Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 3:14.1 - Los Pegasus: The West

Chapter 3:14.1 – Los Pegasus: The West
Year 507 of the 1^st Age

Luminous hammer struck an equally luminous chisel, multicolored sparks bursting from the impact of chisel on magical artifact. Seams previously etched into the iridescent disk of diamond-studded metal pulled apart with each strike of the sorcerously-constructed tools, splitting the artifact into three sections. Nostracom the Wise gave a pained expression as his creation cracked apart completely and let out a long breath after banishing his tools. The Stellaetrix had been a masterwork; by his estimation, it had been the greatest yet of his magical artifacts (although the same could be said for each of his inventions). With it, a sorceress of only modest ability was able to control the movements of the stars in the night sky, something that otherwise required the power of an alicorn or an entire cabal of sorceresses. There was an empty spot in the center of the disk where a facsimile of the moon would have gone, with another half-circle gap on the rim for the sun once he’d figured out how to incorporate the celestial bodies. Now, these spaces would never be filled.

Like Yliiena before him, Nostracom had taken over the duty of controlling sun, moon, and stars upon his ascension into alicornhood. And like her, he knew that one day he would die, which meant other sorceresses and sorcerers would again shoulder the responsibility. That day was hopefully a long way off, but he didn’t want to leave the world open to a repeat of what had happened in the wake of Yliiena’s death. The world’s magical community, unprepared to accept the burden they’d laid down over a millennium earlier, had almost imploded. The Stellaetrix had been meant to ease this struggle, but the potential for misuse was too great for Nostracom to allow it to remain. Already, he knew, there were sorceresses in both Equestria and faraway lands who plotted to get their hooves on the relic. They would bring down stars upon their enemies’ and rivals’ cities, or to use the threat of such to leverage forced submission. A single sorceress with the Stellaetrix could conceivably conquer or destroy the entirety of Equus—something that Nostracom was not willing to have on his conscience.

Normally, Nostracom the Wise wouldn’t have worried about the consequences of bringing his creations into being, but things were more becoming more dire. The second alicorn had been born a unicorn near the end of Long Winter; though he only vaguely remembered the when Equestria had been buried beneath perpetual snow and occupied by the centaurs and bat-ponies of the White Procession, he could still feel the hostility and bleakness of those memories. The Kingdom of Equestria was established in the aftermath of the White Procession’s defeat, and Nostracom had gone to Cant’r Laht to study beneath Clover the Clever. He’d been at the Founder’s side during the struggles to unify Equestria in truth rather than just in fiction, and he’d even accompanied his teacher during his mission to establish circles of sorceresses across Equestria.

Even so, Nostracom had never desired to partake in politics, much to the ire of his fellows before he had become an alicorn and much to their relief afterward. He had no interest in kingmaking or developing a following; he’d much rather create his artifacts in peace. All he wanted was to create a legacy that, if not equal to that of Yliiena the First—a hard one to beat, given that her accomplishments included the defeat of the Great Ones and their banishment to Tartarus, a shadow realm harnessed by Yliiena herself that had persisted long after her death—was at least an interesting one and worthy of pride. Letting Equestria fall apart or be conquered or allowing Equus to be destroyed was not a legacy that Nostracom the Wise wanted to leave.

Still, he wasn’t willing to completely annihilate the Stellaetrix, to return= it to the base components he had used to construct it. It was breaking his heart to do what he’d already done to it, and he just couldn’t go through with such a task. And perhaps, one day, the Stellaetrix could still be useful to somepony with good intentions. He would have to trust they could make the same difficult choice he had if it became a threat; surprisingly, that trust came rather easily. Without putting off the task any longer, he bundled up the three pieces of the Stellaetrix in separate parcels and carried them out of his workshop.

Three ponies were waiting for him in the darkness, illuminated only by the glow of the brazier lit near his door and the night’s stars. Nostracom couldn’t resist looking up at the night sky and the stars he had arranged with his alicorn magic, thinking of the fractured relic he was carrying. Each of the ponies waiting for him, young stallions all, received a carefully wrapped piece of the Stellaetrix and a generous sack of coin.

“The items you are delivering are of great importance,” Nostracom preached. “Do not allow them to be taken by anypony but those whom you are to deliver them. It is no exaggeration to say that the end of the world is a real possibility if they are possessed by somepony with ill intentions. Defend them with your lives.”

