From Quasi-dead to Worse - Edited/Updated

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You know what's great about gaining the ability to warp into a being of pure, raw, arcane energy? When you die, you literally become a part of reality. When I was walking and talking I was like a force of nature, but now that I'm dead I am a force of nature. I could sense the swirling masses of power ebbing and flowing all around me and witness the incandescent spirits travelling from one existence to another. I now existed in all places, granting my life force to the universe, helping life flourish and seeing hope and a future blossom...I don't want to sound narcissistic, but this must be how the goddesses and gods felt when they made everything; I existed in a state of bliss! In between my dreams I was able to grant an inkling of my former power to beings still in the world of the living. I would most likely never know what they'd done with my powers but I'd always only given enough to do serious good or very little evil. I'm all-powerful, not stupid. The pain of dying was horrendous, but upon reflection, being stuck in the mortal world was torture compared to the wonders of magical nirvana.

Time had no meaning to me anymore, it could’ve been days, weeks, years, aeons and seconds since I arrived and I loved every moment of it. It's strange being conscious of your demise and eternal fate, I should be bored by now...But no, being a needle and thread to the tears in the fabric of reality is immeasurably pleasurable in every sense of the word...Yes, death seemed to be pretty-

"Oh fabled and lost Conjurer..."

What?

"Hear me wise and ageless sage..."

Is...Someone else like medead too?

"Return from your primordial slumber, father of knowledge!"

Return from...Wait, no!

"Rise old lord of lore and powers of yore! Return to the mortal realm, so that your children, you may helm!"

I don't want to go back there! W-Wait...What's happening to me?!

"Correct the folly of our rulers!"

No! Stop! Don't rip me from this wonderland! Why am I powerless to stop this madman?!

"Shepherd the blind and faithful alike!"

I forsook the blind and faithful, I gave up on you long ago!

"Return to us, Lord Hierophant, anew!"

And, with little warning, the long dead former Human was back in the world of the living.

To an onlooker, the moonlit coven of cloaked cultists standing amidst the crumbling stone of a long dormant citadel praying to a weathered and colourless coffin covered in forgotten script would appear suspect to say the least. The melodic chanting, bowl of azure-burning incense, and scrolls of bloody writing made it all the more daunting. The room they'd turned into a shrine and altar no longer served a purpose. Rows of broken stone shelves housed burnt and torn tomes, a large throne sat behind the coffin obscured by centuries of weeds, and the holes in the roof allowed the silver rays of moonlight to shine upon the hundreds of mages. Some were Equestrian, some weren't, but they all had one thing in common: They all worshipped the same fallen deity they now sought to bring back.

"Return to us, Lord Hierophant, anew!" Cried out an aged, thundering voice over the sombre singing of his assembly. And, with a tap of his steel staff against the stone floor, they all ceased their singing. The strange, hopeful crowd watched their leader as he raised onto his hooves and turned to face the crowd, his glowing eyes being greeted by two hundred sets of weary faces. As he began to pull out a thick book of scripture, the tomb behind him began to vibrate slightly. All watched as the empty coffin which bore the likeness of their god shined a soft, silver light between the crack of the lid and case. The pale light exploded into a rainbow of magical hues that danced around the chamber. Along with the dazzling display, they all listened to a booming symphony of music and battle that seemed to be audible only in their minds. They gasped as the light swirled around them, embraced them, only to be sucked back into the coffin and out of sight.

All were still and silent, as the lid slowly eased off of the stone effigy and onto the ground unassisted to show nothing but a swirling mess of colour. It was shapeless and held no tone, colour, or form for longer than a second and moved in a chaotic dance as it hovered above its instrument of rebirth.

"What year is it, where am I, why have I been brought back, and who did you kill to bring me back? Necromancers require an enormous amount of magical energy to resurrect a long dead spirit, don’t lie to me." The fog ordered in a calm, almost bored voice that was pleasant, soft, and held a smooth accent after a long, strained sigh. Despite the welcoming voice in their heads they couldn't help but feel unnerved, as if they'd angered their idol.

"Lord Hierophant, it's been aeons since you were last in the world of mortals… approximately four millennia." The old leader informed, struggling to contain his glee as he removed the golden cloak covering his silver body and blue mane. Although his eyes were milky and scarred, the sheer might of the incorporeal being projected an image into his mind and the sight of his only master, along with the sound of his rejoicing followers' thoughts, brought tears to his eyes.

"Truly?...It Feels like days since I was slain...Where am I?" The Hierophant asked, which surprised everyone gathered.

"We're gathered in what remains of your throne room, though it has fallen into disrepair and ruin since your banishment. Many tried to ransack what was left of it and the Equestrian Army tried to gain access long ago but many of your wards still remained and when we found our way past the inner walls we reinforced it with our own traps and spells." The old sage continued, lamenting the state of the old archive-turned-hovel.

"Thank you, it won't take long to get it back into shape when we're done so don't feel too ashamed; considering it's been four thousand years, you've all done a tremendous job that it's still standing at all." The incorporeal being congratulated, observing its surroundings.

"Y-Your praise is not necessary, My Lord, we simply continued the legacy of your old reign. We brought you back because we and the world at large need your wisdom and guidance once more. The new kings and queens have forsaken their people; they seek to repeat the mistakes of the past and destroy the knowledge of former Lords. As it is, many of your teachings have been outlawed in Equestria and the few faithful to your reign are hiding around the world. We beseech you, Lord of Arcana, command us and unite your people!" The leader of the ragged mages begged passionately with an overwhelming sense of zeal. The rush of hopeful thoughts, prosperous hopes, dreams of magical mastery, and reunifying their scattered followers flooded their incorporeal god’s mind along with some less desirable thoughts of warfare and 'punishing the wicked'; the leader of the cultists held these same thoughts and emotions and believed his illustrious deity also shared them.

"That's a touching speech…But two things: I'm not a king, I was a powerful Archmage who commanded the grand Archive and the surrounding lands, but I wasn’t a proper noble as the head of the Archive. Also, last time I checked, most countries were run by Immortals on my level; how exactly will I be able to not die this time, and why would anyone want to follow me after all this time resting… I’m sorry, what’s your name, Seer?" The Hierophant asked, before it floated down in front of their elderly leader.

"Faded Scroll, my lord. Many of those former leaders died from war or infighting, passed on the torch to their heirs or vanished completely. Truly, only a handful of old world rulers remain. And as for the question of your reign, none would argue against the idea that you, an Immortal Mage whose guidance led to a golden age for the Archive, would be unfit to rule. The Gods themselves deemed you worthy of your might and people respected your guidance.” Faded Scroll informed, a faint smile on his scarred visage.

"So, I die when the Empire crumbles and return to fix the damage and supposedly kickstart a country...Wonderful. So, how many died to bring me back? You left that out and I'm not one for trusting cultists, even my own." He demanded to know as he looked out over the still elated cultists.
"No one was sacrificed to bring you back, we gathered effigies, talismans, conduits and those rare people you gifted power to, in an attempt to concentrate your residual life force and magical power in a point of the world where the divide between the magical and physical planes is weakest. Some of your belongings have been in our possession for years and others we have only recently acquired from around the world...Many have died over the years finding, retrieving and protecting these powerful artefacts but it was deemed safer than to risk summoning a malevolent demon or spirit instead of you. We've gone to great lengths to save you." Faded Scroll reassured him, the weight of his words and their losses reflected in his tone, yet his pride and confidence in his decision was clear.

"The use of magical artefacts, incenses, and finding a weaker spot in the rift between planes of reality...You all are smarter than most cults, I'll give you that; most of them resort to blood magic within the first year and demon summoning in the second...I’m sorry for your losses. I didn't want to come back but I might as well do something now that I am back. Do you have any clothes lying around? Being a cloud that communicates through telepathy can be fun for a while but if I have a physical manifestation, I might as well use it." Their god impatiently requested, itching to try walking again.

"Yes, My Lord, we were lucky enough to salvage your old garb and accessories from the site of your battle with Princess Celestia...They're in a state of disrepair but-" As Faded Scroll carefully removed the lid of a large, gilded chest, the faded and heavily damaged black robe, crimson scarf, rusted armour, and some unidentifiable scrap were snatched from his hooves and held within the swirling cloud. In front of their eyes, they saw the robe and scarf return to their vibrant colours and the armour's rust break apart and reveal the shining steel beneath. Metal and fabric materialised out of nowhere and soon an ensemble worthy of an Archmage formed in the air, bereft of its wearer.

"Not too bad given my extended nap...Now comes the tricky part..." He announced with a sense of excitement and nervousness as the armour floated to the ground and stood up straight as if worn. The cultists leaped back when the extravagant armour and formless cloud shimmered intensely and turned pure white as the cloud moved into the unoccupied clothing. Expanding ever so slightly, the cloud gained mass and gradually became solid as the armour moved and flexed its limbs. After a fully bipedal body, complete with hair, was created the shine faded away to reveal the most common form of their master.

"So, how do I look? Pretty good for a corpse huh?" The Hierophant jested as they did a small twirl to their followers. Where hollow armour once stood now resided a six foot tall human, a race long since believed to have been wiped out, with flowing brown and silver hair. His beautiful, soft face was sculpted by him, though his stunning yellow and blue eyes were a mystery as none of his old fables detail him having a yellow right iris or blue left iris, instead having a pair of purple eyes. Their head was cloaked by the hood of his black and silver robe, it covered almost all of his body but was left unbuttoned to show off the light armour underneath. The silver runic symbols etched into the cuffs, hood, and hem of the robe were the least impressive sign of its wearers mystic powers, as the inside of the jacket resembled something similar to the hypnotic, colourful haze of the Hierophant's true form. His left shoulder was decorated by a small silver pauldron in the shape of a lion's head with a starry blue mane that seemed to contrast with the magical robe. It was connected by a chain to his layered steel chestplate that bore the insignia of a golden lion and silver raven circling each other in front of a black shield. His right hand was covered by a matching steel gauntlet while curiously his left was uncovered, allowing people to once more see the indescribable mess hidden by the robe. Their legs were covered in a pair of tight, black trousers protected by steel plating that hung off his thighs. Along with all the armour, underclothes, and robe he also wore a massive, fuzzy and cosy crimson scarf that he'd wrapped around his throat. The fiery fabric obscured parts of his lower face and the one long tail of it fluttered in the wind like a dancing flame. Always one to favour comfort over style, he wore clean, simple hide boots. All in all, the coven thought he was as awe-inspiring as the ancient illustrations of them sitting upon their old throne.

"You're simply exquisite, Hierophant, just as the legends described you." Faded Scroll complemented, grinning despite his best attempts to remain stoic.

"Thanks, you're not too shabby for an old pony. Oh and call me Alistair, it's my actual name. I noticed I don't have my weapons, are you holding onto those too or have they been lost?" Alistair joked before asking as he placed his unarmoured hand on his old throne, watching the plant life retreat and wrap around the base of the chair while the seat itself reformed into the cushioned, stone throne that once sat proud; the immediate area surrounding the chiselled chair likewise reverted to its former pristine state.

"Yes and no, Hier-Lord Alistair. We have your old notepad and your grimoire, but your family's sword is unobtainable." The old pony told Alistair, bewildered by the rapid and effective powers his ruler displayed.

"Really? Who took it? Was it the royal bitch Celestia?" Barked Alistair, saying her name with venom, as he sat on his old throne and rested deep into it.

"N-No actually, Queen Chrysalis took it from the Equestrians, quite recently in fact." Faded corrected, taken aback by their harsh words. Alistair for their part seemed to smile fondly.

"Chryssie huh? The Queen always did have a soft spot for us...So, where is she now? I imagine she'll be ecstatic to see me loitering in the real world again." Alistair asked, a hint of nostalgic fondness in his voice as he smiled wistfully. Meanwhile, Faded Scroll approached him with two large books wrapped in sacred cloth.

"We believe she's established a hive in the badlands not far from here."

"Badlands?" Alistair questioned.

"After you died, this region fell into disarray and warfare. The loss of your life sustaining magic, combined with local struggles, left the territory largely barren and unwelcoming." Faded Scroll explained as he knelt before the study chair-turned-throne and used his magic to unwrap the books. "Lord Alistair the Ever Changing...Your ageless grimoire and notebook." Despite his inability to read their thoughts, Faded Scroll knew Alistair was overwhelmed at the sight of his old tomes.

"Huh, don't need my magic to keep you two in top-notch shape, huh? Thank you so much, all of you." He thanked the gathered crowd with a soft smile as he grabbed the leather bound, arcane book. Its cover bore a sigil of a white alicorn rising from a circle with a human hand coming out of the bottom. A glowing blue flame in the circle separated the hand and alicorn. On the back of the book was the same symbol as his breastplate, complete with the shield. The pages hummed softly as if alive and had waited for his touch. Hooking it to the belt obscured by his robe he examined the blank yet meaningful notebook of white paper. The book was dull and to the layman would seem completely devoid of magic. Despite this, he placed it on the armrest of his favourite chair and hovered his right hand over the paper. Within his pale palm an unseen rune appeared and hovered a few inches above the skin before blinking out of reality. The once blank page was now replaced by a small, detailed paper alicorn figurine that moved on its own accord and stared up at Alistair. In response, he carefully picked it up and placed it in his right gauntlet and held it up for all to see.

"Lord Alistair...What would you have us do?" Faded Scroll asked as his followers stared up at their god, hopeful and determined to prove their worth to their Lord.

"Contact Chrysalis' hive if possible, use whatever magic you can to aid me in rebuilding these archives, try and contact your cells across the globe and order an exodus here..." Alistair stopped giving orders so they could look down at the figurine as he wordlessly casted a simple fire spell that covered his gauntlet, and the paper figurine, in a purple fire. He watched the figurine crumbled up and burned into nothing.

"...We're going to be very busy rebuilding." He finished after blowing the ashes of the figurine away. A small, bittersweet smile adorned his face as he sighed and thought about how cruel fate was.

Fixer Upper

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Far to the north of the Lost Archive, in a similarly ancient yet gleaming fortress overlooking a glittering jewel of a city, rested a tired and flustered Alicorn. It doesn't matter how much gold a person owns, how many people try to suck up to them or even how much coffee keeps them up because when you're sitting in front of a desk late at night reading legislation after legislation and piles of borderline asinine proposals you grow annoyed all the same. With a huff, she finished the last of the chocolatey coffee and considered finally going to sleep. But, regardless of whether or not she wanted to rest for the night she thought the people who'd be affected by these laws would be appreciative if she went over them at least once.

"Last I checked dear sister I was the one who was meant to stay up all night and seem discontented." A mirthful, regal voice called out from the dark.

"We both have a rather large country to run and unfortunately the nobles are rather finicky about proposing bizarre laws...Honestly, did they really think I'd approve even half of these laws?" Celestia asked rhetorically without looking away from her desk as Luna approached her, her dark purple coat blending into the shadows.

"I've noticed the nobles seem to be a bit more...frivolous than I remember. Still, some of them do have their place in the royal circle even if the others are rather annoying." Luna reminded as she looked over Celestia's expansive and covered white desk and scoffed at some of the proposals.

"Do you ever miss the old days? Things were so much more...Exhilarating and less tedious; against all odds these last few years have been seemingly more problematic than the early days of Equestria." Celestia wondered with nostalgia in her magenta eyes as she looked around her cozy, elaborately decorated room. On the walls, in cases and on shelves were the relics of Celestia's real past; the flowery stories and myths tend to leave out the bloodshed, friendships and hard fought victories. Dented helmets, a few rusted swords or shields and some pictures of the now long since abandoned band of heroes she and her sister stood side by side with.

"You seem to be forgetting, dear sister, that each day was a fight for survival against regimes, monsters and anything else fate saw fit to hurl at us. It was fun no doubt but how much did our adventuring days cost us in the end?" Luna reprimanded as she too looked at the mere nick-nacks but not in wonderment.

"It was rather hectic, but I still pine over them." Celestia admitted with a small huff.

"If you truly wish to relive the olden days then go out on a hunt or a deployment with the royal guard, otherwise you could get drunk in the cellars or spend time with Twilight; blood, beer and friends were the cornerstones of our adventures after all." Luna suggested as she levitated one of her displayed swords and noticed the dulled yet freshly dusted and polished blades.

"Heh, I believe there was one more element that made our adventures so engaging." Celestia teased as she fondly remembered some of her old companions. In response Luna merely scoffed and blushed slightly.

"Speak for yourself, some of us didn't lust over every smooth talking rogue and bard that joined in our quest." Luna defended as she grimaced at her sister's less than exemplary dalliances.

"Oh, so I was the only one? I think I remember a certain young, starry eyed mage who caught your attention..." Celestia mocked as she looked over at her annoyed sister; Luna's scowl warned Celestia she might've taken to far so she stopped while she still could. They were silent for a short while as Luna stared at an old photo of the two of them.

"How many of them are still around? I'd been meaning to check but with all the chaos of reintegrating and managing crises across the country..." She asked, knowing what her answer would most likely be.

"Most of them were mortal...Only Azure Light, Mystic Mind and Golden Hammer weren't and they've been gone for a very long time." Celestia sadly informed as she began to remember the small band of heroes.

"...Shame, they were amazing people and greater warriors." Luna simply said, masking how deeply the news hurt despite the fears already existing prior.

After a short pause, Celestia stood up from her table and walked over to the balcony and looked over Canterlot and smiled to herself.

"...You know what they told me when I told them the next capital of Equestria was to be constructed on the side of a mountain?" Celestia asked with a small smirk.

"I imagine they thought you'd gone soft in the head." Luna quipped as she too walked out onto the chilling platform and breathed in the cool, sweet night air.

"That they did. They told me it was impossible and that there were was no crew willing to take such a foolhardy operation...I proved them wrong of course. If my years fighting the unbeatable and touring the world on a wild goose chase has taught me anything it's that nothing is truly impossible; granted I needed to pool in my resources, find a few geniuses and mad men from our old adventuring days and hope to the Goddess it didn't blow up in my face...But I did it." Celestia exclaimed proudly as she placed her alabaster hooves on the railing and smiled sadly.

"You did a wonderful job, I just wish I could've been there with you." Her sister praised with a soft voice.

After placing a wing on her shoulder, Celestia continued. "You can't keep dwelling on the past. We forgave each other for what we did, Equestria has embraced you once more and you're surrounded by close friends. It was difficult, I won't lie, to keep going without you...Without another immortal. But I wasn't alone and I have people who supported me and reassured me when I began to doubt my rule; I was the reason you were alone. can't compare my gilded cage to your banishment." Celestia tried to comfort.

"Tia..." Luna started, telling her sister she was about to say something important. "...I don't want you to keep comparing your losses with mine. Yes, I suffered for a millennia on the moon with nothing but my anger and yes I was alone. But in between the dark thoughts that took hold, I knew I'd done something worthy of my punishment. I'd divided our home, I'd torn down the fragile peace we'd strived for since we were old enough to want and worst of all I-...It took away the only friend you had left. I was alone but I grew to accept what I'd done and forgive myself for my actions. But despite my acknowledgement I could never accept what I'd done to you." Luna vented, staring down into the lonely streets far below and patrolled castle grounds.

"Luna..."

"I know, we've gone over this all before but it's hard to simply move on from something like that. We both lost a thousand years to my anger and your ignorance...You said we're both to blame and I'm still trying to believe that. I'm sorry for bring this up, you've had a long day and the last thing you need is to hear what you most likely already knew. Goodnight Tia, try and catch some sleep." Luna apologised and turned back toward the large, ornate doors into her room. But before she could go, Celestia turned to her.

"It occurs to me we've had very little time to just talk recently; I've been in the court seemingly all year and you're constantly either in night court or helping with the Lunar Guard...Would you like to go out for tea later this week?" Celestia asked hopefully causing Luna to grin.

"I'd love to. I've still been unable to see the city properly for more than a few minutes between public appearances and defending the streets from the occasional Changeling attack or Centaur." She joked, trying to shrug off the soulful heart to heart.

"There's these little tea shop a few blocks from the train station with an amazing view, they make the best scones." Celestia recommended, pretending to fantasies about the quaint little eatery.

"It sounds spectacular sister. I'm free Friday afternoon, does that sound good for you?" Luna remarked truthfully. As the elder sister nodded Luna bid farewell and seemed to disappeared as stealthy as she appeared.

As Celestia prepared to drift off to sleep in her oversized and ludicrously comfortable bed, she could help but reflect on her recent years. Despite the strain of the arrogant nobles, the alarmingly representative threats of Queens, old rulers and demons and the struggle of diplomacy...Having Luna back in her live, seeing Twilight blossom into a promising ruler along with the newest addition to the royal family...She couldn't possibly ask for more in that moment.

"-And with your aid we'll be well on our way to establishing the wondrous nation of knowledge you once lead!" Cried out Faded Scroll with a magnificent light in his milky eyes as he followed his liege.

"uh huh, okay..." Alistair halfheartedly replied, barely listening to him ramble about his 'future kingdom'. "Say, how many men have we got here? I hope that small group that welcomed me back to live wasn't all I've got." Alistair asked, finally engaging Scroll as he looked back at him and thought to himself the best way to dispose of the overgrowth of weeds across the floor they were stepping over.

"Currently, our coven has eighty seven fighters including myself and thirty two healers and Mimickers; the rest are comprised of children, the elderly and the ill. Despite this many of us have some small skill in the art of Weight Manipulation." Faded Scroll reported to his master as he watched him strut around his old, cavernous study hall placing his hand on the weathered shelves and watching as the stone snapped in place and turned marble white while tomes, books and grimoires seemed to shape out of nothing or repair themselves.

"Wait, you fight?" Alistair questioned, half surprised and half impressed. The room was no longer bathed in moonlight but was now painted orange and black from the few candles placed on the restored tables in the center and on the railings on the nineteen floors overhead with the occasional silver beam wafting in from the gigantic coloured mosaic windows behind the Arcane Throne.

"Well...Yes and no. I can't see and my body is far from in its prime but I do know an exorbitant amount about strategy, warfare, siege tactics and magic; it's what has allowed us to hold the Lost Archive against the few threats that have breached our defenses." Faded Scroll confessed, his frail body being propped up by his polished, engraved steel staff resonated with magic power.

"I see, and where did an old timer like yourself learn siege tactics? I don't remember writing a whole lot on conventional warfare." Alistair inquired as he looked over the fifth towering shelf he'd restored and inspected the books.

"Oh, long ago when I was a member of the military." He elaborating with a kind smile, raising more questions then answers.

"Which one? Or did you fight for them all." The Hierophant continued his questionnaire as he prepped to rebuild another row of hundreds of books.

"The Royal Equestrian Army, Enchanter Division." Faded informed before once more marveling at how effortlessly he repaired the age old tomes.

"So how'd a skilled tactician go from the Equestrian army to joining a cult? You're giving me a lot of blank spaces here." He kept going, almost annoyed at how little Faded who say.

"Well, it's a long story but I'll summarize. I was a renowned leader in the army, it's true, and I had my soldier's respect despite my young age and gung ho attitude. After years of studying with the Enchanters and Tacticians I bared witness to conquest after conquest. Bandits, Diamond Dog dens, slavers and the occasional dragon...They all fell to my infantry's swords and my wit. I rapidly elevated in rank until...We were mobilizing to respond to reports of Griffon bandits near the border but we were ambushed on the trek over. We fought hard and resiliently but in the end our forces were routed and I was left behind with the other dead weight. They blinded me, I still don't know why to this day, and left me in a cell with other injured or tortured soldiers...I heard a lot my former friends die in that cage." Faded recounted with a deep frown as he relived his memories, all while Alistair sat down in a chair next to him and placed his grimoire on the table.

"Gods damn...That sounds beyond horrendous." He said sympathetically as he placed a hand on the blind stallion's shoulder to comfort him causing Faded Scroll to smile slightly.

"You don't need to offer sympathy, you were the one who saved me after all." He continued with a beaming smile.

"How? Wait, now I see why your thoughts were harder to read..." Alistair commented to himself as he smacked his head for being so stupid.

"Yes, I'm a Telepath, the only one in your order currently. A few weeks into our imprisonment and I saw something in my dreams. A shapeless haze unlike anything I'd see and within that miasma a voice called out to me; it told me it'd give me the power to change my fate and do good in this world and when I awoke...The experience of having my mind open up like that was daunting at first but by the end of the month. Well, it's much easier to escape when you can plant the idea that the guards are going to mutiny against the bandit chief and while they're fighting convince an imbecile to unlock our cells." He continued with a proud smirk and a small, hacking chuckle.

"I'm impressed, most Telepaths can't implant an idea in someone's mind until at least a year of practice and training." Alistair remarked, eyes wide open and smiling at his unofficial second in command.

"Thank you Sir Alistair, as I'd later find out I was indeed remarkably talented at controlling weaker minds...Though I swore once I escaped never to do so or to use my powers for evil; you gave them to me because you saw me and knew what I could do. I don't know if you were aware of what I'd done but I still believe you had a purpose for me. My men carried me back to Equestria to which we received a hero's welcome and a patch up. The morning after, me and a few men I'd told my tale to had disappeared to start what you saw tonight." Faded finished with a small bow of his head to which Alistair applauded lightly.

"I'm glad to see you didn't squander what I gave to you on something petty or villainous...I hope at least." He added at the end under his breath, reminding himself he'd have to ask others for events that transpired afterwards.

"You don't need to thank me, my lord. Truth be told I should be thanking you, were it not for your intervention I would've either died in that cell or be ransomed back to Equestria as a cripple. All of us are here because of you, we've all inherited one of your four gifts and we all are better for it." Faded informed with genuine happiness much to Alistair's confusion.

