11. Haven - Part 3
Just as I was leaving the inn to begin my shift at the library, a hoof caught me by the shoulder. It was clad in familiar hoofguards, so I relaxed my initial instinct of tension and looked up to see Radiant Orchid’s serious expression.
“Lieutenant,” she whispered, “your guards are wearing out.”
I sighed. “I know. Believe me, I know.”
My section sergeant shifted. “I know you know, sir. Knowing doesn’t do anypony any good. Now it’s time do something about this. It has almost been two weeks and I haven’t been able to give a single one of them a full day off. No weekends, no holidays, not even appropriate breaks. Four guards aren’t enough, especially if we keep using two at a time.”
She was right, there was no question on that. I paused to go over the resources available to us in my head. “Cut it back to one. That is three shifts a day with one guard off. I’ll go talk to Crimson Dawn and see if he can spare a watchpony for each shift to work with us.”
“Are you sure you trust the locals?” Orchid asked.
“I’m starting to, yes,” I replied. “Plus, up until now, you or I have been in the library every hour the princess has. If one of them was a rogue, they’d still have to get past their partner, the door, and one of us if they want to get at her.”
Orchid nodded. “You know, I kind of trust them, too. I mean, if they as a group wanted to harm Princess Luna they could have easily overwhelmed us during any of the days she held court. I’m just worried about the lone fanatic, but you’re right, we’ve got defense in depth.” She blinked. “Speaking of, have you seen the princess lately?”
I shook my head. “Not since they stopped coming out of that alicorn wing a few days back. I hear the noise and see the flashes of magic. Plus, her voice carries, but no. She doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
“That was the impression I got, too. I hope whatever it is she is learning is for good and not evil,” Orchid muttered.
My ears shot up. “What does that mean?”
Orchid raised her hooves defensively. “Just being paranoid. Didn’t you consider the possibility that maybe these ponies, as nice as they seem, are more into the nightmare than the moon?”
That idea brought a frown to my face. “No, I had not… until you put the idea into my head. Thank you, Sergeant. Thank you ever so much.”
She softly patted me on the head. “Don’t worry. She’s really into her training, so if she decides to go that route, there isn’t anything we can do. We’ll just accept it and become her evil warriors. We can even wear those costumes her guards use for Nightmare Night to pull the chariot.”
“Orchid, please leave before you decide to comfort me more. Just get back over to the library and I’ll relieve you shortly.”
The sergeant briefly stood to attention and replied, “Yes, sir!”
When she was gone, I reached into my saddlebag and checked on the black-covered book. It was turning into an interesting read. So much so that I had, more or less, temporarily requisitioned it for outside-the-library use. Which, in layponies’ terms, meant I’d stolen it. Temporarily. I was going to return it.
This was the book for the ponies that weren’t even a knight yet. It outlined the code to live by, the rules of conduct, and the perils of the world. Dragons, hydras, gryphons, and other creatures were all described in detail. Over and beyond that, these ancient ponies had come up with methods of dealing with them, too. As such, Princess Luna wasn’t the only one learning.
Whenever Orchid was on watch, I was reading. If I wasn’t reading, I was practicing the stances and maneuvers diagramed within the Knight of the Moon tome. Moonlit Star was right: these were not used to subdue; they were meant to kill. It was almost the exact opposite of what I’d been taught as a royal guard.
I closed my saddlebag and fastened it before leaving the inn. Haven was starting to become familiar to me. So long as I followed the main roads, I could get to just about anywhere I needed to go.
The Haven Watch had their own building not too far from where we were staying. It wasn’t much to look at and, at least to me, was difficult to distinguish from the houses that surrounded it. The only notable feature was that it was about three times the width of the other structures nearby.
I went through the main door and into the small waiting room. All of the chairs were empty, leaving a single pony sitting behind a desk.
I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, I was looking for Crimson Dawn.”