“Syval,” Nostracom addressed the stallion on the left, “You are to go to Queen Sparkle Shine of the Perilous Peaks Kirin. Head north and cross into Stygra at Embariz. My name should get you through without trouble or inspection, so long as they remember who made their walls unbreachable.”

“Erazmus,” Nostracom said to the center stallion, “You are to go to King Orai of Obelan. Head west to La Plaça de Los Pegasus y Uniçano Eheilos de Lo Montaño and take a ship to Gibe.”

“Leonor,” Nostrocom spoke to the last stallion, “You are to go to King Crag of the Storm Isles. Head south to the satyr community at Rubelon first. They’ll guide you through the forests and the Equestrian Divide to Slavers’ Bay.”

“You all have long journeys ahead of you, so go! I have work to do,” Nostracom said as he turned his back on the three stallions and retreated back into his workshop. His shop had always been a place of comfort before, but now … he didn’t know how much longer he could stay here. Equestria had been his home for centuries, but if enough danger existed even here to taint his creations, perhaps it was time to move on.

***

Year 1002 of the 4^th Age

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash called to the druidess, who was lagging behind in her flight. Just like our first journey to Cloudsdale to become Hunters.

Traveling alone, Rainbow Dash could fly swiftly across country; when she was with the rest of the Brave Companions, she remained on the ground with them most of the time. This in-between state she was now in, flying with a pegasus who couldn’t fly nearly as fast as her, was frustrating. It was Fluttershy, though, her oldest friend; she could handle it. She was more worried about was getting separated from Fluttershy and having the defenseless druidess taken for a spy by another pegasus while Rainbow Dash wasn’t around.

Every spring, it seemed like Celestia had some quest to send the Brave Companions on that required them to split up. Even after the hectic events of this year that had culminated in Twilight Sparkle gaining wings of her own—something that still surprised Rainbow Dash every time she saw her sorceress friend—there was no exception. Although, it hadn’t been Celestia exactly who had sent them on this quest, even if she had added her own requests to it. Luna had been the one to suggest that the Brave Companions should search for a relic of Nostracom the Wise, something Twilight had latched onto immediately. This relic, the Stellaetrix, was in pieces, and Twilight Sparkle had managed to locate their general vicinity relatively quickly. That had been the easy part; the difficult piece of the quest was determining their precise location and reaching them, for the pieces of the Stellaetrix were all located in the lands previously known as the Kingdom of Los Pegasus.

Queen Helianthus of Los Pegasus had died of plague some time ago, along with most of her household, and chaos gripped the western kingdom since it was unclear who had the right to succeed her. Recently, factions had stabilized and battles were being fought as ambitious ponies tried to become the next ruler of the Kingdom of Los Pegasus. This was where Celestia’s request had come in. Not only were the Brave Companions supposed to search these war-torn lands for long-lost relics, they were also supposed to meet with any of the faction leaders they came across. Although Rainbow Dash was determined to avoid them as much as possible, she acknowledged that might be impossible, given that flying over these territories without meeting with their claimants was a dangerous proposition. If she was particularly unlucky, she and Fluttershy would have to meet with all three contenders in the Westerlands, which consisted of two of Helianthus’s nieces and a local countess with no real claim to the throne who nevertheless believed she had a chance to become the next Queen of Los Pegasus.

The Westerlands were a rough land compared to most other regions in Equestria, covered in mountains, forests, and hills and with scant territory good for farming. When the unicorn crusaders had conquered Equestria from the pegasi, they’d declared their conquest complete without taking this region. They’d taken it eventually, and not even in crusades like bordering Stygra, but it had remained an afterthought in Equestria. The ponies of the Westerlands liked to keep to themselves for the most part, despite that they were often officially subject to another realm. Until recently, the overlords of the Westerlands had been Vanhuv’r. During Queen Helianthus’s reign, her armies had conquered and occupied the territory, installing new lords to keep the populace in line. This acquisition—connected to its ruling kingdom only by sea—was one of the primary reasons Helianthus had been so set on conquering White Tail Wood: to thread all her lands together. The real value of the Westerlands was its connection to Stygra and division of the Agate and Blazing Oceans that allowed whomever controlled it to control trade with Styrgra by land and with Vanhuv’r by sea; Helianthus was not willing to give that up once she’d taken it. Now, the future of these lands was uncertain. In addition to the three factions here vying to become rulers of the Kingdom of Los Pegasus, Vanhuv’r was seeking to reclaim their lost territory, and White Tail Wood was attempting to expand into it. This land, so recently devastated by plague, was going to have more hard times ahead.

