In a time when Equestria was a darker place. A place filled with danger, terrors and... opportunity. A time when heroes rose and conquered the hearts of millions. And for a group of adventurers to at least try.
In a time when Equestria was a darker place. A place filled with danger, terrors and... opportunity. A time when heroes rose and conquered the hearts of millions, remembered for an eternity.
And for a group of adventurers, thrown together by the whims of fate, to at least try.
The storyteller's gaze slowly passed over his audience – for a moment he closed his eyes, his horn alight with an eerie green glow that soon covered the book in front of him. Pages turned for a moment and he opened his eyes again as the room began to darken. Curtains drawing themselves over windows until only the green light of the storyteller’s magic and the glow of a couple of candles illuminated the room.
"Well, my little ponies. Let me tell you a story…"
"… a story about a group of ponies that stumbled into an adventure."
"Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria…"
"A time when the world was wilder than it is now…"
"There was a forest, a lonesome road winding its way in between the trees, far away from any bigger town or city…"
"... but wait, first let me tell you of Willow..."
Dreaming Willow
All her life Willow had lived in the forest.
At first there had been only her and her mother and while she grew up Willow learned everything her mother knew. How to live in the forest. Which plants were poisonous and which healed, or both. How to plant and grow almost everything she needed herself. How to trade for those things she couldn't make herself. This and many, many more things. She learned how to cook and to brew, potion and poison alike. And she learned to make the earth and the forest to do her bidding.
Then came the night she received her Mark – the night the dreams started.
The night the branches of the old oak outside of their small hut were covered by ravens, all of them staring silently at the hut.
And then her mother had left – leaving her only with her teacher, her master, whose voice only she could hear.
She and the ravens.
Four ponies running on three roads leading through one forest all while being plagued by one storm.
Willow woke with a start while the images of the dream still lingered in her mind. Slowly the young pale green mare rose from her bed and looked outside; the first rays of sunlight just began to crawl over the horizon. Yawning and stretching, banishing the sleep from her limbs, she then turned to a small mirror and frowned as she saw the mess her mane had become during her sleep.
In the mornings, being a stupid hornhead would be easier.
After a sheer endless time unknotting and straightening the dark green, almost black, hair of her mane and tail, both streaked with a single strand of white, she turned to the rest of the room, or rather the hut she lived in. Her hoof wandered to her hornless forehead.
Next to the small cot, directly underneath one of only two windows, was an old vanity table with the even older copper mirror, brush and a bowl with water. The other side of the room was something like a kitchen – a row of several tables, cupboards and cabinets spanned the length of the wall, nets and pots with herbs hanging from the ceiling. Then a hearth, almost too big for the tiny hut, and a small table with two cushions to sit on. The last wall only held the door and the second window, looking out to a well kept herb and vegetable garden, and the forest that surrounded the clearing she lived in; an old, almost ancient looking oak tree dominated the middle of the clearing, and the view out of the window.
Breakfast first, then she would have to interpret that dream.
With another sigh she trotted into her kitchen.
Willow sat outside, in front of the old oak and stared at a water filled bowl formed by the oak’s roots. Her ears folded back, as she slowly began to shake her head. Growing ever more frantic by the second.
He couldn't be serious.
Her head shot up, glaring at the ancient tree, its gnarled branches and rustling leaves, as if there was someone who spoke to her.
She'd never left the forest... Well she'd been in the nearby village but that wasn't the same, was it?
She sighed and her head dropped again, glancing back at the natural wooden bowl filled with water.
How should she, Willow, a single Earth-Pony find this group of... of... misfits and lead them where they were supposed to be? She was no leader, she wasn't even social. She lived alone in a forest, only travelling to a nearby village to trade some of her herbs and vegetables for wheat. She didn't even know where to look.
She had once tried to escape her dreams, to change what they foretold. It had not worked.