The pony stood up and replied, “Certainly. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll go about finding him.” He headed off through the door behind his desk.
Crimson came out in a matter of minutes. “Silent Knight, what brings you by?”
I gave him a cordial hoof bump. “Business, but I think you may like it.”
His tufted ears flicked. “Is that so?”
“It is. Out of respect for the matriarch and all of the ponies of Haven, I only brought a few guards. We weren’t sure how long we were going to be here, though, and I’m pushing them pretty hard. Would the Haven Watch have any interest in aiding in the protection of Luna the Student?”
Crimson Dawn straightened to his full height. “I can think of no greater honor. What do you need?”
“Three ponies a day, eight hours each,” I explained. “They’ll be partnered with a house guard. It won’t be glorious work. As you know, it is mostly just standing outside the library and then escorting Luna to the inn.”
“We can do that,” Crimson said with excitement in his voice. “I’ll speak to the head watchpony, but I know he’ll agree.”
I nodded. “Thank you. It will be a great relief and a good opportunity to exchange some ideas and experience.”
“That is something I’ll be looking forwards to. If you’ll excuse me, I should go speak to the head watchpony to get this moving immediately.”
“Of course. Thank you again.” We exchanged hoofbumps again, and as he turned to go back through the door, I walked outside.
One thing I didn’t think I could ever get used to was the lack of sun and moon. Every time I stepped out of a building, the lack of a familiar orb hanging above was greatly disconcerting.
I shook off the anxious feeling that nagged at me to instead focus on making my way to the library. Even though flight was allowed within Haven, I and my guards opted to walk. It was good to be seen by the locals. That, and flying in a cavern with night vision is uncomfortable.
When I arrived, I knocked three times in succession followed by two slower knocks. That was today’s knock. The mechanisms of the door echoed as it unlocked. It was the sort of sound that drew a lot of attention, but none of the nox ponies seemed to mind.
Radiant Orchid was waiting, as expected. “Nothing to report, sir. Everything is normal inside.”
“Very good.” I paused, then raised a hoof to stop her before she could leave. “I struck an arrangement with our allies here. Go and visit Crimson Dawn before you call it a day and start working on the schedule with him. He assured me could get their leader to agree.”
A pleased look crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Yes, sir. Have fun in there.” She gave a quick salute before heading off down the road.
I went in, closed the door behind me, and did a quick sweep of the ground floor. Moonlit Star and Princess Luna were already busy at work. The princess was levitating six different orbs while meditating.
Alicorn magic was something I’d never understand, so I went up to the third floor and settled in to read my book. Knights from ages past and I got along just fine.
Time went by with the only interruptions being louder than normal spells coming from below. When we first arrived, I checked every time that happened. Now I was growing lax.
My attention was drawn, however, at the sound of the main door opening slowly. I slipped the book into my saddlebag and swooped down from the balcony, ready to see who had access with me and the matriarch inside.
It was Tranquil Dusk. I wasn’t aware she had a key. Crimson was in his usual place and waved a hoof before moving into position where one of my guards should have been. Things had moved swiftly on that front, it seemed.
Tranquil trotted in and made her way towards me as the door closed behind her. “Good afternoon, Silent Knight.”
“Good afternoon,” I said, keeping myself between her and the area in the back. “Forgive me for asking, but how did you get in?”
“I have a key. My grandmother allows me entry,” the mare replied shyly. “A student needs to be able to study, after all.”
That made sense. “Of course. Are you looking for the matriarch?”
She shook her head. “No, I am looking for you.”
“For me? Well, you’ve found me. What do you need?”
Her hooves shifted along the carpet as she took a tentative step forwards. “Nothing in particular. I just thought you could tell me about Canterlot and the outside world. If you’re willing?”
My brow arched. “I can, but I imagine you’ve seen more of the outside world than the other nox ponies. After all, you dropped your journal when we ran across each other.”
