're not her anymore." Skies cooed.
"What if the memory is too much?"
"Don't lie to yourself." Skies cooed once more. "This will be a terrible ordeal on us both, but once we're done, we can both move on."
Luna kept looking at the vault door.
"Are you ready?"
"No, but that won't help anything." Luna paused and placed her hoof on Skies chest. "A word of warning. Accessing our memories like this will bring up ones we forgot."
Skies breath caught in his throat, but Luna pressed her hoof into his chest, firmly. "If you're worried about my memories before you rescued me, I recovered them the same time the Elements stripped Nightmare Moon from me."
Skies gave a low half chuckled as he grabbed Luna's hoof to hold.
Luna shook her head in amusement and glanced at the others. "Are they going to watch?"
"Yes." Skies said firmly as he stretched their hooves toward the door. "They're here to help us. Once this is over, both of us will be too exhausted to even move."
The runes on the door blazed bright white when Skies and Luna touched them at the same time. A light mist filled the room moments later and both immortals took a deep breath before their eyes started to glow, starting the flow of memories that could not be stopped.
A Memory Complete
The air around the room whipped and howled as reality started to crack apart. The walls of the basements fell away into nothingness and were replaced by a night sky and a civilization now lost. The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters stood in restored glory and in a large tree just outside the main gate stood a legion of wolves, parting for their matriarch.
Lady Sif lumbered through the crowd and entered the hollow tree, not bothering with formalities given the situation.
"Yes, Sif?" Skies mumbled as he wrote in a long scroll.
Sif stood in the doorway staring at Skies, he was surrounded by walls of tomes, vials, and artifacts. He had taken to teaching and healing creatures that had been all but incurable. She waited for him to look up, but grew impatient. "Skies, we have a problem."
"When does the world not have a problem?" Skies mumbled rhetorically.
"Not like this." Sif asked. "Something happened with Luna. She disobeyed your command."
The quill Skies was using clattered to the desk and he turned to Sif slowly. "What happened?"
Sif entered the tree completely, passing many worried ponies and animals. She wanted to keep the news secret, but time had passed for secrecy and the time for action was now.
"How many?" Skies boomed, commanding Sif to answer.
"Just one." Sif stated with a slight bow. "But it seems very powerful."
Skies' fur ruffled and with a deep breath, the forest shook with rage. "I warned her creating life was exceedingly dangerous. That's one of the few rules I have; never create sentient life. It's far to unpredictable and dangerous."
Sif nodded solemnly, she knew that every time someone violated that rule, massacres occurred.
In the distance, Cadance, Sif, Storm, and River floated in the air, bearing witness to the events that a great many never knew the details to. Unfortunately, Skies and Luna had to relive this night in its entirety.
A young Unicorn mare trotted up and held up a scroll, her breath was labored due to her pregnancy. She had sought help from the Spirit with her birth and chose to lend what little magic knowledge she knew to him as payment. "My Lord, this may help thee in thy's situation."
The antlered Spirit reached for the scroll and opened it. He bit his lip and nodded. "Thank you, Star Swirl, this may do it."
Sif stood. "We need to hurry."
As both Sif and Skies ran to Luna's study, the night grew darker. Stars started to disappear and the air grew colder. The legion of wolves moved silently as they flooded the castle, Luna's night guards tried to spring on a few only to be pinned and silenced by the threat of teeth.
The four ethereal watchers floated alongside the warriors. Storm, Cadance, and River watched intently, but Sif kept her eyes shut, knowing what came next.
Skies and Sif skidded to a stop with four of Sif's strongest kin. They looked up at Luna's door, the characters that were etched upon it glowed blue before petering out at Shattered's touch. Skies looked over and touched Sif's shoulder. "Sif, I'll go in alone and you come in if I give the signal, but I doubt it'll go beyond a few words."
"Skies, this is a bad idea. You didn't see her earlier, whatever she created took her over. You'll die if she thinks you're an enemy." Sif pleaded, putting her own paw on Skies, trying to reach him. "We need to stop her."