"Four? What about the art of achieving a magical form? It seems like it'd be the most desired gift since it leads to immortality...Not that I'm shitting on Telepathy or anything but most people would really not like to die." He inquired then defended as he realized he might've insulted the closest thing he's got to an ally.

"No need to apologise, I know you didn't mean to offend and yes it's true many have tried to mimic your own power. The outcomes have been...Horrifying." Faded said with a shudder in his voice as Alistair got up and began fixing more ruined furniture and shelves while stepping over the wild vines and flowers that he'd have to remove later.

"What happened to them? I wrote multiple studies on the art of Transcendence, how could anyone screw up?" Alistair asked, partially fearful as he hid his worried frown from Faded Scroll.

"Much of what you wrote and pioneered was lost with the Archive itself...Celestia feared what your knowledge could do for more powerful or unjust nations and thought it wiser to let sleeping dogs lie and to confiscate what shreds of your work existed outside your lands. Those who followed in your footsteps without the proper training, tools, or procedures were...I suppose an apt term would be lost...Yes, lost to the same realm you resided in." Faded Scroll told him as he remembered all the stupid fools who'd died through their lack of caution. Alistair for his part was silent for a short while, head bowed and features hidden, before he placed his right hand on another broken relic and continued restoring the room.

"Gods damn it Celestia...You should've know this would've happened...How many were lost?" Alistair implored as he refused to look away from his work.

"We personally lost ten people, six adults of varying races and four Equestrian foals, before we all agreed to stop our research though the number of people who've tried globally would be staggering." Faded confessed with a looks of sorrow.

"Ten?! You let ten people die before you stopped? And why the hell were children even allowed to study Transcendence? It took me twenty years before I even understood the concept of Transcendence and you allowed children to try?!" Alistair snapped, outraged and distraught over the foolishness of his followers, as he turned around and looked at him; if it weren't enough that his presence and power frightened Faded Scroll then his smoldering eyes did.

"W-We were in the early stages of banning research before they got a hold of the loose bits of information we'd gathered and tried for themselves. By the time we'd figured out what they were up to they had already..." He guiltily confessed, looking down in shame at what he considered one of his greatest blunders. Alistair for his part merely looked at him contemplatively before getting back to his work.

"You did the right thing by shutting down all research into a field you knew nothing about, shame it took the deaths of ten of your own for you all to wise up." The immortal snapped, scowling him while conceding that it wasn't directly anyone's fault. For a long time, they remained silent. Alistair worked tirelessly and meticulously to restore the aged library and Faded Scroll sat quietly in the center going over his thoughts and aiding workers around the crumbling ruins if they requested his thoughts. The silence was broken however when Alistair cried out in alarm when a loose chunk of marble fell off from atop the shelf and smashed into his right arm with an audible thud.

"L-Lord Alistair! Are-"

"Yes, yes, I'm alright Fade...It hurt a lot but I'm alright. It'll take more then that to dent this form...You know, I almost forgot I could feel pain that wasn't magical or emotional for a while, kind of a nice reminder before someone stabs me again with a mythical sword." Alistair calmly said as he interrupted his panicking assistant who was hobbling over to help mend the arm only to be amazed at the lack of damage.

"W-Well that's a relief, we went to Tartarus and back to save your soul and it'd be quite the shock if a piece of marble killed you so soon..." Scroll reminded as he pulled out a tattered cloth from his concealed saddle bag within his white and gold robe and began dabbing his forehead.

"Yes, it'd be rather unfortunate and hilarious in a morbid sense." His liege remarked as he laughed at the idea of a powerful mage dying from a bump on the head. After a brief bout of laughter he turned back to the work at hand, rolled his shoulder and fixed the final shelf on the bottom floor of the grand study hall.

"One down, nineteen to go...How long until the envoy mobilizes to contact the other hold outs in the region?" He inquired thoughtfully as he exhaled and looked up and watched the light fade towards the stone ceiling.

"They'll be ready to move out at dawn, my liege. They've been preparing for this day for years now and won't fail you." Faded Scroll told with pride and trust in his fellow members causing Alistair to smile.

"Excellent, and how many should I be expecting to return?" Alistair continued.

"Several hundred, my liege. We should have well over a thousand by the end of next month if we can spread the word to the whole south of Equestria." Faded optimistically announced, despite the news Alistair seemed less assured.

"No, no that won't do...The Bibliotheca alone could house several thousands in its prime and with my magic it'll be better than its prime...And we'll need a stronger fighting force to hold the gates if we're going to turn this back into a safe haven of knowledge..." Alistair mumbled as he tried to organize a plan in his head before snapping his fingers in triumph.

"You've formulated a plan, my lord?" Scroll asked hopefully, lapping at any chance to speed along the process of recovery.

Yes, why didn't I think of this sooner? We already have allies in waiting! prepare another smaller party to ride south to Val'kala and contact the royal houses. I suspect they're not as grandiose as they once were given the fact that the border has been turned into this Badland you call it but they'd never stop guarding the Human homeland. They won't find much in the way of supporters of my family, especially if you're sending Equestrians to their gates, but they've always trusted Minotaurs and Diamond Dogs; I saw a few of them during my homecoming party and they looked brawny to say the least...Now, if my memory is right Houses Wolfbane, Lort, Glin and Stoneshield swore a blood oath to us. Glin have always been dubious at paying debts but Stoneshield live for honour, doesn't matter if I've been dead for a few millennials they'll show up and we'll need their masons to fix up the rest of this and Wolfbane have some of the best archers I've ever seen..." Alistair ordered with a spark in his eye, envisioning the future scale of the Lost Archive. As he continued to structure the coming project in his mind, he couldn't help but notice the deafening silence. Somewhat irritated, he turned around and noticed how uncomfortable and disheartened Faded Scroll looked; even though he couldn't see he somehow was able to look away from his gaze.

"Fade, is something wrong? Don't tell me Val'kala fell!" Alistair pleaded, genuinely fearful about the idea that his home might've been lost in the eons old war. To his credit Faded was able to look back at him and answer, although he was reluctant to do so and was preparing himself.

"I-It's worse I'm afraid...My lord...The last known Human died over a thousand years ago..." Faded Scroll said with no small amount of despondency.

"What?...You...You're joking right?" Alistair hoped, begging the Goddess above that Faded was playing a cruel joke on him as he watched his expression darken as he prepared himself.

"No but I wish I was...After you died and the few who stood by you fell guarding the border, the King threw everything he had at the Equestrians and used every weapon he had at his disposal. Thousands died, lands were scorched as they retreated back into the capital and watched as town after town was razed or occupied. Val'kala held out for well over a year while citizens and houses evacuated to allies across the sea like the Minotaurs but many ships never made it or were captured at sea. The battle was officially lost when the King used his ultimate weapon only to see it backfire. Accounts vary from person to person but the most common tale is that the city was leveled along with the remaining forces and a large portion of the Equestrian army." Scroll recounted as he watch his leader wordlessly stumble over to the large, polished brown wood table in the center, collapse into a chair and wordlessly stare forward; despite his emotionless facade he was in agony.

"Over the years Humanity spread across the Minotaurian Isles, aligned themselves with dozens of different Diamond Dog packs even a few Zebra tribes...And, much to their own people's dismay, some people were able to live with the Equestrians in their capital; they were all but stripped of their Humanity in the eyes of their own family but they were some of the Humans whose lineages survived the longest. They all tried but no large gathering of Humans and other races were able to create the new capital for Humanity and their homeland was nothing but ash. Many cities, houses, bands and armies rose and fell over the years and many Minotaurs, Diamond Dogs, Zebras and a few Equestrians have Human ancestry but tragically there was never a grand resurgence in Humanity's power, reach, population or respect. Many of the once royal houses either died out from infighting, were assassinated one by one or lost too much of their power to be considered regal; the few that lasted devolved into raider bands, evil yet tiny nations that lasted less than a century or simply disappeared in the hundred years or so after what's now commonly referred to as 'The Fall of Humanity'...The last known Human died surrounded by her entire village in the Minotuarian Isles...I'm...I'm sorry you had to find out this way, I wanted to wait until you were ready to hear-"

"I was never going to be ready! How the fuck do you prepare yourself to hear you're the last living member of your species?! How did you even think I'd handle this? Did you think I'd be able to shrug it off? Act like a noble, regal ponce and soldier on?! Maybe you thought I'd find solace in the knowledge that some people still give a damn about whatever man sired me and if he had noble blood? Did you think I'd just find out? Stumble across a history book and figure it out on my own so you could avoid seeing all of this? What the hell did you think would happen?" Alistair shouted at the frail man, interrupting his sorry excuse for an explanation, as he turned to look at him; his eyes were bloodshot and his features showed equal measures of contempt, sadness and regret.

"I don't know...I guess...I was hoping you'd react as positively as anyone could when hearing such news...I know it isn't much consolation but you're surrounded by people who wish to support you, to see you rebuild what was lost and to give you the live you deserved." He tried to placate, watching his idol scoff at him and eyed him with anger.

"Fuck being positive. My species is gone, my family has all but been erased from history aside from whatever hogwash you've heard about me and I'm surrounded by misguided idiots in the ruins of everything I worked hard to achieve...Every war I fought in, every spell I conceived and every pupil I helped guide...All of it was to see a better future for my house and my country...Now all that's left is rubble and a few pages in a musty history book. I should've died with the rest of my family and stayed dead..." Alistair cried out in defeat, depressed, angry and tired. Faded Scroll was doing all he could to not panic at the sight of his ruler giving up on everything he'd tried to set in motion.

"B-But you're actions helped Humanity survive for a few more thousands of years...I know this is beyond agonizing to hear, but I know you can help rebuild what was lost, I know in my heart that you can lead a country greater than Val'kala and-"

"I'm not going to build a facade of a country on top of my homeland's ashes. I'm not going to build a wonderland for your followers and your little fanatics, I'm going to rebuild this archive alone if I have to and stay here till someone kills me or I die from entropy." Alistair announced, stunning Faded Scroll silent and rocking him to his core as Alistair merely placed his head in his hands and sighed as he tried to think of anything he could do.

"But...You're all that's left, you're our idol, our hope for a better future! You could rebuild a nation unto which all could live in harmony and you could rebuild the wonderland of magic Val'kala was." Faded tried, and failed, to raise his spirits by reminding him of what he envisioned for Alistair. All it got from him was a bitter chuckle.

"'Wonderland'...Do you know what Val'kala was when I died? A haven of dark magic, terrible inventions and a dictator who ruled with an iron fist. It wasn't a 'wonderland' and it never was. It was a country like any other, the only difference is this one's buried under its people's bones. I don't give a damn if I'm your idol...Your hope...Your messiah, because I don't want to be, nor will be, any of that. I didn't want to come back to the world of the living yet you dragged me back here and want me to lead your pitiful group? I'm only still here because it's become apparent there's nowhere on this world for me to go. Celestia is still alive, my homeland is gone, Chrysalis may still be out there so at least that's reassuring and if I wanted to talk to another Human I'd have to dig up what's left of that woman who died on 'The ass end of nowhere Island'. You woke me up and forced me to witness my nightmare, and you think I want to lead a foolhardy mission to build some kind of delusional cult's promised land? I'm rebuilding my library, you and your people can stay along with the other cultists because I might as well take in as many poor souls with talent as I can, and I'm going to study and occupy myself till I go mad or chaos takes its course. Sorry if it's not the future you wanted, but I don't care for the one you imagined." Alistair ranted, his deep voice muffled by his hands, to a discouraged and hurt Faded Scroll who merely looked down in defeat and shame. "How are your people's food stocks?" He asked, confusing Faded.

"...We have enough food to last a few years." He simply responded, his resolve too shattered to try and convince his liege.

"Good, prepare a feast and tell everyone their 'leader' wants them to all get a good night's rest...Tell them 'they did a good job' and that 'they've still got a long way to go before we're done' or something...Hell, tell them the truth if you want but 'our god has given up on everything' isn't nearly as encouraging for a crowd to hear; I don't care either way, they're your people." Alistair ordered halfheartedly as he looked up to the murals depiction the rise of Humanity and the Immortalis Bibliotheca, his young eyes cloudy with suppressed tears and his pale arms weak.

"Leave." He simply commanded. He listened to the click clack of the old man's cane as he guided himself towards the massive double doors of the study and waited for the loud slam of the doors closing before he got up.

The only sound that could be heard as he softly placed page after page of blank paper on the ground was his metal plates scraping against the white stone and obsidian runes woven into his robe and his quiet ramblings as he prepared a powerful incantation. With no one left to watch him work, he removed his left hand's gauntlet, placed it on the table and brushed his hand against one of the pages at his foot. Simultaneously, an unknown and illegible sigil appeared on them all as he placed his dense, beautifully crafted grimoire on the table as well and filled through the pages until he came across the incantation for a 'Mass Restore'.

If one were to enter, they'd hear Alistair sing a soothing melody in a long dead yet morosely beautiful language as the circle glowed a soft blue and his grimoire a vibrant orange. Light filled the air as the song began to crescendo. The floor, walls, vines and flowers all glowed a multitude of gorgeous colours and they all had an intricate pattern of crossing lines of scripture and symbols woven onto their surfaces. The room shined as if it were day and as the song climaxed on the finishing note, all anyone could've heard was Alistair's body thud against the polished, seemingly new marble floor. As he laid down, his shining hair matted and messy, his hood acting as a small pillow and body exhausted from both the powerful spell and revelation he thought to himself that the floor was as good as anywhere to take a nap.

As he slept, he dreamed of a myriad of locations and faces all lost to time and he silently wept at the future that was stolen from him because of his people's stupidity, his ruler's arrogance and Celestia's actions.

Old Friends...

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"If this damn rain keeps up we'll be sitting here till the last star goes out..." A sick, exhausted and exasperated adolescent muttered under his breath as he bundled up to avoid the chill of the wild winds. He and his companions had taken shelter in a hidden cave in an out of the way riven to wait out the horrendous storm. His brown cloak and hood was ragged and caked in dried dirt, his black boots were drying next to the bonfire burning brightly in the cavern, his shirt and trousers were wrinkled and scratched and his disposition was bitter to say the least. His unkempt brown hair was matted, his baby blue eyes glazed over and his ragged beard was in desperate need for a shave, The pale, frail and weary traveler was never a hiker or even an explorer and his globe trotting mission was taking a heavy toll on him. As he continued to flip through the dark green tome he'd borrowed from his former master he couldn't help but sniffle from the cold.

"Don't worry, we'll be high and dry before another one of them blinks out, so quit your whining and take this." A loud, deep and obnoxious sounding woman reassured as she stopped sharpening her valatite sword and chucked a small grey sack of medicine at the smaller, weaker boy. Her heavy, reinforced silver armour glimmered in the light of the fire, proudly displaying the lion rampant on her breastplate. She was noticeably taller, beefier and gung-ho compared to the only other Human in their motley crew. Her legs and arms were as heavily armoured and by her legs rested her valatite kite shield; the light blue and white of the metal emphasizing the orange lion emblazoned on it. Her closed helmet was resting on the rock she was resting on allowing the teen to see her mocking grin. Her short, self cut brown hair and yellow eyes suited her arguably cute or arguably rugged face. She had a few small scars and cuts on her left cheek and a small burn above her right eye yet she was far from menacing; if anything her oft calming smile and heroic aura inspired confidence. Her thin lips had a small cut obscured by the tongue she was sticking out in response to the glower boy's expression.

"I wouldn't be 'whining' about being cold if you hadn't knocked me into that swamp!" He barked back as he opened the pouch and swallowed the dry, red powder within and downed it with a quick swig from his canteen.

"You're just mad I got to kill the troll while you were swimming with the fishes; 'sides, if I hadn't you would've been plastered on a dozen trees or did you not see it swing its massive club at you?" She mocked, causing the man to stand up and walk over to her. Despite being a foot shorter he was still determined to stare the knight down.

"I suppose you've never heard of a magical shield before you dolt, I would've been more than fine." He scoffed as he rolled his eyes at her.

"You're only able to even cast those little bubbles because you seem to think spending all day and night cooped up in a musty tower is fun, how exactly are you suppose to be the future heir of our house when I'm a bigger man than you?" She teased with a challenging grin, causing the little man to growl and drop his book.

"Tough talk coming from a girl who's still scared of the dark AND chickens! You know how many cockatrices I've killed thanks to my books? I guess we can't all get stuck on boulder gnome duty like some 'renowned knights' I know." He remarked at her, causing her to go red in the face with embarrassment as she dropped her shining sword on the ground after placing it in its decorative sheath.

"Oh ho ho, you're going to regret that..." She promised as she took off her gauntlets and cracked her knuckles as her smaller rival merely hopped from foot to foot and raised his noodle like arms in a boxer pose. Before they could take their mutual hate out on each other's faces, a pair of large, yellow and furry hands grabbed them and pushed them away from each other.

"Now, now you two, siblings shouldn't fight! Look at those two over there, how come they can get along but not you?" The gentle giant of the group lectured as he used his hands as a barrier between the brother and sister, with nothing else to do they looked at Golden Hammer for a second or two before looked back at each other with scowls and thoughts of how they could've won the brawl.

For his part, Golden was somehow able to stay happy go lucky despite the horrid weather and feuding friends. His large, bushy visage was almost stuck in a beaming smile and his black beard was the scruffiest looking thing on his head aside from his flowing obsidian hair with a few braids around his fringe. His lengthy ivory horns were most likely sharper than his wit yet his gentle brown eyes held a wisdom unlike any other. Perhaps it was the years of battle, the good times he'd had or simply that he's an optimistic fellow but the eight foot tall Minotaur was easily the most insightful person in the lot. Despite his calm nature, the arguing Humans were growing on his nerves after two weeks of near constant battle.

"Listen you two, I don't like being a mean person but if you don't get along..." He stopped his little warning to pull out his massive, bloodied stone hammer off his back and dropped it into the ground for emphasis. "...I might have to just knock you two out and carry you to wherever we're heading and none of us want that." He finished with an alarming grin as he placed it away. The hammer was probably as old as the veteran Paladin, the black wooden handle weathered though still as strong as the day he snapped it off along with the solid block of blessed stone. The square stone block was ripped off, by him, from an old Celestial monastery and he believes it helps give him strength in the face of overwhelming odds; most simply chalk it up to his bulging muscles and years of training but divine intervention works as well. His gold and stone armour was dented from maces, burnt black in patches from perturbed mages, riddled with fixed holes thanks to archers and was generally seen as a wreck before his first crusade was over yet the bull mended it himself and still wears it proudly sans helmet and shoes.

"Come on Goldy, you know I could've taken him!" The mage's sister announced as he picked up his master's favourite book.

"Most likely, but we need a healer and it's been years since I so much as looked at a piece of divine text not meant to be used to inflict pain on the unholy." The guardian bellowed, half jokingly, as the apprentice nodded at him and walked off. He didn't want to stick around for when she inevitably walks away from Golden because he knew she'd come at him running. So, instead he decided to check in on the lookout. Walking up the jagged slope to the obscured entrance to the cave, he was shocked to see her missing. Panicking, he looked all around, on the ceiling and behind rock piles, before giving up.

"Okay Chris, stop worrying me before I walk out into the sto-"

"Call me Chris again, let's see how long it'll take Golden to pry me off you." The two toned, sultry yet violent voice announced from behind the paranoid wizard, who in turn jumped in alarm.

"Goddess! Damn it Chrysalis, I can't have three people in the group threaten to kick the crap out of me in one evening." He shouted out in alarm as he turned to face the titular Changeling who simply giggled mockingly at his frightened dance.

"It's not a threat, though I imagine you have more to worry from me then with your blockhead sister; you have been practicing correct?" She questioned, wanting to make sure the only other spell caster she saw as competent wasn't going to die.

"Of course I have, I'm not going to get caught with my trousers down...Again." He said smugly before remembering that one time. To emphasis his point, he pulled aside the right side of his cloak to show his hidden scabbard and short sword.

"Changelings might have little in the way of metal but when they make a blade they make them well; keep it close and keep it sharp, just because you're casting spells doesn't mean they won't rush you like your moronic sister or that aging Minotaur." She cautioned with a surprisingly serious and not so condescending look. As lightning flashed outside, giving him a quick but well lit look at her, he couldn't help but wonder why she was always snarky and looked smug.

The Changeling, like almost all of them, had black and dark grey chitin that was almost as tough as armour and shinier. Her seaweed green hair was held back in a small ponytail and her fringe was unrestrained to cover a small portion of the left side of her face. She had large green eyes with slitted pupils that always seemed to watch you no matter where you were. Her fangs dripped with verbal venom and her face was almost always smirking at someone or glaring with contempt. Her body was rather lithe and her green carapace was hidden by a thick, warm set of black leather armour that covered the bulk of her body while leaving her head and most of her hole riddled limbs exposed. She had a variety of small bags and pouches full of an assortment of items, mostly poisonous, along with a multitude of knifes and blades, also poisonous. Despite being a head smaller than the little man she never failed to spook him.

"I still remember the vital points to hit and how to pierce armour, though an incendiary spell at that range could melt the armour onto their skin...Still, stabbing them does have a more pleasant smell afterward. Your watch should be over by now, want to go grab something from the larder? I'm famished." He offered pointing in the direction of the campfire.

"You're always hungry, and although I don't need food to stave off hunger I might have a small bite if we're not in dire need of supplies." She conceded as she led the way back to the small group.

"You know, I still can't for the life of me figure out why you came with us. We all got some sort of motivation aside from the treasure, but well...You're still royalty, what's it matter to you if you get more treasure?" He pondered aloud with a small air of suspicion causing Chrysalis to smile at him in a somewhat sweet somewhat patronizing way.

"You're a Hierophant's apprentice correct?" She countered with her own question, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, though I don't-"

"And how would you describe your life up until a few months ago?" She interrupted, stopping to look at him as she felt his emotions shift inside until he came upon a mixture of sadness yet pride.

"I'd have to say it's been pretty uneventful and sheltered; the grandest thing I've done was my first spell I invented and all it's good for is fireworks." He admitted with a huff of resignation as he flicked his wrist and formed a sigil in his hand using the strange wordless magic Humans were fond of to cause a small cluster of multicoloured explosions which impressed Chrysalis somewhat.

"A new spell, even a mundane one, is a remarkable skill for an apprentice such as yourself, but I digress. Now think for a moment, what kind of life do you think I've had as a Queen's daughter?" She asked him, looking him dead in the eyes. She felt him get uncomfortable as he looked away from her; she noted how he always loved to challenge people but never liked people trying to intimidate him or stare him down.

"Well...I guess it would've been pretty sheltered as well." He guessed, figuring out where she was going with this.

"Exactly. I've spent the majority of my life so far sitting in a gloomy castle being told what's to be expected of me and how to act and I'll tell you the same thing my 'etiquette instructor' told my mother. A royal can't expect to leave a grand legacy if she doesn't even know the world she's leaving a mark on. I didn't just leave for the treasure or to stick it to her, I did it so I could see the kind of dirt ball I'm going to rule over someday." She announced with no small air of arrogance and with a rather villainous cackle.

"You're, uh, dead set on being a conqueror?" He questioned, somewhat nervous he might be becoming allies with a future tyrant.

"Don't worry, I'll remember you when I'm sitting on the throne. Who knows, perhaps you could be the Royal Seer, ahahaha!" She joked with a flick of her deep green tail. He was peeved at her as it flicked him in the nose but he knew she'd most likely actually attack him if he tried something and unlike his sister he didn't know when she'd stop; sighing and shaking his head at his crazy group of friends, he went back to the campfire and sat down next to the last two members of the gang.

"Ah Alistair! Stopped whining about the cold have you?" The grey Earth Pony teased as she smiled at him, her soft and benevolent voice betraying her jerkish tendencies.

"No Tia, I've just got more things to worry about...Namely starving, pass the meat and veggies and I'll cook us some grub." He offered with a smile back at her as he decided to let it go so he could eat sooner.

"Hey Aurora, pass the food." She ordered as she looked at his sister, causing her to roll her eyes and hold up the magically protected bag.

"You're a working type aren't ya? Then get off your fat rump and do it yourself." She responded as she shook it at her, the whole group sans Celestia laughed in varying degrees as they watched her get infuriated over her one weakness: people pointing out her slight pudginess.

"You are indeed gaining an alarming amount of weight on this life or death quest sister, are you secretly eating double the rations? What do you think Alistair?" Her sister chimed in with a small, barely noticeable grin as she remained staring down at the scroll held in her azure magical grasp.

The two of them were inseparable and insufferable to each other, like Alistair and Aurora but less physically hostile. Celestia was wearing a bulky, decorative yet powerful set of enchanted armour that covered her whole body without slowing the muscular pony down somehow. The platinum armour was a blazing emblem of her people's magic ancestry, power and to a lesser extent their vanity. Despite the Unicorn colours of platinum armour, purple fur lining around the neck and some dark blues it bore homage to all three races as all three contributed to its construction. The Pegasi gathered the raw resources from atop a treacherous mountain range, the Earth Ponies smelted them and constructed the armour and their weapons and the Unicorns enchanted the set. She wore a helm that protected the neck and sides of the head thanks to the wonders of chain mail and allowed her to see unimpaired. It might not be as protective or as dazzling as Aurora's helmet but for a keen fighter, even one as meager as Celestia, sight and clarity in battle is key. At her side rested an extensive, flashy halberd with a spear head at the top of the pole, ax head as the primary weapon and a small hammer head on the opposite side. Her other tool of survival was a large shield that seemed more like a wall of reinforced metal then a standard shield. Only the toughest of Earth Ponies could've lifted a pile of metal that sturdy yet somehow she made it look easy. On the crest of the shield rested the symbols of the three tribes: wind, earth and magic represented through a circle of emerald Earth Ponies, diamond Pegasi and Sapphire Unicorns galloping in a circle. It looked unnecessary and gaudy but that's Pony weaponry for you. Despite her helmet, her long and sparkly pink mane slipped through sometimes hiding her magenta eyes. Her smiling sun cutie mark was hammered into the flanks of the armour and decorated through the use of golden plates. She was almost as tall as Alistair and he found that particularly emasculating.

