Age of the New Sun

by Foreshadow

Chapter 4

Comet had never seen a griffon in real life. She hadn’t expected him to be so large, nor so powerful. Nevertheless, as she lay on a bed in the infirmary, Graham cautiously running his hooked beak through her mane and inspecting the puncture wounds on her neck, she felt safe with him.

Runestone watched, ears drooped and hooves shuffling, waiting as the resident medicine mare, MintTea, prepared a salve at her desk near the entrance of the room. Comet kept her eyes on him, her body sinking onto the bed tiredly. She felt a bit of a prick on her neck; her tail swished though she tried not to complain.

“I am sorry, Comet Strike,” Graham said gently. “I am nearly finished.”

“It’s fine,” Comet assured him quietly.

She cringed; she saw Runestone’s face fall, he looked as if he wanted to say something. Comet shot him a tired smile before biting back a sigh and resting her cheek on one of her forelimbs.

“Is it alright?” the stallion asked, edging closer to Graham worriedly.

The griffon didn’t answer at first, though he pulled back from Comet and looked her intently with one eye and then turned his head to stare with the other. He clacked his beak and his feathers bristled a little.

“Yes, it will be once treated,” he said finally, and then smiled at the ponies. “Good thinking, Runestone, suggesting we come here first.”

Runestone smiled bashfully and nodded, though his eyes shifted back to Comet. The blue unicorn’s ears flattened and she brushed her mane from her face a little.

“I don’t understand,” she said a bit grumpily. “Everything I’ve read said that Nightspawn can’t go out in the sun.”

“I’m afraid you need to take that a little more literally,” Graham said, sounding almost apologetic. “They can exist in any shadow, day or night.”

“Wait, so on a cloudy day, they could just-?!” Comet began, though cut herself short when the griffon nodded solemnly. “Dear Celestia, that’s... that’s terrible.”

Beyond them, Runestone wore an expression of horror, and on a bed near the other end of the room, Warmspark leaned over, his ears perked and his eyes wide.

“Hey, Mister Griffon,” he called over, looking worriedly at them. “Are we in danger?”

“My boy, everyone is in danger,” Graham replied, his voice gentle.

Warmspark grabbed the blankets around him a bit closer. Graham looked rather regretful; he turned back to Comet, his crest raising up a bit and he tilted his head as he looked at her, a slight frown ruffling his feathers.

“What do you know about the Nightspawn?” he asked.

“Um... well...” Comet said; she shrunk under his intense eyes. “Not... Not much. I read about them in a book that said they appeared after Celestia vanished. It also said their blood is poison and that they can’t go out when it’s light.”

Graham pulled back a little, his feathers smoothing a bit, and he clacked his beak thoughtfully.

“I see,” he said quietly.

“Mister Warden, sir,” Runestone said quietly as he edged in closer.

The griffon smiled and said, “Graham is fine,” and Runestone grinned shyly.

“Graham, is it... is it true, what’s happening out there? With the Nightspawn? And the King?”

Graham frowned a little and he ruffled his wings and cast a glance around.

“In her letter, your Archmage asked me not to discuss with the students,” he admitted. “But since you’ve already seen... I suppose the truth wouldn’t hurt.”

He sighed.

“The situation is much more dire than what has been occurring here. A few months ago, the first of the Nightspawn began to appear, more than anyone has seen in decades. They are amassing in the wilds near the ruins of Harmonia. Do you know it?”

Comet nodded while Runestone shook his head and looked baffled. Graham smiled.

“It was a fortress built hundreds of years ago where the final battle against the Nighspawn was won when they first appeared.”

Runestone’s ears perked up and he nodded, letting out an understanding, “Ooh,”.

“The other Wardens and I are going to be joining the King there soon.”

“And taking a Sunwalker or two with you, is that right?”

Graham and the ponies turned their attention quickly to the entranceway to see Springbreeze standing just inside, a knowing smile on her face. Her mane was a little more preened than usual, as was the feathering at her hooves, and she was wearing a cloak that seemed to emulate the wings of a vulture, with little silver gems along the collar. Graham smiled and dipped his head.

“It is good to see you once again, Archmage. Yes, that is my plan.”

Runestone’s ears perked and he looked between the griffon and the unicorn quickly. Before he could ask any questions, the Archmage was at their side, turning her good eye on Comet Strike, her brow creasing with worry.

“Are you all right, dear?” she asked.

“Mostly,” Comet replied with a weak smile.

Springbreeze seemed pleased but then turned her attention to Runestone; her ears went back a little and she inclined her head.

“You... What were you doing with Comet Strike?” she asked.

Runestone shrunk back and pawed at the floor nervously; before he could answer, Springbreeze began to chuckle.

“I’m only curious because usually the students and the Sunwalkers don’t intermingle,” she explained.

Comet noticed his face go a bit pink, and he stammered a little before Comet cut him off.

“We were looking for plants outside for a botany thing I found in a book, and when we stopped for a break, we got attacked,” she said quickly, shooting Runestone a glance.

He nodded quickly in agreement.

“They were both very brave,” Graham assured Springbreeze. “I don’t mean to change topic so suddenly, but I believe you and I have business, Archmage.”

“Yes. Yes, of course,” the green unicorn agreed.

She gestured towards the door and, with a bow of his head, he followed her, but before he went, he turned and smiled.

“Until we meet again, little ones.”

“Thanks again, Graham!” Runestone said hurriedly.

“Yeah, thank you!” Comet added.

Graham nodded at them and continued out, starting to speak quietly with the Archmage as they went.

Comet slumped as the room got a little quieter and stretched a little, wincing at the ache of the bruises and the sting of the wounds on her neck. Runestone seemed like he was about to ask her something, but he paused, bit his lip, and then turned to the pale green medicine mare.

“Is the stuff almost ready?” he asked.

MintTea looked up from her mixture across the room a bit tiredly, her magic pulling a strand of her lime mane back into her bun, and she said, “Just a moment. I’m going as fast as I can.”

“Thanks,” Runestone said quickly, and then turned to Comet. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Sore, that’s all,” she assured him.

He nodded and muttered “Okay,” to himself, and was quickly pacing beside the bed. Comet had to subdue a laugh and she pulled herself back to sit on her haunches.

“Relax, will you?” she said. “How are you? You looked like you fell pretty hard.”

“Hmm?”

His head snapped towards her and he looked confused for a moment, a blush on his face again, but then said, “Oh. Right. Yes. I forgot. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ve always been a quick healer.”

Comet’s brows raised high, but she nodded, and he turned quickly, sighing; his short tail swishing quickly. He began to say something; Comet couldn’t quite make it out, but he was interrupted by MintTea’s approach. She carried a bowl of the salve she had prepared with her, and without a word began to gently smear it on Comet’s neck. It was cool against the hot sting of her wound, but it still hurt quite a bit when touched; she winced and tried very hard not to let the other ponies see that her eyes were watering.