"Be that as it may, I still need to try and talk her down." Skies stated.
"I need to go in with you." Sif stood, but found Skies hoof pressing her down further.
"No."
Sif bit her lip.
"Trust me, Sif." Skies smiled as he entered Luna's observatory. He couldn't hear the slew of cursing being flung at him from Sif as he closed the door, but he could hear a little chuckled emanating from the darkness. Skies strode into the light that the moon cast into the room before blue flames ignited around the room.
"Shattered Skies." The voice purred.
"I take it you're what Luna made?" Skies asked coldly.
"I am Luna." The dark figure stepped out from the shadows. She grinned at Skies and showed him her new look. "I say I look more mature this way, don't you?"
Silence filled the room as the forest Spirit scowled at Luna.
"Oh? And why the hostility?" She lumbered forward slowly. "Am I still not good enough for you? Or are you waiting for me to give myself to you?"
"Who are you?" Skies asked curtly.
"Oh, satire?"
"Stop beating around the bush, creature. Where is Luna?" Skies boomed.
"You Spirits and your phrases." The dark mare deadpanned. "I am Luna, but if that name doesn't please you, then call me Nightmare Moon."
"Are you the product of Luna violating my commands?" Skies asked.
Nightmare Moon sighed and gave a weak smile, her voice took on the sweet tone Luna's usually had. "It is me, Skies. I just wanted to do this, for you."
Skies exhaled in relief. "Luna, this is dangerous. It's obvious that this Nightmare Moon you created is feeding on you."
"Are you mad at me?" Nightmare Moon winced.
"Yes, but your safety is my concern here."
"What is so wrong with creating life?" Luna's voice pleaded. "I wanted more friends and this is the best way, who else to understand me better than someone I create? They won't die or disagree with me, we can have a family."
"Luna, this isn't the way. Playing Maker is dangerous in more ways than one." Skies started to pace before Luna as she walked out onto a ledge. "I've told you that creating life is unpredictable. Often times, life is created and it takes on the persona of whatever it came into contact with first; if it was is rage, then it'll feed off rage and cause strife. If it's greed, then it will grow from wanting more. And if it's sadness then it will consume its host until they die. Point is, if you aren't careful these things become parasitic and jump from host to host. We need to strip you of what you created."
"Parasitic? Is that all I am to you?" Luna asked.
"Don't let this thing sway your mind, Luna." Skies called calmly. "You're better than this."
Nightmare Moon shrunk. "Maybe you're right. I thought if I could master something you forbade, then you would be proud of me and I could finally earn your love, but now I see I was mistaken."
"Luna, you have my love, but putting your life at risk won't prove anything."
Nightmare Moon nodded and descended the steps. She moved slowly and held her gaze to the floor in shame.
"I will help you rid yourself of this and we'll work through this together."
"Maybe you're right." Nightmare Moon whimpered as she walked.
Skies was unable to feel anything from Nightmare Moon as she drew close.The door to the observatory exploded open as wolves started to pour in, led by a frantic Sif. Skies glanced over and continued absentmindedly. "Right about what?"
Nightmare Moon smirked. "Life is unpredictable."
"What?" Skies turned around to see two glowing eyes. His breath ceased to flow and he felt a long scythe run him through the side.
"No!" Sif cried as she flashed forward and slammed into Nightmare Moon, sending her across the room. Her kin charged past her to fight Nightmare moon in vain.
Skies wheezed, trying to get oxygen as Sif tried to stop the bleeding. He sensed that he wasn't healing from Luna's strike so he closed his eyes and tried to remain calm. Skies tried to speak, but was only able to choke out words. "Vale... Tree..."
Sif nodded vigorously and hefted Skies onto her back, his blood seeped down and dyed her fur red.