She had been chased by Timberwolves, unconsciously fleeing in the direction her dreams wanted her to be. Timberwolves which were supposed to only live deep in the Everfree Forest – not on the Edge like she did – and that hadn't even been the worst of it. Turns out if you ignore a prophecy to meet a dragon, said dragon would – coincidentally – develop a tummy ache, and begin to look for a healing herb, a healing herb that – coincidentally – only grew in Willow's garden. Stupid dreams.
Resigning herself to her destiny once again, Willow dragged herself back into her hut and began packing. Stupid destiny.
Since when were willows supposed to be prophetic? She glanced back at the tree, her namesake, adorning her flank.Stupid Mark.
As she left her hut, she hoped that it would still be there when she returned... if she returned. Slowly the pale green Earth-Pony mare left her hut, her garden, the clearing and wandered into the forest.
Giving a last glare to the oak tree she mumbled: "I hate you master."
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land.
To do this, the eldest used her powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.
One fateful day, the younger sister refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.
Thus the land was shrouded in The Long Night and war broke out between the two sisters. Reluctantly, yet fearing for her subjects, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponykind:
The Elements of Harmony swirled around her, five glowing gems of different colors and the sixth atop her golden crown. The power in the air was almost palpable.
Clad in golden armor, Celestia looked across the ruined remains of the courtyard she stood in. On the other side, wearing an armor of silver and blue, stood the dark form of her sister Luna, Nightmare Moon.
“Oh I swear once I am finished with you dear sister I will hunt these traitors that brought you my Elements,” the dark Alicorn glared at her sister’s white form and the rainbow colored lights surrounding her and sneered: “As if you could use them on your own. You should feel it too, dear sister. This is not the same power they granted us, when we fought Discord. It is laughable.”
Celestia did not answer. It was obvious. The true might of the Elements could not be harnessed alone, without friendship in their bearers’ hearts and she could only guess what would happen if she tried to use them against Luna. She could feel it, they would not work. Not while she was alone, fighting her only true friend.
Then her eyes fell onto the moon, standing proud behind its mistress.
Tears left her eyes, slowly running down her cheeks before she closed her eyes and called onto the power of the Elements, feeding it into her own spell.
As she opened them again, a heartbeat later, they glowed a blending white, full of power.
“Goodbye Luna.”
Then the Elements began to glow brighter and brighter as well, swirling faster and faster around the white Alicorn. Nightmare Moon laughed and charged her horn with a bluish aura.
“You are a fool sister.”
Then the two unleashed their attacks. Two rays met in the middle of the ruined courtyard, one a dark blue, the other blending white and six smaller rays, the colors of the rainbow, spiralling around it.
For a moment the two powers clashed, fighting against each other, fighting to overwhelm and swallow the other.
Then the world went white.
From one of the towers a lone soldier had watched this final exchange between the two Alicorn sisters and as the light slowly ebbed down he blinked, trying to regain his vision.
Down there in the courtyard the sun princess stood. Broken.
Victorious but defeated.
Around her lay five big orbs of stone, each one bearing the cut out form of a gem. Her crown together with the sixth had completely vanished. The Elements of Harmony had turned into stone, unusable now that they had to use their power against one of their bearers. Neither sister would ever wield the forces of Harmony again.
On the other side of the courtyard, where Nightmare Moon had stood, only a darkened circle, where the spell had hit, remained.
In a moment he had run down the tower and approached the princess, still standing there. His eyes followed her gaze and fell on the moon, which, after several days in its zenith, was now slowly sinking towards the horizon.
Dark markings began to form on its surface, looking like the head of pony with a long, slender horn. The head of a regal Unicorn, or rather the head of an Alicorn, a dark princess, the head of Nightmare Moon.
Golden light flickered around Celestia’s horn and on the opposite horizon the sun rose, bringing an end to the Long Night. It’s rays glinting on the soldier’s golden armor.
“Your Majesty…”
“Blueblood? You are here… What of my sister’s followers?”
“Most have either laid down their weapons or had already defected to us… the only ones still loyal are the thestrals.”