Tranquil Dusk’s cheeks started to flush. “Seeing from a distance and hearing about it firsthoof are very different. Besides, when we ran across each other before, you gave me quite the scare.”
I chuckled softly. “I thought you were going to attack, so I had to do some evasive flying.”
Her head shook hurriedly. “Never! I would never attack a pony that was doing no harm.”
“Honestly, given your performance the other day, I’m surprised I was even remotely aware you were there,” I noted.
Tranquil’s black-feathered wings softly flicked at her sides. Her voice dropped a bit softer as she replied, “Yeah...”
The nervous flick and her mannerisms suggested something was off. She was too good to be so easily caught. Then it clicked for me and I couldn’t stop my lips from curling into a knowing smile. “You did it on purpose.”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sure you do. You and I were both in a buried nox pony town. Perhaps that was coincidence, perhaps it wasn’t. Either way, I heard you and miraculously you dropped your journal?”
Tranquil looked towards the back of the library. After a long pause, she mumbled, “We’ve been sequestered away for too long, Silent Knight. Some of us may have decided it was time to force the issue. Others of us… don’t agree.”
She was as interested in getting out as the princess was getting in. Perhaps even more so. “I understand. Your secret is safe with me.”
“I appreciate that.” She then shifted and added, “I really did want to hear stories about the world outside, though. Would you mind telling me some?”
“Not at all. Have a seat.”
☾
I wandered into the inn around lunchtime after Radiant Orchid relieved me from my position inside the library. The princess and the matriarch had been deep in study for days. It was beginning to look like an obsession, as they rarely stopped for more than an hour or two to eat or sleep.
That fact was worrisome to both Crimson Dawn and me. Moonlit Star was not a young mare; all of this exertion couldn’t have been good for her. It certainly wasn’t good for the ponies trying to protect the princess.
Due to popular demand, we’d held another court day, but it was obvious to me that during it the princess’s heart was being pulled towards the library. She had seen another hundred or so ponies before it was time to call it an evening.
Everypony here wanted to see the princess, talk to her, meet her, and just share a few words. That was why the inn was busy from dawn to dusk… or, well, lanterns on to lanterns off. The nox ponies had taken to eating there often in the hopes of a glimpse of Luna the Student. It made getting in and out difficult. Finding a place to sit and eat was even harder.
As I looked for an empty seat, I spotted Exemplar Ferrel alone at a table. She wasn’t in her armor, had her cloak pulled close around her, and her forehooves rested beside her lunch. It looked untouched and she was staring off into space.
I walked over and asked, “Good afternoon, may I join you?” There was no response. I waved a hoof in front of the mare’s eyes. “Ferrel? Hello?”
Finally, she blinked and looked at me. “Silent Knight? Where are we?”
“We’re in Haven. Where were you?” I asked.
“I’m not certain. Are you really here?”
A shiver ran down my spine but I tried not to let it show. “Yes, you’re back in reality now.”
The exemplar stared and then replied, “Precisely what a vision would say.” She glanced down at her lunch. It was obviously cold. “Nevermind. What did you need?”
“I wanted to eat lunch with you,” I said simply.
“Oh, please sit, then.”
I did so and a server came over to take my order. They grew an amazing variety of mushrooms down in Haven. Some of them actually tasted like fruit… almost. I liked the savory ones that had a crunch to them.
Just as the server started to turn away, the exemplar offered up her meal and asked, “Would it be possible to reheat this?”
“Yes, ma’am, of course,” he replied.
Exemplar Ferrel turned to me. “There are a lot of ponies here now. I see many things.”
My brow arched. “Any calamity?”
She shook her head. “Not as such, though I imagine there will be a divorce or two. I also believe your efforts will be successful. Some of these ponies will venture out into the world.”
That brought a smile to my face. “Good! I much prefer it when you bring good news.”
She nodded and once again her eyes focused off into the distance. Their vibrant blue color shifted into a subdued grey and she spoke with a voice that was both ethereal and not her own. “Some of them will be able to help you in your dark dealings.”