Rainbow Dash circled and waited for Fluttershy as pegasi rose to meet them from the camp visible below. Judging by the banners (and Twilight Sparkle’s extensive guide on what to expect), this was the camp of Countess Helianthus of Bittaspring, a niece of the former queen whose name she shared. The Brave Companions’ reputation and Rainbow Dash’s distinctive appearance made it easy for the travelers to be recognized. The scouts sent up to intercept them knew who they were and why they were here, and they guided the pair down to the camp without too many questions. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash landed near the edge of the camp and let their chaperones guide them in. Countess Helianthus’s troops didn’t look to be in very high spirits, and the reason was evident. On the flight here, Rainbow Dash had spotted the remnants of a battlefield and signs of where ponies had fallen in skirmishes during a retreat. They had lost a battle recently, something made even more evident by the smell coming from the bloodstained infirmary tents. There were a lot of wounded ponies, and those that hadn’t been wounded physically had taken a blow to their confidence. It didn’t help that most of Helianthus’s forces were peasant levies; they didn’t have much stake in placing her on the throne of Los Pegasus and hadn’t been very motivated to begin with. There were already signs of desertion, and Rainbow Dash wagered there’d be plenty more of that before this was over.

Countess Helianthus’s command pavilion didn’t look very impressive, as mud-splattered and sagging as it was. The guard who’d escorted them had a word with the fatigued guards at the entrance to the pavilion and one of them trotted inside, returning a minute later. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy followed as he beckoned them in. A crude folding war table had been set up in the center of the main space, and ponies stood or sat around it. There were signs of plans upon it having been hastily concealed to hide them from the guests.

The various nobles who’d fallen in line behind Countess Helianthus and decided to back her claim to the throne stared at the pegasi, though many of them they didn’t really seem to be seeing anything. They looked just as dejected as the soldiers outside, apart from a few who’d likely not taken as hard a hit in the recent battle or who genuinely believed in Helianthus’s cause. For many of them, the glamor lent by the fine clothes and meticulous attentions paid to appearance had faded during time spent fighting and overall moroseness. Only Countess Helianthus appeared undiminished, at least when it came to clothes and grooming. The alabaster unicorn’s coat shone brightly, the product of a liberal application of soap and water while her forces went unwashed, and the gems sewn into her dress dimly gleamed in the torchlight. Her face told a different story, though her hard eyes masked her desperation well; just not well enough to fool a Hunter’s incredible vision.

“A Hunter and a druidess,” Helianthus commented, “I don’t know whether to be insulted at Celestia’s choice or impressed that she managed to convince you to speak for her.”

Her comments were not surprising to the duo. Rainbow Dash had often thought something similar whenever the Brave Companions were sent on these quests. As a Hunter, she was technically subject to none, existing in a space outside of realms, subjects, and fealty. However, there was no denying that however Hunters traveled throughout Equestria, their orders’ keeps had fixed locations. This created a need, like it or not, to maintain a good relationship with the rulers of the realm in which those keeps were located. Usually that was the responsibility of grandmasters alone, but because of the Brave Companions’ legendary status, Rainbow Dash had been pulled into this diplomatic dance, and far more intensely than what the leaders of Hunter orders usually faced. Being friends with the Crown Princess of Cant’r Laht meant that she was involved with the kingdom she lived in at the highest levels, and that meant she could rarely be impartial.

Druidesses such as Fluttershy occupied a similar space, though not to the same extreme that Hunters attempted to maintain. In theory, she was at least a true subject of Regents Celestia and Luna, bound under Mayor Mare’s oaths to the alicorn rulers. Druid circles, however, seldom heeded the commands of their supposed masters, and normally they got away with it. They were a peaceful order and wouldn’t cause any kind of trouble in their rebellion, so it was best to just leave them be. They caused no harm other than annoyance as they championed nature in opposition to rulers’ plans. The Ponieville druid circle was especially important, particularly considering Fluttershy’s exceptional abilities to communicate directly with animals. Though not their intention, they also indirectly protected Ponieville from the monsters of the Everfree Forest, just in a manner quite different from that of Hunters. Fluttershy, like her old friend, had been drawn in by proximity to Twilight Sparkle and status in the Brave Companions into weighty matters with which no druidess would usually come into contact. It was peculiar for both of them, but the composition of the Brave Companions was peculiar, and this was merely one of the side effects.