“I see… Please Blueblood, would you see that they are taken care of?”
“Of course your Majesty,” he bowed and began to turn away.
“Oh, and Blueblood. Don’t be mistaken, all of them, defectors or not, are still loyal to my sister, Luna, just not to Nightmare Moon.”
“I understand your Highness… I will see that we catch the remaining followers of Nightmare Moon.”
“Yes, please do Blueblood,” she nodded slowly and then closed her eyes, sinking – almost falling to the ground.
While he left, Blueblood could swear he heard the sound of bitter sobbing, but he dared not to turn around again. His goddess had given him a command and he had to see to it. He needed to be strong for her when she could not. Even if he had to turn his own heart into stone.
Several months later
A tall Unicorn stallion slowly scaled the stairs leading up to the balconies overviewing one of the assembly halls underneath the Canterlot Royal Palace, his coat was white like freshly fallen snow and his mane and tail had greyed with age. Down there in the hall, standing in rank and file, waited the soldiers he had personally chosen, all of them stallions. Chosen because they were the most loyal. Both to the Princess and to him. Because they were the best of the best, willing to do what had to be done.
For a moment his gaze simply wandered over them; they all had already donned their gleaming golden armor – once reserved for the Sun’s Honor Guard, but this fit his intentions more than well.
Archduke Blueblood coughed slightly and ignited his tall and proud horn, a light blue sheen forming over his throat and mouth. “Soldiers,” one word of his magically enhanced voice and they all stood at attention, “you are here today, because even years after our glorious ruler the Princess defeated the tyrant Nightmare Moon. Her servants and followers, the thestrals, forever branded as her minions, still hide in the shadows. They still plot and scheme to overthrow the Princess and free their dark queen to bring forth nighttime eternal,” he paused a moment, observing the reactions of the troops assembled in the hall. All of them stood still and at attention, but most of them slightly scowled or growled, ears and wings twitched ever so slightly and tails swished agitated and some even angrily pawed the ground. “We have hunted them since their mistress’ defeat but they have become ever more wary of our eyes and our vigil. This, however, are only some of the Nightmare’s minions. Even more cunning are those that hide in our benevolent ruler’s protection, those that never openly sided with the darkness or worse those that apparently surrendered to us. Those we cannot distinguish from our neighbors. Be they friend or foe?”
“Until their daggers sink into our necks.”
“We are surrounded by enemies. Enemies that hide in the shadows, enemies that hide in our own light. This has to end. Do you agree?” A wall of a single sound was his answer, as the soldiers gave the expected response. He smiled contentedly.
“With this and the power granted to me by her royal majesty, ruler of the sun and the moon, of Equestria and of all ponykind, the Princess, I declare myself as Equestria’s first Grand Inquisitor. You shall be my and my Inquisitors’ strong hoof of justice. My shining light in the fight against the dark. Not a beacon but a beam to dispel the shadow. The Order of the Blade of the Sun and her Solar Majesty, my Solar Blades.”
Again the response was deafening, all of them shouting and stomping their hooves.
“You will be one in body and soul, unified against our enemies, unified to protect Equestria and the Princess. You will be the Inquisitions executioners, showing one face, so as to instill the fear the darkness tries to sow into our hearts into theirs.” At first,even his magically amplified voice was barely loud enough to overpower the stallions’ cheering; they, however, quickly quieted down again as they heard his voice.
“A face they should remember well. Now, Solars, press the gems on your peytrals.”
Faintly smiling, he watched as they all obeyed his command, lifting their hooves up and pressing against the blue stars that were embedded there. The magic worked fast, in a wave motion all of their coats paled to white and their tails and manes turned vermillion. Even their features shifted, until they all looked the same. One face indeed. Of course they were still clearly showing their tribe’s features, wings, horn or lack of both, but otherwise they were almost indistinguishable, only their eyes remained their natural color.
“One face, one soul, one purpose.”