Runestone stared intently, and then looked to MintTea with large, worried eyes. Again, he was interrupted before he could ask a question when a loud, male voice, stung with anxiety and hurriedness, called the medicine mare from the room. MintTea shoved the salve into Runestones hooves and headed away in a hurry. He stared after her with wide eyes, his mouth dropping open, but she was gone. His ears drooped and he turned to Comet. She looked up at him with confusion and he sighed, shrugged, and then stuck one hoof in the medicine and used the other to brush aside her mane. Holding it out of the way, he smeared the paste on her neck over the puncture wounds. She drew in a sharp, pained breath past her teeth and slumped back down into the blankets, her ears drooped. Runestone smiled sympathetically.

“You were really brave,” he told her. “Outside, I mean.”

She smiled tiredly, an ear perking and she shrugged.

“Not really, I was scared out of my fur.”

“But you still saved me,” he said.

His brow creased ever so slightly with a puzzled frown and he absently massaged the medicine into her fur. She shifted, crossing her forelimbs and unwittingly leaned towards him, her expression smoothing.

“You’re my friend, right?” she said a bit quietly. “Of course I saved you.”

She smiled a bit and cut her eyes at him. He responded with a shy laugh, but his eyes had brightened.

He wore a goofy smile on his face as he continued to rub the paste against her neck. It still hurt, but he was a bit gentler than MintTea had been. She finally felt herself starting to relax, just a little. There was a pressure in her head every time she closed her eyes and when she paid any attention, her chest still hurt. She did feel a little better knowing Graham was in Canterlot now, however. She felt like he knew what he was doing, but she still couldn’t help worry from gnawing at her.

She stole a glance at Runestone from the corner of her eye. He didn’t look worried in the least; he still wore a big smile on his face. Finally, he pulled his hoof back, wiping it a bit awkwardly on the sheets of the bed, and then leaned forward, inspecting the wounds curiously.

“How does that feel?” he asked. “Any better? Worse?”

“About the same,” she said, sitting up on her haunches. “Thanks for that.”

“Anytime,” he said brightly, but then hurriedly added, “I hope there won’t be any need for it. But... you know... any time a big black beastie decides to try to munch on you, I’ll be there, I... I... maybe I should just stop.”

He grinned, blushing, and his ears folded backwards. Comet inclined her head and couldn’t help but snicker at him.

Out in the hallway, seemingly out of nowhere, hooves began to clop across tile and the clinking of armour echoed up from the Temple of the Sun. Comet’s smile fell and she craned her neck to peek around to the door, though it was only slightly ajar. Behind them, she heard the rustling of blankets, and Warmspark cautiously trotted up and past them. Hesitantly, he peeked out the door, and the two other ponies waited and watched in puzzled silence as the ruckus seemed to get even more boisterous.

After a moment, Warmspark backed away, his brow furrowed. He turned to head towards them, saying, “The Sunwalkers are gathering in the Temple. They look freaked.”

He turned to Runestone and frowned more deeply.

“Shouldn’t you be there?”

“They haven’t told me a thing. I’d rather stay here,” he replied.

The orange unicorn shrugged and nodded, heading back towards his bed. Runestone winced and Comet bit her lip worriedly. It wasn’t long before the sound got even louder, this time with a strong female voice pulling through the muddle; Comet was surprised that she recognized it as it shouted for ponies to get out of the way.

With a panicked hurriedness, the infirmary door slammed open completely, causing Warmspark to let out an expletive behind them. Glimmer stood in the doorway, her eyes glossy and wide, her expression distraught. It was the first time Comet had even seen her without her long mane and ivory coat perfect. Behind her, Comet spied Jinx and Pinklily, but before she could greet them, Glimmer shrieked her name and was beside her on the bed, forelimbs wrapped around her tightly as she pushed her snout against her cheek desperately.

“Uh... hi, guys,” Comet said a bit awkwardly.

The other unicorns hurried to the bedside and Runestone stepped back to make room. Jinx timidly booped her snout with his and Pinklily looked over her with an intense expression of concern.

“We saw what happened from the observatory,” she said bluntly. “That was insane, Comet.”

Comet knew that she didn’t mean that in a good way, and her ears drooped as a frantic Glimmer grabbed her tighter; the pink unicorn’s gaze softened.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, and then looked to Runestone and finally cracked a small smile. “Both of you.”

Runestone looked utterly surprised and he mumbled out a baffled phrase of thanks; Jinx turned to Pinklily with a wide-eyed, worried expression plastered across his face.

“But Pinks, maybe you shouldn’t be so harsh,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, what was she supposed to do?” Glimmer squealed, hugging Comet even more tightly.

Pinklily frowned.

“She’s just worried about me getting caught is all. Which... I guess I must be by now,” Comet said.

Her ears drooped and she felt a sinking sensation in her gut, even when Pinklily patted her back in attempts to reassure her.

“Maybe not,” Runestone said quickly, sneaking his way back into the group. “Comet, remember? There were no guards at the gatehouse. That means we were caught in the middle of them changing shifts.”

“So they might not have seen,” Pinklily concluded, relief clear in her voice.

Comet couldn’t bring herself to hope, but Glimmer squeezing her did make her feel a little better. Runestone patted her head gently, but almost immediately, Glimmer reared back, squishing Comet to her chest and pointing her hoof at Runestone almost accusingly.

“You better not say a word!!” she exclaimed.

“Of course I won’t,” he squeaked,.“Why would I?”

“I dunno, you’re a Sunwalker! You’re cute, but you’re still a Sunwalker,” Glimmer insisted.

Runestone’s jaw dropped and Comet finally weaseled herself out of the choke-hold hug the ivory unicorn had on her.

“It’s not really fair to generalize,” she said, rubbing her sore neck. “We don’t want the earth ponies and the pegasi to lump all of us in together, right?”

Glimmer opened her mouth as if to protest, but her comments fell short and her ears drooped as she cast an embarrassed glance around the group.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m just kind of freaking out a bit over here!”

“It’s okay,” Runestone said a bit shakily. “Um... what’s happening out in the hallway anyway?”

“I heard they found somepony,” Jinx volunteered. “One of the missing Sunwalkers.”

“And Stonehoof is giving some lecture,” Pinklily added, shooting a glance at Runestone. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be there?”

“I’d rather stay here with Comet Strike,” he replied a bit meekly. “Besides, I just got put into active duty. It’s not like I’m very important.”

A loud ruckus outside startled the ponies and they edged together a bit unconsciously. Steel shod hooves stormed up the hallway and the wooden door was thrown back. A large, green stallion in Sunwalker armour thrust his head into the room and peered at the group huddled together.

“Hey,” he said loudly, “get out here. The Sun-Commander and Archmage are calling an assembly.”