"Oh, I think from her size she'd be eating at least trip-GAH!" Alistair's jape shared with Luna was rudely interrupted by Celestia as she wrapped her hooves around his throat. As he was beginning to cast a fireball at her, they felt Luna's magic yank her off him.

"Sweet Sister, who'll be around to patch you up the next time you get broad sided by a Giant if you kill Alistair in this dank cave?" She rhetorically asked as he massaged his throat while Celestia glowered at him; Aurora gave her the stink eye and Chrysalis looked at Alistair disapprovingly.

"Do not make me knock you out cold as well! I may be older than all of you but I don't enjoy being a babysitter to a crowd of teenagers with weapons." Gold yelled, surprising the members of the group who couldn't read emotions.

"Yeah...Also, no one's allowed to hurt Alistair aside from me! It's in a contract he made me sign when we were kids and since a Hierophant authorized it it's technically a legal thing." Aurora cut in, causing me to chuckle at the memory of my 'sweets for punches' deal I chalked up.

"Worry not Alistair, your combative skills may be...Lacking, but while I'm around no harm shall come to you." Luna reassured as she looked up from her captivating scroll to smile at him. The mare was probably the nicest person Alistair knew aside from his own master and he thanked the Goddess for having one person in the team who's yet to hit him, accidentally or otherwise. She, much like him, wore a much more simple and bland cloak and light armour set common among travelling mages of all creeds. She wore a black cloak that hid her purple fur and silvery blue mane and horn. She wore a plain white button up shirt under a brown vest and her hooves were decorated with a series of charms and accessories; she also wore a silver circlet with a moonstone embedded in it that connected to her horn. Across her flanks were a pair of stitched on crescent moons like her cutie mark. Her cerulean eyes were always wide and curious despite her reserved and mellow voice. She always spoke politely as well so that's nice. Unlike him, she only kept scrolls, tomes and loose pages in her saddle bags that were applied as powerful conduits when she either can't remember an incantation or if a simpler spell won't cut it. Also, she had no healing or protective spells so the two of them standing side by side in the middle of the party during battles was a common occurrence.

"Here, you cook the food; you're such a hothead so it shouldn't take long to heat it up." Celestia tried to insult, only getting a laugh from him in response. He quickly dropped some meat, vegetables and some stock into a caste iron pot they lugged around and quickly began making a simple broth that had Golden and Aurora already drooling. As Alistair sat down between two good friends, watching Golden Hammer and his sister laugh over stories, listened to Luna go on about magical theories to him and saw Celestia train in the corner of the camp he couldn't help but grin with happiness. It didn't matter if they were sitting in a damp cave, it didn't mean anything to him that the stars were blinking out and the sun was going cold and the fact that they were being pursued by the Undead meant nothing...For the first time, he was seeing the world with a band of heroes he'd come to call friends...He was...Content and thrilled for the future...As he continued to cook the meal, he couldn't help but wonder where Chrysalis-

"You could've probably stabbed Celestia when she was choking you, you know, or is all my teaching for nothing?" Chrysalis scowled as she seemed to appear out of nowhere right next to Alistair, causing him to jump in fright once more and to cause Chrysalis to laugh derisively as well.

As light fluttered into the Lost Archive, illuminating both the newly restored and marvelous sights of the Archive and the rubble and ruin of lost glory, the Coven of the Last Hierophant began to stir from their slumber and rushed to perform their duties. The small alcove near the base of the colossal building had been refurbished into a base camp of sorts for the various groups who'd go on expeditions into both the cavernous depths of the Nox Magicae Archives and the precarious towers and wings of Celestial magic high above. The multiple holes in the ceiling had been covered by tarps and the ruined walls had been turned into guard posts as their alcove was the only viable way of entering on foot. The dusty, cracked floor was covered in sleeping bags, tents and even a few hovels that'd been torn down and set up multiple times; inside one of such shacks sat Faded Scroll. After what he'd heard last night sleep ended up eluding him and so he sat and meditated on what to do from this point onward. His small house of sorts was filled with artifacts of his life, the accumulation of his magically extended life and the heart of his beloved church. From his old tacticians armour, to the sword his mother gave to him, to his personal library of rare braille tomes to the most mundane and childish of toys from his youth...All of it felt hollow to him, like a sign that it was all in vain.

"Faded Scroll, are you-oh, you're awake." A large, husky Diamond Dog bitch with snow white, fluffy fur and a wild, shaggy mess of blonde hair. Her sleepy violet eyes watched her leader hobble out of his chair and walk over to her.

"Yes, I had an early rise and thought I'd meditate for a short while." He lied with a smile, trying to keep the group from panicking until he could formulate a sound way of breaking the news without also spreading mass hysteria and depression.

"Good, meditation is key to both physical and mental well being; even an old codger like yourself could use some of it." She lectured with a grin as she poked fun at her old teacher. The soft spoken Dog towered over most of the camp, even rivaling some of the tougher Minotaur guards, and slouched over so much that when she stops using her two, muscular arms to hold herself up and stands straight she's a beast of a Dog; though to most everyone's surprise the heavyset hound focused on her innate powers instead of her physical brawn. Her fur covered, cute visage was decorated with black lines facing upwards diagonally from her small eyes and red circles in a vertical pattern across her high cheeks. Despite her fur being warm enough to melt a snowman and their local, she still wore the thick, decorated and coveted garb of a Grandmaster, the highest position within the coven with only four living masters at any given time. Her body was wrapped in a dark blue robe with gold accenting and she also went the extra mile and wore a brown cloak and scarf that protected her from the environment but not much else. The only other items she wore were a pair of white, blessed scrolls she'd wrapped around her front paws. The pure white scrolls never seem to fade, get torn, burnt or damaged in any noticeable way. In her palm she'd painted on the black runic symbols of the earth, magical winds and inner strength. They seemed pretty to most people but were downright terrifying to one who adheres to the Last Hierophant's teachings; they were a marker of just how far she'd come as a master of her art.

"I know more about meditation then you do Snow, never forget who was your master after all." He reminded with a welcomed smirk as he was able to push the horrible night aside and simply enjoy a moment with his star pupil. Despite his tone and facade, Snowfall was able to see through his ruse and frowned worriedly as she followed the grey stallion outside.

"What's wrong Scroll?" She inquired as he limped onward towards the massive stairs that led all the way up to the Hierophant's study; it was a feat of athleticism that he was able to hike the twenty flights of stairs up into the increasingly unstable cathedral of knowledge.

"Nothing dear, just some hurdles involving our shared goal. Nothing to be worried over of course." He bluffed with a smile as he tried to climb his way back up. As she watched him wheeze and huff, his hunger, thirst and lack of sleep catching up on him, she smiled as she picked up the frail old man and walked up the stairs.

"You know I can see through your mask, the only real advantage to being trained by a Telepath is that I'm pretty good at reading people's minds myself." She jested as she smiled tenderly as Faded fidgeted in her grasp.

"Snow, you know how I feel about being carried around like a, like a baby." The wise old mentor muttered as he tried to carry the conversation while avoiding the subject and getting over the weird situation he was in. The beams of morning light falling in through the fractured stain glass windows of various hues high above them painted the sour man's face despite the hood he was fond of wearing.

"Oh, you're far, far, far from being a young babe, the wrinkles and crotchety attitude towards helpers gives it away; at your age you should be used to people looking after you." She said as she ignored her trainer's annoyed sigh.

"I'm used to it my dear, but I don't enjoy it." He clarified as he looked up and saw the long path ahead of them.

"Please, all you enjoy is a dusty book, rubble and boring kids to death with your lessons." She mocked, showing her deep and profound respect for the old geezer. "Come on, cheer up, this is a wondrous day! The first day with our true king among us!" She cheered triumphantly, unaware of the darker truths.

"Yes, it truly is wonderful..." He replied as her enthusiasm was only worsening his mental state as he continued to fret over the status of everything. Snowfall grimaced at his bizarre flippancy and stoic behavior but chalked it up to the pressures of running the tight knit and scholarly band combined with integrating the Lord Hierophant into the new world. A lot had changed since he'd died, the advent of modern magic, the Equestrians and the reemergence of the Crystal Empire, the Griffon's increase in raiders coupled with their increasing reliance of technology and warfare, the Changeling's increased aggression and...The fall of Humanity. As she contemplated the ramifications of how he'd react, stepping past rows of ruined statues, long since broken and hastily constructed ramparts, the smashed windows giving way to the stone grey, yellow and blood red of the shifting sands outside and the dust of partially ruined skeletons still manning their defenses she considered the future of her home and how the world would react to their rise in power.

After a short period of carrying the perturbed Telepath and wondering what was wrong, they came across the massive double doors of the main study. Though cracked, lined in vines and almost impossible to move without the use of Weight Manipulation magic it was now pristine, covered in Ancient Human script, the wood and metal door a varnished and healthy light brown with the lion and raven emblem carved into the center high above them. The stone floor, walls and even plant life surrounding it gradually changed from pure and tame to wild and archaic so gradually it almost looked intentional.

"Woah...This is...This is beautiful." Snowfall exclaimed in awe as she delicately put her former mentor down who in turn couldn't help but be impressed at his idol's powers. With a small amount of effort, she was able to push open the door and walk into the shimmering hall.

"Goddess be praised..." Snow prayed as she bared witness to the greatest collection of lost text and scripture she'd ever seen. The marble floor covered in stakes of newly restored yet homeless books stacked neatly, the shelves of old world magic touching the floor and roof in perfect symmetry row after row and level after level. The valatite chandelier high above offered illumination to the top levels, its blue candles burning perfectly but never melting. The walls were lined with rich tapestries detailing the rise of Alistair and his sister accumulating in the gut wrenchingly beautiful murals depicting Humanity's rise, dominion over magic and the act of Alistair's ascension. The room was almost like a gift wrapped perfectly to the coven, a prize for the grueling and costly work they'd all put into bringing the lost world's true custodian of magic back from the brink. The same custodian who was lying on the floor, unconscious, next to an overturned table and chair and surrounded by unknown and burnt sigils. Alarmed, Faded Scroll ran forward unnaturally fast for a man his age.

"My lord!" He exclaimed in fear as he dropped down next to him and felt for a pulse, only to breath out a sigh of relieve when he heard Alistair groan in annoyance and being woken up.

"Damn it all, it wasn't a dream..." He muttered darkly, softly enough so Snow and Fade couldn't hear. Snow also took a knee beside her god and reached into her large white satchel full of general supplies and pulled out a huge, Diamond Dog sized skin of water.

"Lord Hierophant Alistair, are you alright?!" The overstrung Dog asked in a soft yet worried tone while offering the container. As he opened his two toned eyes, he laid them on the bottle, took it from her hands softly and took a long, deep gulp of the cool spring water.

"Physically yes, thanks for asking...You guys want any?" He reassured with a stoic expression before he offered the flask only to receive two polite nos. "More for me." He stated with a despondent expression as he downed half of it before looking back at them.

"If I might be so bold, my lord, why were you sleeping on the floor? We had a cottage constructed in anticipation of your revival while you waited for us to clear the rubble to your chambers." Faded Scroll queried as he cocked his head slightly while Alistair rose and popped his back into place with a grunt.

"Never liked walking down those stairs and I didn't want to use the magic necessary to lose this form to bother you people, besides I only just fixed the floor so I felt like breaking it in....Though historically that's always been a two person job." He lied before joking to himself to try and distract his brain from the crushing reality of his situation. "I'm sorry, have we been formally introduced? I think I would remember a Diamond Dog as lovely as you." Alistair complimented with a slight smile, trying to act like everything was normal, as he nodded at Snowfall while stretching his arms. His simple words still caused the looming Dog to blush slightly, not yet used to immortals flattering her.

" N-No Lord Alistair, we've not been formally introduced to each other. I'm Grandmaster Snowfall, a member of the council that guides your flock and former pupil to Faded Scroll. I-I'm honoured to finally meet you face to face." She said with a deep bow that looked somewhat awkward from a Diamond Dog. Not one for formality, Alistair placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a soft grin to calm her nerves.

"The pleasures all mine, I owe a lot to you and Faded and I'm glad to meet you finally. Also don't bow to me please, I never liked it when people treat me differently and last night was enough fan fair for me." He tried to lighten the mood by acting humble and it seemed to work on Snowfall who was genuinely ecstatic to talk to her idol, though Faded who was watching from the side was deeply conflicted. He never liked watching someone lie or being dishonest...But the truth, and Alistair's blunt words, would crush her...

"Ahem, Lord Alistair, the envoy's are soon to be under way; would you like to see them off?" Faded Scroll informed then offered, derailing their little meet and greet, as Alistair turned away to look at him and to a lesser extent rub the sleep out of his eyes and yawn.

"Yeah sure, why not. Lead the way old timer." He ordered as he watched the younger mage pass him and walked slightly behind him with Snowfall who was absolutely giddy despite her soft voice. As Alistair mentally fortified himself for several minutes of wearing a mask and acting cool, he couldn't help but wonder how fucked the rest of the archive was. Stepping out into the shattered grand hall, seeing the broken statues of Human mages of lore, the shattered ceiling high above, the collapsed stairs leading to nowhere, the shanty town below and the sight of the harrowing desert beyond the broken windows he had to suppress a wail of lament and resigned himself to a prolonged, painful sigh. The others said nothing in response, unsure how to console the Hierophant.

"Well, at least this problem I can fix with some magic and grit..." He calmly announced, as he nodded for Faded to lead him down the old and familiar yet crumbling stairs to his once splendid entrance way. Snow, ever excited, went to ask him all kinds of questions of his past life but as she went to say something, she heard a soft voice in her head.

"Don't, he seems agitated by something." Faded Scroll communicated, knowing damn well what was wrong. Alistair, unbeknownst to the two of them, heard his little message and scoffed slightly figuring that he hadn't broken the bad news yet. The long walk down was quiet, tense and unpleasant but only Alistair fully knew why. As he cleared the last flight of stairs, holding onto the railing for a semblance of emotional support and a connection to his dead world, he couldn't help but notice the hundreds of eyes staring at him. Hundreds upon hundreds of thoughts ran through their minds...Hope, prosperity, divinity, wonderment, youthful spirit and a sense of fulfillment and belonging...He could break it all with a single, painful message...He was tempted, so tempted, to simply kick them all out and start from scratch, isolated in his small pocket of existence, but figured it was kinder to let them loiter until he constructed a proper residence for them and a school for the young, starry eyed colts, fillies, pups and so on...Perhaps, he thought, he could finally go through with his age old project of constructing a proto-city around the Immortalis Bibliotheca. Of course he'd need more followers to populate said town which he hated the thought of but if he honestly wanted his cherished archive to be the beacon it once was he'd need to raise it above its former stature...Which meant spreading the news of its and his revival...Which meant attracting former enemies, new ones and possibly more fanatics or possible greedy, malicious leeches who'd use his magic for evil...But also meant saving the only thing he had left to fret over aside from the handful of cultists gawking at him. Putting a peg in the inevitable conundrum, he decided to strike up an important conversation with Faded Scroll.

"How many in your coven suffer from a loss of limb, sight, hearing, a disease, etcetera?" He asked, snapping the two leaders to attention.

"fifty three, myself included. Why?" Faded Scroll stated without a hint of confusion before questioning him.

"You people brought me back to life, I didn't want to come back and this world is somehow more bothersome and terrifying than the one I died in, but you people still did a lot in my name...I owe it to you people to fix any immediate problems and I'd say a debilitating illness or disability would be a good start." He clarified, his face was expressionless but his voice conveyed a sliver of gratitude.

"Lord Alistair, that's beyond generous..." Snow exclaimed in surprise, her often calm expression shifting to immense shock and relief. Faded Scroll was unable to connect a sentence, dumbfounded at his sudden act of kindness combined with visions of his prior meltdown and total abandonment of his organization; he was able to shake of the sudden, yet growingly common sense of confusion and beamed at him joyously.

"You humble us with your promise, my lord. I'll notify the injured, elderly and ill." Faded Scroll praised with a deep, respectful bow.

"Think nothing of it...Oh, and halt the envoy going to contact Chrysalis' hive." He ordered with a blank expression.

"That'd be mine, why?" Snow inquired, cocking an eyebrow at the sudden cancellation of her hand picked teams deployment.

"Well, she's Chrysalis and if I remember her right she hates most people and would probably either turn you away or attack you since you're a rogue element in the vicinity of her 'land'. Also, I feel like if anyone should tell her I'm alive it should be me..." He informed before going silent for awhile, letting his true emotions show for a short while as a concoction of pain and nostalgia flashed before being muddied by a blank canvas.

"You know her?" She pressed, finding it queer that he'd know a supposed tyrant.

"I hope so. I need an updated map of the area and nothing more." He ordered straight forwardly and was pleased when Snow merely opened her cloak, revealing the solid stone breastplate underneath with runic etchings, and pulled out a large cloth map. As he nodded his head in appreciation, he mentally prepared himself for a blunt update on his treasured lands. He breathed in, opened the map, and held his breath in a somber lack of surprise. Nothing. The map was littered with nothing. There were small landmarks like the Archive, a few ruined towns and farm houses that marked the sandy, ash stained plain. Among the incoherent cluster of debris were markers and constructs from his former home that still stood strong, like Martik's Spear, the great, valatite mesa jutting from the center of the barren wastes. As he glimpsed at the depictions of his former home, he noted the rough location of his old friend's hideaway a few hours north of Martik's Spear and closed it. He knew where to go.

"Thank you, that'll be all." He announced with a solemn, yet quivering voice, that broke Faded’s heart and caused Snow's confidence in his iron will to weaver.

"L-Lord Hierophant, are you-" She started as she reached out to grasp his shoulder with her soft, yet muscular hand to try and sooth the shaking figure only to see him brush it off.

"I said, that'll be all. I'll be back before nightfall." He barked at her as he turned and glared at her. She wasn't afraid of him, she wasn't afraid of anything that could be killed with enough grit, but something in his eyes...Something primal caused her determination to falter.

"Faded, see the envoy's off for me. I would've liked to myself but if I'm going to make it there before night sets I'm going to have to set off early." He commanded with an even voice as he walked forward and sat on the sot covered ground as cultists watched him in anticipation of something.

"But, this trip would take a single person with no transport at least a week...How are-" His logical question was brushed off as his revered leader burst into a light violet flame and dissolved into nothing once more, before morphing into a giant, armoured and robed silver raven. His feathers changed colours like his mystic form, his unblinking eyes shone azure and infernal and his silver body was covered in a blank robe and plated metal.

"Simple, I'll fly. Keep the place clean while I'm gone and don't trash it more than it already is." He interrupted telepathically with a cocky tone, almost excited to use his favourite form. With a flag of his cosmic wings, he soared into the air and flew through a ruined, circular window and out into the free world; he left behind a trail of dissolving feathers and stardust as she flew. As Faded Scroll watched him soar of, unsure whether to take solace in his ability to keep moving on or to hover on his words of despair, Snowfall watched the god like being fade out of view and began to wonder what would have transpired in the events prior. She wanted to warn him of the outside world, but from his tone, his body language and the malice in his every move...She knew he already knew long before she saw him.

As she watched him fade away, she pitied whoever would test his patience.

The chilling, desert air that brushed against his feathered form would've been a welcomed respite from the turmoil within were it not for the missing scent of pine and screeching Wyverns to remind him this was Valatorian air he glided on. The barren, blood stained and ashen land below him was like a bitter, hateful reminder of the ultimate injustice; a painting solely in place to mock him. Every ransacked and broken building scattered to the wild, so haplessly placed and nondescript you'd be forgiven for thinking it was one giant ruined unit, a message that all his efforts were in vain. From the fact that his haven was now merely a speck on the horizon he wagered he was now over Teriq lands. The Teriqs always complained at the sight of his castle turned archive, ragging on his experiments and always coming around should a creature escape or test go awry, and now he'd give anything to have their spiteful lineage back. The last shred of proof of their being he could spot was a collapsed rampart bearing a white and torn banner that would have once been theirs. He tried not to think, not to painfully envision, the few members of House Teriq he respected in their final hours. Did the Equestrian's kill them in combat? Did they rot away in a cell somewhere? Did they swallow poison or feel the air rush past them as they refused to be taken prisoner? Or did the final insult inflicted by the crown wipe them out? All the same, the blank banner said enough to him.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours and the hours whispered madness into his mind. Miles of sand. Miles of rubble. Miles of beasts and miles of dead beasts wearing the skin of people. The land was death incarnate. The sky was empty sans the cruel sun, the ground was barren and salted and the horizon showed nothing but a solid structure of corroded valatite. Mistake upon mistake. Massacre upon massacre. House upon forgotten house. Eight, he'd passed eight different markers of former castles and all of them were indicated through memory alone and all of them chastised him for his failed efforts to save them all. They were all proud, all pious and all noble in their own right. They were Human and now he was the last living thing who knew of their glory. He didn't know if it was the cold wind of the dunes or the ghosts of former lords, but either way they told him everything he didn't want to hear.

They told them how his land was razed.

They told him how his people burned alive.

How they suffered as he slept peacefully.

How they all perished because he was too slow.

Because he wasn't willing to act.

He struggled not to tell himself their deaths were his fault.

Their protests told him otherwise.

The mental assault and voices halted as he physically impacted against the deteriorated and crumbling Spear of Martik with a soft thud. The once radiant metal long since lost its luster. The tip showed signs of erosion and the base, which was rapidly approaching, held feeble marks of insects trying to mine the last great symbol of Mankind. As he smashed into the ground, losing form either from incoherence or pain, he shaped himself back into his Human body and simply stared. He got up and stared. He despised the clump of metal that defiantly jutted from the ground. He always told them how it wasn't an act of gods, how it was most likely caused by magic long ago, but they still saw it as a sign of Martik the warrior god's favor. They worshiped it, they prayed to it and eventually the fools built a city around it. They built churches with pillars that touched the sky and connected them to the monolithic mound through the use of multi coloured rope. They taught naive children and the idiots of Mart that Martik fought against the Demons of Chaos and plunged his spear into the leader's heart where their city was constructed. They boasted about how their metals and weapons were blessed by their god. They forced recruits of the local militia to scale the Spear in a haze to sort out the weak from the strong, so many weak bodies were squashed against the ground like his should've. The vanity of Mart, the stupidity of Mart, the zeal of Mart and the hubris of Man was all symbolized in this one, benign piece of metal. out of all the idols of the Goddess and Gods, all the cities, all the lost institutes of knowledge, all the houses, all the lands...This useless, obscene and vile structure still stood. It was broken, hacked at, crumbling and forgotten yet it still stood. All of his trials and tribulations, his dead friends and slain enemies, his fallen countrymen and lost childhood amounted to a crumbling Archive, a field of nothing and whispers and a pillar of everything wrong in the country he fought for.

He laughed in spite of himself. He guffawed loudly for all the nothing to hear. He cheered with the wind and collapsed into the ash as he yelled out at nothing but the Spear. He laughed, and laughed until it turned into a cold, malicious roar of mirth and as he approached it he kept laughing. As he placed his hands on it and watched it turn a pale blue and turn back to the normal rusted shade of metal he pounded his pale fists into it with all his might. Chunks of metal went flying and the pillar threatened to collapse as he kept pummeling one of the last landmarks of Humanity. His laugh was louder then the sound of the crumbling shine as blow after blow on the useless structure took foot after foot off it. He kept laughing in spite.

"Ha...Ha...Hahaha..." He bellowed out. His throat raspy and his fists bloody. In front of and around him laid piles of broken, rusted valatite. His matted hair was filled with shavings, his teary face twisted into a maddening grin. The mud below him was stained red from the blood that dripped onto it and the tears that fell as well. His robes were disheveled, the armour sizzled against his skin and his runes softly hummed. His eyes burned with loathing and his breaths were ragged. The pain, the pillar and the nothing...It was so damn funny to him. His frustrations dented yet still whole, he shook unevenly as he stood up tall and casted a simple spell onto his body to mend the torn open knuckles. As he turned to walk away from the destroyed metal, he sighed and placed his hand against the base and muttered a simple incantation. His runes almost burned themselves out granting him the extra power necessary to reconstruct the symbol of hubris yet he was capable of it. The metal reformed itself, the rust burned away and the valatite shined with never before seen luster. It was once more complete and looked like an actual spear of valatite. He abhorred it yet saw it as one of the last, mythical symbol of Humanity's existence and that was enough for him to allow it to exist. With his energy spent on his mindless yet calming rage, he decided to walk the rest of the way and hoped the afternoon sun would be kind to him for once.

As the dwindling light of the afternoon kissed the horizon and the hills, he came across the supposed entrance to Chrysalis' new home. The outside looked like a normal cave entrance though through years of learning and studying alongside a few of them he'd come to spot the subtle signs of a Changeling lying in wait. A slight distortion of colour or light, a shape seemingly out of place or an object you couldn't quite make out in the shadows; all of them a Changeling merely hoping you'll be stupid enough to approach them. They couldn't hurt him, at least not as an incorporeal being, without serious magical reserves though he also didn't want to offend their Queen by murdering them so he simply assumed his incorporeal form behind an outcrop of orange rocks and slipped by then by using a simple spell he'd devised to temporarily assume the colour of the world around him. The purple sky, yellow sands and orange rocks gave way to darkness and a soft, sickly green radiating from small clusters of crystals commonly found in Changeling hives. He pressed onward, relieved to be out of the sweltering sun and giddy at the encroaching events. Slipping past patrol, ambushes and the occasional sleeping soldier he soon found his way into the heart of the hive after a few embarrassing wrong turns into dead ends or resting points. The ceiling was covered in illuminating crystals, the air was alive with the sound of wings buzzing and below the concert of busy workers and soldiers patrolling and in the center stood a massive, black, spiky and heavily fortified citadel.