As they responded loud enough to be heard in the upper levels of the palace he left, signaling a group of ponies in vermillion robes, his inquisitors to take the stage. The Blades would be his hoof but the inquisitors were his eyes – an extension of his will.
Slowly Celestia turned from the tall window in her private study. Turned from the leaving Solar Blades, a flood of white, gold and flaming red pouring out of the palace’s gates. Turned to the stallion that bowed deeply in front of her. Like his “inquisitors” he had donned red robes. A gold trim the only difference, marking him as their leader. His old golden armor glinted underneath the cloth, bringing a small smile back to her muzzle.
“Rise, Blueblood,” she spoke, her voice as melodious as he remembered. She watched him as he rose. He had aged in the years since her sister’s banishment, his mane no longer golden blond, but she had not called him to reminisce.
“Did you know that they used a similar method in the Crystal Empire, to make their soldiers appear to be the same color, even giving those not of Crystal origin the same look?”
“Yes, your Majesty. I read about it years ago and had the spell recreated and modified. Is… is there a problem with this?”
She sighed slowly and shook her head, the aurora of colors that was her mane wafting in an unfelt breeze. “No, no problem Blueblood. So I guess their appearance is not chosen randomly as well.”
“It is not, Princess.”
“Most ponies have forgotten these tales, or at least forgotten that they were once history. Before they became bedtime stories. Told to let little foals’ fall asleep easier and to inspire their dreams.” Celestia sighed again and turned back to the window, where she could still see the Sunblades march.
“The face of Fate Lance, the Hero of Canterlot… and a distant relative of you.”
A small smile spread across his muzzle and he nodded. “Yes, I am aware, your Majesty. The great grandson of Princess Platinum, though he was not of the Blueblood line, he is held in very high regard in our family. A true paragon of ponykind.”
“As I understand, the popularity of his tale has turned him into somewhat of the ideal Canterlot Unicorn. The white coat of Princess Platinum’s descendants and his blue mane... it is now seen as a sign of superior talent and will, generosity and courage.” She shook her head again, though Blueblood could swear he heard the tiniest tinkle of laughter with the motion. “Neither his nor Platinum’s coat were really this pure white and your… what did you say their name was, Sunblades? Their tails and the crest on their helmets is the same red as your robes, not blue.”
“Ahh, yes. I thought it would serve you better, your Majesty, if their coloration would be closer associated with your sun.”
“I see.” For a moment, she looked back to him, regarding him with a curious look, before she spoke again: “I just hope you know what you are doing, Blueblood. That this is the right course of action. Maybe I really should take up court again.”
“Have no fear and trust me, Princess. Just leave this to me and Equestria to the Council of Nobles. Take your time to heal and to mourn. Please, your Majesty, just remain as the citizen’s beacon of hope. Be there for them and we will care for the country – for as long as we need to. After all, there is no higher honor than to serve you, especially in these troubled times.”
As Celestia finally turned back to him he bowed again.
“Thank you Blueblood and thank the other councillors too. This… the loss of my sister has been a lot harder than I ever could have feared. To lose her twice … all because of me,” she swallowed hard and turned again, as she felt wetness streak down the fur on her cheeks. “Please, nephew. Leave. I … I need some time to think.”
“Of course my Princess.” He rose again and turned to leave. At the door he gave her a last glance, before he closed the door. There she stood, looking as broken as on the day she had banished the Nightmare to the moon.
Uninjured, yet deeply wounded.
To see her like this again almost broke his heart but he had to remain strong. For her. So that, one day, she would return to her brilliant self, as ruler and princess of all of ponykind.
"Gah! I can't believe it! How come we always get lost when you have the map, eh? While following the road! Just how?"
Skael Kataphrakt, a tall and bulky, brown Earth-Pony stallion just shrugged while his companion, Lightning Strike, a light blue Pegasus stallion with frizzy yellow mane and tail, shouted at him. Both wore dull and battered armor, grey like the steel it was made from, no fancy gold plating, no silver and purple, no color of one of the noble houses that kept their own guard forces – just plain metal.