The ponies looked at each other, startled, and then scrabbled to get up and out of the room. Comet’s wounds still stung painfully, and though Runestone watched over her protectively, Pinklily slipped in against her side and put her shoulder against her, just in case. Comet smiled gratefully.

Outside, the group could see a large group of Sunwalkers trotting urgently from the temple and towards the dining hall. Glimmer nudged Jinx forward and they hurried after the group; Comet was hesitant, but followed along despite the sinking feeling in her gut.

---

The dining hall was magically lit up to the point where it seemed like the sun was directly overhead. Ponies were packed in tight, crammed onto the benches and huddling in groups of friends. For once, the Sunwalkers and the unicorns didn’t look so different. Everyone was on edge, shuffling and mumbling uncomfortably under the severe gaze of Sun-Commander Stonehoof. He stood like a watchful sentinel at the front of the room, his expression stern and a bit distant. Comet and her friends were stuck near the back of the herd. She tried not to get too close to the others because of the bruising, but she found herself bustled against them as more ponies hurried into the room. She winced and held in a complaint.

The sense of anticipation was broken rather suddenly as the robed Springbreeze, accompanied by Graham, joined Stonehoof at the front of the room. A collective sense of surprise rattled the ponies. Comet guessed that most of them had never seen a griffon before, the same as her.

Springbreeze tapped her hoof against the floor to draw attention and when the room didn’t quieten immediately, Stonehoof bellowed, “All of you, quiet!” The sound in the room dropped off completely. The Archmage looked a bit embarrassed but nodded her thanks to the Sun-Commander before clearing her throat.

“Good afternoon,” she said, her voice flat and serious. “I will skip the brunt of the formalities for now. As most of you will have gathered, Canterlot has been under attack. The creatures plaguing us are called ‘Nightspawn’.”

A sort of alarmed whispering began, but fell quiet again quickly under Stonehoof’s glare.

“Most of you will not know what Nightspawn are, but let me clarify quickly. They are the creatures that attacked Equestria after our dear Princess Celestia vanished. Yes, they were thought to be wiped out, but now it is clear that that is not the case, and they are on the offensive once more, all over the world,” Springbreeze said.

Comet felt a deep sting of fear, a dark cloud settling in her mind. Beside her, Runestone pressed in closer to her, his ears drooping as he bit his lip.

“A hoofful of Sunwalkers and one of the students have been attacked,” Stonehoof added loudly. “Only two have made it back on their own, so know that this is a threat we are taking very seriously.”

Comet felt the eyes of her friends on her. She gulped. In the front, Springbreeze gestured politely to the huge griffon beside her.

“Graham is the current leader of the Wardens of Harmony,” she said, and over a sudden burst of whispering, continued, “As you may or may not know, the Wardens are a group dedicated to fighting the Nightspawn. They are the best of the best.”

Comet heard whispers, excited and nervous, spread through the crowd like a fire. She a few ponies saying, hushed, that they hadn’t even realized the Wardens were real.

“Graham is here to advise us and help the Sunwalkers deal with the problem,” Springbreeze said.

“If I may,” Graham put in politely, and when there was no objection, he said, “The Wardens specialize in fighting the Nightspawn, though because of their apparent absence, our numbers are quite low in this time of crisis. I will be looking for a few ponies to be joining our ranks. With your permission, of course.”

He shot a glance at Stonehoof, who nodded at him and then snorted, his dark eyes boring into the crowd.

“So be at your best, Sunwalkers,” he said loudly.

“Yes, sir!” many voices replied.

The assembly was dismissed shortly after a quick safety warning, and that was that. It seemed like Graham’s visit was a ray of light in the otherwise dismal circumstances, but as Comet picked up fragments of conversations, she couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed that all she could hear were ponies talking about how to impress the griffon. The frown on her face caught Pinklily’s attention, but the other unicorn didn’t say anything, preferring instead to nuzzle her cheek quickly and gently. The blue unicorn sighed and was about to ask her friends something, but was jostled out of her thoughts by the Sunwalker stallion she remembered as Redstreak approaching.

“Pinklily?”

Pinklily paused in her tracks and turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

“The Sun-Commander wants to talk to you about your... um... totems, I think,” he said.

“Right,” Pinklily said.

She bid the rest of the group goodbye and followed Redstreak away. Comet watched her go; didn’t realize her friends had continued on without her until Runestone doubled back for her. He put a hoof on her shoulder and she looked at him sharply, eyes wide.

“Comet, you okay?” he asked.

“Oh, um... yeah, I guess,” Comet said absently, her gaze shifting away.

Runestone looked her up and down and inclined his head. The expression on his face told her that he knew that she wasn’t all right in the head at the moment.

“Hey,” he said after a pause, his ears perking as he smiled a little, “no mention of your magic. I think they don’t know.”

Comet nodded. It was true, and it made her feel a little better, but not by much. Again, Runestone looked her over, analyzing her.

“Maybe you should rest,” he said. “Take a nap, maybe?”

“Yeah,” she agreed a bit reluctantly.

He gently nudged her until she started walking again.

The dormitory was filled with chattering, anxious ponies upon their arrival; Comet knew she’d never be able to sleep through it. She took her blankets, thanked Runestone for his concern, and then tiredly wandered up the small set of stairs to the observatory. She fell asleep under a table.

---

When Comet awoke, the moon and stars were high in the sky. Groggy and aching, she heaved herself out from under the table, but was startled still as she noticed another pony napping a little ways away from her, closer to the stairs. Hesitantly, Comet snuck up to get a better look, only to see that it was Runestone. She couldn’t help a bit of a smile from crossing her lips. She dragged her blankets over top of him before she quietly headed back to the windows to peer out. Pinpricks of light shone out from the guard towers and watch posts, and, if she squinted, Comet could see the totems Pinklily had made in some sections around where she was sure the edge of the magical barrier was. The blue unicorn allowed herself to feel a little relieved. Pulling back from the glass, she quietly headed for the stairs and snuck out of the observatory.

Comet never used to make a habit of breaking curfew except when she needed to practice magic. Now, she couldn’t bring herself to stay in the dormitory. Sleeping without the excuse of being utterly exhausted was getting harder by the day. She peeked in, however, noting that Pinklily was fast asleep on the top bunk of their bed, but also that there seemed to be a piece of paper on the bottom bunk. Curiously, Comet edged to the bed and took a cautious look at the folded paper before opening it to read.

Dear Comet Strike, it read, Keep building your power. Your destiny will come to you soon. You will have the power of an Archmage.

Comet stared at the note, baffled. It wasn’t signed; she didn’t even recognize the writing. It didn’t sound like one of her friends, either. It unnerved her, but she had no idea what to do with it. As she frowned, her blue magic crumpled the paper into a ball and she stashed it under her mattress. It didn’t matter, anyway. She took her saddlebag and magic book and went down into the room under the library to read.