The green glass windows were fortified, the grounds were littered with drones lollygagging or working and the black, pike covered walls seemed impenetrable to one incapable of flight and turning invisible. As he flew over droves of drones and workers, he couldn't help but notice the abundance of heavily armed and armoured ones; it almost caused him to be shocked if it weren't for the times Chrysalis bragged about her people's smiting abilities so it was expected she'd want the best arms for her loyal forces. After sneaking onto the castle grounds and admiring some of the black bush decorations, he used his magic to assume his rarely used and tricky to pull off Changeling form. Like all races, there were subtle things that could tip people off and for Changelings it was the connection to a hive mind. The visual disguise would work flawlessly but if they stopped him they'd figure him out. With a brief flash of colours, a somewhat tall, black chitin covered, green haired changeling covered in an obscuring robe walked out of the shadows and walked into the castle with no problems. The guards seemed fooled by his 'look over there' firework spell.

"Where is she, where is she..." He muttered to himself as he walked down rows after rows of corridors only to come across a pair of heavily guarded doors that touched the chandelier adorned ceiling. Figuring there was nothing left to do but say fuck it, he walked over to the dozen or so guards and smiled.

"Is her majesty inside?" He asked calmly, confusing the mask wearing guard captain notable by his green and black armour that hugged his form.

"Of course she...Wait you're-"

"Thank you, that'll be all." He interrupted as he pushed open the doors with his magic, snapping the guards to attention and notifying everyone inside to his disguised arrival.

The throne room was everything she told him it'd be, carpeted with emerald cloth, adorned with black and green tapestries of her lineage, lined with loyal and scarily massive elite guards, rows of workers at her beck and call, stain glass windows displaying a biased account of her past featuring him and his sister at points he noted. All of these splendid features, including the obsidian statues and trophies she'd hoarded, led up to the 'crowning jewel', meaning her. She sat lazily upon an padded and comfy looking obsidian, emerald and chitin throne that was lavishly padded to make resting on it a luxury. As he approached, uncaring of the guards barking at him, the elite's snapping at attention and Chrysalis herself looking irritated at his arrival.

"I don't recall sending for a scrappy looking worker drone, so why are you?" She loudly addressed, sounding more bored and tired than angry at her disguised friends arrival, her two toned voice stunning him slightly as memories flashed through his mind.

"Just wanted to catch up with an old friend." He answered, his two toned changeling voice disguising his voice somewhat yet still caused her to question herself.

"I'm no friend to an unknown worker drone...Especially one who isn't a member of my own hive! Who are you?" She demanded once more, becoming irritated now at the insult of having a mindless drone in her hall, as she stepped down from her throne and stepped in front of the row of silver, obsidian and emerald armoured Changelings who stood at attention with great, haunting masks with wild green plumes atop them.

"Well, I'm not really a drone Chris. Come on, you remember me right?" He teased with a smarmy voice, eliciting a rise out of her as he was surrounded by the guards as he finally got too close to her for their liking.

"...What did you just call me you whelp?!" She snapped in anger as she thought of the only other person who used the age old insult and walked away. At such a close proximity, Alistair marveled at how similar she was to his memories. She was much taller and more slender, befitting a Queen, yet her seaweed green hair was mostly the same, albeit more elegant and lengthier, her fangs seemed longer and her chitin seemed thinner yet stronger as well. Her hateful, malicious look and jagged horn glowing a neon green didn't detract from the natural and somewhat unnatural beauty given to a Changeling royal. The tall, noble, violent, deceitful Changeling was almost exactly how he remembered her. For the first time since waking up, he had a genuinely warm smile.

"Oh come on Chris..." He started, segmenting his sentence as he removed his cunning facade with a blast of ethereal light to reveal the pale, handsome, immortal Human she'd thought dead. "...Can't you tell an old friend when you see one?" He finished, tearing up as he tried to stay confident in front of his last living friend.

She was paralyzed. Her magical dissipated all together, her hateful look gave way to one of surprise and long dormant sorrow. Her body language shifted so dramatically it was odd and her Changelings saw it.

"A-al?...Leave us, immediately." She commanded sternly, her subordinates flooding out of the room in a wave, leaving them alone. Her emotions gave way and for the first time in a long, long time, she wept openly.

"You...You're..." She muttered, dumbfounded at the sight of her long since buried and mourned friend. She felt a mixture of pain, distrust, fear, sorrow yet an overwhelming amount of joy. She tried to hold back the river as she watched Alistair give into his own emotions.

"I'm alive Chryssie...I'm alive again..." He reassured with a sad, discouraged smile as he approached his confidant and all but collapsed into her. "Out of everything that's warped in this world...I'm glad to see you're still the same conqueror I knew..." He joked with a choked up voice as he felt the waves of barely suppressed emotions pour out into his tired hug. The same broken and confused feelings Chrysalis was able to feel and all of them mirrored the confusion and pain that was being rediscovered deep within her.

They stood there for a long while, Alistair broken and Chrysalis wondering if this was all a long desired dream.

...Older Habits

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After a prolonged embrace the two old friends broke apart, still emotional but far from speechless.

"How are you alive? Celestia isn't known for...Actually, it seems most of the people she's killed have started coming back." Chrysalis started before realizing the recent trend of reappearing villains from the past and chuckled in spite of the situation.

"It's a long story, is there somewhere more private than a throne room?" Alistair inquired while wiping the tears out of his eyes.

"Of course, follow me." She instructed with a gentle smile before reforming the common scowl her minion's have become acquainted with as they trekked out of the colossal room and into the heavily guarded hallway. The guards stepped aside in a wave of motion to let their Queen pass and, despite their best efforts to hide their interest, marveled at the sight of a Human. The short voyage was tense and both of them were already listing the questions they needed answered. Although he was a Telepath and she a Changeling, they'd both sworn long ago to never break the mutual, if arguably misplaced, trust that they'd never overstep that line of privacy and in that seemingly drawn out walk, the two straight faced immortals struggled to keep their promise. As they almost jogged past ornate rows of doors, guards, servants and two toned teal and green windows illuminating the winding walkways with crystalline light they finally came upon a massive set of obsidian and valatite doors bearing the Chrysalis' emblem: The two headed Wyvern roaring into the sky made of chitin, Valatite and emeralds.

"Hey, you took her suggestion after all..." Alistair said aloud wistfully with a mournful grin.

"I could've called her a lot of things back then, but she always was a creative one." Chrysalis remarked as she opened the doors with her magic and regarded her empowering mark with pride. Together they walked into her private quarters bathed in a thick haze of darkness. Almost as if it sensed their presence, the room lit up thanks to the aid of several crystal growths in the black walls which offered atmospheric lighting for the dimly lit room. It was furnished with unorthodox taste as it was lavished with finely designed lounges, a marble fireplace with a soft purple fire burning in the hearth, a twinkling chandelier of glass that seemed to reflect the light, a massive, pillow covered dark green bed that looked soft enough to melt into and, to Al's surprise, a ornate balcony; the idea of a balcony to Changelings and Humans was largely unheard of a few thousand years or so a go given the possibility of an assassin entering through it.

"I never fancied you to be one for Human decor." Alistair commented, not sure whether or not this was some kind of practical joke or a cosmic coincidence.

"After Celestia's army burned through the land, many nobles seeking refuge offered the most bizarre things as tokens of gratitude...I'm not used to these, but I'm sorry-" She began, watching as his expression shattered at the mention of the forgotten war.

"Don't be, you tried to help me, help all of us...I just wish you could've been there sooner." He interrupted her, not wanting to hear her apologise for someone else's sins.

"As do I...Also, don't make it a habit of interrupting me." She reminded with a soft smirk of authority, causing him to smile and huff in amusement as he collapsed into one of her plush, azure and silver couches as she gracefully rested on the parallel one.

"Noted...So...You go first." He conceded, not sure where to start himself so he allowed someone else for once.

"As I asked earlier, how're you alive? We scoured the ruins of the Immortalis Bibliotheca but all we found was stardust and mortal corpses...You should've told us you were still alive." She reiterated with equal confusion, vexation and elation.

"I'm alive now but for a few thousand years I wasn't...Just a ethereal shade giving bits and pieces of my live force to any drifter I found worthy of my former gifts...We fought hard Chryssie, we fought damn hard to stop her. We held out for a lot longer than Aurora thought we would...We held out long enough to evacuate the whole of Northern Val. We fought on long enough and with such vigor that I was able to fool myself into think we could win...The mere second Celestia joined the fray it was a total shift. For every cataclysmic event I caused, she was there to halt me long enough for her men to fall back, for every ambush I orchestrated her elite guard was two steps ahead of us...With her solar magic at their disposal and her immortality capable of clashing my own gifts head on it didn't take them long to break through the first set of gates and for the first to fourth regiments to break apart like rubble. We fell back to the Archive and I told my men that those who didn't want to hold the line could use the last functional ley line left to get back to the capital and from there rally some reinforcements or something...I knew they wouldn't make it in time but it was the false hope that made most of my battalion fall back." He recounted with a damping sense of failure hanging over him like a shroud. She could sense the woe and hopelessness radiating off him like a rancid, muted stench.

"Your men spoke highly of you, even when they were senile and on their death beds they still thanked you for the fact they lived to see another day." She reminisced with pride in her supposedly fallen comrade, her melodic voice surprisingly clement as she watched him struggle with his emotions.

"Thank you, knowing you kept your promise helps a small bit...Still, in the end it was me and a handful of soldiers with an immortal at our gates with her army..." He praised with a mellow voice as he turned away from her and stared into the hearth, the flame burned as bright as the memories of razed barracks and citadel walls...

"It was...It was a massacre...I promised victory, glory and honour to those loyal few who stood by me till the end...And all that marks their collective grave is a crumbling library and a sea of sand..." Alistair lamented with a heavy heart and palpable sorrow. "In the end...Our fighting really was all for nothing." He wailed, trying to compose himself in an orderly sense but the eons old scars still felt new and bloody.

"At least I tore into her, heh, she didn't walk away from our duel looking pretty...One might even have called her scars and burns hideous..." He laughed with a cruel smile, savoring the only wounds he was able to inflict on her.

"I'm...We all knew you'd died with your loyalists, but to hear it was a slaughter...Golden was right in the end." She thought back to his parting words with spite.

"Gold always was a sage prick, at least he knew how to pick the right side when it came to war. So, in the end I was bleeding out on the floor and she was limping away like a kicked puppy. I was terrified, dumbstruck and every other word to match; how could I have fallen so easily to a corporeal weapon? And what kind of sadist would've used my own family blade against me?" He rhetorically asked, finding a strange irony in his fate.

"Poetic murder and banishment are her specialties it seems." She huffed, angered more so by the added details to his demise.

"As I laid there, feeling my spirit and body tear asunder, I remembered the last thing my mentor taught me before he ascended. It was ludicrously stupid and if it backfired...Well, I had to try...And it backfired." He recounted, a sad grin adorning his features as he thought how bittersweet the mistake was. "I was trapped on the other side, neither dead nor alive and only barely existing; were it not for my eternal sense of peace and my glimpses into the mortal world I would've gone as mad as a Draconequus. In the end, I came to love my prison and relished in my untimely death...Until a pack of cultists woke me up and told me everything and almost everyone I knew is dead and forgotten while also expecting some kind of miraculous reconstruction of what I've lost." He finished, fulfilling her request as he sank into her cushy sofa and sighed.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like...If you so desire, you can remain here with me and my people; many of them have only heard of Humans in legends and glimpses from the hivemind and if you were to stay I'm sure it'd help get this sorry lot motivated to at least attempt to function; you make a decent morality boost." She offered, trying to display her usual mean sense of demeaning humour.

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. The Archive is my home, always will be, I can't simply walk away from it in such a state and if I live here then those cultists will no doubt come over and I doubt they'll all make the trip; they're unwanted but I don't want them to die for my sake. Too many already have." He refused with a resigned look.

"Shame, I could use a competent adviser. So, what shall you do now? Your only powerful ally is despised by many, your followers are blind and your land is either claimed by the Equestrians, Griffins or Dragons or simply uninhabitable." The Queen reiterated with a questioning gaze, in response he sat there in silent contemplation, the only audible sounds the ruffling of his magical robes and the smoldering flame, before shrugging and grinning faintly.

"Well, you've always been despised by many-"

"You wound me, truly."

"-So I'm not too worried about that, I'll educate the cultists and see to it that if they choose to stay in my lands that they don't see me as an infallible god and I'll make sure they're trained and focus their magical talents on what the Archivists have always been interested on...And as for those backstabbing braggarts..." He paused with a small, familiar and sinister grin as his eyes glimmered with a dulled intensity.

"I'll rebuild what was taken from me, I'll exhaust all my reserves and supplies and lay the foundations of my Archive brick by brick if I have to. I won't let all my sister's work be squandered. It's been eons, so any claim to my stolen land is all but washed away...I can part with it, most of it didn't belong to my family to begin with...But if they come back, if they swagger in with zeal and dare to try and pilfer what I have left then I'll scorch their armies and raze their lands like I should've long ago." He announced with suppressed ire and desire, his very being radiating might. "I want nothing more than to be left alone and research till I die again but if they come back, if she comes back, I won't hold back once more." Alistair once more pressed, almost galvanizing the malicious Queen.

"Your remark is deserved, to say the least, but do you even possess the ability or numbers to contend with a modern army? Although she's losing her edge in my opinion, dear sweet Tia commands an army, has several iron clad alliances and there's two more Alicorn peons wandering Equestria now. She's still a global contender and you're a freshly revived amalgamation with a merry band of fools and the support of an exiled Changeling Queen...Although I loathed to say it, the Equestrians seem the clear victors once more." She rebutted, her emerald eyes scanning her companion for any hidden agendas or emotions but came up disappointed; once more she wished she could break their pact and see what he truly felt. She arose and walked over to her prim and regal dresser and levitated the large wooden tray supporting a valatite and sapphire set of tea cups and a kettle.

"So Celestia is at an advantage despite solely relying on others like a leech, I'm a fish out of ethereal water and people hate Changelings...Does none of this ring a bell? At least this time I'm actively trying not to cause problems and mind my own business; unless the world is ending or Celestia comes knocking I don't plan to get involved with anymore global scale bullshit; let her sort it out if she's still hard on about policing the world. I just want my home back so I can research in peace and tidy up my corner of the desert." He clarified with an unusually calm facade as he watched her actions and looked around the room for his desired relic.

"Strong words, but actions solidify reigns. Regardless of whether or not you want to avoid the world and isolate yourself, you're an immortal being with sway over unnatural forces like the Sisters or myself, people will seek you out when they discover you're alive...Would you like some emerald tea? Pardon my lack of common courtesy, I'm not used to entertaining friends or anyone for that matter, three sugars correct?" She cautioned before offering a cup of vibrant green boiling tea.

"Yes please...I know someone will sooner or later cause trouble or try and kill me, it's the nature of things regrettably, but the longer I can simply exist while picking up the pieces of my glorious library the better. This goes without-thanks-without saying, but don't breath a word of my reappearance to anyone, especially the other Hives." He stated with a straight expression on his drained visage as she sashayed back to her couch with a few cups in magical tow. He took a long, slow and savoring slurp of the sweet, glowing beverage as she idly watched him and pondered several things.

"Of course, those blind fools wouldn't even sell you out to the worthy opponents and they've never been hospitable to me. The world's changed so much since we parted, If you so desired you don't even have to stay here or ally yourself with me. So many lands have been lost, founded or discovered and the world seems endless with Equestria merely being a speck on the map...The world's changed drastically, don't resign yourself to this lonely stretch of sand and ruins just yet." She stated, instilling a sense of dread and hope in equal parts into Alistair, who merely grinned at her dramatic comment.

"I'm not doing anything for the monarchs, for my family or even for my lost followers...I don't even know what I should be doing, so far I'm just trying to do something with my time...I'll rebuild the Bibliotheca and see to it that my new fans don't burn it down or start wars in my name, from there onward it's anyone's guess where I'll be and what I'm doing...But if I find something worth doing, I won't be doing it because they would've wanted me to...Not like doing anything for them would bring any of them back anyway." He announced, more to himself then Chrysalis, with a questioning gaze staring up into the semi reflective ceiling while his companion smiled to herself.

"As indecisive as ever. Alistair...I've missed you, we all did. Welcome back." She welcomed with a genuine, warm voice and gentle smile. The infectious nature of the two displays won over Alistair as he found himself grinning back at her with a charming expression adorning his pale face.

"As much as I love seeing your shuffling corpse of a physical form again, I'm sure you came for something aside from a heartfelt reunion." She questioned, still keeping her disarming glow as she pressed the conversation onward.

"Yes in fact, though I'm ecstatic that I've finally been able to talk to someone who can fathom how I'm feeling. I came for my family's sword." Alistair informed, his smile wilting slightly as he almost dreaded retrieving it. Chrysalis merely nodded in understanding as she used her extensive magic to retrieve the priceless blade.

"And how, pray tell, do you know I have it? I do of course, but I don't entertain spies in my court." She interrogated light heartedly, half jested and half serious, as she placed a lengthy rectangular box of white elder wood onto the sparsely decorated table between them. The box had a small, yet intricate, topaz and sapphire etching of a lion and raven respectively, marking it as property of House Leonas.

"My guess would be converts from your hive or one of my little cultists was snooping, if I knew how they knew I'd tell you...Damn, haven't seen this box since...Well, the ceremony...Goddess, elder wood really never ages huh." Alistair stated with a nostalgic inflection as he ran his hand over the insignia and grasped the sides of the box so as to ease the cover off.

"I've kept the blade in top condition over the past few years or so, whetting it was a chore given the enchanted properties of valatite steel but to be honest it's kept itself together well enough without me since I doubt Celestia was personally repairing it in her musty vault." The Queen said with admiration in her voice, as he removed the hardened cover of the case to reveal the priceless and ageless blade resting on a velvety bed of golden fabric. He faltered for a moment as he removed the prized weapon.

"Chimera's Talon once more in the hands of a Leonas, as it should be." Alistair remarked with pride as he maneuvered the longsword and examined it for damage or decay to its enchantments. The silver and blue blade shimmered as if it was only just polished after being forged, the rune inscription running along the obsidian guard and within the fuller radiated hidden power while the dyed white leather grip was still as vibrant and sturdy as always. As Alistair shifted it around in his hand, causing the crackling green light from the fireplace to reflect spectacularly off its surface, he noticed the cracked, dull topaz in the pommel and sighed morosely.

"Intact, but incomplete...Still, merely possessing Talon is putting me at ease. Chrysalis, I can never thank you enough for saving her." He congratulated with a shared smile as she simply nodded with smug satisfaction.

"Please, all I did was salvage it from the bowels of Celestia's vault; if you want to thank anyone for saving it I'd wager little Luna would be the one to shower with praise." She clarified, brushing off the impressive feat as she directed his praise towards someone he'd rather forget.

"No thanks, as far as I'm concerned she can go hang with her sister...Wait...You broke into Celestia's vault? How?" He muttered darkly before remembering what she started with and spun around to face her with amazement.

"Well first I had to take control of the city..." She started, watching his wonderment and feeling the positive emotions oozing out of him like a starry eyed child.

"Tell me everything." He demanded with awe as he rested the sword in its case as he sat down with Chrysalis as she grinned ear to ear as they began to drink their now cooling tea while she regaled him with the story of her almost total victory.

"Three years ago my hive was in dire need of love so I devised a brilliant plan..."

"'Ey Captain, Lancer's got the shakes again." Brass Boulder, the sweat and armour clad giant of a Earth Pony, exclaimed with a chuckle as he slapped the jittering pegasus private on the back. His thick Manehatten accent made him all the more insufferable and the sweltering conditions of the inside of the armoured carriage along with the drone of the engine, stench of sickness and the overabundance of greenhorns only made the routine patrol all the more horrible.

"as I said earlier, get 'im a bucket and let him ride it out. Sorry partner, but we ain't got the supplies to deal with whatever ya got; when we get back home I'll rush ya to the clinic. Sit tight." I ordered strictly, scowling at the moron, before trying to reassure the sickly soldier. The grey pegasus was shaking something fierce, sweating more than the other grunts and look about ready to hit the hay. All in all, it was bad. Heatstroke was one thing on desert deployments, this was something else.

"T-T-Thanks Captain..." Lancer stammered out as he held onto his seat while the carriage rolled over another dune, the thin rays of sunlight going wild as the ride got bumpier and tossed the soldiers around slightly. The new Griffin made carriages were built well enough for the snow, forest and almost everything in between; in the desert it was like a sauna and it doesn't help when the plates make you wear full armour. Exhausted and irritated, I took off my dusty stetson, rubbed my glove covered hoof over my forehead and moved the copper and sandy yellow hair out of my eyes before putting the old thing back on. Besides Pa's old ax my hat was the only thing out of the ordinary they let me keep in the field.

"Ey Sir, what the buck are we doing out here again? There's nothing but sand and rocks out here." Boulder asked once more, causing me to rub my eyes and groan as the stress and heat started getting to me. Looking at the golden plated stallion who was busy polishing his sword, I huffed and addressed my platoon.

"As I'm sure those of ya who got a good education or grew up in these parts like I did, you'll know these parts aren't just full of sand and rocks like Private Boulder here thinks. These lands are full of ruins and cities from long dead people that I don't quite frankly know a whole lot about. It's our job to make sure raiders and such ain't using said ruins to set up camp as they tend to do; though we're not expected to bump into anything. That, Private Boulder, is why we're out here and I won't repeat myself for the fourth time." I shouted out, informing the bored platoon while calling out Boulder for being a jackass. As I stand, squashed between Boulder and Tango, I become all the more aware of the confines of the tin can. Besides the lighting and smell being generally atrocious, there's not much wiggle room and having a full platoon complete with weapons and armour don't help none. The roof is only tall enough for myself to stand and for a lone cannoneer to operate the bulky but compact piece of artillery on top from the small hatch a few steps behind me near the drivers. The troops held onto their junk, had their weapons sheathed and helmets on the floor ready to be put back on after having some of Lancer's puke wiped off. Like all trips in what we all affectionately called the hot box we were damn tired and sweating like a pig wrapped in burning metal.

As I sat back down, I decided it'd be best to try and get some rest and ignore the hellish conditions and annoying troops. collapsing into my seat, buckling in and placing my hat over my eyes I tried real hard to get some rest...If it weren't for the smell of sweat, rations and metal and heat it would've probably been easier. Still, so long as the soldiers thought I was napping they'd ignore me and keep themselves occupied.

The last few months had been rough for the southern frontier what with the raiders and dragons, but now that we had some of those toys the tin cans in Canterlot had we should be able to give the gutters a proper buck to the bits. Sure, Appaloosa had seen better days and some of the locals moved on north but it was still home; even if more and more of the city types were getting deployed and placed under my command. The raiders had never really been a problem before, heck they never even tried to kill or kidnap ponies in the past, but in the last year or so things got rough and now here I am baking in a hot box with a team of city colts who knew nothing of the south; at least they can use more than pies as weapons so that counts for something. Minutes turned into hours and before we knew it, the ride got cooler and quieter as the sun began to set, letting soft, pale orange and purple light into the bleak, grey war machine.

"Un-bucking-believable...We wasted a whole day on patrol and the only hazard we found is Lancer's puke..." Boulder exclaimed loudly in frustration, his voice raspy from the dry air and lack of water due to rationing. His annoying accent broke my daze and with sleep alluding me still I put my hat back on my matted mane and looked over to him with a look that screamed for him to be quiet or he'd be running laps when we got back.

"Look Boulder, I know today's been rough on everyone but could ya..." I paused, smelling sulfur and a strange, enticing and sweet gas of some kind...

"Captain?" He questioned, confused at my sudden pause as he looked around before sniffing the air as well.

"What is that...Oh buck! Move, move, move! Get out of this bucking-" I tried to hastily order, managing to get some of the few around me to push towards the massive, reinforced doors but it was in vain as seconds after I stood up and gave the command our landship was rocked hard by a thunderous explosion. The front of the armoured carriage burst into azure flames, melting the mechanical controls and operators alike, while the sides of the hold were dented as an unknown adversary began firing on us. Picking myself off the ground and drawing my ax, I watched as Lancer and another guardsman pushed open the doors and charge out into the light.

"Sir! I'll man the cannon, I'll cover ya!" Boulder announced as he shakily got back onto his burly hooves and adjusted his helmet before placing a pair of goggles over his crimson eyes and smirking.

"Give 'im hell private!" I shouted in response as I ran outside, ax drawn and head down.

The dunes were already burning a plethora of colours as our enemies rained magical and explosive fire down on us. The hornheads in the platoon had formed a solid shield and were slowly pushing forward and upwards to the top of the golden, rock covered dune the bandits had set up on. The battle had just begun, but I was already down two soldiers as a pair got hit by a hail of arrows and magical bolts when they pushed a bit too far too fast out the door; stepping over their smoldering bodies, I ran up to the unicorns and began barking orders.