“I assume you are here at Celestia’s behest, to compel me to make peace with my traitorous relatives and rebellious subjects, no matter how unfavorable the terms,” Helianthus said venomously.

“Yeah, I sure did a great job convincing King Alhert of Fillidelfiyaa to make peace two years ago,” Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. “It’s a little late for that anyway. Nah, we’re just here to meet with you, convey Regents Celestia and Luna’s hope that the succession is decided soon with minimal loss of life, and to get safe passage through your territory.”

“Safe passage?” Helianthus said skeptically. “To where?”

“On our own business,” Rainbow Dash replied the same moment that Fluttershy answered, “Castle Hark.”

“Castle Hark,” Helianthus said, her eyes growing hard. “Celestia would back Countess Clover then? Even were the Matron of Sorceresses to support Clover, she doesn’t stand a chance of winning this war.”

That much was true; Clover had managed to seize a small amount of territory in the Westerlands with no access to the sea, sandwiched between the other contenders to the throne. She wasn’t even of any relation to the former queen, so even fewer nobles had rallied behind her than Countess Helianthus. Clover was in a bad position, but Helianthus’ wasn’t much better.

“Like her likelihood of winning is that much worse than yours in the grand scheme of things,” Rainbow said. “You might be able to beat Clover, but doing so would open you up to attack from behind. How long do you think it would take Hyelliff and Borgas to overrun you? And even if you manage to defeat them—which is unlikely—you’ll still have to contend with Lady Silversword’s armies in the Westerlands before you can hope to take Los Pegasus proper.”

Helianthus stared the Hunter down, her gaze frozen and foreboding.

“The way I see it, you’ve got only three options if you want to survive this,” Rainbow Dash continued, glaring down a supporter when he tried to intercede on his lady’s behalf. “First, convince more of Los Pegasus’ lords and ladies to fall in behind you and become queen. Not likely, I know. Second, throw your support behind a more likely candidate for queen and ride her tail to victory and a moderate reward for your eventual loyalty. Third, abandon Los Pegasus entirely and surrender to King Hyelliff or Borgas.”

“Or Celestia,” Helianthus noted astutely. “Though you are forgetting one possibility. I could join one of my attackers as an equal.”

“And why should anyone want to ally with you when only one pony can become the new Queen of Los Pegasus?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Borgas is son to Margrave Brekka of Westmarch and heir to his lands in White Tail Wood, and he and his band are looking to carve out territory in the Westerlands. Borgas is also young and unmarried. I’m sure he would be open to unifying our lands without further bloodshed,” Helianthus laid out her plan.

A marriage between the countess and Borgas was a longshot, as far as Rainbow Dash was concerned, but it could work. Stranger things had happened.

“Feel free to try it; doesn’t matter to us,” Rainbow Dash said dismissively. “I’ve delivered my message from Cant’r Laht’s regents; all I need to know now is if you’ll allow us free passage through your territory.”

“Oh, very well,” Helianthus said after thinking on it for a moment. “You have my guarantee of safe passage through my lands, but if I hear a hint of you aiding my enemies or stirring up trouble for me, I’ll sign your execution orders myself. Now, be gone with you. I have important preparations to make.”

***

Year 507 of the 1^st Age

Syval stared down at the murky water of the Silver River while the ferry slowly trundled across, ponies grunting as they turned the wheel around which the cable that stretched from bank to bank was looped. He allowed his gaze to shift up to view the far bank, where the Westerlands began. When the Kingdom of Equestria had been established five centuries earlier, it had claimed all land from the Shimmering Sea in the east to the Strait of Ghibellhine in the west, but the Westerlands had only really been incorporated into the kingdom around eighty years ago. Throughout all Equestrian history since the unicorns had conquered the continent, the Westerlands continued to try to force its own way. While the region was nominally under the rule of King Orion V, like any other part of Equestria, the warlords that fought over the territory had more real power. It was a lawless land filled with roving bands of ponies more likely to slit your throat than give you directions. The task before Syval was important, however; Nostracom the Wise had said so. And so, despite his misgivings, when the ferry docked, Syval stepped off onto Westerlandish soil and boldly continued his journey to the west.