“What?” I asked, my tone suddenly falling even. It was an old royal guard habit to mask a surge of emotion.
“You have placed yourself on a path that does not appear to have any forks. You only move forwards with the horizon in sight. In your mind, there is an end. You will reach it, Silent Knight, but it will not be what you hoped for.”
I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure how to.
Ferrel’s head tilted as her eyes shifted back to blue and onto me. “Was I gone again?”
“You were. You spoke, though. Do you not recall?”
“I spoke?” she asked with a voice of sincere confusion.
“Yes, you spoke.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure that has ever happened before. I also don’t remember what I saw. Perhaps being around all of these new ponies has befuddled my visions.”
“That could be it,” I replied, my brow furrowed.
The server returned and set our lunches in front of us, interrupting my train of thought. I thanked him and set to eating. Orchid would be on shift for a while, but I wanted to use the time I had to check on all of my ponies and then find a secluded place to continue practicing what I’d been learning.
Ferrel started to eat, keeping herself focused on the food. I wasn’t sure if that was because she was hungry or because it didn’t give her visions.
The warning was confusing, and I didn’t want to discuss it. I cleared my throat and returned to my more upbeat tone. “What of the princess? What do you see for her?”
As if what she had said was already lost, the unicorn shifted and smiled. “Happily, I see nothing. After yesterday, she disappeared. She now appears to be beyond the reach of my gift.”
“What? Is that a good thing?” I didn’t feel like it was. How quickly could I get to the library?
The exemplar shrugged. “It is either that, or her life is about to end—but before you charge off, I have not seen anything that leads up to that. She simply was, and now she isn’t.”
My instinct was to do just that: to run off and check on Princess Luna right away. This time, however, I remained where I was and ate my crunchy mushrooms. It was time to have faith in my guards and Orchid to keep the princess safe.
We ate in relative silence. I rarely had conversations with the exemplar that made me feel good. I thought this one was going to be different.
“I would like to see the library,” she said without warning.
“Oh? Well… I’m sure that would be okay. It is probably better than leaving you here, prodding into nox pony love lives.”
She nodded. “Agreed. Shall we go?”
Her lunch was barely half eaten, but it seemed like a good way to change the mood. I nodded and set some bits on the table out of habit, then scooped them back up when I remembered they were useless twice over: bits had no meaning to them, and Moonlit Star arranged for all of our meals to be free.
“Sure,” I said as I put away my bits. “Let’s go.”
Together, we made our way to the library. For as much as the nox ponies crowded into the inn, they stayed away from where the princess was training. That was probably the matriarch’s doing.
Nova stood to attention as we approached. The nox watchpony next to her did the same, mimicking her posture. It was kind of cute.
“Welcome back, sir,” Nova said. “There is nothing to report.”
I nodded and motioned for her to be at ease. “That’s good. I’m going to go in for a moment. Please keep Ferrel company.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
I gave the knock of the day and, after the big metal doors opened, I walked inside to find it was quiet and the unicorn lanterns had been dimmed. Orchid looked at me curiously when I arrived since it wasn’t shift change. I waved her off before continuing down the central carpet.
There was no activity other than the occasional magic flare from the direction of the alicorn archive. The silver gate was open, and I made my way back to the small practice area that had been set aside.
As I turned the corner around a large bookshelf, I gasped, “Luna!”
Princess Luna was standing behind a small desk, her horn illuminated. Several large tomes were levitating in her magic and she was looking out vacantly in the same way the exemplar did.
What was shocking was that she was taller and larger than she had been just days before. Not quite the stature of her sister, but bigger than any other pony I’d ever seen.
Moonlit Star held up a hoof towards me. I stood there dumbfounded and waiting. Minutes seemed to drag on forever, and then the princess blinked.
“Silent Knight, hello,” she said.
“You’re huge!” I exclaimed without thinking.