---

The next day was the first time since Comet had initially seen them that there hadn’t been any Nightspawn activity. There was, however, plenty of Sunwalker activity. Jousting duels and intense training exercises were taking place just outside the tower, and the ones left inside where rushing and busy. Comet was a bit disappointed; she couldn’t find Runestone anywhere.

Having woken up late, all her friends had already gotten started on their days. Jinx and Glimmer were working in the store room now - or, moreso, Jinx was working and Glimmer was cheering him on. Pinklily was even busier, making more totems for Canterlot’s defense. She only had a few other ponies helping her; it wasn’t a job Comet could do, her magic wasn’t suited for it, and sitting in just made her feel like she was in the way.

Around noon, hoping to find at least one of her usual group, or even the young colt, Arrowburst, to talk to, Comet headed to the dining hall. On the way, she spotted Graham and Stonehoof walking and discussing something: it sounded like battle strategy against Nightspawn.

“If it can be helped,” Graham was saying, “do not confront them in the dark. Especially if your groups are small in numbers.”

“I wouldn’t be too concerned,” the stallion replied, a steady frown on his face.

Though Graham nodded, he didn’t look convinced; he paused in the hall when he spotted Comet listening in. The unicorn blushed with shame and tried to look busy, but Graham smiled at her and quickly excused himself from Stonehoof as he approached her.

“Comet Strike,” he said, and inclined his head to look at her neck. “How are you feeling today?”

“Kind of sore, to be honest,” she said. “Um... it’s not too bad.”

“Not sick at all?”

A little confused, Comet merely shook her head and a look of relief passed over the griffon’s face. He clacked his beak, but Comet’s ears drooped and she asked, “Can I... Can I ask what’s going on?”

“You may ask, of course,” Graham said gently. “I can only tell you that we are preparing for another Nightspawn attack.”

A small twitch of frustration crossed his brow and Comet cocked her head curiously as she peered up into his face.

“There’s a problem?” she asked.

“I fear the Sunwalkers are not taking this as seriously as I would like,” he said.

The unicorn couldn’t help but look baffled. Before she could ask, Graham laughed embarrassedly and said, “I’ve said too much with simply that, I’m afraid.” He dipped his head to her and, prior to another word leaving her mouth, he was striding off smoothly down the hall the was the Sun-Commander had gone.

Comet sighed to herself and muttered, “Okay,” in a confused sort of way.

Not taking it seriously enough? she wondered, But they seem like they’re training extra hard. I don’t get it.

Comet was curious now. Trotting quickly, she went to the front of the tower to the main doors, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of outside through the window, but instead, she was shocked to find the huge double-doors wide open. There was still a guard on either side, but she could see through into the cobblestone courtyard easily. It looked almost like some sort of festival.

Cautiously, the unicorn edged up to the door, and when the guards looked at her with only mild disinterest, she straightened up, tried to look as if she was supposed to be there, and trotted outside. Nopony even attempted to stop her. It was then that she realized why Graham had been so put off. It was a festival outside. Ponies gathered around a jousting competition, watching eagerly as Sunwalkers bowled each other over with pointed lances, and there seemed to be some other sort of fighting competition going on a little farther off. There were even banners up around the area, and seats put out. Comet could barely believe her eyes.

“Who’s stupid idea was this?” she gasped aloud.

She couldn’t help it. Their disregard for the threat utterly baffled her.

Cautiously, Comet headed down the steps and began to wander amongst the other ponies, wincing at the harsh sounds of the lances against armour and the cheers of the surrounding onlookers. She wondered if Runestone was out there somewhere: it seemed like almost all the Sunwalkers were somewhere out in the courtyard. She stretched her neck and tried to look around through the crowd, hoping to see a familiar face. A glance over to her left made her squint as a bright light struck her eyes. She blinked, puzzled, and looked away for a moment, and was stunned still. In a small opening in the crowd, not five meters away, the shimmering, elegant form of Princess Celestia stood, smiling at her surroundings. Comet felt as if she were about to faint. The alicorn’s pelt glowed in the sun, a gentle, snowy sheen. Comet nearly stumbled over her own hooves, but when she blinked again, Celestia had vanished, the spot where she had stood seamlessly occupied by three other ponies.

Comet became very aware that her mouth felt like sand and she tried to regain herself, only to be nearly bowled over by a quick rush of Sunwalkers excitedly pushing past her. She was steadied, dazed as she was, by a white pegasus with a blue tornado on her flank. Comet recognized her from the other day and muttered a hurried thanks.

“Sorry about that,” the pegasus replied with a laugh. “Did you hear about the dueling?”

“What?”

Comet was at a loss. The pegasus laughed again and tossed her short silver mane back and out of her eyes.

“Come on, it’s gonna be cool. Even you unicorns should get out and see some fun stuff sometime, right?” she insisted.

She nudged Comet with her head and, still quite baffled, the unicorn began to walk with her.

“I’m Twirlwind,” she said. “You’re Comet Strike, right? The bookworm?”

Comet stared back at her blankly and nodded, wondering how it seemed that all the Sunwalkers knew her. Did she really ask for the keys to the library so often?

Again, the white pony laughed and offered her a pale blue hoof in greetings. Comet was a bit surprised. The feathering on her hooves indicated a pony from the nomadic herds of the Frozen North, as did a light grey diamond shape on her forehead. Comet had a similar one, though white and rarely seen through her mane. There were a few other northern ponies in the tower, the Archmage included, though Comet hadn’t talked to many at all; most of them were Sunwalkers.

She bumped her hoof against Twirlwind’s; the pegasus smiled, her pale purple eyes lighting up, and then began to head through the crowd, beckoning for Comet to follow. She did so, if not a bit hesitantly. Following the other Sunwalkers that had passed through the cheering and stomping crowds, soon they came upon an arena that had been set up; filled with dirt and rimmed with a flimsy wooden fence. Two ponies were already battling inside. Both were covered head-to-hoof in steel armour, only the ears, lower jaws and tails left exposed as the two battled. One swung a large axe while the other nimbly dodged, wielding a sword along with a shield with the mark of the sun on his left forelimb. They struck at each other, though the pony with the shield was much faster; able to deflect the blows with excellent timing. Comet winced, but Twirlwind’s face lit up. She shoved some of the other ponies aside and thrust the two of them up to the fence, leaning over and looking totally enthralled.

“This is so awesome!” she said enthusiastically.

The axe-swinger’s weapon hit the other pony hard in the side; Comet cringed as he went down heavily. He was up again in a scrabbling of hooves; the ponies around cheered. It didn’t seem like anyone was routing for a particular side. Each hit and recovery got applause and shouts.

“Who are they?” Comet wondered.

“Who cares?” Twirlwind said as she clung to the fence with anticipation. “They can fight!”