***

Year 1002 of the 4^th Age

It was a familiar scene that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash found themselves in. The command pavilion of Lady Silversword wasn’t all that different from Helianthus’, apart from being larger, cleaner, and more opulently furnished. It was so large that it was divided into multiple segments by hanging curtains. Behind one set of curtains stood the war table, and Rainbow Dash caught a glimpse of it before the tent’s attendants had shrouded it from view. Lady Silversword had the western half of the subcontinent firmly in her grasp and was well-positioned to push east and take the remainder of the Westerlands. Before she could press into Helianthus’ territory or expel King Hyelliff or Borgas, however, she needed to take care of Countess Clover.

The upstart countess had severely overestimated her support but obstinately refused to surrender. She had lost all territory apart from Castle Hark, which was currently besieged by Silversword’s forces. If there was one faction the pegasi thought they could have avoided, it was Silversword’s western faction, but she’d encircled Countess Clover before they had arrived. While Rainbow Dash was willing to risk flying over the besieging camp to Castle Hark, she didn’t fancy their chances of leaving without being pincushioned by arrow fire or forced down by Silversword’s pegasi. They would have to meet with Lady Silversword and get her permission before they could go any farther.

Lady Silversword at last decided they’d waited long enough and trotted into the audience chamber where the pegasi had been left, followed by some of her most prominent supporters. Chief among them was Marquesa Flax, whom the young Silversword had wisely allowed to dictate strategy and command her armies. The former marshal of the army that had invaded White Tail Wood two years earlier was one of only a few of Silversword’s supporters whose demesne was not located in the Westerlands. Flax was here because she believed that Silversword had the strongest legitimate claim to be the next queen of Los Pegasus and would fight for her, no matter that her chances of winning the crown were middling at best.

“Brave Companions,” Silversword addressed Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash after taking a seat in a gilded chair that was a poor replacement for the Gilded Throne in Los Pegasus. “Why have you come to me? Does Celestia wish to recognize me as the rightful Queen of Los Pegasus?”

Rainbow Dash jabbed her friend in the ribs to prompt her to speak. Tact was not something the Hunter had in abundance, and it was critically important here that Silversword allow them to cross the siege lines and enter Castle Hark. They’d agreed beforehand that Fluttershy should be the one to lead the conversation, lest Rainbow enrage Silversword and get them thrown out of the camp. If they couldn’t get to Castle Hark as Twilight had instructed, they’d have to go back to her for an alternative or figure one out on their own, and neither of them had any ideas on how to track down lost magical relics.

“Um … we’re here to meet with you as a contender for the throne and convey Regents Celestia and Luna’s hope that this war will end soon,” Fluttershy said quietly. “And we also need to ask you to let us through to Castle Hark.”

“So you can meet with Clover?” Silversword asked, continuing before Fluttershy could clarify. “She is even worse a pretender than my cousins. Who does she think she is, claiming the throne that should pass to a Trotstámara? Do you intend to help her in her bid to usurp the Crown of Los Pegasus?”

“Of coure not!” Fluttershy said, shocked and not taking the accusation well. “We aren’t going to give her any more help than you. We’re on our own quest, only Celestia and Luna asked us to convey their hope that the war will end soon. That’s all!”

“Hmm,” Silversword pondered as she played idly with her mane. “Flax, what do you think?”

“I doubt they could or would do much harm if let through to meet with Clover, my lady,” the weathered mare said as she stepped forward. “They carry no weapons or items that could improve Clover’s chances or help her to escape. I believe they simply wish to meet with her.”

“Yes … perhaps you would be able to help the war end sooner,” Silversword said as she looked at Rainbow Dash. “Countess Clover is out of our reach, but she would allow you in, and for a pony skilled with a blade, it would be an easy task to—”

“No!” Rainbow Dash said emphatically, and the sudden readiness to fight that stole over her body unconsciously startled Silversword’s guards into readying their weapons. “Hunters are not assassins.”

“My lady,” Flax spoke up, “You do not wish to obtain your crown through underhanded murder, do you?”

“I will employ whatever means are necessary to secure what is rightfully mine until the crown is upon my head. Then I can make the history of my rise to power whatever I want it to be,” Silversword said sternly.

“As you say, my lady,” Flax said discontentedly, but she bowed her head and stepped back into the line of nobles.

“I could keep you here until you agree to my request. You would be well rewarded for freeing me from this siege, I assure you,” Silversword said as she continued to look at the defiant Rainbow Dash. “But no, I shall not. You have my permission to cross to Castle Hark. Maybe once you see how inevitable Clover’s downfall is, you will have a change of heart.”