"Divine, get over to Boulder and keep a shield on him! Cobalt and Fray, keep those shields up and move up this damn hill! Everyone else, keep an eye out for flankers and chargers, we're exposed out here and we've already lost too many in my books!" I commanded with a stern, cracking voice as the hours of travel in heat with minimal water began weighing me down. As I surveyed the field I saw we were up shit creek.

Our armoured carriage had taken a beating, the sturdy and plate covered front was bathed in magical flames and the golden sheen was rapidly degrading into a rusted pile of scrap because of the magical effects, the treads were torn to shreds as the opposition knew exactly where to hit to cripple the vehicle, leaving the left side of it riddled with holes and a torn strip of tread. The rectangular, silver body of the carriage was still largely intact and made decent cover but it was a death trap to stay inside with equipment powerful enough to melt the drivers together. Similarly, we were all melting under the sun with a lack of resources and some of us stumbling over themselves from fatigue or sickness. Their gold and silver plates were tough and well suited for melee fighting, but out here in the blistering sun with mages and cannoneers? They might as well be naked. My dragon scale mail and padded leather was light enough to keep me mobile and not drenched in my own sweat but unlike them I don't have the advantage of several layers of metal protecting my vitals. As Boulder threw open the roof hatch of the ruined ship, only to be greeted by a hail of arrows, pellets and bolts that were halted by a pale white aura, and maned the small, black mounted canon I grabbed my iron ax and raised it above my head with valour.

"For the Princesses and for Equestria!" I cried out with bravado, remembering some of the standard rallying cries they taught me, as I pointed towards the still unknown enemies and gave the order to advance. The group cheered with deafening fury, as the unicorns struggled up the hill as whatever those bastards used on the ship was being repeatedly slammed against the multicoloured shield repeatedly, their intense, dark blue flames washed off like acid rain. As we pushed upward towards their entrenched position, the echo of cannon fire and clap of magic muffling the surrounding grunts of effort and shuffling of armour, I became acutely aware of the language spoken by the unknown enemies. It was difficult to make out over the sounds of battle, but I could tell it wasn't Equestrian, Griffin or even Buffalo. These people weren't from around these parts, weren't the typical raiders and weren't big enough to be adolescent dragons from further south. Something was off about these bastards.

"Sir! Get down!" I heard Lancer cry out before I felt something massive tackle me into the sand. Somehow, something broke through our magical defenses without shattering the shield. Looking up into the bandit on top of me as I reached for my ax, I felt a mixture of revulsion and horror at the monstrous thing.

It had parts of an Equestrian face, a muzzle, mane and even a normal ear but so much of its face was warped and just plain wrong. In between patches of molting and dead grey fur was splotches of red, raw skin that looked cracked and pustular. Its eyes were sunken in, tiny and held an insanity I'd never seen in a creature before; the most disturbing thing about the eyes were that they didn't match, one was much larger and more normal but the other...It looked like it'd forcibly sewed it to its face somehow. Its mane was balding and dead, as was its fur and feathers. Its wings were crippled and broken but still twitched in agony, its body was pony but there was no cutie mark and was far too skinny to be healthy for a pegasus. As I grabbed my ax to help pry it off me and remove its putrid hooves off my throat, I noticed one of its hooves was mutated like the rest of its body. Out of the bottom of the left hoof were little, bony talons not unlike a Griffins; they grasped my throat weakly but felt so alive and disturbingly fleshy. Grabbing the old iron ax, I silenced its insane screaming by hacking it in its right hoof, causing it to weaken its grasp. As it struggled to hold onto me with the ax jutting from its hoof, I bolted up, headbutted the monster and while it was lying on the ground dazed I tore the ax out and slammed it into its face. Killing was never easy, but something about this creature...Something told me I was doing it a favour.

"What the buck are these things?! Are they even Ponies?!" Lancer questioned hysterically, impaling a similar creature on his lance as it ran straight for him with a rusted sword swung wildly.

"Don't know, don't care! Keep moving!" I ordered, trying not to linger for too long on the freaks more than I had to, as we slowly pushed onward. The further we got to the top of the dune, more and more of these monsters rushed us from all angles; they seemed to pop out of nowhere, like they could walk on thin air or something. The guards were standing their ground and the monsters weren't on par with a well coordinated advance, but the cracks in our defenses and our exhaustion was growing rapidly. Our miniature cannon manned by Boulder was raining fire on anything that tried to get around us, the scatter shots turned infantry into mush and worked pretty well against armoured junk but with the little amount of ammo we had, the waning shields and never ending forces the cannon didn't seem that useful in the long run. Still, we pushed upward and onward. The sand was painted a sickly red along with our armour and weapons as the monstrous perversions of Ponies kept swarming us from seemingly all angles; were it not for their lack of self preservation I imagined we would've been easily overwhelmed.

"C-Captain, Radiant's dead! Our shield's falling fast!" Lancer shouted out in disgust and fear as he failed to stop the gaping wound in the silver unicorn's neck after another private successfully forced the beast responsible to the ground and smashed it's grotesque face repeatedly with a steel mace. As the entire unit pressed together, allowing the shield to fully cover us but gave us less room to move, we pushed over the tip of the dune and came face to face with the brunt of the horde.

While our armour was battered, weapons dulling and bodies exhausted we were able to push on and dispatch the mindless creatures with ease, but as we came face to face with the black, crackling portal encircled by stone runes, and their nest of cannons we realized our advantage in close quarters meant jack. They were able to sacrifice units because they had no need to wait for backup for supplies, every second one or two fully clothed and armed, albeit with low quality equipment, Pony monsters charged out and fell in line quickly ready to run head first at us. Along with the endless stream, the cannons were heavily guarded and far enough behind the portal to be impossible to hit without dealing with the flowing masses of monsters.

"Celestia's mane..." I mumbled with dread, gripping my old axe with newfound grit, before turning back to my dwindling platoon; whatever the hell we'd stumbled into, we can't walk away now and we'd come too far to retreat with enemies all around us and a decommissioned transport. Axe held high, I cried out with righteous fury and false bravado.

"For the Princesses and their lands!" I bellowed, my accent and charm giving way to sterling ferociousness as I pointed at them and commanded a full frontal assault. Our hooves were a thunderous stampede and our barrier a respite against their hailstorm of cannon fire and arrows; yet for each thunderclap and blocked attack they met us with numerous reinforcements and layers of suppressive fire that threatened to break our thinning shield. The snarling, maddened beasts charged through the phantasmagorical shields somehow, their bodies burned and torn in spots yet somehow still moving through the magical wall like their seared flesh barely fazed them.

Onward we pushed, gutting and pushing back any of the wretched beasts that advanced through our barrier and tried to kill our spell casters thus leaving us vulnerable to their ceaseless cannon fire and arrows. The shoddily armoured and armed marauders were dispatched with ease, being little more than grunts and fodder for our spears, but the hordes were weighing us down and slowly but surely killing us with bug bites; every scrap, cut and smashed plate of armour left us more and more exposed and weakened for when they decided to throw something bigger at us.

After several waves of freaks, each greater in number and skill, we were down a few soldiers and one mage; although they'd suffered greater losses it was a small comfort given the importance of each member of the thinning platoon. But, through grit and bloody will, we were at the portal and seemed to have bought some time as they had to set up their cannons to fire almost directly forward as all that stood between us was a handful of yards and an ominous, swirling portal.

The portal radiated an intense aura of dread, like it was a hole straight to hell. The ground was decorated with several stone runes with intricate and alien symbols carved into the surface, the green sigils glowing with power. The rift was spawned from what looked like a shapeless, colourful explosion of light that gradually spiraled out into a black and dark green maelstrom of magic; the edges of the portal crackled with small arcs of energy that either connected to the runes or fizzled out when it touched the auburn sand.

Catching my breath, I turned to face Lancer. He was caked in blood and looked shaken, like the rest of us. This had rapidly turned into an unprecedented shitshow and with so little of our forces left they were panicking; Lancer was doing his best but was on the verge of breaking down.

"Lancer! Help me-Get down!" I began ordering, only to tackle him to the ground as our shields fell in a sudden burst of light that was quickly overwhelmed from the sudden and blinding explosions all around. After the bombing stopped abruptly, I rose with axe in hoof and surveyed the damage. Sand, dust, ash and gore was sprayed about and ever present, our mages were nothing but chunks of burnt metal and meat and what was left of our dwindling forces was reduced to four burned, tired, deafened and dazed soldiers bathed in dust, sand and blood. wiping the same mixture off my face, I grabbed Lancer's outstretched hoof, picked up his spear and gave it to him.

"Bucking hell, keep them off me I'm going to break their portal!" I ordered with a breaking, wheezing voice. Our ears ringed louder then the explosions and sounds of battle but he knew what I'd said and prepared to defend himself at the tidal wave of soldiers charging out of their nest of cannons and cover.

As I knelled before one of the six dull green and black runes crackling with energy, I hoped my axe was sturdy enough to get the job done but was surprised when it tore into the stone-like object. The axe cleaved it into two jagged pieces and it sporadically shot energy into the air. With a sickening cry out in pain, a loud roar was echoed on the other side of the portal as something massive stomped towards the gateway. Readying myself, I prayed it'd be a swift victory. I knew no such respite was coming, however, when the towering goliath burst through weapon in hands.

The only word someone could use to describe the new monstrosity would be perverse. It was roughly the same height as a Minotaur, the lower half of its body was covered in stained and matted black fur but the rest of its body was disturbingly muscular and devoid of hair. The pale, scarred skin was adorned with veins that risked bursting through its flesh and strange symbols painted on his arms glowed with power. A large, rusted collar with a snapped off chain rested on its thick neck and its head seemed like a cross of a Minotaur's and something else entirely. It still had the sharpened ivory horns and protruding nose common among the bull like people but its eyes and other features were either way too small, damaged and torn or simply missing; It looked like the majority of its body was either falling apart or ridiculously brawny.

In its meaty, chaffing hands it clutched a giant stone hammer that looked older than the Princesses themselves yet as he raised it with an echoing roar it became clear it was as hefty as a paperweight to the monster. Despite the aching in my bones, I jumped to the side as it smashed its oversized weapon into the ground I'd stood upon. As it looked at me with madness and contempt I rushed towards him and swung my axe deep into his chest. Despite the tremendous force I put into the swing, all it accomplished was a grunt of pain as it sunk into its body. The wound was deep, almost swallowing the blade entirely, yet despite the profuse bleeding it let go of its hammer and before I could run away picked me up in both hands.

As I trashed and squirmed in his grasp he raised me up to his sweat covered face, sneered at me with pure hatred, and began slowly squeezing with growing might. I struggled vainly, hacking at his hands in an attempt to escape, but as I felt my ribs crack and snap audibly, I screamed out in pain; the beast chuckled at this, only to howl in surprise and pain as he loosened his grip on my body to face whatever had annoyed him.

"Let him go..." Lancer ordered with a wavering frown as he removed his blooded spear from the monsters right elbow and stood strong before the titan. It growled intensely and per his request let go of me by throwing me through the air back over the crest of the dune.

As I tumbled down the sandy slope, only aggravating the internal wounds, I saw what remained of the carrier. It'd been gutted, almost all of its armour plating had been destroyed, the treads were torn to shreds, the mage who'd remained behind had seemingly been torn apart by the monsters and Boulder, having run out of ammunition, was fighting off the freaks with a standard issue dagger. He stood atop the vehicle, knife in hoof, as three of them rushed him from three sides. As I crashed into the ground at the bottom hard, coughing up a bit of blood, I watched as he stabbed the one in front repeatedly in the face, tearing apart its ghoulish visage, while holding onto its sword hoof. As the monster from behind approached, he bucked it in the chest violently causing it to fall off the transport and impale itself on a jagged piece of scrap metal on the ground; as he pushed the dead ghoul warrior away, the third one grappled with him and began screaming at him loudly and repeatedly before throwing both of them off the other side of the carrier. As I stood up and hobbled over, I saw and heard a great flash of light, but as I neared the entrance of the carrier all I saw on the other side were corpses.

"S...Shit...Damn it all..." I cursed in between painful hacks of blood as I sank down slightly. I slowly crawled inside the torn apart transport and collapsed against the wall at the back of it. The sounds of battle where dying slowly while the cries of suffering and malicious joy rang out. The smell of copper and gunpowder wafted through the air like a bloodied furnace. As my vision grew blurry, I spied a flare gun to my left. It'd fallen out of a damaged emergency supply box along with some painkillers and medical supplies. After swallowing some pills and bandaging my surface wounds, I leveled the small gun in my shaking hoof; I wouldn't let them take me, I wasn't going out without a few more of them...

As I heard the sound of shouts of alarm and battle once more, my vision grew blurry and I slowly began falling over before finally letting the darkness embrace me...

As I soared through the orange and purple sky, the sun setting on the horizon, I pondered many things. In between bragging about her successful, and quite bloody, regime Chrysalis told me all that I needed to know in my absence. Discord reappearing and being defeated, Starswirl, Sombra, that bastard Tirek and his lout of a brother, the Crystal Empire disappearing and reappearing, the Minotuarian Isles unifying, the Griffonia industrial boom, the Zebric Planes breaking down and so much more...It truly was a different world I now lived in...She mentioned that although minute compared to the rise and fall of heroes and villains, my 'followers' had existed for as long as I'd been dead; despite the ruination, revival, cooperation or fracturing of countries and religions they never died out. Like a faint, enchanted light that refused to fade; they might've always been unknown entities with a handful of members and allies but they've refused to fail in their mission and now that they've succeed I wonder if they'll be accepting of me choosing to remain hidden.

My thoughts were broken as I felt something I hadn't felt for a long time, something primal and corrupted in nature, something that warped and contorted the world around it. Dark magic. Halting in mid air, I looked down below the clouds and focused on wherever this ill feeling was resonating from and rapidly descended. As I shifted form in air, I slowly began to make out a scene of battle far below; though the closer I got it looked more and more like a massacre.

As I softly landed, completing my shift in forms, I surveyed the battleground. The sand was painted with blood and the corpses of heavily armoured ponies littered the ground, their weapons discarded; I was used to the sight of death and war, but what horrified me where the abominations shuffling about scavenging the decaying pony corpses. They looked like ponies from a distance, almost normal even, but the closer you got to them the clearer the inhumane flaws in their bodies, movements and souls. It looked like a witch doctor, necromancer or a shitty doctor hacked apart a Human and a Pony and tried to stitch them together; they stumbled on uneven, hoofed feet, clutched broken weapons in vestigial hands and their faces were warped beyond recognition. In spite of myself, I stumbled backwards in horror as I pulled out Talon with my right, armoured hand and my black grimoire with my left. As I walked towards the mass of mutants, I scowled intensely. These...Freaks were a mockery of my own people, they resembled nothing of their former races and seemed crazed and rabid. I'd be doing them a favor by killing them all. As I neared, they finally acknowledged my presence and began shouting at me in fractured, broken valtic.

"H-Human...Human caster!?" One of the monsters cried out, raising his rusted club at me. His face was twisted into a visage of confusion and anger. As I neared, they began crying out for me to surrender and to come with them somewhere. I ignored them as I wordlessly willed my notebook to hover alongside my grimoire and approached them; when they realised I wasn't going to surrender or leave, they cried out in some godless language and either charged at me or got into flanking positions to try and suppress me. As the first wave neared, my grimoire flipped through pages in a blur until it stopped at a faded page from my earlier years in the study of enchantment. Raising Talon above the open pages, the bluish silver blade began to violently hum and glow azure; the glow continued to grow in intensity as I ran to meet the first beast head on.

It lunged at me with full force, stepping back I riposted its strike and followed it up with a clean vertical strike that tore through its armour and flesh with ease. Next, I sidestepped another monsters wild axe flails only to smack it with my grimoire and impale him on my blade while it was dazed. Seeing three more rapidly approach from the front, I tossed my grimoire into the air, allowing it to hover alongside my pad, and pressed my hand into the sand; my palm, along with the dozen or so feet of sand in front of me, glowed intensely and suddenly the monsters found themselves sinking quickly below the surface as the weight of the sand could no longer support them. As I restored it back to its proper weight, trapping them underneath several feet of crushing sand, I grabbed my notepad from the air and turned to the multiple freaks trying to sneak up on me. I casted a simple hex and before my eyes several pages turned into paper blades, seemingly worthless. As I clutched them and waited for more of them to approach, I put them up to my mouth, casted a lesser enchantment, and waited for them to close the distance.

Once they were adequately close, I threw the paper knives and grinned as they struck true; the facades of weapons digged into their exposed flesh, causing them to bleed profusely from the neck and joints as many of them crumpled down. Two of them refuse to die however, as the knives only grazed them. They attacked simultaneously, both swinging down at me, and I blocked them both with ease. As they continued to assault me fruitlessly, they failed to see they'd left themselves open for exploitation; with my off hand I tore out several pages of my notepad, crunched the pages into my fist and felt magic course through them. The two monsters were shocked as they felt a second, pure white replica of Talon slice open their stomachs; their entrails fell out like a pile of useless, pale and sickly meat. As the collapsed I decapitated the two of them with my swords.

Hearing a second, off key war cry from behind, I raised my weapons but was stunned as I watched the massive horde get decimated by a volley of sudden explosions that rained down from the sky. As the explosions neared, I cried out a lyrical spell and a powerful, if tiny, barrier encased me as the surprising and deafening hell fire attacked from all around. When the dust settled, I lowered my barrier and saw that although they hadn't even landed a scratch on me, they minced their own soldiers. As I spotted where they'd come from, I also turned to the dark vortex a few feet away from me; the foot soldiers were trying to protect their portal, and from the looks of the runes on the ground it was a powerful, sustained portal to boot.

Smiling to myself with a devilish grin I strutted over to the mostly intact runic circle, though someone had broken one of the sigils, and reached out to them. They tried to resist, but eventually they gave in and I began to tear the magical reserves out of the runes. The power crackled and threatened to go wild, yet the ball of chaotic green and black magic I held in my left hand soon began to settle and fall under my control. The power I could feel, the fierce nature of the corrupting magic, it felt so...intoxicating. As I felt the energy course through me, I pointed my outstretched arm in the direction of the beasts who'd propped up a wall of metal to guard themselves, thinking it could protect them from raw magic. Belting out a powerful curse, I watched a massive, transparent sigil appear in the air in front of the ball of energy that began to vanish and make the outlined sigil whole; as the magic left my body I waited until the magical construct was whole before casting it.

"Feuer." I ordered, and in an instant I watched a great beam of sinister magic form and lash out at anything before me. Sand turned to glass, their barrier was scorched and the abominations vaporized along with their strange weapons. As the multicoloured laser slowly died out, the harsh screeching and flashes of light dying with it, I grinned as I saw what was left of their nest had been turned to ash. Dark magic may be powerful, but when used by the right people it becomes devastating.

As I began to look for surviving ponies or monsters, I heard a final, guttural war cry sound out from the fading portal and out charged a hybrid of a Human and a Minotaur clutching an oversized weapon. This brute was greater in stature, strength and possibly intelligence and was thrice as hideous to gaze upon. as I readied my weapons, I sidestepped its hammer but was too slow to dodge a swift punch it threw at me while it was closer to my level. As I received the full brunt of its strike, causing me to reel back in surprise, I felt the unnatural strength twitching inside it; someone or something had embedded enchanted runes within its body. Such a monstrously cruel and painful procedure had only ever been practiced by desperate Humans...

Ignoring the implications, I grasped my two swords and charged back at it while it recovered from it attacks and began slashing at its legs and arms. Despite the enchanted nature of my weapons I was baffled to see I'd only give it surface wounds. Grimacing while dodging its next volley of punches, kicks and strikes I figured I'd have to remove its enchantments to fall the giant without expending unnecessary amounts of my own magic.

"Come on you brute, show me what you've got!" I mocked while continuing to side step and jump back from its rapid attacks, in response it sped up its assault and screamed out in mad rage. Refusing to fight or engage the monster proved fruitful as after its continuous assault only garnered up kicked sand and smashed corpses I saw it was breathing raggedly and grimacing in pain; it was at this moment I noticed the mystical, golden glow near its heart. Taking advantage of its staggered state, I ran straight at it, shoved my paper sword into its chest and began carving open its putrid skin and eventually tore into its muscle and jagged rib cage. It cried out in shock and agony but it couldn't stop me after expending so much power in such short time. Despite the bloody, vicious work I grinned and laid eyes on the tiny, yet significant, golden metal rune in its chest. Letting go of my paper sword, I began adding more and more weight to my arm till it was as strong as a Minotaur's kick and slammed my fist into his chest. The sound of shattered bones and metal ringed out joyously as I pulled up bloodied, gore covered hand from the hole in its chest; I was almost disappointed when the monster refused to die, merely crying out in anger at the hole in his chest and the fake sword that replaced its rune.

"Tartarus, what'd they do to you?" I rhetorically asked as it got back up, albeit slowly with much pain in its steps, and raised its hammer once more. Tiring of the fight, I sidestepped its strike, and while it was to the ground I wordlessly sent a large chunk of my magic to my arms and grabbed ahold of its hammer head and tore it from its grasp. Wielding the mighty, primitive hammer, I struck its left leg and shattered the bones before smashing it against his arms and ramming it into his gutted chest; as it collapsed into the ground, I grew irritated at its refusal to die. As it stared at me with confusion, hate and fear I approached its head and with ease I began tearing it off its body. The skin tore asunder, letting blood and sinew flow freely, and held it in my hands. As its eyes stared at me, I admired how truly vile and disgusting this creation was. There was nothing Human about it, there was no clarity or wisdom in its eyes and whatever proud features the Minotaur it once was had were stripped bare in this rapid, misshapen form. Nauseated and spiteful, I threw its head to the ground like litter and looked around for anymore unexpected opponents.

"Anyone else? No? Good..." I asked the howling, cold wind. As I rolled my arms and checked for visual damage to my form I noticed the smoke rising on the other side of the dune crest and expected more anomalies to slay. Instead, at the bottom of the slope, rested some metal contraption surrounded by even more ghoulish hybrids. The closer I got to it, the more acutely aware I became to the stench of blood and rot; whatever these abominations were, they didn't take long to decompose. Stepping over rotten meat and rusting metal, I approached the mechanical contraption cautiously. Sword and tome in hand, I peered inside yet all I saw was another body. As I prepared to leave, I noticed the bodies chest rising and falling. I decided to see if there was anything I could do for the lone survivor.

He was a stallion, quite young it seemed, and an Earth pony to boot. His sandy yellow fur was stained with his own blood and his light gold and leather armour was torn to shreds. His ragged orange and yellow hair was covered by a tan hat of some sorts. His chest looked heavily wounded and his breathing was ragged...His forehooves were bleeding and he was concussed...He fought hard and was going to die in his sleep soon it seemed...As I contemplated how much magic I'd need to restore his body, I noticed the gold and silver royal emblem of Equestria on his hat...

On one hand, it was my moral obligation to help him...On the other, he works for the Sisters...Helping others had proved deadly in the past and given his allegiance to the people who betrayed me, I felt it was wise to leave him to die...Yet as I stood up and prepared to leave, I couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving him to die...Sighing, and praying I wasn't wrong to trust in the kindness of strangers once more, I picked him up delicately and stepped outside. He had an hour tops and I'd need a lot of magic and concentration to save the sorry bastard.

"Old habits die hard I guess..."

The atmosphere of the shanty town within the antechamber of the Grand Library was thick enough to cut with a knife. Faded and his followers had expected their leader to return by now, but as the golden sun set on the bleached ruins they began to fret; it was unlikely Alistair would've died or gotten lost out there, there were so few threats or obstacles...But the desert did look almost the same everywhere you turned...

"Scroll, look! He's back!" Snowfall cried out in relief as she snapped upright from the small table the two had been sitting at discussing the repairs of the castle. She pointed towards the large, circular window he had flown out of and Faded was ecstatic to see his master only to be befuddled at the sight of another body.

"Move, I need to work on this Pony!" Alistair barked as he walked through the parted crowd. In his hands he clutched the blood soaked form of an Equestrian Captain...

"L-Lord Alistair, why are you-" Faded began as he approached the sprinting Human only to be interrupted.

"No time to talk, is the castle's hospital ward usable?" He questioned as he looked around for somewhere to work in peace.

"No sir, it's burying under a pile of rubble. What pray tell-"

"Is there anywhere to operate in this village?!" He once more interrupted, growing agitated.

"N-no, the makeshift clinic is full and most of these tents are preoccupied or indisposed-"

"Fuck! Guess I'll just have to use my old bedroom..." Alistair remarked as he moved towards a flight of ruined stairs that led nowhere.

"Milord, almost all of the castle is inaccessible!" Snowfall reminded Alistair, who merely frowned at her.

"I can see that, but thankfully for all of us I pioneered the School of Restoration. Back away, this is going to be a rush job." He ordered as he held onto the wounded stallion with one arm awkwardly as his left began to rapidly shine white and turn ethereal as he touched the ruined stairway and pile of rubble blocking his path. As Snow stepped away, she noticed something that had been missing in his lord's steadily shining eyes. He looked around with purpose in his vision, he was angry, irritated and still looked drained and depressed but it seemed he had a motive to his movements and actions, unlike how he left seemingly unsure and distressed...In spite of the current situation, Snowfall grinned softly. Her grin suddenly faded however as she felt the ground shake with tremendous force.

The castle shock violently and Alistair suppressed a cry of pain as the castle began to reshape itself at an alarming rate.

The First Steps

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Author's Notes:

Hey all. Surprise, another chapter! I was travelling a lot this weekend and due to a lack of other distractions I got a lot of work done on my phone using Gdocs. My phone's been acting up so if something is misspelled, something doesn't flow right or so on please tell me and I'll fix it. Went with an odd direction with this chapter and included more 'past' sequences. Tell me what you think of those parts, I want to explain the full backstory to his past along with the current story in brief 'flashbacks' of sorts and as theses are a bit different than the normal story I was wondering if they were still as engaging.