A few more impacts sent the shield-pony reeling, but he always got back up again. It made Comet’s heart race with panic just to watch it, even knowing there wasn’t any real danger. Righting himself for the umpteenth time, he rammed his shield against the axe-pony and then struck with sword, much to the delight of the crowd. A few more hits, and spinning round to kick out with his back hooves, and suddenly the pony dropped his axe and was splayed, dazed, in the dirt. A cheering count-down from five bellowed across the area and, just like that, the match was over. Though the pony with the shield stood proudly, he dropped his sword down and quickly helped the other up before taking a bow to the crowd. Beside her, Twirlwind clapped her hooves on the fence and whistled loudly. Comet was a bit relieved that it was over, but her heart was still going too fast.

“Relax, Comet Strike, it’s just for fun,” the pegasus assured her with a laugh.

Comet nodded and cast a glance back into the arena, where she was surprised to see that the victor seemed to be looking right at her. He was trotting towards them before she could even contemplate why, until he was at the fence and jubilantly said, “Comet!”

Her jaw dropped, and as the pony raised two steel hooves, she reared and couldn’t help but crack a huge smile and take his hooves in hers.

“Runestone! That’s you in there?”

He nodded and before she could say another word, he had lifted her over the fence and hugged her tightly against his shoulder, laughing. She flopped slightly and patted his back.

“Did you see that?” he said. “I can’t believe I did it!”

He put her down and then quickly took off his helmet, shaking his disheveled mane quickly and blinking in the light.

“You?” Twirlwind gasped, and then, from across the fence, boosted herself up a little with her wings and called, “Everypony! The blankflank can really fight!” as she punched the air triumphantly with her hooves.

Cheering arose quickly, a rhythmic chorus of “Blankflank! Blankflank!” Runestone blushed a little and his ears drooped; he leaned over to Comet and said, “Didn’t think I’d ever hear them do that in a positive way.” Comet smiled sympathetically and Twirlwind, behind her, flitted over the fence and landed beside them.

“You two know each other?” she asked.

“Yeah,” the unicorn replied with a nod. “We were the ones who got attacked yesterday.”

“No kidding!?” the pegasus said, eyes wide. “No wonder. I was wondering what those marks on your neck were. I didn’t want to ask.”

Comet shrugged and then turned to Runestone curiously.

“How did... I mean, how did this-?”

“Ah, got roped into it,” he said, shrugging. “A bunch of the younger stallions were kind of pressured into it. I wasn’t top tier, but-”

“How many rounds?” Twirlwind asked impatiently.

“Oh. Six,” he replied.

The pegasus seemed pleased and she bumped his shoulder with a hoof.

“Didn’t realize you were so good at fighting, blankflank,” she said brightly.

“Runestone,” Comet corrected.

“Eh?” the pegasus asked quickly, confused for a moment before she blushed and said, “Yes. Right. Sorry.”

Runestone shrugged but smiled at Comet, his ears perking up cheerfully. They headed out of the arena as another pair of armoured ponies began to enter.

They followed Runestone to an area with weapon and armour racks, where the stallion plopped down on his rump and began to unfasten himself.

“Just, uh... Give me a moment,” he said hurriedly; Twirlwind pawed at one of the plates, trying to help.

Comet rolled her eyes and engulfed him in a cloud of magic, undoing all the fastenings at once. He sat, looking startled, as the plating all clinked to the ground.

“Well, that’s... why didn’t I think of that?” he asked, rubbing his forehead.

Comet shrugged and Twirlwind snickered. The two Sunwalkers gathered the armour and weapons and placed them back on a rack, but as the pegasus looked rather satisfied, Runestone looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

“So what did you want from Comet?”

“What?” Comet asked blankly.

Twirlwind tried to conceal an embarrassed grin.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Oh, come on,” Runestone said. “Have you ever even talked to her before?”

Shyly, under her breath, Twirlwind admitted she hadn’t really, and Runestone looked at her with a bit of a frown on his face.

“I’ve known you for four years, and you’ve never said a word to me without asking for a favour,” he said, tapping a hoof against the ground.

“Well, it’s just...!” the pegasus protested, and then sighed and turned to Comet with her ears drooping. “I’m sorry. You seemed pretty nice and I kind of wanted to talk to a unicorn because I don’t really know any, but... I didn’t want to be called out by the others. And I was... I was scared, of tonight, because I’m in a group that’s going after Nightspawn.”

She sighed again and Comet felt a pang of sympathy despite the sense of being used she had started to feel.

“I knew it was you that was out there yesterday, and I thought you might be able to... I dunno, give me some tips?”

She looked at Comet with a pleading expression that didn’t sit well on her normally grinning face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to use you, it’s just...”

“It’s okay,” Comet said despite the knot in her stomach. “I think we’re all kind of scared.”

She smiled a little despite herself and bopped the pegasus’s shoulder.

“You could have just asked.”

“I’m sorry,” she said again, a grin reappearing on her face. “I just thought it would be rude without talking to you first.”

Comet shrugged and shook her head; Runestone’s expression softened and he turned to Comet curiously.

“Do you? Know anything, I mean? Anything else?”

“They’re poisonous, and hard to get rid of,” Comet replied. “Also, you’re going out tonight?”

Twirlwind nodded and Comet’s ears drooped.

“That’s a really bad idea. I just know they can’t come out in direct sunlight, but that doesn’t really help, huh?”

She could see the pegasus get a little more nervous, despite her quick attempts to conceal it.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any magic that could help us out there, would ya?” she asked, forcing a grin.

Comet’s ears drooped; not a single spell came to mind. She bit her lip and wracked her brain, and then shrugged.

“Not sure,” she admitted. “I’ll ask around.”

“Thanks,” Twirlwind said, letting out a deep, relieved breath. “Wanna get some lunch?”

She looked between Comet and Runestone, and though Comet didn’t answer, her stomach quickly did.

---

The three ponies spent much of the rest of the day together, though the tension was growing palpable. Though Twirlwind overcompensated with loud laughter and large grins, she seemed absolutely terrified of what was to come. Runestone was more subtly nervous. He appeared normal other than an almost constantly thumping rear leg. Comet slipped away a little before sunset, hoping that she could find somepony to lend some aid. She wasn’t sure what to ask for, but she knew that Pinklily would probably have some ideas.

She found the pink unicorn sitting, tired, but seeming content in her workroom, sipping on a glass of iced tea and spinning a crystal on the table with her hoof.

“Hey,” Comet greeted.

Pinklily looked over her shoulder to see Comet more clearly and grinned.

“Things went really well today. I got out over two dozen totems.”

“That’s great,” the blue unicorn replied with a smile. “I actually have a question.”

“Oh,” Pinklily swiveled in her seat. “For the Sunwalkers.”

Comet was taken aback and it clearly showed. Her friend giggled at her and said, “Just heard a few ponies talking about it. I’m surprised to see you, of all ponies, getting chummy with them. Not that it’s a big deal or anything.”