Consciousness drifted through Skies frequently, he could see Nightmare Moon cackling and swinging her scythe, felling wolves left and right so he reached for the scroll Swirl gave him and used what little magic he had that wasn't going to healing him to igniting the scroll. The scroll burned brightly and floated into the center if the room as Sif carried him away.
The spell was designed to use on large monsters to allow for a quick escape. On most creatures it worked for an hour, but on a raging night Princess, everyone would be lucky for five minutes.
Sif sprinted through the castle and towards the exit. "Everyone, retreat to the Vale!"
One by one the wolves entered a symphony of howls as the ran out of the castle and into the forest. For four long days, Sif and her kin ran until they reached the worldly portal to Skies' Vale. Skies felt his magic evaporating and his life started to ebb away, Sif noticed this and ran even harder than she had been. Even in the Vale, they still had a full day's sprint until they reached the Elder tree.
"Skies, you better live." Sif growled as she entered the sacred center of the forest. She sprinted up to the tree and lowered her Lord. She grabbed him by the scruff and dragged him to the bark. Skies smiled at her weakly before the tree absorbed him. "Don't leave me alone."
Sif's breath started to become shallow and tears started to soak her cheek. Her body collapsed under the weight of her own guilt and she openly sobbed while shivering against the tree. Her friend was on the brink of death and the feeling of failure wracked her mind.
Present
The vault doors creaked open as both Skies and Luna collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Cadance, Storm, and River came to and saw that Sif was curled around Skies' body.
"What do we do now?" Storm asked.
Cadance tried to swallow her emotions from seeing her father being slain, but she knew that it was the past and that her father was sleeping on the floor before her, alive and well.
"I'll take Skies upstairs and start his recovery, one of you need to take Luna to Twilight's castle and make something up." Sif mumbled as she stood, hefting Skies onto her back shakily.
Cadance nodded. "I will, I'll tell them she's searching the sleep realm for clues."
River nodded. "And I'll inventory the vault. Storm, you guard the door. I think whatever is in there should go through Skies before being released."
"Agreed."
Cadance brushed her father's face, clearly worried about him. "Will he be okay?"
Skies mumbled in his sleep. "Maybe she's barn with it?"
Sif and Cadance gave Skies a questioning look.
"maybe it's Neighbelline" Skies mutters before giving a half sleepy chuckle.
Sif shook her head. "He'll be fine."
Elsewhere
Unknowingly, a cloaked mare sat in the tree line high above the valley and looked down open the budding city with envy. She had occupied this spot for much of the month and was able to avoid detection thus far.
"You know you're torturing yourself." Psalm asked as she approached her sister from behind, startling her.
The cloaked mare tried not to look at the judging glare of the mare that took a seat next to her. "I can't face them."
"You didn't have a problem with it when that bull attacked him." Psalm said pointedly. She moved and bumped Crystal. "And what's better is he recognized it was you."
"He recognized me by my powers and even then, that's all I had in me to do." Crystal looked at the castle and sighed.
"He still loves you, no matter what you look like." Psalm rubbed Crystal's back.
"And what of my actions these past thousand years? Are those forgivable?"
"You had your reasons, Crystal." Psalm smiled. "I won't force you, but the sooner you talk to him, the sooner you'll both be complete. Your daughter will be so happy to meet you"
Crystal shot Psalm a mean look.
"Sorry, I mean, meet you again, but with a more loving result. Now, time to beat Discord in Monopoly!" Psalm stood and disappeared into the realm of chaos, leaving the lone mare with her thoughts.
Crystal stood and started to shimmer into the chaos realm behind Psalm. She gave one more defiant look at the valley. "Soon I will see you, my love."
So yay, almost to 800 likes, that's sweet. 
I started two side stories that should hopefully be out in the next couple months, they will cover some of the historical lore. Y'know, the stuff I want to cover, but not dedicate an entire saga to.
Also, got to work on the public list. I have the main Spirits list as well as the Villains list. Note: Spoilers ahead.
Spirit list
Also hit the 200,000 word milestone. I deserve some cheesecake of the fudge variety. 