Still ignoring the loud Pegasus, Skael Kataphrakt turned his head and began rummaging through his saddlebags, pulling a folded map out shortly after that.
"Now let's see...," he mused to himself as he spread the map on the dirt road they had followed all day. "Where are we?"
Still breathing strongly, the Pegasus seemed to have – at least partially – calmed down and now looked towards the brown Earth-Pony stallion. "So... Where are we?"
"I have no idea," Skael shrugged while still looking at the map... or maybe the bug that was crawling on it.
And again a scream pierced through the calm of the forest.
"Did you hear that?" A small dark grey mare with a short mane of different shades of purple and violet asked while turning to the stallion she had led into the woods, the dark cloak she wore rustling slightly as she moved.
"Ah ... I guess not," she snickered as she saw the passed out Unicorn.
"Well thank you for business," she grinned as she bent down to relieve the poor guy of his heavy burden – namely his purse – stashing it under her cloak before she happily skipped along the road deeper into the forest.
This really seems to be my lucky day.
Another place, another road, a mare walked deeper into the forest, silently mumbling to herself. Starlight was a tall white Unicorn, her mane and tail of silvery blue were braided and grown long, ending just short before the hair touched the ground and on her flank was the blue outline of a five-pointed star, none of the star's tips pointing directly up or down.
"Oh I can't believe it. Who does he think he is? Sending me on this nonsensical errand just to get me to leave the Academy. Just because he is the Grandmaster he thinks he is a second Starswirl the Bearded, or Clover the Clever. Gosh, he probably thinks he is better than the princess. This prepos..."
Then suddenly she stopped in her tirade as something hit her muzzle, something small and cold and wet. "Rain. Great, as if this day has not been bad enough already."
Her horn sparked to life, forming a pale blue bubble around her and she continued to stomp along. "I just hope it will stop soon."
It did not.
"Just my luck," she sighed, following the road deeper into the forest.
"Seriously?" The purple maned mare looked into the sky that had been clear and sunny an hour ago. Now it looked grey and uninviting.
"Stupid featherbrains. And the day had begun sooo well. Cursed luck."
The storm was still growing; pelting the two stallions and soaking their coats and armor. The only upside for Skael Kataphrakt was, that as heavy as the rain was falling he couldn't make out the undoubtedly still shouting Pegasus that ran at his side. He didn't even understand why his companion was so enraged.
Weren't Pegasuses...Pegasus....Pegasus-Ponies supposed to like rain and storm, especially those like Lightning? Lightning Strike did not agree, he preferred to be above a storm, not underneath while getting soaked. All because this dumb mudbrain he called his best friend hadn't been able to find the way. He could feel the water drenching every hair and feather on his body, even those covered by the armor. Especially those covered by the armor.
Just my luck. They both thought, one earnestly, the other sarcastically.
Four ponies running on three roads leading through one forest all while being plagued by one storm.
Part II
Shelter
Annoyed the grey mare shook her head, forcing the wet bangs of violet and purple out of her eyes. Maybe I shouldn't've cut them? She pondered as some of the hair fell down in her eyes again, slightly slapping her.
At first she had enjoyed the falling rain, happily trotting on the forest path, but then the wind had picked up, the rain grown stronger until it had turned into a full blown storm. Totally drenching her, making her cloak and every hair on her body uncomfortably stick to her, not to mention the things she hid under the cloak.
Now she was running, barely able to see through the masses of water pouring down, looking for shelter. There was a nice little shower... and then there was just too much water... worse yet, cold water.
She sneezed. I want to be someplace warm... and dry. How long has it been since I wasn't wet and cold?
Probably about five minutes. She frowned slightly as the rational part of her brain kicked in, the part that always made her not do every fun idea that came to her. The part that let her sometimes sit down and think, so she wouldn't rush head-first into trouble.