“Right,” Comet said a bit shyly. “They were just looking for something to help against the Nightspawn tonight. I was hoping you might have some ideas.”

“I don’t know that much about them,” she admitted. “You know way more than I do. What don’t they like?”

“The sun,” Comet said with a shrug.

Pinklily tilted her ears back and forth and “Hmmed” to herself for a moment. She spun back to her table and pulled out one of the drawers. Comet tried to peer over her shoulder, though she only rifled through the table’s contents for a moment before she produced three small, smooth, yellow gemstones.

“These are shield stones,” she explained. “There are bigger, stronger ones holding up the barrier around the city. I think I might be able to get some of these to hold onto some sunlight. Get my drift?”

“So...” Comet’s ears perked and her eyes lit up. “So you can make a sun shield!”

“Theoretically,” Pinklily agreed with a smile.

“Great!” Comet reared onto her back legs excitedly. “Great! Yeah. That’s good news! Can you-?”

“I’ll get started right away,” Pinklily assured her with a gentle smile.

Comet grinned widely and rushed over to squish her friend into a tight hug. The pink pony laughed and patted her back.

“I better hurry, then, sun’s going down,” she said.

Comet nodded quickly and pulled back.

“Thanks!” she said in a hurry, and then darted out of the room, only to run straight into the feathered chest of Graham.

“Oh, sorry!” Comet said, righting herself quickly.

“Not a problem, my dear,” the griffon said; he took her shoulder and steadied her gently. “I was looking for you, actually.”

“Me?” Comet replied, her eyes widening. “Why?”

“I am still rather concerned about your wound,” he explained. “I’ve seen Nightspawn bites before and, most often, they get badly infected if one is not a Warden.”

“Oh,” the unicorn said, gulping deeply, “um... but I feel fine, that means I’ll be okay, right?”

“I believe so,” Graham replied, “but please tell me if you begin to feel at all ill.”

“I will,” Comet assured him quickly.

He seemed satisfied, but continued to look at her with an expression of both confusion and concern. Comet wasn’t sure what to say to him. After a moment, he cleared his throat.

“Perhaps we could speak privately? Do you know of a place?” he asked.

His feathered brow was creased and he looked quite worried as his crest flattened back against his head.

“Oh, um... Sure. I know a spot,” Comet said.

Despite her puzzlement, Comet nodded and gestured for him to follow.

As she lead him around the floor and up the stairs to the observatory, she wondered what the griffon could possibly want to speak to her about. Upon arriving, Graham looked around curiously, his eyes a little sad as they laid upon the slowly setting sun.

“Is everything okay?” Comet asked cautiously.

The griffon clacked his beak twice and then turned to look back at her with gentle eyes.

“I’ll be frank,” he said quickly, “I want to know all that you know about the Nightspawn. And how you know it.”

Comet’s heart sunk and she recoiled a little, unsure of how to answer. She scrambled for words, mumbling out an incoherent sentence about a book somewhere; how she couldn’t remember.

“Comet Strike, I will not get you in trouble,” he assured her. “This is very important. Please. What do you know?”

The unicorn bit her lip, though her heart was racing. She gulped and, after considering for a moment, said, “Wait here,” and galloped off.

She returned within the minute with her saddlebag, and quickly presented him with the history book with the golden unicorn head on the cover. The griffon’s eyes lit up and, cautiously, he took it from her and flipped it open. He skimmed the pages carefully; quickly, a frown creasing his feathers.

“What is this ink?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, it was like that when I found it,” Comet replied a bit shyly. “Looks like somepony got to the book before I did.”

“Someone quite long ago, it seems,” Graham added as he passed a claw over one of the splotches of ink.

He sighed deeply, and Comet edged up shyly and turned a couple pages to show the first page about the history of the Wardens.

“This is where I read about you guys for the first time,” she said, “and about the Nightspawn, too.”

Graham nodded, but he frowned deeply and flipped through a couple more pages.

“Your thirst for knowledge is refreshing,” he assessed thoughtfully. “You would make an excellent Warden, though unfortunately, I have been asked to refrain from taking a unicorn with me. Where did you get this?”

He looked up and ruffled his wings. Comet hesitated, unsure of what to say, but chose the truth rather quickly.

“A weird room under the library,” she replied. “It looked like it might have been part of whatever was here before the tower was built.”

Graham’s face didn’t show much, but he ruffled his wings again and clacked his beak. Comet inclined her head and pawed at the air to draw his attention.

“You can borrow it, if you’d like,” she volunteered.

The griffon turned, surprised, to her, and then smiled, bowing his head gratefully.

“I will keep it safe for you.”

Comet grinned and her tail wagged despite herself.

“Good, because I got the feeling from Stonehoof that I wasn’t supposed to know anything about this,” she said.

“You are probably correct,” the griffon said. “I have noticed, throughout Equestria, much history is suppressed.”

“So... you know about that?!” Comet demanded; she felt a sudden rush of excitement. “I was starting to suspect, but... Do you know why? Do you know more?”

“I have my suspicions as to why,” he admitted. “As to more, yes. I do know more. Now is not the time, however.”

He gestured to the setting sun with a wing and Comet turned her eyes to the orb of light dipping beyond the darkening horizon. She felt a sudden knot in her stomach, though noticed movement below. Comet hurried to the window before Graham could continue any sort of thought; the unicorn’s mind shot elsewhere. She could see, far below, the pale green form of MintTea, accompanied by a few armoured Sunwalkers, racing out of the tower and towards the bridge. Comet’s breath caught in her throat and she threw her gaze to the edge of the barrier. When she spotted two ponies hauling a third across the barrier, a shifting shadow nipping at their hooves, she didn’t need to see anything more. She whipped around, only to find Graham peering grimly over her.

“I have to go,” he said suddenly. “Excuse me, Comet Strike.”

Comet’s eyes went wide, though before she could ask, the griffon had run off, the sound of his wings beating resounding against the stone. The unicorn bit her lip and couldn’t help but shuffle on her hooves uncomfortably. She felt the dread returning to her heart; she took a deep breath and rushed down the stairs after him.

A loud rabble of voices met her as she emerged near the dormitory, pushing the door open amongst a crowd of very upset unicorns. Frowning, Comet peered through the herd of students. Unicorns from Comet’s age, all the way down to foals, were jammed into the hallway between the stairs and the dormitory. She spotted Arrowburst, clinging together with Brightspot and a few other foals near the wall, and made a beeline for them, asking, “Are you ponies okay?”

“Comet,” Arrowburst said quickly, whirling to face her. “The Sunwalkers herded everypony in here and they won’t tell us what’s going on.”

“This is really freaking me out,” a little grey colt with them said nervously.

Brightspot nodded quickly and pressed her shoulder to Arrowburst’s.

“Can you do anything?” Arrowburst asked.