We love ya 
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the password for the spirit list is wrong it says is echo is incorrect
7603148 should be fixed now.
Wonder what Twilight's reaction would be if it turns out Pinkie is actually smarter than her.
i.ytimg.com/vi/2X9ZRTIAA5g/maxresdefault.jpg
Is this part of a series?
This was an interesting chapter, I liked the part with Nightmare Moon and learning that Luna sort of created her to try and seduce Shattered Skies at the time and not just the bitterness for her sister and her son loving subjects.
shits about to go up shit creak.... I can smell it....
I'm calling it now, Crystal is Chrysalis
DEVIOUS SEPTUM!!!!!
I think something is missing.
Btw
His probably should be him.
This is something I keep catching in the description, however, the chapters I am reading (at the time) are so good I keep forgetting about it.
The only reason I remembered this time was that I came back to the story to read the comments.
Keep up the -well it's definitely better than good- work!
Yes, cheese cake has been earned! Don't eat it in the light, or Sun Butt will know.
Stop beading around the bush, creature. Where is Luna?" Skies boomed [beating ] ???
7603684 she just might be.
Dont change enithing , your story is perfect!
7603880 You're right, the line was. "If there are six apples and you take away four, how many do you have?" To which Pinkie would reply, "The four you took."
7603875 Woooow, I haven't seen foamy the squirrel in years. Too good.
7603964 Thank you... I have no idea how I didn't catch that.
I may just be reading it wrong... but is Star Swirl a mare in this story? and pregnant too, no less
In before Discord Cucked Skies
7604811 She isn't Star Swirl the Bearded, she is merely a descendant. Star Swirl was around when Discord was defeated, a thousand years prior. His lineage comes into question later and that just serves as groundwork.
You seem to have accidentally deleted a section of text there. What was the question?
7605415 It's there. "If there are six apples and you take away four, how many do you have?"
I don't know why it won't show for you.
7605453 I took the gap as time passing as questions were asked.
I didn't realize it was supposed to be a question.
7605453 it's there now. Strange...
7605124 Oh, I see XD
That sentence is all wrong.
Skies is the one trying to convince cadence, not the other way around.
7609645
I've been loving this story so far... but for some reason, I imagine Shattered Skies having the exact same voice as Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons.
7603684
Or Prisma the love eating witch from the comics.
7566338
>not making the nature spirit Saint Francis of Assisi
myinstants.com/media/instants_images/shamefurdispray.jpg
7637080 i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/410/006/97b.png
7637170 I just started the story, and was disappointed to find that the Spirit of the Forest was not Saint Francis of Assisi, he is the patron saint of animals and the environment.
And the plot thickens...
Nice chapter, good work.
Cadence's mother is CHRYSALIS!? The hell?
7754921
No cadences mother is crystal
Atleast it wasn't something stupid like Nancy
7754921 I think you may have misread that my good sir.
8013054
Not if he noticed the context clues at the end:
Altered appearance.
Possible reference to her being a villain.
They've met before, and it didn't end well.
Also, from the previous chapter:
Eh, not a fan of this chapter, I know it's too far late but if you keep bringing characters back to life then their death and impact on the protagonists is meaningless
Let me guess... Diamond Tiara's father.
8047955
I would be inclined to agree with you, however, the characters and the impact on the main character depend on them coming back. That's where the conflict happens since the reader won't get to see them die.
The story strives off this sense of coming back tainted in one way or another and having to live with it.
P.s. sorry for the late response.
The plot twists are real. Though I have to wonder, just what the Hell did Sombra do, and how did it turn out like this?
8031294
Yep we have the same thought Crystal is Chrysalis
I Apologize I just cannot read past this point...
I Honestly disagreed with the Wife Returning
8620681
Sorry to hear that. I've known that some people dislike it, but that was the direction I went with. The mother's identity weighs heavily later on and she was always intended to come back.
(sorry if you see two notifications, had to move the comment from another chapter.)
That coffee better be decaf