“I don’t think so,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice tightly controlled.

***

Once, Rainbow Dash would only have crossed siege lines without danger of being shot because there was a monster killing the besieged and her status as a Hunter would protect her. Now she had another shield from being killed on sight: the tales of the Brave Companions. Some of the soldiers in the courtyard she and Fluttershy landed in whispered these tales back and forth as the duo was led to the castle’s keep. She was sure some of them were fabricated and others exaggerated, as was the nature of these things, but their reputation preceded them nonetheless. Rainbow Dash had often dreamed of becoming a hero, and she’d always believed the path to that goal for a Hunter was only possible through the Wonderbolts. Yet here she was, not a Wonderbolt but still one of the most talked-of ponies in Equestria, all because she had befriended that sorceress out of her depth in Ponieville.

“Victor, is there a monster in my keep you haven’t told me about?” Countess Clover asked as the Brave Companions were let into the throne room.

“No, m’lady,” a stallion dressed for court replied, standing against the wall.

“Then why is there a Hunter before me?” Clover asked. “And a druidess? I thought they were told never to come here again.”

Castle Hark’s throne room was a depressing sight, gloomy and empty apart from Clover, Victor, and an even smaller group of nobles than Countess Helianthus. There were others that had pledged themselves to Clover’s cause, but they had either abandoned her or weren’t showing their face in what passed for court. The siege was just beginning, but already the will of Clover’s faction was broken. They knew defeat was inevitable, but their stubborn leader refused to surrender and save their lives. If the walls weren’t breached before starvation set it, Clover might well meet her end at the swords of her own followers. The countess looked tired but defiant, though not in a noble way. Her defiance was one of desperation, not any faith that her cause would be victorious in the end.

“These are the Brave Companions, m’lady,” Victor said after squinting at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“And why are they here?” Clover asked.

“We need to use the castle’s weathervane,” Rainbow Dash replied, and Clover looked surprised to be addressed by somepony other than Victor.

“And to convey Regents Celestia and Luna of Cant’r Laht’s hope that this war will end swiftly with minimal loss of life,” Fluttershy added.

“So, Celestia wants me to surrender, does she?” Clover said bitterly. “And what do you think my fate will be then? I’ll be executed, won’t I?”

“Not necessarily,” Victor said, speaking practiced words. “If you bend the knee to Silversword, she may strip you of your titles, but she may not. In any case, she’ll need you to exert control over central Westerlands.”

“As if I could restrain these savages,” Clover scoffed, and the clustered nobles turned to look to her. “The Westerlanders are wild and uncontrollable. Queen Helianthus gave me this keep, you know? She saw something in me and charged me with bringing the order of the Kingdom of Los Pegasus here after the conquest, but what have I accomplished? I thought I could follow her as queen, but how can I work with peasants who hide their harvests and send dregs as levies? I should have known this was a foolish venture from the start, but I couldn’t let one of her treacherous relatives, whom she always hated, win out and destroy the kingdom.”

“Um … so about the weathervane?” Rainbow Dash asked after Clover let a long silence follow her tirade.

“Do whatever you wish,” Clover said and chuckled morosely to herself. “Finally a command that will actually be followed.”

The two pegasi made their way out of the depressing throne room before Clover could change her mind and flew up to the peak of Castle Hark. The castle was built against the mountains, but its highest tower reached up above the peaks; upon it, Nostracom had left another relic. The weathervane that perched above the castle was no Stellaetrix, but it was no ordinary weathervane either. Concentric circles of mechanisms sprouted arrows in various places that all pointed in different directions. It swayed gently in the breeze, though some of the circles traveled in opposing directions. A learned pony could use the weathervane to obtain all kinds of information about the weather beyond just the direction in which the wind was blowing, but that wasn’t what Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had come up here for.

From her saddlebags, Rainbow Dash drew out the sack of magical powder that Twilight Sparkle had given her. The sorceress had recited a whole speech about “like drawing to like” and things like that, but all Rainbow needed to know was what to do with the pouch’s contents. Flying over the weathervane, she poured out the sack until the mechanism was covered in the glowing dust. The weathervane began to shift, slowly at first, but then more rapidly until all the arrows pointed in the same direction: southeast. The magical powder began to peel away from the weathervane and form a line flowing in the direction the arrows pointed.

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash told her friend as the weathervane swung back to normal, and they followed the glowing trail through the air.