“I’m not sure,” Comet admitted. “I’ll go see what’s going on.”

She left the foals a little reluctantly and followed the wall, sneaking her way through the other unicorns until she reached a large, angry group lead by, to her surprise, Glimmer Pearl, and also spotted Graham wading through the herd to the front.

“You can’t hold us in like this!” Comet heard her shout; she seemed very angry. “We have a right to know what’s going on!”

A chorus of voices agreed with her and Comet bit her lip again and tried to slide her way in between the other ponies. She heard a male voice she didn’t recognize shout for the unicorns to settle only to quickly be booed. Comet grimaced and put her head down as she made her way through the crowd until she was up behind the griffon. She could hear him gently convincing the Sunwalkers to back down a little, but most of the words were swept away by dozens of other, louder voices.

There was something wrong going on with the Sunwalkers downstairs: she couldn’t think of any other reason for them to be acting like this. Her mind shot to Runestone and she felt sick to her stomach. Her eyes roamed around the front of the crowd, prying for a way to get past the guards, but she couldn’t see past the massive, feathery form of Graham. She cursed under her breath, though after only a moment, she clued into an idea she found to be quite clever. She hunkered down and slid around behind the huge griffon; he was too distracted to notice her, even when he turned to pass the guard at the stairs. No one else seemed to notice either, but Comet stayed low and light on her hooves, and while she could see no eyes on her, she rushed down the stairs.

Comet’s heart was racing and she took a deep breath in attempts to steady herself. She didn’t descend all the way and lurked just a little above the ground, though no one was on that level anymore, and she continued in a rush down to the main floor.

---

A meeting was in progress on the floor, with armoured Sunwalkers crowded up close to the huge double doors to the tower. The numbers overwhelmed Comet, and she couldn’t help but feel as if she had trotted unwittingly into a manticore’s den. She gulped quietly and kept her head down a little, only chancing a peak into the herd. Sun-Commander Stonehoof stood tall and grave right in front of the doors, framed by two other Sunwalkers, much older than the regular recruits and guards from around the tower. Comet only recognized one, a large, yellow mare with a carrot coloured mane and tail: Sun-General Peachbloom. The other was a rather imposing looking pegasus stallion, light purple from what she could see through his armour, with very intense grey eyes. The Sun-Commander was mid-sentence, describing another Nightspawn attack.

“This is an affront to Canterlot itself,” he said, loud and confident.“We were not ready before; we are now.”

Before him, Sunwalkers cheered. Comet slunk backwards a little, only to feel something behind her. Her blood turned to ice and she looked out of the corner of her eye to see what she had hit. All she could see was dark, and with a gulp, she turned her head, only to have Graham’s intense golden eyes meet her. Her ears drooped and she wanted to melt into the floor, but he swiftly looked away from her and straight ahead, simply stepping over her as he proceeded to the front of the room.

Comet had to stop herself from laughing with relief and watched as Stonehoof nodded at the griffon.

“Thanks to Graham, Commander of the Wardens of Harmony, we now have enough knowledge to fight the Nightspawn,” the stallion announced as Graham took his place beside him. “Tonight, we will bring the fight to them! They will regret ever attacking the Sunwalkers of Canterlot!”

Cheers again echoed around the hall.

“Now,” Peachbloom called out loudly, her brow fixed in a frown; pink eyes glaring across the crowd, “all ponies not on guard duty will be expected to report outside within the next ten minutes, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“All pegasi past 5 years on duty will report to Sun-General Storm Feathers,” she continued, pointing to the armoured pegasus, who dipped his head respectfully.

Comet felt her heart sink and she knew Runestone felt the same way she did. She strained to see him in the crowd, but quickly, Graham drew her attention as he approached the Sun-Commander.

“I can not emphasize caution any more strongly,” he said, “and I’m afraid I must accompany you.”

“Absolutely not,” Stonehoof said quickly, shaking his head. “We cannot risk you in this raid.”

Graham’s crest raised and he looked vaguely disapproving. He leaned close to speak to the stallion and Comet trained her ears towards them anxiously to try to listen in. She could hear something along the lines of only Wardens being capable of defeating Nightspawn. Stonehoof simply told him not to worry before turning back to the crowd of Sunwalkers.

“Moving out in ten minutes. Stay light on your hooves and keep your wits about you. Celestia grant us glory!”

The Sunwalkers stomped their hooves until the hall seemed to shake.

“Celestia protect us all!”

The ponies cheered gruffly and quickly dispersed, most of them heading towards the main doors. Comet bit her lip and reared back, searching for Runestone. She spotted his light mane through his helmet and beelined through the crowd towards him. He looked baffled and scared, and didn’t notice her until she shouted to him. He looked at her, startled, and then trotted through the crowd that was primarily going the other way.

“Comet Strike, you...? What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Just wanted to tell you that Pinklily is working on a sun shield crystal for you. I’ll get it to you,” she said quickly. “And... be careful. Remember, the Nightspawn, their... goop? Or whatever? That stuff is poison, so... just watch it, okay?”

Runestone seemed taken aback but he nodded quickly. Comet forced a smile and she held a hoof out to him. He quickly bumped it with his own armour-shod one and smiled at her, his eyes brightening.

“Don’t worry. I think we’re just going to chase them back to the mountain. Give ‘em a good run. We blew up a bunch of them,” he said, sounding as if he were trying to reassure himself as much as he was her. “There can’t be that many of them left around here.”

“I hope you’re right,” she said, and then hesitantly added. “See you tomorrow?”

“Bet on it,” he replied.

“Unicorn!”

Comet winced and turned to the female voice, unwittingly pressing closer to Runestone as she saw Sun-General Peachbloom looming over her.

“What are you doing here? You were ordered to stay upstairs,” the pony said, glaring.

Comet’s ears drooped and she rushed for an excuse.

“I.. uh.. I’m sorry, I got caught in the herd and I thought it would be rude to make a scene and leave, and-”

“Don’t lie to me!” the mare snapped.

Comet was left with her mouth agape, but before she could even process what to do next, Twirlwind pushed through and saluted Peachbloom.

“Ma’am, it’s true. I saw her before.” She turned to a blue stallion beside her. “Hey, didn’t you notice that unicorn stuck in the group?” T

The stallion turned to look at Comet, confused, and tilted his head.

“Yeah, I think I might have,” he agreed.

“She was beside me the whole time,” Runestone added. “I told her not to interrupt.”

Comet felt her knees go weak, and Peachbloom rolled her eyes and snorted.

“Get out of here, filly,” she grunted, irritated, before turning and stomping away.

The unicorn sighed and slumped back, falling onto her rump and muttering a shaking, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Twirlwind assured her, thumping her on the back. “Got anything for us?”

“In progress,” Comet said, shyly getting to her hooves again. “I can get it to you before you leave.”