Anyways, hope you enjoy it.

-LPC, Legendary Pony Catcher.

Some songs I've been listening to while writing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Na4j8AVgA

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/weeknd/starboy.html
I'm tryna put you in the worst mood, ah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3EEaPj-5qs
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/blocparty/ratchet.html
I said make it count

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCa95DOjn8E

No lyrics, but amazing imo.

The snow cascaded upon the once vibrant garden, the stone statues and once functioning ornate fountain blanketed in thick sleet. The covered walkways surrounding the spacious grove housed fur and armour clad knights bearing witness to the young lords of the estate who were in the midst of an intense ‘duel to the death’ with uncharacteristic smiles etched onto their grizzled features.

“Die you wretched warrior!” Jeered the ‘evil, malicious liche as he threw snowballs and balls of slushy ice at the brown haired, childish and nimble ‘warrior’ who laughed valiantly.

“No, you stupid butt!” She cried back as she jumped behind a dying bush. Her fake, wooden armour clack and clanked loudly while her long, orangish brown ponytail threatened to snag on a loose branch as she tried to sneak around the vicious spell caster, who struggled to keep his brown scarf and hood on in the roaring winter winds.

“Your silver tongue only serves to anger me! You can't hide from-hey, where’d you go?” He began to belt out with dramatic flair as he jumped around the side of the bush and found nothing but disturbed piles of snow.

“Eat shield evil doer!” His worthy adversary demanded as she jumped out of the bushes, painted green and shoddily built shield first. She charged down her opponent, smashing him down into the snow and dead leaves beneath them and trapped him under her shield and mock armour.

“Hey, no fair! That’s against the rules!” Alistair cried out in protest as he struggled under his sister’s shield and smacked off her homemade helmet.

“And so are snow covered rocks but who threw them? Now then, eat fireballs!” Aurora demanded with a cruel laugh as she began shoveling pristine and dirtied snow in equal measures onto her squirming brother’s pale face. A few of the guards laughed in spite of their training but ceased as a young, beautiful, silver haired woman adorned in a fine, fur lined garnet dress appeared from the shadows. She hid her snickers behind a slender hand.

“Now, now, is that anyway for a brave knight to treat their fallen foes?” The older woman mused as she approached them, her footsteps silent atop the snow covered cobbled path.

“When your foe is a giant bully, yes.” Aurora defended as she got off her twin brother, who threw a heap of dirtied snow at her fake armour.

“I would’ve won if you hadn't cheated…” He grumbled as he wiped off the excess snow on his sodden trousers.

“And she wouldn't have charged you had you not tried to pelt her with rocks; be thankful you did not harm her.” She cautioned, stunning the two of them as she somehow knew.

“Oh don't give me that look, we could hear you two arguing on the other side of the castle...Aurora darling, the cook had some rather choice words regarding your ‘borrowing’ of some of his ingredients for tonight's feast…” She chastised with a raised brow and displeased look. Aurora shuffled from foot to foot, her fake shield and armour doing nothing to protect her from her mother’s scorn.

“W-well...You see…”

“I think it’d be kind to march yourself back into the kitchens, apologise to him, and help out in return.” She stated, none too subtly punishing her. Aurora began to protest, but from the stern look in her emerald eyes she knew it was fruitless.

“Fine...We’ll finish this later.” Aurora said dejectedly before directing a threat towards her brother.

“March young lady, or you’re not getting any cake tonight.” Their mother warned with a small frown, causing her to run off in a huff.

“Sorry for throwing stones...She said her shield was strong enough for anything though.” Alistair tried to justify his actions while avoiding her judgmental gaze.

“Every head strong warrior thinks they’re unbreakable, does that mean you should strike Rodric the Bold?” She countered, unamused by his sorry excuses. Despite this, she couldn't help but smile softly and hug him tenderly as he began to shiver uncontrollably from the freezing cold and his shame.

“I won't tell your Father, but if you do something that foolish again you’ll be in much bigger trouble.” She calmed him, though also reminded him he wasn't off the hook just yet. As he began to talk, he felt a overwhelmingly soothing warmth radiate from her core, burning away the frost and creating visions of a bright Spring day. When they parted, Alistair opened his eyes and returned to the frozen stone and steel of his home’s ramparts and thick walls that held back the northern winds. She clasped his hand gently and guided him away from the icy garden and into the hallowed, torch lit halls of the Lion’s Den.

“Come along Alistair, you Father and I want you to meet someone very special.” She requested with a tranquil, velvety voice which reverberated off the massive, reinforced walls.

“Who are they? Are they the King or Queen? Or a Unicorn?! Please tell me it's a Unicorn!” Alistair feverishly asked, starry eyed and curious, to which the towering, pale woman could only chuckle with mirth.

“No, but close; he’s a Wizard!” She answered with dramatic flare, causing the young heir to gasp; a million questions raced through his mind and a million more spewed from his mouth as a series of half valtic, half frantic noise and nonsense.

“Ha ha, instead of asking me, you can ask him in person; your dolt of a Father is entertaining him in the dining hall.” She stated with a grin, pleased at the child’s enthusiasm. Before she could get a word in edgewise, he bolted off like a crazed manticore.

As he rushed down the halls, stepping past the amused and annoyed Human servants and Griffin prisoners who either smiled at the young sire’s antics or grimaced with annoyance; Aside from the sounds of the studious princeling's footsteps, their shoes and chains respectively echoed out as they toiled about. Approaching the hall rapidly, leaving his mother far behind, the number of beautifully dressed servants, fur and plate armoured warriors and aides steadily grew until he had to try to avoid getting stuck into a boring talk with his half cousin twice removed on his father’s side or something. Skidding to a halt in front of the massive wooden doors of the grand hall, the crest of House Leonas peering down upon all like a golden lion eyeing it's prey, he approached the two guards before him.

“Look out, the Mad liche Alistair approaches!” One of the two of them exclaimed with faux terror, causing the imposing, mud stained infant to giggle.

“I order you two to open the gates, or face my wrath!” The scruffy prince ordered, elated that the knights were playing along.

“Whatever you request, milord.” The other guard chimed in, her voice filled with muffled laughter as her helmet hid her rolling eyes and smirk. As he stood triumphantly before his two minions, the door gave way and bathed him in the sights and smells of a banquet in preparation.

The long rows of rustic wooden tables were topped with empty silver plates and trays and pilfered candelabras. Servants and wards scrambled to fulfill their orders while the lord’s honour guard stood at the ready, their gold and steel armour made of fine Eastern Val metals and their helmets built to resemble a roaring lion. In the centre of the chaos, illuminated by the fire in the great hearth behind them and the light flowing through the multicoloured panel windows stood Lord Peter, Lord of the Lion’s Den and the King’s Hunter, garbed in the hide of a legendary white lion that covered his back, shoulders and neck with its fur and his bald head with its own head and wore thick, padded leather armour; his thick orange beard, lines of red war paint and wild purple eyes made him look like a crazed animal himself. Next to him stood a strange, shorter and leaner man clad in the finest golden robes the little boy had ever seen. As he approached, he began to hear their conversation.

“-What’s a few more weeks to your order anyways? We’re still not entirely sure-”

“No, we both examined Aurora and she bared no signs, if it is not Alistair then we may have to formulate a new plan…” The obscured man insisted, his calm, young and soft voice betraying his wisdom and experience while his Father seemed torn though his gruff, deep and boisterous voice hid it well. As his heir approached, unaware of their prior conversation, Peter turned to him and knelt down with open arms and massive grin; the seven foot tall mountain of a man embraced his charging son with all his love and picked him up.

“Ah, there you are Little Lion! Playing make believe with your sister again I hear? Your guards told me how she overcame your ‘spells’ by pummeling you with her shield.” He stated, howling with belly shaking laughter only to be greeted to his son’s scorn.

“If it was real life I would’ve won…” He defended with an embarrassed blush.

“And what makes you say that?” The stranger asked, his milky orange eyes examining the squirming prince who tried to break from his father’s burly hands.

“Well, liches are immortal mages who’re super old and wise! How could a knight with only a shield beat one of them?” Alistair asked as Peter finally let him down softly.

“Well, if the shield was enchanted with powerful divine magic or solar magic it’d burn through the foul creature’s barriers; though I doubt splinters and snow would cut it.” He explained with a lecturing tone and faint smile as he paraphrased one of his own research papers to the awestruck child.

“Are you that Wizard mother told me about?” He asked as he sized up the tanned, lean and young Wizard clan in elaborately detailed cloth robes.

“How astute of you young one. I'm Ludex the Ignis, Lord Hierophant of the Immortalis Bibliotheca; you probably don't remember me, but I was the priest who carried out your blessings when you were but a babe.” He announced with a rehearsed bow, earning him a suppressed snort of laughter from the two in front of him, and nostalgic smile.

“My mother told me stories about your adventures and studies; But I thought your title was Ludex the Lout, or was it Lazy?” Alistair questioned innocently, causing Peter to burst out in laughter and the Hierophant to take a step back in surprise before composing himself.

“Those are my informal titles given to me by my former master; I see your Mother told you about my early years as well…” He concluded as Lord Peter calmed down. He went to go on yet was interrupted by the lady of the castle.

“No, I covered your more thrilling adventures, but you'll always be Ludex the Lazy to us.” Alistair’s mother stated as she entered the conversation, causing both her child and partner to snicker.

“Ah, Lady Ruby, thank you for your impeccable timing. Now then, Sir Alistair, do you know why I'm here today?” He greeting the noble with a respectful nod and agitated sigh before returning to his tranquil state and addressed the young lord.

“Because of Dad’s feast?” He guessed with a confused look.

“Although it promises to be delicious, no. Follow up question, do you know what you, your mother and myself have in common?” He mused once more, further confusing him.

“...We all have nice robes?” He asked, not really sure where he was going. Despite the severity of what was to be said, he couldn't help but be amused, and irked, by his ignorance.

“I see he hasn't been made aware. Alistair, you have magical potential.” Ludex informed him, excitement in his quiet voice. The reaction was instant.

“REALLY?! Gods, why didn't anyone tell me? Mom, is it true?!” He cried out, surprising many of the guards and servants in the room as he began jumping about, visions of him as an all powerful Mage flashing through his yearning mind.

“We weren't sure if either you or your sister had the potential within yourselves; magic is an extremely rare and volatile trait among most people and we didn't want you to get your hopes up only to be disappointed.” Ruby explained calmly, grasping the shaking child.

“Why’d you never tell me you were magic?” Alistair continued, calming down somewhat but still overstimulated.

“Yes, I'm curious to know why as well.” The senior Mage added, his tone and expression hiding his suspicion.

“You never once thought it was odd how I was capable of knowing if you'd done something foolish when no one was looking? I hid my magic from the two of you because we didn't want either of you to get overly hopeful; magic may be hereditary but it’s also known to lie dormant in some bloodlines as well.” She justified with an understanding grin and sorry expression. Ludex merely sighed and shook his head.

“Ignorance will help no one, but your logic is sound. Now Alistair, I'm sure you’re aware of the Bibliotheca and the Trials of Spring.” He hoped, not knowing just how little or much he knew about the Archive.

“Of course, it's the time where new mages...Wait, are you saying you want me to be a part of the Archives?!” He screamed, realisation dawning as Ludex worn a massive, reassuring grin down at the hopping child.

“I don't just want you to be an acolyte, I believe you have the potential to possibly be my apprentice; it's a challenging position and I know this is a lot to-”

“Gods, this must be a dream! This, this is all so sudden I-I can’t believe it! Dad, is this another joke?” Alistair interrupted, his brain running overtime to process everything while trying to blot out the fear that this was all a cruel joke.

“I assure ya cub, this ain’t a joke; Ludex here truly believes you’ve got all that magic muck in ya.” His father clarified, arms crossed and smirk sincere.

“I understand if you’re shocked by this sudden revelation, most children who’re told this late about their powers are usually confronted.” Ludex commented, fearing the child may hyperventilate or faint.

“No, t-this is amazing...I got to tell someone, I got to tell everyone! Mom, where’s Aury?! Don't worry, I'll find her myself!” Alistair stammered out before running away, his light footsteps suddenly thunderous against the red carpet covered stone floor, his mother in toe as she tried to calm the crazed boy.

“He’s certainly a lot more thrilled by the news then most noble kids; has he always been fascinated by the supernatural?” Ludex asked, genuinely curious, though his pleased tone and line of questions died when he saw Peter’s chilling, suppressed expression.

“Ludex, I'll tell ye now to save myself some time. If you harm my boy, if you cause him or my house suffering to fulfill this ‘plan’ of yours...There’s no potion you can concoct, spell you can mumble or demon you can commune with that will stop me from turning you into Ludex the Lame.” Peter promised, ire and malice plastered on his face. As he walked away, leaving Ludex to his own devices, he was reminded why they called Peter Leonas the Butcher of Royal Peak…

With a jolt, I awoke. After trying to wipe away the drool hanging from my thin lips, I remembered I was temporarily disabled. My left hand was missing, in its place was a cloud of gaseous, multicoloured magic hanging out of my flopping robe sleeve. The price of rapidly repairing an entire Archive wing, bringing a full grown stallion back from the verge of death while maintaining a physical form would kill most Humans and Ponies from Acute Magical Exhaustion, thankfully I was already dead and only gave up a limb.

Speaking of the stallion, I looked up from my plush, cushioned blue study chair and examined the man from where I rested. He seemed stable, his physical injuries were healing faster than expected so as long as he wasn't mentally broken from the battle he should be fine in a few days. While he was asleep, I mended his hat and clothes; the small amount of damage I received was nothing to fret about. Sighing, I began to wonder many things.

I knew not why things were as they were, but complaining and drinking myself into a stupor would solve nothing. Bored, I looked around the room for structural damage I might've missed in my rush to build the room.

The ceiling was unseeable, hidden behind a flurry of golden stars, constellations and planets that danced hypnotically; they looked lovely and always helped when I needed to finally get some sleep. The colossal, lavish bed the unknown Equestrian was occupying was custom made a long time ago, it hovered above the ground softly and was designed for more than one person preferably. The gold and sapphire sheets were made of the finest, and possibly last, Southern Val threads.

The walls were lined with wooden bookshelves and nooks and crannies filled with everything from in depth studies into the field of Noxromancy and the beneficial uses of soul power to trashy romance novels and adventure stories; not all of them were mine but they were still fun to flip through with a glass of wine or whiskey. Piles of handwritten books and mementos lined the floor, absent of home but still cherished. Moonlight and starlight shined through the open balcony doors to my right, allowing the cold nighttime desert wind to blow in and keeping the damn sand out. My study occupied the other side of the room. Along with the massive black stone desk behind me, its surface was scratched and stained with failed experiments and lined with scrolls and scribbled notes, the floor was decorated with boxes, jars, pots and experimental equipment. They were all labeled, though I doubted anyone aside from myself could decipher the old language. The large, reinforced stone doors to my left had no handles, instead they relied on my own magic to let myself or guests through. All in all, the recently decrepit and dusty room looked like it hadn't been lying under a pile of rubble, exposed to the elements for eons.

“What I wouldn't give for Star to walk in here and berate me for sleeping in again...” I lamented with an exhausted sigh. The calmness and silence of night brought pleasant dreams and somber thoughts in equal measure to most, but to me the silence was unnerving. As I began to get up and stretch, maybe find something edible cooking down in the shanty town, I heard a strained groan escape the chaffed lips of the figure resting in my bed. I realised I couldn't let the Pony see me, it'd raise too many questions. Rushing to beat the awakening stranger’s gaze, I assumed a form I hadn't even thought about in well over two thousand years.

“Woah nelly…” I muttered, my voice raspy and cracking but lest I wasn't coughing blood no more. I figured I'd died out in the desert heat, and I was dumbfounded when I opened my eyes only to see a room full of books, a massive blue and gold bed fit for the Princess and a Unicorn standing near the foot of the bed with my clothes and hat in his vibrant blue magical grasp.

“I'm glad to see you’re awake, most don't react so well to drastic restoration magic; though it's better than the alternative.” The strange stallion proclaimed with a soft smile. His soft fur was snow white, his long, flowing mane a dual colour of brown and silver, eyes like a sapphire and topaz and despite his young features his eyes held wisdom few old folks had. He wore a massive, flashy robe that hid his body and despite his hood casting shadows on his face it let his horn stick out freely. With every step the sound of armour clinking softly could be heard. All in all, the strange stallion looked like a Mage out of some fairytale.

“Where am I? I...I remember...Monsters and explosions everywhere, then nothin’.” I asked, vivid memories weighing on my mind.

“You’re in the ruins of the Grand Archive, far to the west of Valetoria, the country that used to exist here. I was travelling the desert when I happened upon a destroyed machine and dead soldiers. I killed the monsters that attacked you and teleported us here. You've been asleep for hours while I casted powerful healing spells on your wounds; a lesser healer would’ve merely staunched the bleeding and fix the visible, I fixed all existing injuries and ailments; though still tender you're physical flawless. I don't wish to brag, but in a few days you should be feeling like a new stallion.” He boasted, his attitude and statements calming me somewhat as I felt my recently torn open chest. Despite still feeling stiff and sore, I was awestruck to find nothin' wrong with me.

“This...This can't be real...Who are ya?” I inquired, amazement and confusion taking hold. As I tried to get up, he rushed to my side and gently held me down.

“I wouldn't advise walking around just yet, you don't want to test the extent of your injuries. My name is Wonderlust and this is my temporary workshop and room; sorry if the decor is not to your tastes.” The stranger answered, his voice warm and smile welcoming. He seemed like a good kinda fella.

“I'm just happy to be breathing partner. Name’s Braeburn, unofficial captain of the Appaloosa Royal Guard and farmer; sorry to trouble ya, I can't begin to tell ya how grateful I am.” I stated, nodding at the healer with a beaming smile on my weary, woozy head. He merely grinned back at me as he stepped away.

“I couldn't rightly leave you dying out there, that wouldn't exactly make me a good doctor now would it?” He joked, getting a rise outta me despite my hacking lungs.

“Hey, were there any other survivors or...Just me?” I asked, desperately needing to know if there was anyone else left.

“I'm sorry, the other soldiers were either too far gone or dead already when I arrived; you’re the only survivor…” He announced with sorrow, avoiding my gaze.

“...Damn it all…” I cursed, not really sure what to say. Staring up at the ceiling, getting lost in the mess of stars and nothing, I let out a massive, built up sigh and simply wondered what the hay I was going to do now… “Could ya leave me alone for a bit? I really just want to think for awhile.” I continued, not looking at the guy.

“Of course, if you need anything merely press the red symbol on that panel atop the bedside table. I'll be back soon.” Wonderlust informed with a small, bittersweet smile as he moved towards the massive stone doors and casted a spell that caused them to swing open freely. As he stepped outside, the doors sealing behind him, I placed my head in my hooves and thought on all the people back home who’d be hurting when I told them their son, daughter, husband, wife or friend died under my command and I gave the order to fight when we should’ve retreated…

“At least he seems nicer than most Equestrian Guards…” I stated as I trotted down the newly rebuilt hallway, the curtains hanging off the windows to my right blowing freely in the desert wind. As I walked past followers who marvelled at my Pony body, I couldn't help but feel wrong; the unnatural body combined with the gnarling pain of sustained magical withdrawal left me feeling incomplete and I'd never enjoyed being disguised as a Pony. Preparing to agitate myself further, I began transforming into a Human once more; yet as I turned pure white and began forming the body, I felt an acute, substantial pain radiate from my core. Crying out in pain, I collapsed into a heap. My body, sans my left arm, was reformed but it felt like my organs were tearing apart.

“Lord Alistair, what’s wrong?!” Faded questioned as he hobbled down the marbled hall along with Snowfall who began helping me back onto my feet.

“I’m fine, it just takes a lot of power to fly back here in under an hour, fix a whole wing of a castle alone with nothing but magic, fix lethal wounds and sustain a body; when you're made of magic, withdrawals can be...Agony.” I answered through grit teeth, as Snow picked me up only to gasp out when she noticed the haze of magical nothing where my hand should've been.

“Don't worry about that, too much concentration to keep it all together.” I justified, my head dazed and body in pain. “Is the war room usable?” I asked Scroll, trying to get back to business.

“Y-Yes, my lord, but I'd highly recommend we-”

“No time, we need to talk in private real quick.” I insisted, blowing off his concern while Snowfall, despite her worrying, helped me walk to the desired room with a frazzled Faded Scroll in toe. The Hierophant’s Wing was filling up rapidly with ‘guards’ who’d become adept in the field of weight and paper manipulation, elders who’d mastered their field of studies and families temporarily claiming the various lavish rooms befitting royalty. The crowds parted for their leaders, voicing their worries at the sight of my state, until we stood in front of a gargantuan valatite door that doubled as a wall. In place of myself, Snow placed a furry palm on the gates and, following the rules of the salvaged notes from the Archive’s golden age, repeated the incantation to open the way. As the gates groaned and parted, we walked in.

“Still like I remember it, minus the advisers and Sages.” I exclaimed nostalgically, gazing at the huge, white elderwood and black steel round table with the numerous, lavish and ornate chairs assigned to the various appointed Sages. The room was devoid of windows, instead being illuminated by multiple magical torches that still burned brightly. Behind each throne sat a banner of corresponding colour and meaning. At the opposite side of the room rested my seat at the table; polished and cut sapphires lined the infused valatite throne with ravens carved into the armrests, a lot more stylish and overly detailed than I prefer but it was comfy and fitting for the vibe of the room. After being placed into my throne, I insisted that they sit wherever they felt as the people who used to sit in the chairs are all dead.

“Now then, what the fuck are those monsters in the desert?” I asked after sinking into the familiar chair, surprising the two of them at my sudden and crass question.

“Monsters? What do you mean?” Snow inquired, unsure of what I was referring to; I didn't need to read her mind to know she was telling the truth, the confusion in her hazel eyes evident.

“I found the Equestrian bleeding out in a ruined mechanical construct surrounded by these...Perversions of Humanity. They wore Human skin and spoke valtic but were so bestial that they would've been labelled demons in the Dark Age...And the black magic that radiated off them...I need to know if you two know anything.” Alistair filled them in, his chilling description disturbing Snow and filled Faded Scroll with a sense of dread.

“My lord...There were murmurs long ago, further back then when I joined your cause, of some of your original pupils who were devising some way to strike back at Celestia. They were powerful, fiercely loyal dark mages and black Paladins united in their cause to hunt her and her people down for the ruination of the Archivists. No one really knew what became of them but it is known they went to ground within what’s left of Valetoria...Perhaps they built these abominations...Tis a disturbing thought indeed.” Faded Scroll informed, remembering what the elders from ages past told him in hushed whispers, though he was horrified at the thought that someone could’ve done something so drastic he still wanted to doubt the existence of such an organisation.

“Why is it the more I learn about my followers the more I hate myself? Regardless, we have to kill this movement before it grows; I despise the Princesses but killing random patrols will only harm innocents and incur her wrath.” Alistair ordered, laying the groundwork for the small council's first assault.

“You have a plan, my lord?” Snow inquired, cocking an eyebrow up at his statement.

“Yes, though it's risky. We’ll need a powerful telepath, like yourself Scroll, or someone else skilled in seer related magic, some supplies and muscle. If we can trace the essence those beasts gave off we could locate a larger group of them and possibly point us in the direction of their headquarters; black magic is rather pungent and these monsters reeked of it. Who’re our most powerful combatants? They'll be my escort.” Alistair requested after filling them in on the basis of his plan.

“That'd be us, my lord.” Faded Scroll announced with a proud grin while Snow cracked her knuckles, causing the scrolls wrapped around her hands to fizzle red energy.

“You? No offense, but even the most powerful mages are hindered by age and blindness in combat, and you're pretty ancient as far as mages go. I could use your mental abilities, but I don't want you dying for me if we get stuck in a brawl.” Alistair denied, disbelieving his usefulness in a battle, somewhat offending the old stallion.

“I know I'm far from a young Colt anymore, and yes my magic has blinded me, but it has also given me a much greater sight. I can see the ebb and flow of magic, the presence of life forms and even souls themselves including the absence of them. Nothing can sneak up on me and my age, much like your own, brings with it experience as well as wisdom; I was more than just a tactician in Celestia’s army as well. Also, isn't calling me ancient like the pot calling the kettle black? Please Sir Alistair, don't discredit my abilities.” Faded insisted, understanding in his master's doubts but also hesitant to sit out anything that could endanger him.

“You can truly see souls? Such an art was rare even in my age...Prove it, what does my soul look like.” Alistair requested, curious to see his skills put to the test.

“Your soul is...Bizarre. It’s fractured, split apart and torn to shreds and hastily put together, yet it burns brighter and with colour and power I've never seen before. Your soul is damaged beyond simple magic, almost like parts are missing, yet still intact and strong.” He summarized as he stared at Alistair with an intense expression on his usually calm and aged face.

“Impressive…” The Hierophant stated, genuinely impressed that someone else could perceive his soul. Few beings aside from immortals and those who feed on souls and emotions can see a being's soul, fewer an immortals.

“Yeah, my lord, the old bastard’s also tough. He taught me everything and aside from you I’d want no one else in a foxhole with me. Plus, you're pretty banged up right now so I don't think you should be fighting any hordes of monsters anytime soon.” Snow defended her teacher, remembering the times they fought alongside one another.