Luckily, most of the time it was silent.
Then the mare spotted something and stopped – she couldn't after all possibly become even wetter.
Frowning Starlight looked at her once white hooves.
"Mud. Of course, the rain had to turn this Discord damned road into mud," sighing the mare looked up. She couldn't even discern the raindrops anymore that battered the blue glowing shield, she had conjured. A shield that protected her from the rain itself, but not from the effects it had on her surroundings.
"Star Swirl's beard this is beginning to strain my horn," she complained again, talking even though she walked alone through the forest.
"Maybe I can find some shelter, a nice little inn," she cringed as the tugging on her horn became slightly worse. "I would even settle for a cave..."
"What is that?" She asked herself, as suddenly something caught her eyes, carefully trotting closer.
Lightning Strike had stopped shouting, shouting and running for a long time was too exhausting even for him.
His mane hung down wetly, covering half his face. Rain pelted him and his feathers and fur would probably still drop water in a week, yet he didn't care anymore.
He wanted to fly but that storm would knock him out of the air in a wing beat. He also somehow didn't want to leave his earthbound companion alone. Not that that brick wall even seems to feel the storm.
He had to think of something else, anything else so he wouldn't lose his sanity in this rain.
Maybe he would look for the genius who had planned this storm that would have kept even a dragon from taking wing and give him a piece of his mind.
With his spear.
Skael Kataphrakt warily glanced to his companion. The Pegasus had stopped shouting and instead had begun to laugh.
Or rather cackle ominously and Skael could swear that he could see little sparks flitting in between the Pegasus' wild mane.
"Lightning? You alright?"
For a moment the Earth-Pony thought the other stallion hadn't heard him, breathing in to gather his voice and overpower the rampaging storm.
Then he stopped, almost losing his footing because of the mud and rain and barreling into a tree. Just before him stood a hooded pony and seemed to watch him, him and Lightning Strike.
The pony, its features hidden by the long woolen cloak, stood, seemingly undisturbed by the rain, just next to the road and waved. Waved and then pointed to its side. There a small path began, leading away from the main road, winding its way almost naturally between the trees. Surely, in this weather the path would have been invisible if not for the cloaked pony.
"If it's shelter you seek, there you'll find it," the figure spoke.
Slowly, Skael, the gargantuan Earth-Pony, nodded to their helper and made his first step on the path. Lightning Strike right next to him. Then he turned looking again to the hooded pony – only to no longer see it. Strange.
"We should be careful, Lightning."
"Oh, I hope it's a trap and somepony tries to spring us," the Pegasus cackled darkly.
"Thanks...," shrugging, why the stranger stood there the grey mare with the violet mane began to gallop, along the path to promised shelter.
She did not see how her guide vanished, dispersing like mist.
Slowly, Starlight extended a hoof in order to poke the strange hooded pony in front of her. Her hoof going right through its form.
"Thought so," she chuckled. "Impressive feat this spell but you can see the rain passing right through it. Nor is it looking to be wet. But well, if somepony bothered to conjure this thing here I guess I could investigate… And it probably beats walking through the rain," her gaze wandered down to her mudcaked hooves and a small shudder went through her body,” and the mud.”
Then the Unicorn began to trot down the path the spell had shown her, still protected from the rain by her barrier.
Four ponies running down a small, hidden path, following the promise of shelter, all while being plagued by one storm.
Part III
Chance Meeting
At the end of the path, on a small clearing, stood a house. Not just any kind of house but a small inn. Over its door – resisting the elements – hung a shield, a donkey looking out of a barrel. Light shimmered through the cracks in the wood barred windows, promising a roof and warmth, food and a bed for the night to wait out the storm.
One after another the weary travelers arrived at the clearing and entered the inn.
First was the violet maned mare, storming inside without a second thought. As she stood there and began to shake herself, trying to lose some of the water in her coat and cloak, the door opened again and the two entering stallions – the first brown, the second blue – were showered again.