“Awesome,” the pegasus said brightly, though her gaze was quickly caught by the huge double doors at the front opening. “Guess I better go. You coming, blankfl... Runestone?”

She grinned shyly and beckoned him forward. He nodded, but before he followed her, he turned back to Comet.

“Thanks for coming here,” he said.

He booped her on the forehead with his snout before turning to follow the rest of the herd. Comet’s cheeks flushed and she froze, watching him leave into the orange, sunset glow.

The hall was quiet now, with just a few stragglers heading out. Comet sighed deeply, hoping that Pinklily’s enchantments were almost done, and then turned her attention to Graham. He was still near the doors, but he seemed rather dejected now. He watched the Sunwalkers leave with an incredibly concerned expression, and when the doors finally creaked shut, he sighed and sat back on his haunches, lowering his head to rub a talon tiredly through his feathers. Comet was fairly certain she understood. Cautiously, her ears back, she edged up to him.

“Graham?” Comet asked hesitantly.

He lifted his head and his golden eyes fixed on her intently; she paused without thinking until he gave her a tired smile.

“What... What do you mean about... only Wardens being able to defeat the Nightspawn?” she asked hesitantly. “That is what you said to Stonehoof, right?”

She felt chilled to the bone; sick to her stomach, and the griffon cast a forlorn glance at the sunset-stained windows.

“The Wardens are in possession of the Elements of Harmony that were wielded by the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, three hundred years ago,” he said, “Many believe that what makes the Wardens ‘special’ is all about fighting prowess. In reality, that is only a part of our success. Though we haven’t found the creature able to wield all six of the Elements yet, the Wardens have a certain magic in our blood that comes from the Elements. With this, we can absorb the dark energy of the Nightspawn and render it useless.”

“Meaning they can’t use it to rebuild themselves,” Comet concluded quietly.

Graham nodded.

“Exactly.”

Comet grimaced and couldn’t help but shift nervously on the tips of her hooves and the griffon, gently, patted her on the head.

“Don’t worry, Comet Strike,” he said. “I will be following them tonight, if I can.”

Comet nodded, relieved. Of course, Wardens weren’t obligated to follow anyone’s orders, were they?

“As long as they don’t go underground, everything will be fine,” Graham continued, nodding to himself.

Comet felt a sort of sinking feeling in her gut.

“Why did you have to say that?” she muttered, and when he looked at her with a puzzled frown, she replied, “Now I won’t be able to stop thinking that that’s exactly what they’ll do.”

“I am sorry,” the griffon replied, smiling sympathetically.

The unicorn sighed, and shook her head quickly.

“I gotta go,” she said. “Good luck tonight.”

“Thank you.”

He smiled at her once more and her ears perked up a little before she headed off quickly, trying to quell her nerves as she ran upstairs to find Pinklily.

Though she peeked into the workroom just in case, Comet suspected she’d find her pink friend upstairs with the other unicorns. Comet didn’t have time to worry about the guard; despite the tired Sunwalker at the top of the stairs to the dormitory, the blue unicorn rushed through, calling back a hurried apology as she shouldered by the baffled pony.

Though the crowd had calmed a little, they had not entirely dispersed, and Comet found a rather agitated Glimmer Pearl first, leaning back against the wall, her forelimbs folded across her chest and her face fixed in a pout.

“Hey,” Comet said quickly, “can you come with me?”

“Comet?” Glimmer asked, her brow furrowing as she plopped back down onto all fours. “What...? Yeah, sure.”

The blue unicorn nodded her thanks and hurried through the hall, glancing around for Pinklily as Glimmer watched her with confusion. They found the pink mare farther down the hall. She was standing precariously on a bench near a window that, to Comet’s surprise, she had obviously forced open.

“Pinks, did it work?” Comet called.

Pinklily whirled on her, wide-eyed, and quickly and worriedly demanded, “Where have you been?!”

Comet blushed unwittingly and her ears drooped low as she grinned shyly.

“Sorry... I wanted to see what the Sunwalkers were doing.”

Pinklily let out an exasperated sigh and jumped off the bench to conk Comet several times in the head with her hoof.

“Ow,” the blue unicorn grumbled; Pinklily looked at her in dismay.

“You’re crazy! You’re just crazy,” she said a bit shrilly. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in?”

“Yeah, but I had a few ponies to cover for me, it was okay,” Comet said a bit timidly.

She couldn’t bring her eyes to leave the ground.

“Oh, go easy on her, Pinksy, she’s just trying to figure out what’s going on around here,” Glimmer said; much to Comet’s relief.

Pinklily seemed to relax at her words and nodded, and the ivory unicorn turned back to her with wide eyes.

“How did you get past the Sunwalker at all, though?” Glimmer demanded.

“Snuck behind Graham.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you aren’t crazy,” Pinklily put in, but this time shot Comet a joking smile.

The blue unicorn perked up immediately, but then pointed to the window.

“Did the enchantments work?”

“I think so,” her friend replied.

She hopped back onto the bench and then used her magic to pull down the two smooth crystals and shut the window and passed them to Comet. She looked at them, watched with awe as she saw a sort of light gleaming from within what had previously been rather unassuming looking stones.

“Thank you so much,” she said, and then turned to Glimmer, saying, “We have to hurry.”

Though she looked a bit puzzled, the mare nodded and Comet hurried off back towards the stairs with both Glimmer and Pinklily in tow.

The guard seemed to have taken a break, so they faced no problems as Comet lead them down and to the semi-secret door to the balcony the Archmage had shown her a little while ago. When they reached it, they could see the Sunwalkers were already, slowly, starting to move out. Comet’s heart sunk and she peered out over the crowd, trying to fine Runestone or Twirlwind. She found the stallion first, and then noticed Twirlwind beside him and grabbed Glimmer, pointing at them.

“See those two? The tall stallion and the pegasus with the silver mane? Those two. I need you to send the stones to them.”

“Them? Okay,” Glimmer said, and then tilted her head as she took them from Comet’s magic and into her own, twirling them in a turquoise glow, “Why me?”

“I can’t send them that far with any sort of accuracy,” the unicorn replied a bit shyly, “and telekinesis is your special talent.”

Glimmer shrugged and smiled to herself, puffing out her chest; Pinklily shook her head and looked as if she were trying not to laugh. The taller unicorn’s magic flashed brightly and the two enchanted stones were off, shooting downwards until they hovered before the intended targets. Comet could see the pegasus take the stone; Runestone did as well, but not before looking around curiously. Comet smiled a bit to herself, and then gestured for the others to go back inside.

“We should go, not supposed to be out here and all that,” Comet said, winking at Pinklily.

“You hypocrite,” the mare joked.

The three trotted back inside, and Comet turned to close the door behind them. The sight of the sun dipping below the horizon made her sick to her stomach, though she said nothing about it to the others. She felt helpless, and frustrated as well. The night would be yet another strained and sleepless one.