“...I suppose you’re right, if I'm to ensure the safety of the Archive I’d best to do it in good shape and live to see the Archive back in action; plus I still have to aid in healing the injured around here like I promised...We’ll wait three days, I'll be fixed by then and in the meantime you two can gather the supplies and soldiers we’ll require.” Alistair instructed, giving in to logic instead of immediate action, causing his two new advisers to grin, before standing back up on shaking legs.

“I'll inform the people, they'll wish to know why their leaders are all going out into the desert so suddenly.” Faded told them, assuming his role as the people’s guide, while Snow helped Alistair to the door.

“I'll evaluate our fighters, we’re small in numbers but overwhelming in skill.” Snowfall boasted proudly, and loudly, as they exited the spacious, shadowy room back into the well lit and crowded halls.

“Excellent…Now then, before we leave I have one thing to say.” Alistair stated, causing the two to halt.

“Until now we’ve been getting by with little and although the Archive can be built back up, I'll kill myself via depletion at this rate with how much work it's going to be. Which is why I've decided that when we get back from this hunt I'm going to need all the skilled Restorers we’ve got for one hell of a job.” Alistair demanded with a stern voice and determination.

“You seek to build it all back up with one massive burst of restoration magic?” Snow guessed, her teachings telling her it could be plausible but lethal with the scale at which they would be working.

“No, but close. You’ve felt it, haven't you Scroll? The pull of ancient magic, the strengthening allure of old power? The Archive was built upon something discovered by the first mountain dwelling Humans long ago, something rooted in legends and myth that few beings, not even the Princesses, Dragons or Chrysalis know of, something few nations even have. We’re not going to rebuild the Archive, we’re going to be jump starting its heart.” Alistair exclaimed, excited at the idea of taking the first, substantial step to reclaiming what was lost so long ago.

The Lion’s Den was bathed in the early morning spring light, the sun blessing the growing gardens and venues within and around the walled off, mountainous castle. A skeleton crew of slaves and workers were busy cleaning out their young master’s quarters while many others, guards included, gathered in the courtyard to see him off.

Before the young child stood his family, all teary eyed but undeniably proud. The many guards and servants who had the pleasure of working with the curious, energetic and bright child had said their goodbyes and wished him a safe journey, leaving him alone with his family and Ludex who stood aside a weeping Alistair.

“A-Are you sure you have to go? Can't he stay just a little bit longer? We were gonna go to the Hunter’s Festival, we’ve always gone together.” Aurora begged, hugging onto Alistair for dear life while Ruby cried softly and Peter hid his tears.

“I'm sorry Lady Aurora, we’re to leave immediately or we’ll miss the first few tests of the Trials of Spring.” Ludex explained, dismayed that he had to tear the family apart.

“D-D-Don’t worry Aury, I'm gonna learn how to become a real strong mage, and, and then me and you can go beat up some real liches and Dragons! Plus, Ludex said you and Mom and Dad can come and visit me after the Trials!” Alistair said in between sobs and gasps of air with a small smile as he tried to make Aurora happy.

“Listen to ya, speaking like a real hero already! Gods, you’re a Leonas through and through Little Lion; oh Gods these mountains won't be the same without you!” Peter exclaimed loudly with sorrow and pride as he lifted up his boy for the last time before he had to leave.

“You’ve always been destined for greatness, I always knew it...I promise you darling, we’ll write a letter every week, we’ll pry you away from your studies every once in awhile, we’ll come to see you in person when we can...Oh Alistair, I’m so happy for you...Please, be a good boy won’t you?” Ruby pleaded, fawning over her little son and holding back her tears behind a smile, while kissing him on the cheek and hugging him along with his father.

“I promise I’ll be good! I’ll be better than good! I-I’ll be the best acolyte ever!” Alistair declared, boasting with exaggerated enthusiasm to mask his fear and rapidly growing doubt.

“I know ya will be boy, do us proud and show those Southern, snotty kids that the North grows ‘im stronger and smarter!” Peter requested with a massive smirk as he placed his son on the ground and wiped away his tears.

“If you ever feel lonely or want to come home, all you need to do is simply ask and I’ll come to get you. We’re all so proud of you…” His mother guaranteed, her refined voice cracking despite her best attempts and posh makeup running.

“Show those other kids that the Leonas’ are the best at everything! ‘Cause if you’re not the best mage Aliy, who’ll be my sidekick when I become the best knight in all the Empire?” The princess rhetorically asked, punching her twin on the shoulder and causing him to laugh.

“You’re such a dunghead, you’re obviously the sidekick!” Her brother countered, causing the two of them to giggle. As the family finally parted ways, the prince stepping into the enchanted carriage of the Lord Hierophant, the Wizard’s envoy of Spellswords, Pyromancers and Paladins set off down the crooked, jagged mountain path descending the Great Northern Divide. Gold and wood gates shut behind the carriages, his family’s faces hidden behind reinforced stone walls, and the Prince and Lord began their lengthy, arduous journey to the Grand Archives in the West.

Within the carriage, enchantments turned it from a small yet lovely holding area into a massive, three room hideaway complete with carpets, drapes, bookshelves and windows. Despite the beautiful decor, Alistair sat by the entrance and watched the rolling mountains draped in snow and awakening trees and lined with towers and ramparts slowly fade away and refused to look away from the rapidly shrinking stronghold he’d lived his whole life within. Despite this, Ludex was distracted informing him with what was to come.

“Now, I know you’re family has neglected to educate you on the basics of magic and I can’t blame them, but that does mean we have much to discuss and read before we arrive if we want you to be on par with the other students. Now, the first known practitioners of magic were the Dragons and Ponies, the former brought these powers to the attention of Humans while the latter hid it; this resulted…” Ludex began, but halted his droning lecture when he saw the small boy was absently staring out the windows, lost in his own thoughts.

“Oh dear…” He said aloud, failing to remember that unlike most magically gifted children from royal families, Alistair was loved and would most likely be suffering from homesickness and bouts of sorrow; thinking quickly, he approached the Prince, tapped him on his shoulder and waited for him to turn around with his hands behind his back.

“Did you want something Ludex the Ignis?” The boy asked, clearly disheartened.

“Please, there’s no need for formalities. Now, want to see something amazing?” Ludex asked with a whimsical tone and overly joyful expression. Alistair merely shrugged and watched him.

Ludex revealed he had three plain white juggling balls in his hands, which only bored Alistair.

“Juggling? Really? I always hated dad’s jesters and they always juggled…” Alistair moaned in disinterest, suddenly remembering the fun days in court with his dad.

“Just wait and watch!” Ludex insisted as he began juggling. Alistair watched, still bored when he added a fourth and fifth ball, and was about to go back to the window when the Wizard snapped his fingers and the balls ignited, bathed in fire. Alistair shot back in shock, but was quickly enamored by the multicoloured, magical flames that danced in the air. He kept adding more and more balls until he snapped his fingers once more and whenever a ball touched his hands they turned into flaming knives! The boy gasped in horror when he dropped all of the knives, only to see them vanish.

“Where could they be?” The older man asked no one as he looked around the room with faux confusion, his silly expression causing Alistair to laugh, before reaching behind the boy’s chipped left ear and removed them all, now strung together and spelling ‘Alistair’ with flames; said person began clapping wildly and cheering.

“How’d you do that?! Pyromancy is amazing!” He questioned with wild eyes and a massive grin, causing the Hierophant to burst out laughing.

“Yes it is, but it wasn’t all Pyromancy...You see, I started by using a simple duplication spell, watch my hands instead of the balls this time…” He started with a grin and lecturing tone as he took him through the whole act, step by step, pointing out the wonders of magic; suddenly Alistair wasn’t so afraid of being alone and was soon invested in Ludex’s silly acts disguising his lessons. The weeks long journey was almost devoid of dread and sadness, at the cost of some of Ludex’s self respect.

Exsequor

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Author's Notes:

Hey, I'm back. Sorry for the shorter chapter but honestly I was sick and tired of this chapter and wanted it done. Next chapter we're going back to the present and I'll go back to the past later. Idk why but writing this chapter was a chore...Hope it doesn't suck. Also, I'm thinking of changing the title of the story since it feels too long and kind of terrible.

I feel like I should explain why I went quite for so long so if you don't care about me and just the story TL:DR first: I got burned out and life sucked.

After I wrote the last chapter life got shitty, there were a crap tone of tests I needed to finish, my family was in a rough state, Shit with me and some personal friends went to hell and in the last weeks of 2016 life looked bad. I was and have moved to somewhere new, worse and hotter, I did poorly on my final tests for high school, my girlfriend dumped me, me and some friends fell out, I was saying goodbye to most of my family where I used to life, I hated my body and in general my self esteem got pretty low. I never got depressed or distraught, just empathetic and hollow. I kept coming back to this chapter but I hated what I was writing and I wanted to just skip it but I'd already written too much; I was burnt out and didn't care. Thankfully, things have been looking up for me and my self confidence is back in part. For starters I've been accepted into a uni to study shit I'm interested in, my family up here is awesome mostly, I got a roof over my head, I may be getting a job soon and I still have my laptop so that's cool. I'm not writing any of this to garner pity, I don't want it, I just want you guys to understand where I'm coming from and why I went MIA. I plan to release a chapter or two in Feb but knowing me and my fucked up head I'll get distracted by something. Sorry, I'll try not to do it again.

obligatory songs that made me not hate myself or helped me make this chapter:
Nice calming yet morose song that makes me think of Alistair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am2hUOQoUe0

Not much to say here, just a cool fight scene song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0h2u87JwyA

This one in particular helped me imagine stuff story and Alistair related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek

Thought it's pretty fitting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZzL4jI60p4

There's one more song that REALLY helped me flesh out some ideas but I'm saving it for when said influence comes into play.

LPC-Losing his Puny grasp on Crap

The old stone and snowy dirt roads of the wild North had long since passed by, replaced with the open fields and farmlands of the crossroads between the four provinces. To the north, the frozen lands and mountains bathed in legends of warriors and primordial beasts that Alistair called home, to the South, the golden capital of Valetoria, the arid lands to the East was home to the revered masons and smiths who'd forged Humanity's tools and to the West laid his destination, the fabled Archive behind a sea of ancient, lush green forests and crystalline rivers. The envoy had been on the road for weeks, stopping at feudal towns and charming shires along the way. The spring rainstorms had turned the dirt roads to mud and trapped Alistair and his teacher inside for almost the entirety of the trip.

"Wow, it's really pouring out there..." Alistair stated the obvious, staring out the red tinted windows into the fields of farmland and marveling at the thunderstorm in surprise. Ludex similarly watched, only with disquiet, before turning to his possible pupil.

"Yes, we've been experiencing a surge in storms in the west as spring approached...Is weather like this common in the North?" The sage asked curiously, writing some reports and entries in his tarnished journal.

"Not really, but it usually snows most days or hails on bad ones; we don't see the sun much either." Alistair informed, bitter about the times where he and Aurora would be snowed in and stuck indoors all day.

"Interesting..." Ludex mused, recording yet another account of strange, constant weather throughout Valetoria; as he finished his account, he figured it was time for another lesson.

"Well Alistair, perhaps we should wait out the storm with another lesson for the day." Ludex announced as he rose from his chair, stretching his tired limbs, as he removed the purple tome they'd been reading from for the past several days. Alistair merrily nodded and lounged on a cushion on the floor opposite Ludex who rested back into his auburn chair and opened the leather bound book.

"Where were we...Ah, here we are...'The Dragons from beyond the Pale Sea shared with Mankind divine knowledge and their immortal fire, from which we drew the power of enchantment. With dragon fire to smelt our new weapons and enchantment to strengthen our armour and flesh, we struck down the Griffin invaders.'" Ludex rattled off with a clear and strong inflection, enthralling Alistair with the history lesson.

"Ludex, why did the Griffins come in the first place?" The child asked with a raised hand, drawing the teacher's attention.

"The accounts vary. Northerners claim it was to enslave us, the Southerners to exterminate and the Griffins say it was to take our resources as with their constant infighting it became hard to constantly hold and operate a mine or farm without thick walls and weapons; why wage miniature wars when there's a mineral rich land simply to the west?" Ludex told him, not quite sure himself. "Regardless, it sparked what we call 'The Age of Iron' or as the Griffins and Ponies call it 'The Age of Blood.' 'With our newfound defiance and will, Humanity rapidly expanded. The Eastern lands were razed and rebuilt, the Griffin clans that had lived within the valleys were forced to retreat back into their native lands or were put to the sword. The Northerners swarmed back into their old lands, ruining all who would stop them regardless if they were Griffin, Pony or Human. The South grew in size and power, far removed from the frontiers, and became the home of our first Lords. The West, however, was were the Dragons of yore flocked to nest within the cavernous mountains where their Human scholars and followers migrated in a mass exodus.'" Ludex finished, explaining how the basic foundation of the Valetorian Empire and her provinces flourished.

"Are the Dragons still there?" The young prince inquired, marveling at the thought of meeting an old, legendary Dragon.

"Yes and no. Many of them died long ago defending the Western lands from all manor of villainy, or simply haven't woken from their slumbers. Many more have returned back to their homeland across the Pale Sea; some still remain, their constant vigil a warning to the Archive's foes. So long as those mountains stand, so to will the Golden Dragons and the Archive." Ludex informed, respect evident in his voice, causing the child to deflate. "Perhaps, if you pass the Trials and become a student, you can see them someday." He continued, causing the child to smile at the thought. The day continued like this, with either Ludex informing him of humanity's history or the basics of Alchemy, Enchantment and Magic; despite the dry, sometimes boring, sometimes droll lectures, Alistair was amazed and curious regardless.

The storm kept hounding the carriages and casters, yet they persevered and neared the archaic, arcane woods of the West.

"It's time to wake up Alistair, I've already finished cooking breakfast and you don't want to look like a disheveled mess in front of the whole Archive on your first day do you?" Ludex chastised the lethargic child, who growled at him from his bed in the cramped side room reserved for him and his things, from the other side of the door. As Alistair grumbled about the unnaturally early riser of a Mage, he was convinced to get moving at the scent of cooked eggs and meat. As he stepped out of his dark, squished cabin dressed in his finest blue and black tunic and trousers, wishing to make a good impress in front of his possible peers, he began drooling at the sight of their small, wooden table topped with sausages, soft boiled eggs, bacon and pancakes.

"Woah! Where'd you keep all this?! You could've told me we had bacon lying around when we had to eat that slop last night." The child whined, remembering the foul porridge they had previously.

"And make our last breakfast together on the road less memorable? Perish the thought. Now, sit down and eat before your food goes cold or you won't have time to fix your appearance before we both get out." His tutor retorted with a grin and chuckle before noticing the sleep in the boy's eyes, bed head and generally sour look. Although he hated the early mornings, he loved waking up to Ludex's cooking.

"Thanks again, your cooking is so amazing!" Alistair thanked politely after taking a bite out of the juicy, perfectly cooked bacon before washing it down with a mug of moliberry juice; the blue juice burst with flavour and sweetness.

"Just some of the perks of growing up with Pyromancy and a cook for a father; again, you don't need to keep thanking me for cooking." Ludex reminded with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Dad said to always thank a good cook, so I will." He countered with a stern look, determined to be polite.

"He also used to punch lousy ones..." The scholar remarked, grinning at the old friend's antics, before he went back to eating his meal silently. The two ate ravenously, the rationing of supplies making the sizzling meal all the more delectable, before Alistair fixed his scruffy appearance and made himself look like the regal heir he was. With little else to do, the slowly waking Prince sat down on the black cushioned sofa next to the large windows to the right of the carriage. As he stared out the window, he noticed the expansive, towering dark trees of the woods and thick foliage had slowly began to retreat and give way to open fields. In time, he noticed small patrols of armoured, robe covered Humans, Ponies, Griffins and all kinds of creatures along the roads armed with a plethora of weapons.

"Hey, how come there are Griffins with weapons next to Humans?" Alistair asked innocently, surprised at the indifference the obscured soldiers had for each other.

"They're members of the Archive Guard, a small yet skilled battalion, they take on anyone who shows potential much like the Archive itself. why do you ask?" Ludex clarified, looking up from the glowing scroll he read from to stare out the window at the sliver plated and yellow robe covered knights.

"Well, Dad always said a Griffin was nothing more than a bloodthirsty bird...Seems weird to give them weapons, or leave them unchained, if that's the case." The child responded calmly, stunning Ludex.

"I see...Your Father...Well...Long ago, we...Something happened long ago that made Peter think that way, out of respect for him I won't elaborate, but please understand that his views of Griffins is ultimately backwards and bigoted...Please don't repeat what you just said to other students or scholars, they might have very...Alarmed reactions." He continued with a dejected sigh, unwilling to shatter his view of his Father at such a young age.

"Okay..." Alistair simply said, unsure of what he wanted to say but understood the point regardless. The remaining half hour to the third and second largest gate of the Western province past in awkward silence, the sound of turning wheels, marching soldiers and defenders relaying orders echoed across the scarred landscape. As they finally reached the towering, moonstone walls of the outer city, old trenches, weaponry, fortifications and tattered banners giving way to small walls of stone, ramparts and armoured guards.

"Open the gates!" Cried out a giant Minotaur, who stood high above his subordinates, which caused the colossal, army halting steel gates to slowly open inward. On the outside and the inside, lines of guards, Paladians and Spellswords saluted their leader and watched his vanguard clear the threshold of the Archive's city.

"Welcome to Drachen-Tor." Ludex announced with pride and comfort radiating from his soft voice as Alistair marveled at the bustling, colossal city adorned with buildings old and new and people from seemingly all corners of the known world. The streets and alleyways seemed to shift in design and culture, ranging from the utilitarian and simplistic designs of Eastern Humans to the non-euclidean and often cheese covered mimicries of homes and shops the Draconequus littered the streets with. The walls stood tall above everything else sans the archive, casting shadows upon the city within and should the walls ever fail to instill a sense of security in the people, the guards wandering about certainly would.

"Wow...I didn't know they made cities this big..." Alistair exclaimed in wonder as he analyzed every new and alien thing he could spot.

"At first we didn't need a city or even a village at all, the Archive was big enough and could house all of us at once, but as the Archive grew so did it's notoriety and fame. Soon, people from all over were making pilgrimages to try and join the Archivists or add some old spell or piece of lore to our ever growing collection. Some never made it into our ranks for one reason or another, but we would be fools to turn away a decent worker or craftsman; soon a small community was growing within and around us of mundane and magical craftsman and thus Drachon-Tor became a hub of sorts for peculiar wares, tools and everything else a mage or magical creature could desire. It started small, but overtime it expanded as every new resident added their own little slice of home into the mix." Ludex explained with joy, clearly proud to elaborate on the origins of the odd city. "Of course the other provinces were irked at the rapid explosion of foreign and magical beings calling Valetoria home, but so long as the guards are around no one is going to be challenging us again." He continued with a look of resolve as Alistair looked back at him with a smile before continuing to admire the passing attractions.

For every misshapen street of cobblestone they passed Alistair saw a million things to occupy his time, from the beautiful ponies made of crystal, to the elks he'd only heard of in fables and even a store selling different breeds of Orthros and various other pets run by some kind of bug things. Freaks and abnormalities walked about minding their own businesses like it was normal to everyone else, but the prince could barely believe anything he saw.

As the convoy moved through the winding, rising streets towards the second gate house on the opposite side of the town Alistair would yell out or point at something that baffled him and Ludex would answer his questions or concerns as they passed crowds of onlookers. As they approached the second layer of security, the surrounding neighborhoods began showing signs of age and weathering, showing the evolution of the arcane city.

Once more they passed through a heavily fortified checkpoint into the Archive grounds, stunning Alistair for the countless time. The Archive at a distance was a tall, imposing collection of spires, platforms and ramparts that seemed as impressive as it was imposing, yet staring up at it from the lush, vibrant and multicoloured castle gardens instilled a sense of peace, wisdom and wonder. The stones and metal exterior glowed like the building itself had a life of its own, the windows of numerous colours and sizes were wide open, the students and teachers alike welcoming the arrival of not only their leader but the last eligible child to be his apprentice. The spires breached the clouds above and stood proudly amongst the stars; whatever knowledge locked away above no doubt as secret and well kept as the ones deep below. The garden grounds surrounding the convoy were full of docile animals, shrubberies, beds of flowers and workers toiling tirelessly despite the constant flow of life giving magic radiating from the grounds itself. As the convoy approached the main entrance to the grand hall, its old, colossal wooden gate stood ajar in anticipation for the new arrivals, Alistair couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and dread.

"It's...Massive...How could someone build something like this?" He asked, marveling at the ancient, gleaming library.

"A lot of dragons, magic, stone and a little help from the Gods. It was much, much smaller and less grandiose in its first century or two but as more covens and schools were assimilated across Val it grew accordingly." Ludex said, summarizing the history of its formation. The archway into the school bared carvings of crests both new and old of the covens and orders that had over the years joined the Archivists.

"Once we exit the cart, I'll rejoin the Archivist headmasters and you'll be expected to join the rest of the children who're eligible for apprenticeship, this may be the last time we're able to talk face to face for awhile and I won't be able to teach you anything new in preparation, are you ready?" Ludex inquired as he adjusted his robes and buttoned it up with a smile towards the excited prince who looked like he was about to throw up from over stimulation.

"I don't know...I mean, what am I expected to do? What'll the Trials be about? How can I compare to these other kids? And what if I mess up in front of everyone?! I don't-"

"Calm down Alistair, you'll be fine." Ludex assured with a soothing voice as he placed his hands on the shoulders of the jittering kid. "The Trials are far from an elaborate show of force or prowess, more so an aptitude test and a few simple exercises and activities; I've already taught you the normal amount of magical and historical information you'd need for the more nuanced tests. Even the greatest mages start as benign as the rest and asking children to perform a cantrip would be dangerous to say the least. Relax, do your best and you'll be fine." He finished with a reassuring smile as he stood up straight, fixed his collar, opened the carriage door and stepped out into cool Spring air of the western forest with Alistair in tow.

Spellswords and paladins knelled before their commander with reverence as he strode towards his awaiting headmasters as Alistair did his best to avoid the critical and questioning gazes of the strangers surrounding him. Before the two stood a small collection of casters of various races, origins and specialization who all bent their knee to Ludex before standing up and addressing him.

"welcome back Lord Hierophant, is this the last potential apprentice?" A robed Human asked with a deep, gravely and accented voice unlike anything Alistair had heard. His body was covered by a dark blue robe decorated with elaborate patterns of rivers and snow sown into the fabric. Although he could barely see the man, he could see his skin was dark brown and his body was painted with faded white lines.

"Yes, this is Prince Alastair of House Leonas. Wert, could you escort him to the apprentice quarters? He'll need some robes, a wand, some textbooks and a warm bed." Ludex ordered to the strange man, who bowed before him.

"Of course, right away." He said as he turned away and gestured for the young boy to follow, but before he could Ludex stopped him.

"Remember, stay calm and think your options through; you're being evaluated on more than your intellect and strength, you need a solid composure and clear mind and I know that if you focus on your strengths and intuition you'll go far. Good luck and goodbye for now." The powerful sage reminded with a reassuring grin before sending him on his way.

The Archive was labyrinthine and overwhelming in scale, with a constant ebb and flow of motion through the sparkling clean and intricately decorated hallways, stairwells and passages. Behind each door they passed down the long halls was a new mystery beginning to be discovered; from the radiating sense of power seeping out from underneath the golden, hallowed doors, the songs carried on freezing winds from deep within the Archive to the libraries and schools far above and deep below.

"Ever seen the Archive before?" The mage asked Alistair, who was distracted observing everything around him.

"No, never..." He responded in a hushed, awed tone, too distracted chronicling everything he could see in his mind.

"Well then I hope you enjoy your brief tour around the main Archive and grounds; there's nothing like this in all of Val." Wert said with adoration as he too smiled as he looked around at the all too common sights of the Archive. The few mages they passed were so bizarre to Alistair, their strange garb or armour only outmatched by their bodies; some were simply another race altogether or their bodies were some kind of magical substitute for flesh and blood like stone and fire or grass and roots yet no one gave them a second glance sans the uninitiated. The crowded passages and chambers full of acolytes or servants slowly dissipated until they were in the Western wing of the Archive, the newest section of the Archive built to house more students; the walls were decorated with ornate paintings and metal light fixtures while the windows parallel to them gave an unobfuscated view of the walled off gardens below. After several twist and turns the two of them stood before a set of doors leading into Alistair's temporary room, one of many lining the hallway for all the possible apprentice's rooms.

"Your room may be a bit cramped, but when you become a student you'll get a more spacious room, more so if you succeed in the Trials and become Lord Hierophant Ludex's successor." Wart said as he unlocked the doors, letting Alistair into the tiny, but cozy bedroom. The soft, grey bed was neatly made with a metal tray lined topped with fruits, the small blackwood bookshelf was full of novels and educational material and the blue rug beneath him felt warm and inviting.

"Tomorrow the first trial begins at six in the morning, in the interim, feel free to decompress and relax, read a few books or explore the Archive if you wish. If you need anything, merely ring that bell and a servant will come by within a few minutes." He offered before pointing towards a seemingly normal looking brass bell. "Do you require anything else?" He finalized as he rested his hands at his side.

"No, I should be fine, thank you." The prince stated softly, too engrossed by the his surroundings as he sat on the fluffy bed. Without a word the senior mage bowed with respect before leaving wordlessly, gently closing the door behind him.

Collapsing onto the bed and staring up at the chandelier Alistair sighed with a massive, stupid grin that would've looked ludicrous to anyone else; despite the looming terror of the trials, he was exuberant and honoured to be considered good enough to join the Archive; The Archive wasn't just revered, it was legendary, and Ludex himself had picked him and journeyed with him to the grand library. Finally able to let his scruffy hair down and rest for a moment, he was able to laugh gleefully. Reaching for a crisp, red apple and looking around for a useful book to read, he spent the rest of the day eating and researching in the afterglow of his arrival until twilight overcame the fortress of magic and fatigue took hold of him.