She stiffened and frowned. “This is not so! I retain my mareish figure, but I have grown! Do you not like it?”
“You look… impressive. It was just unexpected. How can you just get bi… uh, grown?”
The princess laughed and let the tomes come to a rest on the desk. “We grow as regular ponies do: with time. But as we expand our magical prowess, that physical process is… accelerated. In sudden bursts. Have you never thought it odd that Celestia is so much larger?”
My head shook and I replied, “No, I just assumed it was because she was older. I thought she was the tall one and you were the cute one.”
Princess Luna laughed again and slipped from behind the desk to come to me. “You dare call me, the Alicorn of the Night, cute?”
“Not anymore,” I said, looking up to her with a smile.
“You are lucky you’re my favorite. Now, what brings you here to disturb my lessons?”
I blinked. “Oh, yes, ma’am. The exem—” My gaze flicked to the matriarch. “Ferrel has requested permission to see the library, if that will not be too much of a further disturbance.”
With a shake of her head, the princess replied, “Not at all. I am tired and would like to eat lunch. Would you have something brought here for the matriarch and I?”
“Of course. I’ll send Nova for something and bring Ferrel in.” I turned and headed back out of the library.
I liked Princess Luna the size she was before, but I guess it couldn’t be helped. There was little chance I’d be able to shrink her. Although, Runic had told me that washing things in hot water could have that result. Hot water, and some of his potions.
“What is going on back there?” Orchid asked when I rounded the corner.
“Princess is bigger,” I replied as I threw the lever for the door.
Orchid blinked and looked over her shoulder. “Come again?”
I ignored her to instead poke my head outside. “Nova, your partner and I will keep an eye on things. Please send for lunch for Luna and the matriarch. Ferrel, you’re welcome inside now.”
“Yes, sir,” Nova replied before heading off down the path.
Exemplar Ferrel ascended the stairs and came through the doors. She looked around with great interest clear on her face once she was inside. “What an amazing cache of knowledge.” Her expression was soft with wonder as she trailed a hoof over the spines of nearby books. “I could be content here for a century.”
“Indeed. Will you be around for another one?” I led the way down the central aisle towards the library’s heart, the door resounding as it closed behind us.
The exemplar’s ears flicked and she nodded. “I think so.”
“Lieutenant, explain the part to me again about a bigger princess?” Orchid asked as she trotted after us.
“Well, then perhaps we can work something out,” I said with a smile, intentionally ignoring Orchid just to drive her nuts.
“Lieutenant, I said, what did you—woah…” Orchid trailed as Princess Luna and the matriarch came from the other way, presumably to have lunch outside of the area with the priceless, impossible-to-replace alicorn tomes.
I couldn’t help it. I grinned, just a little bit. “Woah is right. Allow me to introduce you to our new—”
Without warning, Ferrel turned across me to look at a row of books and I bumped into her. We went down together, and the exemplar’s gray cloak flipped over her back.
Moonlit Star took one look at Ferrel’s cutie mark and gasped in surprise. “The oracle!”
Princess Luna frowned in confusion. “The oracle? What is the meaning of this?”
The exemplar didn’t answer the princess, so I repeated the question. “What does she mean?”
“I don’t know. This pony is not known to me,” Ferrel replied plainly before helping herself up.
Moonlit Star pointed at Ferrel’s flank. “That is the mark of the oracle.”
Ferrel peered at the nox unicorn. “What does that mean?”
“You’re a scion! You can see what will be. Your talent was invaluable to the alicorns of old.”
Ferrel furrowed her brow. “We are not allowed to interact with the alicorns. It is forbidden. Perhaps in ancient times, but not in my lifetime.”
Moonlit Star looked genuinely surprised. “Forbidden? That is nonsense! Your kind, like mine and like Star Swirl’s, have always aided the alicorns. That is what scions do! Surely you don’t waste your gift?”