***

Year 507 of the 1^st Age

Syval watched carefully where he placed his hooves as he traversed the swamp that he needed to cross to make it west. Plank walkways had been placed across the marsh and atop the muddy waters; there was no telling how deep they were around him, and he didn’t want to risk tripping and falling into the mire. He was looking forward to being through the Westerlands and the comfortable rest that awaited him in Emabriz before continuing on his journey. Syval had never been one to shy away from nature or discomfort, but the Westerlands were too rough for his tastes.

An arrow struck the walkway at his hooves, and he nearly jumped into the swamp as he tried to back up. A second and third arrow whistled past behind him, and he galloped ahead. All sense of caution was thrown out of his mind now that he was under attack. More arrows quickly followed the first, becoming more accurate even as Syval picked up speed. Westerlandish partisans dissatisfied with the Equestrian occupation darted through the twisted trees or glided along in shallow-bottomed canoes, firing missiles at this foreign interloper.

An arrow struck Syval in his flank, and he whinnied painfully but carried on. More archers found their marks, and he began to slow as the blood drained from his body where the arrows shifted in their wounds. He’d lost track of how many times he’d been hit by when one found his throat and he stumbled, gagging on his own blood, off the path and into the swamp water, sinking down and never to be seen again. Bandits might have fished him out for his coin and found the partial Stellaetrix, but Syval’s attackers were not bandits, just ponies who wanted their land back for themselves. Nostracom’s relic was lost and would remain so for the next three millennia.

***

Year 1002 of the 4^th Age

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew all day and through the night as they followed the glowing trail that would lead them to the Stellaetrix. The sun had risen on a new day by the time the powder stopped suddenly in the air and fell, drifting down onto twisted trees and fields of murky water below. The two pegasi descended, Fluttershy struggling to catch her breath as she set down on a limb, snagging her druidess robes on the grasping branches in the process. Rainbow Dash peered at the swamp water as she hovered down. Had the relic they were searching for fallen in, and had nopony really found it in all this time? The Hunter landed on a rock jutting out of the water. It shifted beneath her hooves.

“Fluttershy! Into the air!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she shot back up.

The rock she’d briefly landed upon rose out of the water, revealing a scaled, eel-like head filled with rows of sharp teeth, each as long as a pony’s limb. Transparent eyelids blinked horizontally as the monster swung its head to spot Fluttershy trying to pull her robes free. She escaped and winged toward the sky as a massive claw rose from the swamp and closed around where she’d been, shattering the tree to splinters. Rainbow Dash tossed bombs down at the beast’s head as it rose slowly towards the pegasi on a gradually widening, mud-plastered neck. More claws emerged from the swamp water, reaching up or grabbing ahold of the exposed land to shift the creature's massive body.

“Any luck?” Rainbow asked Fluttershy, who was trying to communicate with the beast.

“No, I think it just wants to kill us,” the druidess admitted regretfully.

Rainbow Dash shot up higher into the air and drew her sword before plunging downward. As the monster snapped at her, she corkscrewed out of the way, looped around its never-ending neck, coming back up to strike the underside of its jaw. Her sword cut easily through the soft flesh, but she only narrowly avoided getting snapped up as she disengaged. Hot breath blew on her flanks as she flew away to prepare for another strike.

The swamp monster reared out of the water, revealing its long body that combined features of eel, lizard, and centipede, and it slithered around to cut off her path. The Hunter lobbed a smoke bomb at the face of teeth and dropped before it could plunge through the cloud of smoke to snap at her. She threw a net around one of its claws before ducking under the dripping body and shooting back up toward the monster’s head. Her sword skittered against scales before plunging through and cutting a bloody gash up the neck and cheek of the beast. Its eye glared balefully at her as she zipped past.

The monster snapped recklessly at her as she flew around its head, sneaking in hits wherever she could before backing away. The creature shifted its bulk through the waters as it followed Rainbow Dash, until she had it where she wanted it. As she dodged one of the bites, the monster shifted and tried to grasp land with its netted-up claw, only to stumble. As the neck and head jerked downward, Rainbow Dash gave it some help with a well-placed kick to the jaw with all the force and speed she could muster. The monster’s head fell upon a spot where the mud crested over the surface of the swamp and a tall, dead, branchless tree stood. The tree impaled the monster’s eye as it fell, driving the stake into its brain.