“Well, that was a different kind of trap than I thought it would be…,” Skael started, but was then directly cut off.
“What in Tartarus are you doing, you…,” Lightning began to shout as the flying droplets hit him. Then he caught sight of their ‘attacker’ and his eyes began to wander over the mare’s lithe form, hugged tightly by her wet cloak and a small grin formed on his lips.
“Oh, guess I don’t mind a bit of water from a beautiful filly after that storm,” he grinned cheerfully, taking off his helmet to free his wild and pronged mane with practiced ease, even the rain unable to wreck his wild, lightning-like hair.
The grey and violet mare only stared at him for a moment before she snickered silently and turned to him.
“Oh, I bet you don’t,” she spoke, almost whispered as she glided over to him, bringing her muzzle close to his ear and, abruptly, turned around – swishing her tail up from underneath her cloak to flick his nose.
She then sashayed to the inn’s counter and the donkey standing behind it, who – until now – hadn’t even really bothered with the drenched group, and demanded a room for the night.
With a last wink over her shoulder to the two, seemingly frozen, stallions she then disappeared upstairs.
As soon as the mare had left, Lightning turned to Skael, his head coocked. “What just happened?”
“I have no…”
The door burst open again, letting in a Unicorn mare with a pristine white coat – as long as one didn’t look at her hooves – protected by a blue shimmering magical shield that she only dispelled as the door safely closed behind her.
And the smile returned to Lightning Strike’s face. And the next beauty enters.
Meanwhile, Skael Kataphrakt suppressed the urge to hit his – or the Pegasus’ head – against the wall. He knew that look on Lightning's face.
“Well, hello… “
“Gods, finally I’m out of that weather,” Starlight’s eyes scanned the small inn for a moment, completely ignoring the two ponies in front of her. Her horn sparked to life again and a spell passed over her body like a wave, beginning at her horn and traveling towards her hooves, cleaning her of any dirt and mud. “Now that’s better.”
“Hey maybe you could help me clean up later too. And I would make sure you haven’t missed a place,” Lightning tried again to catch the mare’s attention.
“Oh, sure, sure,” Lightning’s and Skael’s eyes widened at Starlight’s words – the Earth pony utterly confused that the bad phrase actually worked. The white Unicorn’s horn sparked again sending the same cleaning wave over the two of them and Lightning’s smile vanished while Skael began to laugh.
“Oh and don’t you worry, I mastered that spell years ago.”
“Thanks miss.”
“Yeah… Thanks.”
For a moment Starlight smiled at the two, or rather at the good deed she had done and then continued on, approaching the donkey. “Excuse me. Are you the proprietor of this inn?”
“Guess we should look for a room too.”
“Yeah sure… Mares,” the Pegasus sighed as he and his companion trotted to the counter, where the pristine Unicorn just received her keys.
“Well, It should certainly beat the rain… If not much more,” the two – and probably the donkey too – heard her mutter as she went to look for her room.
On a table in the corner of the main room one pony had watched the whole scene and now sighed in her mug of no longer warm cider.
“Stupid, stupid dreams.”
With a yawn she discarded her soaked cloak, hanging it next to the window. Finally, she could stretch all of her limbs, freeing them from the chill that seeped through them
Lightning Strike was having the time of his life. He had slain monster after monster, wielding a true lightning bolt as his weapon. After the fight dozens of beautiful mares would attend to him, reading his every wish before he could open his mouth. Suddenly, most of them retreated into the background, making way for the most beautiful mare he could think of. She smiled as she approached him in a slow sinuous walk. Then she opened her mouth, her muzzle nearly touching his, and spoke.
“Lightning. It’s morning get up,” with a deep and male voice.
The end of the storm came with dawn, the first rays of Celestia’s orb shining through the windows of the small inn – and directly in the face of one sleeping brown Earth Stallion.
Skael Kataphrakt woke with a groan, rising from the heap of straw he had slept on and yawned.