Ferrel’s head tilted. “I am an Exemplar of the Unicorn Temple. I protect the weak, heal the sick, and mend the wounded. My life is not wasted.”
The matriarch fell silent for a long moment. Princess Luna gave me a look that read as either 'where is my lunch' or 'get one of these two ponies out of here.'
Clearing my throat, I said, “Perhaps we’d best leave, Ferrel.”
“Perhaps,” she replied softly.
As we turned to go, Moonlit Star held up her hoof. “Wait… please. Just a moment.” She hurried off deeper into the library.
The echoes of her hoofsteps faded away. It seemed that wherever she was going, it wasn’t a quick trot.
We all stood there uncomfortably.
Clearing my throat, I tried to say casually, “I think your mane looks good in a ponytail, Luna.” She had it tucked back like that to keep it out of the way.
The princess was staring at Ferrel who, in turn, would not look directly at her. Orchid had shifted to the other side of the princess and was subtly holding a hoof up and then moving it higher before coming back down. She was measuring.
“Thank you, Silent Knight,” Princess Luna finally responded before idly pushing Radiant Orchid away with a wing.
Eventually, Moonlit Star returned with a scroll trapped within her magical glow. “Please, take this as a gift. It is some of the knowledge we have of the oracles. We have none of our own. Perhaps you will learn something.”
The exemplar’s silver magic surrounded the scroll as she accepted it. “Thank you.”
I walked the exemplar out of the library and stopped just outside the doors. That seemed like the smartest thing to do, because she was fully focused on the sealed scroll floating in front of her.
“I hope it is a good read,” I said, not expecting an answer and surprised when she glanced at me.
“As do I. Good day, Silent Knight.” She looked back at the scroll and started to walk away.
“Good day, Exemplar,” I replied.
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6093806 Thank you ;D
6094207 I'm glad you liked it! I thought that was a great chapter ending.
Nice chapter, seems like it's setting up several plot points for later on down the line.
Night
I wonder how Celestia will react to Luna being larger than normal.
Muwhahahhaha! Excellent.
Oh, boy. Luna growing into full height again? Can't wait to see just what ramifications that has.
Also, I like how Orchid and Ferrel seem a bit unsettled by the contrast in culture, though the latter has more of a reason due to Midnight now pestering her. Can only wonder what will come of that.
the plot thickens... a good chapter to read at work
Do you want to be bigger? Have more power and go for longer periods before tiring? Of course you do! And with this exclusive Nox Pony literary supplement, courtesy of the very Matriarch of Haven herself, you too can be the pony you always dreamed of being. Don't get jealous; get big!
Now Princess Luna approved!
Yay, I'm happy, more Ferrel
And I just forgot that Luna was rather small; you figured that out nicely that they also grow because of being good in magic. Makes sense.. Also, like 6095666 said, I wanna see Celestia's reaction when Luna returns 
I'm not sure, but isn't there a rule that if something's ending with an "s", then you put an apostrophe at the end? So that would be "princess' heart". If I'm wrong, mind telling me why?
All the world building.
That was unexpected. Great job. I can't wait to read the next chapter. Good luck.
6095915 I'm glad to still be able to throw in surprises!
6095891 That is one of the few things I consider myself really great at! I owe it to years of being a dungeon master.
6095877 Yup! More Ferrel on this trip! As far as Princess' vs Princess's for a single possessive 's is correct although I think you can use either. The current (and with grammar this changes all the time) slightly more correct version is Princess's. Grammar rules change all the time in English so I honestly don't put a lot of stock into making sure everything is 100% perfect. As long as the work is understandable I'm happy.
6095823 LOL love it!
6095758 I'm glad you enjoyed it!
6095723 Yeah I've been saving that one for a while. I'm glad to finally reveal it. The official canon is all over the place with Luna when it comes to height and color. I wanted some explanation for this AU.