The head went slack, clearly dead, but the rest of its body didn’t stop moving. The lifeless head was pulled down into the water as the body shifted and the rear end of it emerged, revealing another head at the other end of the sinuous beast. This head was considerably spikier than the first, and it glowed as it opened its mouth. A beam of what the pegasi could only describe as concentrated starlight shot from the monster’s gaping jaw, nearly hitting Fluttershy before she dropped into the foliage below. The beam followed her, torching the trees and baking the mud, but the druidess managed to stay ahead of it.

Rainbow Dash flew toward the monster’s head and it swung around, but the beam ceased before it reached the Hunter. The monster’s body twisted, and a claw flew up out of nowhere to strike the Hunter, nails tearing through her armor in several places. Rainbow Dash was knocked out of the sky and hit a tree, bouncing back up with a grimace. The monster opened its mouth again and shot its beam of starlight at her, but she flew out of the way in a long arc that burned a circle into the trees around the monster.

When the beam stopped again, Rainbow Dash shot upward, climbing as high as she could, as quickly as she could. The monster dwindled and the swamp shrank as she shot upwards, passing by drifting clouds in the spring sky. Once she felt she was high enough, she shot downwards. Her speed picked up rapidly and she could feel the wind tearing against her, ripping off loose scraps of her armor. The monster opened its mouth as it swiftly grew in her vision. The pressure built up around the Hunter and her sword, which she held tightly in her mouth. A glow began to come from the monster’s throat as she impacted it, swinging her sword at just the right moment to release a sonic rainboom. Multicolored light shot out in all directions as her strike connected with the monster, splitting it in half down its length and completely annihilating its head.

Rainbow Dash steadied herself in her descent, skidding across water and narrowly dodging trees as she slowed down. The monster’s carcass collapsed, the impact shaking the ground. After cleaning off her blade, Rainbow Dash sheathed it and flew back over the monster’s sinking corpse to where Fluttershy gave her a look of relief before pointing down at the unnaturally quickly decomposing flesh. Among mud and partially digested fish glimmered the item that had allowed the monster to grow so large and breathe starlight: one third of the Stellaetrix.

***

Several Months Later

The keep of Gibrhalter’s throne room looked out over the Blazing Ocean, and spray from the sea as it crashed upon the rocks below sometimes found its way up through the columns to fall upon the throne. Flax took her seat upon that throne for the first time since her coronation only moments before, and the assembled nobles in the room stamped their hooves in approval and acclamation. As Marquesa of Montrein, Flax had served Queen Helianthus and her kingdom loyally. Now, sadly, there was nopony whom she could rightfully call Queen of Los Pegasus, and she’d had to make a difficult decision.

Countess Clover had held out much longer than expected, and by the time she had surrendered and been executed, the eastern territories of the Westerlands had already fallen to Borgas and King Hyelliff. The duo of invaders continued to press into the Westerlands, but a peace had been settled with Borgas. Hyelliff continued to fight, and in the decisive battle that forced him to make peace, Silversword had perished. If only she’d heeded Flax’s advice rather than listening to the advisors that told her she needed to be freed from the marquesa’s influence. As if Flax had had had any designs on the Crown of Los Pegasus herself; she had been a loyal lady of the kingdom, and she reminded herself of that as she now wore a sovereign crown.

None of the other contenders for the throne that remained by the time of Silversword’s death had a strong enough claim as far as Flax was concerned. She had the backing of the Westerland’s lords, but there was nopony she felt was worthy to throw it behind, and so she decided to use that support instead to build a successor realm to Helianthus’s Los Pegasus here in the Westerlands. Reluctantly, she’d accepted the Crown of the Westerlands and was now that realm’s Grand Duchess. Until a true successor to Helianthus ascended the throne of Los Pegasus, the Grand Duchy of the Westerlands would go its own way, and Flax would lead them on that path.

Comments

[TasermonsPartner]

Interesting interspersion of past and present time-skips in one chapter. I really enjoyed the lore and worldbuilding behind the artifact mixed in with the modern-day politics. That the weathervane was only what lead them to the artifact, and wasn't the actual artifact itself, was also a nice twist.

Though, I wonder, why Twilight didn't just open a portal straight to Castle Hark? It may have been rude, but it would've saved them alotta time, and she could use a shield spell to protect her friends from any aggressive action. Diplomacy, I guess? Didn't want to anger them on the off chance Clover did succeed and became the next ruler?