At least we will be able to continue travelling today.
His ears flicked as another sound caught his attention. In another heap a blue Pegasus with wild and pronged yellow mane and tail slept mumbling in his dreams.
“Lightning. It’s morning get up.”
Similar to the day before, the travelers arrived one after the other, looking forward to a nice breakfast and eager to be on the road again.
Last to arrive was a tall but lithe white Unicorn mare, not a trace of yesterdays storm on her coat, fetlocks or hooves.
Starlight smiled slightly, as she entered the big room and scanned it for an empty table.
“Let’s see… no, no, no… ah the two from yesterday,” she nodded slightly towards the pair sitting at the far end of the room and then continued her search, “no… ahh finally.” It was the last unoccupied table in the room – not that there hadn’t been any other free seats.
As soon as she sat down on the thin seat cushion she grimaced.
“Well I should have expected this but this is like sitting directly on the floor.”
“Mighty sorry, but a’ least it keeps your rump clean M’Lady,” the donkey innkeeper suddenly spoke, having followed her to the table after she entered. “Not often one of you Canterlot types loses their way in these regions.”
After a moment of shock because of his sudden appearance, Starlight looked at him quizzically: “Where did you come from? Are there more hiding?” Slowly she looked to the sides, checking if not maybe another one had snuck up to her to surprise her suddenly.
“I? Oh I come from Jacksonville, it’s a small don…,”
“What? No, no, no. Why did you suddenly appear next to me?
At that the donkey only blinked and stared up at her, after all he had followed her since she had entered the room. “Well, to ask what to get you for breakfast.”
Finished with their breakfast the four unfortunate travelers found themselves next to the door – and each other. Joining them was another pony, a mare, her green coat mostly obstructed by a traveling cloak. Eyeing each other – more or less subtle.
“Sooo… One of you guys know the way to the next village?” The purple maned filly asked.
“Not the slightest idea.”
“As the big one says, though we wouldn’t mind looking for it together with you … or you,” Lightning said then turned to Starlight.
The white Unicorn, however, was not even listening but concentrating with shimmering horn. Slim layers of blue fog wafting around her hooves while she mumbled to herself. “This should keep the mud from sinking in …”
Willow groaned, they were even worse than they feared. The brown Earth stallion seemed not to have a care in the world, his Pegasus friend’s only concern seemed to be mares, he had probably only ignored her until now because of the cloak’s hood, she kept down deep into her face. The Unicorn mare was constantly talking to herself and apparently more than just obsessed with her, even Willow had to admit, good looks. The only one that she couldn’t quite place yet was the grey mare with the purple mane. Sure she seemed a bit playful but at least not downright crazy, or in the case of the brown stallion apathetic.
And now they were all walking together through the forest to the next village. This had been easy, far, far too easy. How? Why had they just formed this little travelling group? She sighed and shook her head as she felt the growing ache in the back of her head.
Best. Not. Think. About. It.
“Soooo … any of you got names?” The grey mare asked after a while of silent wandering. “I mean, if we are already walking together we could try to talk, couldn’t we?”
Lightning laughed and sauntered closer to her. “Looking to get a little bit more friendly, I see. Name’s Lightning Strike. The big guy’s Skael Kataphrakt. Hope you didn’t get too wet yesterday,” he grinned at her.
With a snort she suppressed a laugh and shook her head, then she turned to the other two mares.
“Willow,” the smaller one answered, “just Willow.”
“Should not the asker give their name first? Oh well, what do I expect out here in the wilds. My name is Dazzling Starlight.”
“Starlight, eh? Guess that name’s has been a bit of a problem lately,” the blue Pegasus, Lightning, stated, his eyebrows arched upwards.
“My loyalties have not been questioned, thank you. The Long Night has not been kind to many of us with such names … Even though most of these names are older than the Princesses themselves,” the white Unicorn mumbled at the end.
“So what is your name?” Willow lifted her head slightly to look at the grey pony.