6095715 Much reveals! So wow!
6095666 A good question!
6095654 Yes indeed. There is a lot going on right now for sure.
That was...different
6096056 Well, it's been rather constant since her return in Nightmare Night. The really big difference was between the pilot and then. I tend to chalk it up to her being weaker after being purified by the elements, but that's just my head canon.
6096056 Things are coming into place... :P
Yours is one of the Celestias who genuinely wants equality with her sister, right? Because if not, all hell is going to break loose.
6095877
6096056
As far as I'm aware leaving off the last S in a series after a posessive apostrophe is simply the official shorthand because all those S's in a row can be confusing on the eyes.
So Princess' isn't any more or less wrong than Princess's, it's just easier on the eyes.
So, alicorn sin the Silentverse are made of cotton and shrink in hot water?
No, no, it's too late, Anzel. This is canon now; alicorn are dry clean only.
6096272 Press them carefully.
aww, he likes her cuddly sized
6096375
And no starch, or else their manes will freeze and be lifeless.
Ferrel's prophecy about Slient's near future doesn't sound good. It looks like he won't ever get vengeance of his fallen comrades.
I wonder what the extent of her growth will be, soon we or later will she no longer be the 'little' sister any more? :P
6096867
Or he will but that is will be at a cost. Maybe his own personal code, his relationships with others. I read that there might be a cost, not that he won't succeed.
Im curious now, As to why Ferrel would freak out at being called an oracle. Anyway this is an interesting chapter and it raises alot of questions. cant wait till next chapter
6096867 Well, best case scenario, somepony beats him to the punch. Worst case, well, it is doubtful since there is still somepony writing these. Remember, these are the Memoirs of Silent Knight. Wouldn't make much sense for him to die in his own autobiography.
6097117 Maybe something happened while the Nox ponies were hidden away, done by an Oracle. For instance, what if Ferrel had family in the Crystal empire, and a dark unicorn oracle closed it up? Now she might resent Oracles who interfere in the lives of others.
6097116 I'd rather that he didn't lose Crystal Wishes in the process. I couldn't handle that.
6096867
Or maybe he'll become the very thing that he hates....i.e. a bloodthirsty killer.
He seeks to avenge his friends....
and in turn becomes the exact thing that killed them in the first place.
*nail biting intensifies*
Ferrel has a greater power/role/fate. Oooooh, spooky!
6097576 ooo very good hypothesis.
6098201 She is a very important pony!
6098173 An interesting hypothesis! Certainly possible.
6097673 Love can be a fragile thing.
6097558 It was fun to have Luna on the receiving end for once. Also, good hypothesis.
6097125 Actually, they're the memoirs of A royal guard.
6097117 So many questions! So much to do!
6097116 A very valid point!
6096956 She is going to become Godzilla sized! (I kid)
6096415 He does. He thought she was fine how she was.
6096272 We'll have to see if he can convince her to get into the washer and then the dryer.
6096185 Time will tell what sort of Celestia I have. There is a lot of speculation about it.
6096114 There is a lot of set up for sure!
6096077 That is a fair point. Although she differs from the show in the comics. She is Celestia sized there. Either way, I wanted some lore around it =D
6098930 A little lore is never bad
Ah, see, I don't read the comics much. I tend to stick mostly to the friends forever series, though the arc between Shining and Cadance (yes, yes, with an 'a'
) got together. Though, I do need to read the one that followed for them...
Gah. Babbling.
6097673
I don't think he will but he will have to evaluate what is important to him. And change isn't necessarily bad but it doesn't mean it is easy.
6098930 maybe with SKs training he'll get bigger as well, therefore leaving Luna proportionately cuddly for him
6098930 If I recall, these are all done as a firsthand account from Silent Knight's perspective save for the few chapters that were focused on Iridescence. Also, you can look more closely at the description of the first part of the story:
Unless Ferrel can somehow look through an entire pony's life from a first person perspective, the evidence leans towards Silent Knight having written these himself at the end of his career.
This is of course not criticizing. I just enjoy analyzing these sorts of things. I do this all the time with creating theories concerning the GoT series.
6099182 No worries, I very much love playing the devils advocate on my own story even knowing the outcome. You're correct in that it does seem that this is a first hand account from Silent Knight himself. It is all written from his perspective for sure (other than the few things you mentioned). The question is, was there a shift between Memoirs and Secrets? ;D
6099059 I'm not sure that works for pegasi but we'll see!
If Lovey Dovey can see what happens with ponies' relationships, does that make her an oracle too?
If the Lunar Knight's training is more military than police focused maybe Silent should look into getting an Equestrian Army instructor to go over it with him. Having somepony who specializes in the more lethal aspects of combat observing his practice and giving pointers would probably be far more effective than using the book alone by himself.
Of course that would mean Silent Knight would have to answer an awkward question or two about exactly why he's so interested in the killing arts.
The lost journal wasn't an accident? Hah!
Hmn, so Luna isn't cutely small anymore and Ferrel can no longer see visions including her? Now that's an interesting development. I assume this probably means that Celestia cannot be seen either, nor could the old alicorns.
Also interesting. Makes me wonder what the old alicorns would have been using prescient ponies for if they themselves cannot be seen. Could be just for general use in ruling the country, I suppose. This revelation about the ancient scions also raises the question of who could have gotten the drop on them if they had ponies like Ferrel working for them.
Other thoughts, if you have enough ponies with Ferrel's talent, would you have enough data to weed out the 2/3s inaccurate prophecy rate? Unless they all get the same visions I bet you could at least narrow it down some.
Regarding Celestia's reaction to Luna getting bigger, I don't anticipate too much of a shocked reaction on her part. She does know where her sister is after all, and that she is staying several weeks with ponies with a completely different set of historical/whatever else documentation. If she didn't expect that this might happen she isn't properly working through the logical possibilities.
Hmmm based on what Ferrel was saying, it sounds like a standard life or revenge setup. I suspect that dropping everything to go hunt down a gryphon wont be getting him any rewards.
I wonder how this knowledge dump will influence Luna.
Also how long till Celestia comes on a rescue mission since Luna hasn't come back or sent word.
6101449 That is a fair assessment. We'll see how it works out! We'll also see a bit of what Luna learned as we move forward!
6100588 It was no accident! She's just too stealthy for that ;D As far as the precognition goes I don't think it is a spoiler to say I don't believe that is an alicorn power. It was unique to Ferrel although it is clear there have been and/or are other oracles. I also introduced the concept that there are a special class of regular ponies out there. Scions!
I'm with you on the growth thing. Celestia lived through it so she will likely not be too surprised to see that Luna has finally started to grow herself.
6099650 Those would certainly be questions he probably wouldn't want to answer ;D
6099217 Lovey Dovey actually can't see what the net result will be. She can just see love lines. Where they attach and how strong they are. She guides ponies to the right pony for them!
6102865 That makes sense. Is it a gift to see love lines though? Like, is she the only pony that can see them?
6102865 Oh, I'm not theorizing that the foresight is an alicorn power, just thinking through the possibilities what it might mean if the old alicorns had ponies like Ferrel working for them. If it was only ever one or so at a time and vary rarely at that, then it's much less of a potential impact on the story.
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Both "princess'" and "princess's" are correct
The timing of things connected to Ferrel is fascinating. Which probably shouldn't come as a suprise. Oracles are all about the timing.
Kill Silent Knight or Crystal Wishes and there will be pain. I swear this.
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That sounds suspiciously like Threadwitchery from the series by Susan Dennard ... except they can see more than simply love, and they can never see their own.
Because of SK and the Guard? Or is she just seeing random futures as they trot on by?
Everybody panic, Ferrel is having visions again! Seriously though, I’m starting to warm up to her character more and more.
Hahaha, I like his sense of humor.