The week of Trials were more than Alistair had bargained for yet less than he'd feared, he'd been expected to perform basic tests of passive magic like animals being naturally drawn to him and not mauling him immediately, an ability to sense a strong presence of magic, basic potion making, staff and wand wielding, a resistance to raw magic and an affinity towards a certain magic. For most it was something simple like fire or water, for a few it was bizarre like light or illusion yet for Alistair it was something more esoteric; few can say they too held power over weight manipulation.

"Wait...What is weight manipulation?" Alistair asked, fidgeting in his silver and blue robe that was one size too big, it's elegant and rune etched sleeves brushing past his pale knuckles. As he and Ludex walked down the gilded halls of the Upper Halls between two gold plated, crimson robed guards Alistair couldn't stop adjusting his stylish robe.

"Well, it's one of the more unknown fields of magic, few have been gifted with a natural prowess in such an understudied school." Ludex tried to clarify with a beaming smile as Alistair looked at his hands. "It's rather inconsequential at the moment however, before we go over such an advanced school we have a lot of basics to cover!" He declared with vigor as they rounded a corner towards the Hierophant's Hall, the right stain glass windows depicting the several Hierophants before him and the Coven leaders before them.

"Congratulations on passing the Trials, few even truly find out if they can even join a school of magic so it's quite prosperous that we found you up North." Ludex said with cheer, looking away from him while he decided to hold up the bottom of his robe so he'd stop treading on it. "Oh, I'll tell the tailors they'll need to shorten your robes, my apologies." He continued, frowning slightly at the embarrassing display.

"It's okay, I've had worse." The young apprentice assured, remembering when his dad tried to give him a set of armour. "So, now what?" Alistair asked, curious as to the demands his new title came with but also incredibly anxious to begin.

"Well, normally there's a few days of celebration and preparation, we'll introduce you to the rest of the Archive, give you some better robes and your first wand, assign you some more servants, gather any existing written knowledge on weight manipulation as well as general comforts. For now, simply relax and celebrate your victory. The time for training will come later." Ludex informed as they approached a set of whitewood and silver doors with silver spellswords flanking either side.

"That sounds alright, honestly I could use some time to-wait, more servants?" Alistair inquired, befuddled that he even has a servant here.

"Of course, you're my apprentice and it's only natural to give you at least a servant; you're inevitably going to need someone to manage the smaller things in your life." Ludex stated, his tone indicating it was something clear to all except Alistair. "This is your quarters from now on, it may be a bit sparse at first but overtime you'll find the room may become cramped so try not to make too much of a mess." He instructed as he gently pushed them open and stepped into the colossal chamber.

"Woah..." Alistair marveled as he surveyed the incredible mini library held within a bedroom. In the back left corner rested a giant, bed and in the center sat a large, ornately carved mahogany table with a wooden, padded chair and the walls were lined with empty bookshelves. Above the ground floor was a second set of bookshelves accessible by several ladders built on rails; a cool breeze blew in from the balcony opposite Alastair which gave a clear few to the mountains behind the Archive and the training grounds bathed in moonlight as well. As he oohed and aahed at the colourful gold and silver painted walls and the impressive scale he noticed the pony standing idle by on the balcony.

"Speaking of servants, I want you to meet Dawnstar." Ludex insisted as said pony turned around with bored eyes and a lack of engagement. She slowly walked over to the two before bowing regally before Alistair.

"Greetings Apprentice Alistair, I'm your humble servant Dawnstar." She greeted with a seemingly rehearsed greeting. Despite her enthusiasm she clearly knew how to act proper. She was dressed in a simple red and white robe with very little embellishments that paired well with her well groomed silver fur and ruby mane. Her red eyes were dull with disinterest and fatigue. Despite her young, healthy lithe body and well made clothes, it was all offset by the faded markings of a chain around her neck.

"It's nice to meet you...I promise I won't ask too much of you." He responded awkwardly, not sure how to react to such a bland, disinterested person.

"Wonderful..." She responded, her terse attitude unnerving him.

"Dawnstar, Alistair requires his robes to be shortened and if need be replaced, could you inform the tailors please?" His new mentor ordered, to which she bowed and began towards the doors.

"Of course." She said, a clear change in her inflection towards respect instead of faint contempt. When she was finally out of ear Alistair turned to Ludex.

"She's pretty verbose, where'd she come from? I didn't think the Archive had slaves." He jested sarcastically before taking on a serious tone.

"Don't mistake her answers or responses for hatred or malcontent, she's simply slow to warming up to others...She's had a horrid childhood and she's only slightly older than yourself." Ludex answered, crestfallen as he looked at the empty doorway before facing his new student with a small smile. "Ah, but now's not the time for such things. What do you think of your new room?" He asked with curiosity as he himself looked around once more.

"It's truly marvelous, thank you so much!...But it's a bit excessive don't you think?" He responded, grateful but overwhelmed.

"It may seem big now, but give it a few years and you'll be stepping over books, scrolls and gifts to get to the door." He said knowingly, a nostalgic look in his glowing eyes. "Oh, and to commemorate your new home I got you a gift! It's customary for Hierophant's to give their acolyte something simple but nice on their first day, I hope you like it." He said confidently as he removed a small, square parcel from his robe and handed it to Alistair who in turn feverishly tore the paper away to reveal a blank stack of paper.

"What is it? connected paper?" He asked, confused and unsure as he looked it over.

"Somewhat. It's an enchanted notebook, no matter what you put in its pages you'll never run out of blank paper nor lose anything you draw! It's marvelous yet simplistic." He explained matter of factly as he demonstrated its powers by flipping through its pages, amazing Alistair when halfway through it stopped yet more pages were being flipped through yet it never seemed to grow bigger in size.

"Wow, that's so cool!" The young boy remarked as he had the mystical book handed back to him. "What can I do with it?"

"Anything you can imagine Alistair, a blank canvas is a plethora of possibility for a creative and logical mind, my former master told me that." He answered with a reminiscent smile. "Now then, I have matters to attend to and it is getting rather late. If you require anything my room is just down the hall and these guards are yours; if you need something and neither myself nor Dawnstar are around merely ask them." He informed as he gestured to the two silver covered Human guards who stood taller when called upon. "Get some sleep, and in the morning I plan to introduce you to the castle at large and my advisers. Good night Alistair, you've a bright future ahead of you." He parted with a soft smile as he and the guards left him in the magically lit room alone.

As he looked around the expansive room, from its empty shelves to the spacious balcony and grandiose bed, he thought back to his shared room with Aurora with mirth before wondering about his future. He knew then and there in his heart of hearts that he was going to revel in his opportunity and excel whatever notions people may have of him tenfold. He would be a loyal and inquisitive apprentice, and one day a wise and powerful Hierophant worthy of leading the Archive...

The Precipice

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Author's Notes:

Hey all, I'm going fucking mental right now! Between suffering from slight cabin fever, boredom and the usual unwillingness to sleep at a normal time of night, I found myself putting a lot more into this chapter then originally planned.

Firstly, if I missed anything out, if it looked like my quality dropped or if something just seems wrong Narratively let me know and I'll fix it; I wrote this over the course of several long nights and early mornings for some reason so I might've fucked up and I didn't catch it while editing.

Secondly, I changed the title of this story because it was too long and kinda shit and if I plan on doing a sequel or just continuing this after whenever I'm done I feel the new title would work better. Also, Alistair isn't technically dead or alive so calling him the 'Dead Hierophant' is a bit of a misnomer.

Third, as you may have already guessed there's going to be past and present segments of the story, idk if I'll have a set number of chapters in between each past chapter but there's a bit of backstory/lore I want to cover from Alistair and Co.'s perspective that I don't want to be just exposition. Obviously I won't cut to a past segment if I leave the last chapter on a tense or suspenseful note (unless I hate you all) but I will every now and then cut back when I feel it's appropriate.

Lastly, I'm tired and a procrastinating bastard but I love writing and I want to get into a semi-reliable update schedule. Most of my projects fall apart from either lack of effort, irl shit or lack of drive and for once a story of mine is doing well and I've got the drive to keep going. I have uni shit to worry about in real life but I do want to upload at least two chapters a month or maybe three if I'm not too busy. Nothing concrete yet but that's my plan.

As always, comment and tell me what you thought or just to give me feedback. I appreciate either even if the feedback can be scathing. With how long I made this chapter I think I'm going insane or something...Fuck me. Would you guys prefer shorter chapters or long? Either way I don't mind as most chapters go on for as long as I think is good but if you guys want me to cut back from the mind numbingly long chapters then I will.

LPC-Last Pony Creator.

Idk if anyone else hears it but for some reason this song makes me think of the remnants of the Archivist, Faded Scroll and Snow plus I like Porter Robinson so meh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uuQkMMm5Ns

As the sun set over Equestria, bathing the tranquil kingdom in a purple and orange haze, Ponies began their various rituals either in preparation for sleep or a long night ahead. Yet despite the calming and cool atmosphere of nightfall, none were in the mood to rest within the Castle of Friendship resting in the small town of Ponyville. A series of voices echoed throughout the crystalline hallways, all of which questioning the strange circumstance they found themselves in.

"Someone's gotta know something, right?" Rainbow Dash insisted, irritated and curious as she hovered over the magical map before them, trying to spot wherever the map wanted to send her.

"I honestly don't know Rainbow, the map's never done this before!" Twilight repeated, pacing back and forth anxiously as for once the map showed nowhere they were needed and yet their cutie marks were indicating otherwise.

"Maybe the table's just messing up? Y'all know this thing ain't exactly clear on anything." Applejack offered, adjusting her dusty stetson as she brushed back her mane.

"Perhaps it's nothing, or the problem fixed itself? That'd be a nice change." Fluttershy added meekly, resting in her appointed throne.

"If that were the case our cutie marks would've stopped glowing by now, yet all of us are apparently still needed for something..." Twilight countered, gesturing to all of them to get the point across.

"This truly is a conundrum darling, the map's never needed all of us before or refused to show where exactly the problem is. I hope Starlight has found-Ah, there she is." Rarity added, rubbing her chin with a quizzical expression before snapping at attention as the other purple unicorn they knew walked into the room, a bevy of books and scrolls hovering in her magical grasp.

"Did you find anything?" Twilight added as Starlight put the collection of information on the crystal table.

"Nothing at all, whatever was written in relation to similar magical devices didn't cover anything like this..." She answered, defeated somewhat as she wondered what the map had planned.

"Maybe the map's having an off day? I know I can do some silly stuff when I'm a bit out of it!" Pinkie Pie offered, her usual pep and cheer keeping the mood light despite the confusion.

"I don't think enchanted objects can have off days Pinkie." Twilight said with a tired tone as she began rapidly flipping pages in various tomes searching for an answer.

"Maybe we should just leave it as is? We're not really learning anything new here, and Celestia knows-" Spike started, yawning from fatigue as he looked around the azure and purple room to the various Ponies, only to be cut short.

"Spike, of course! One of the Princesses has to know something about artifacts malfunctioning or acting out!" Twilight interrupted with a sudden second wind of enthusiasm. Spike, after rolling his eyes as he began the same old song and dance, grabbed a quill and parchment and prepared to jot down her words. after a short, throat clearing cough the Princess began dictating.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I find myself in need of help deciphering, or fixing, the Cutie Map. For whatever reason, it has chosen all of us to fix a friendship problem, but hasn't given us a location. I believe that either yourself or Princess Luna would have greater knowledge or understanding in the field of-Spike?" She started with a clear, almost rehearsed soft tone and pace before looking back at her diminutive assistant as she heard the scratching of quill to parchment cease. With a great burp and puff of green fire and smoke, a scroll from Celestia manifested. Befuddled at the strange coincidence, Spike opened the scroll and read aloud.

"My faithful student Twilight, a dire situation has arisen and I request the immediate presence of yourself and your friends. If my suspicions prove true then Equestria is in danger. Princess Celestia..." Spike finished, taken aback by not only the terse nature of the message but the startling implications.

"Could this be the problem the map wanted you six to solve?" Starlight postulated as the six began heading for the door with spike in toe.

"I'd assume so...Aren't you coming along?" The Princess assessed before heading towards the great double doors, only to stop and turn back when she saw Starlight wasn't following her.

"Oh, you want me to come along as well?" She questioned, surprised that she was accompanying Twilight on her latest mission.

"Of course, Celestia said to bring my friends and if they're all coming then I see no reason you can't as well!" Twilight answered with a small smile, to which her student returned one as well. Although Starlight had no idea what she and the rest of them would be walking into, she was delighted to tag along and hopefully help.

Resting upon her throne, Celestia's ears rang with the unnerving silence of the room. Her radiant guards stood by, a constant vigil against any would be threats, their quiet nature unwelcome for once. Sighing, she looked out the colourful, obfuscating window to her left and looked upon the darkened city of Canterlot bathed in moonlight; her mind racing with so many unknowns and ideas.

"Your majesty, Princess Twilight and her companions have arrived." A guard declared from the throne room doors, her voice breaking the stillness in the air.

"Thank you. Leave us." She ordered after turning to her guards who bowed before hurrying out of the room while Twilight and her friends trotted across the extravagant hall, hushed whispers between them bouncing off the walls. Celestia stood up from her throne, her legs shaking slightly from exhaustion.

"Princess Celestia, we got your message, what's wrong?" Twilight asked frantically before embracing her mentor in a small hug.

"Yeah, I'm kinda wonderin' that myself; woulda thought Princess Luna would be summoning us at this hour." Applejack added, yawning softly as she tried to suppress her exhaustion.

"I'm sorry to call you all here this late at night, but something dire has come to my attention..." Celestia apologised with a sincere tone before she closed her eyes, preparing to unearth old wounds.

"What's wrong? Is Chrysalis back?" Rainbow asked, furrowed brow and ready to attack.

"No, she seems to have gone to ground with her loyalist and my agents can't find anything. No, I believe a new threat has arisen." Celestia declared with a noticeable tone of worry and doubt. "I believe a powerful mage from my past has returned." She continued as she closed her eyes and summoned an ancient looking grey tome with a series of unknown text scrawled across it.

"Long ago, before Equestria as we know it was formed, Luna and I embarked on a grand journey across countries and continents and along that journey we found a young man by the name of Alistair and his sister Aurora. They were a a travelling mage and warrior from a neighboring empire called Valetoria. Within Valetoria lived the Humans, bipedal, pale and widespread; some were even magically sensitive and they were at one time servants of the first Dragons. The Valetorians were malicious and indiscriminate in who they killed and dominated, yet these two were noble, kind and just in their cause. Along with several strangers and heroes who would arrive further into our adventure, they joined us and ultimately helped us save not only Equestria, but perhaps the world." Celestia explained as she opened the dusty tome, a swirling mass of clouds forming to illustrate a colourful and lifelike retelling of her ancient life story. Twilight and her friends were surprised to see a young Celestia and Luna without their Alicorn features, but were shocked at the sight of the mysterious, cloaked mage and the armour covered heroine. They stood tall above the two sisters, their bipedal clothing and armour beautiful and bizarre. The designs and patterns caused Rarity to ooh and awe while Twilight studied the features of Alistair the mage.

"Just as we ascended and became the Alicorns of the sun and moon, they ascended into immortals as well, though their people called them 'Demigods'. They weren't celestial like myself, but they represented the magical and physical respectively. Alistair pursued seemingly every aspect of magic, ultimately embodying it and potentially understanding it more than any mortal, living or dead, and Aurora was a force of nature capable of decimating entire armies or shattering a castles defenses alone. Together they were the sword and shield of the Valetorian Empire." The Princess continued, her voice holding a strange tone of respect and admiration as the book painted a colorful picture of the siblings standing tall over a ruined Griffin fortress. Although inspiring, the sight of people so casually trudging over the remains of a people's defenses seemed unnerving to all sans Celestia.

"If these two were so powerful, how come we've never heard of them or this empire?" Rarity inquired, finding the lack of knowledge surrounding these supposed immortals queer.

"Because neither them nor their people exist anymore." Celestia answered, crestfallen but refused to show weakness. "For eons Alistair and Aurora held the peace and were the guardians of the empire. Some even saw them as the true rulers; whatever they decreed was best for Valetoria, the Emperor or Empress listened for it'd be foolish to oppose an immortal let alone two. They were just, unconquerable and steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the continued survival of their way of life and rarely interfered or took control of the people. With them in power, wars between the Valetorians and their enemies all but ceased aside from some brief skirmishes. Diplomacy became their first response instead of bloodshed, relations between Equestria and Valetoria improved immensely and the land was kept in a state of peace. Then..." Celestia told with an air of wonder, the tome painting a picture of rolling green fields, gleaming citadels and various races living in harmony. All of it was washed away as the sky darkened and a tall, malicious looking knight resting upon a throne replaced the scenery. Fluttershy hid behind her mane in fright and even Pinkie Pie's constant optimism was dampened from the display.

"The empire changed, Alistair and Aurora's views differed and over time they drifted down different paths. Alistair grew distant, arrogant and uncaring towards the material world, his sights set completely on understand the metaphysical. As the years passed his obsession towards magic became...Extreme. Aurora, on the other hoof, saw the empire at risk of growing stagnant, or worse, irrelevant. She saw the empire as weak and began instilling a desire for war back into the Valetorians. The people, under control of the new Emperor Frederick, saw the constant trades, deals and gifts of once stolen land in the past as not only an affront to the throne but his subjects. With him in charge, the Valetorians were heading down the warpath once more, this time with Aurora's blessing. Alistair did what he could, but with the backing of not only Aurora but a unified nation, Frederick refused to see his view...They went to war with the Minotaurs, once their oldest allies and now the target of the new Emperor's wrath for reasons I can't say I know." The clouds morphed into scenes of hellish warfare, magic firestorms decimating armies, siege weapons and golems breaking apart cities and Minotaurs razing farmlands and shires. Seeing the imposing Minotaurs and these mythical Humans fighting was epic in scale but utterly horrific, causing even the hardened Applejack to go pale."The Griffins were primed to attack the distracted empire, wishing to subjugate their oldest rivals, but my sister and I offered to try and either broker peace or end the war with as little violence as possible..." She hesitated, her composure wavering as she remembered days long since forgotten.

"It was a mistake to get involved, but we had to stop them...Aurora wouldn't see reason, she truly believed the war was necessary, and Alistair refused to turn his powers against his own kind and his sister. We found ourselves in opposition with our oldest allies...The war dragged on for far too long, Aurora's might holding us off at every pass, and when we finally broke through her lines and cleared the North, her brother's hatred was overwhelming...The magic he found...The forces he awakened...Like his sister had became a warlord, he also became something monstrous at the outset of war." The tome had ceased showing anything, Celestia having shut the book and willing it away, horror flickering in her eyes. "In the end, I had to kill them..." Celestia confessed, her voice calm and eyes closed; she looked placid, but cries of betrayal and anger ranged out in her mind and the mere memory began to dishearten her.

"Princess...I had no idea..." Twilight said, taking a step back in horror at the old story, before she composed herself and reached her hoof out to her teacher in support.

"It's alright Twilight, I've accepted what I've done and so has Luna...We had to act, if we hadn't I shudder to think what would've become of not only Valetoria and the Minotuarian Islands, but the entirety of Equus itself." Celestia assured, brushing her hoof aside softly. "Without their greatest warrior, Alistair finally joined the war if only to strike me down and the Emperor grew unnerved and paranoid. Alistair refused to listen to talks of peace even when his city was occupied...After I claimed his stronghold, I assumed the Emperor would back down after losing both Demigods but he didn't. We couldn't break his defenses at their capital city, Val'kala; Alistair's enchantments from years past held strong against the most powerful magic we could muster. After almost a year of stagnate fighting and failed diplomacy, he unleashed a weapon of untold power. It was a weapon intended to kill Luna and I along with razing our armies and potentially the whole continent of Equus, instead it burned the land, salted the earth and turned the once prosperous nation into something akin to Tarturus...The war ended with a self inflicted genocide and an old, powerful nation burned off the map. We took in as many refugees as we could, thousands I believe, and many survivors fled across the ocean or had already left long before the climax of the war...Ultimately it proved pointless as due to infighting, the chaos of the whole ordeal and the lack of survivors the Human race was dwindling rapidly, and after two hundred years Humanity was no more..." Celestia finished, her face obscured by shadows that failed to hide the look of pain and guilt. All within the room were consumed with dark thoughts, ranging from great sorrow and horror on the part of Fluttershy, rarity and Pinkie Pie and shock, a dark amazement and freightful awe towards Celestia from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, though oddly Twilight felt something more akin to skepticism or surprise.

"Whoa...I didn't think it was possible for a race to just...Die out..." Rainbow muttered, her eyes wide with shock as she reflected on the tale.

"Why have I never heard of any of this? Surely someone would've recorded something so...So disastrous." Twilight exclaimed, confusion and horror in equal parts gripping her.

"Because after the war ended the world entered an era of strife. Wars came and went, plagues and natural disasters were frequent and the few Equestrians or Humans who would've endeavoured to recorded Valetoria's fall were occupied dealing with the magical and natural disasters spreading across Equestira; some say it was the gods the Humans worshiped exacting revenge, and they may have been right for how difficult it was to control. Many have written about the old war, particularly the Griffons and Minotuars, though few can claim to true understand the motives or the world it happened in. I've never shared this story with you, nor anypony living, because it shames me greatly; it's not a heroic tale or an epic journey, it was close friends and old allies succumbing to madness and war. Nothing was gained from it, aside from the removal of a would-be tyrant at the cost of countless lives and a proud culture." Celestia explained, her voice composed but wavering cracks of sadness made it clear she was struggling to forget the ancient conflict. Although it placated her, Twilight was still shocked she had never heard of such an archaic tragedy.

"Wait...If they're all gone, why're you so worried?" Starlight interjected, trying to make sense of everything. Celestia seemed surprised by her presence, but proceeded nonetheless.

"Because I felt a surge of energy, something like an explosion of ancient magic, far to the South of Equestria's border. Immortals have powerful souls and auras, those who're more in tune with magic can sense it in others but only another immortal can fully understand and sense the magnitude of another immortal." Celestia explained, causing Twilight to frown.

"If that's true then why didn't I sense anything?" The younger Alicorn asked, not out of suspicion towards her mentor but out of genuine curiosity and slight disappointment.

"All immortals have a different aura to them associated to their strengths, you can tell by looking at me the kind of power I embody." Celestia started, and true to her words Twilight could subtly feel the power radiating off her; it was similar to a comforting warmth and a summer breeze yet held a deep, primal strength to it with the intensity of the sun. Her aura exemplified the millennia old, motherly mare's true powers while displaying it in a soft, gentle way. "There are few immortals left alive, or perhaps I simply can't sense them anymore, but I will never mistake Alistair's. It's faint, tame and weak in comparison to what it once was, but there are no immortals I can think of who's revival would create such an intense burst of magic. I believe somewhere in that desert Alistair is resting, possibly growing in strength." Celestia clarified, sharing her suspicions with the assembled crowd.

"So...You want us to...Fight him?" Fluttershy whispered shakingly, terrified at the thought of attacking a being similar in power to Celestia.

"No, It'd be foolish to attempt it, even weakened he'd be hard to apprehend or defeat, and I can't say for sure if he's alive or something has merely caused a colossal explosion of magical energy and I'm wrong. Regardless, I need you to travel to Appleloosa, alert Captain Braeburn and assist in forming a survey of the desert; if he's alive then we'll need to prepare for whatever comes and if it's merely an anomaly it should be monitored. I'd aid you, but I regret to say that the Griffon Kingdoms are in need of my attention; I can't risk our relations on a unconfirmed fear and I trust you all to act where I can not." Celestia requested with a proud smile, causing Twilight to beam with adulation while Rainbow Dash seemed to puff out her chest in boastful pride.

"We won't fail you Princess." Her former student assured, stepping back to join her companions.

"I know Twilight, I have faith you'll make sense of this." She responded, a nostalgic grin on her face as she remembered the countless times Twilight had promised her the same promise. "Be warned, if he has returned and he's already reformed a body, he may be disguised as a unicorn by the name of 'Wonderlust'. He'll have white fur, a silver and brown mane and blue eyes, if you find him I'd advise avoiding him. Please hurry, time may be of the essence." She finished with a steely look to which she received a chorus of respectful assurances or simple 'Of course. With nothing more to say, they parted ways leaving Celestia alone in the quiet, echoing hall. Resting on her marble and gold throne, the magenta cushions offering little comfort, she contemplated the potential threats to come.

"I can't believe it! Not only are we going on yet another potentially dangerous mission, but it's in the desert of all places...Why couldn't a threat have appeared in Manehattan or Las Pegasus for once?" Rarity huffed, annoyed at the prospect of grueling work, while the rest of the group wondered what was to come as they trotted down the empty, illuminated streets of Canterlot's Noble district.

"Are you kidding me Rare? We're going on an adventure to track down an immortal magic guy! How is that not cool?" Rainbow rhetorically asked, doing a small loop in the air out of excitement.

"Princess Celestia said we might not run into anyone...I hope she's wrong..." Her timid friend said, quivering at the thought of facing yet another adversary.

"I concur, I'd rather not face another life threatening situation this week." Rarity jested, the frequent danger surrounding their adventures growing into more of a novelty with each passing peril.

"I hope Braeburn knows anything 'bout handling this, or at least can keep us outta trouble...Celestia knows he's got enough trouble keeping the town together these days." Applejack said aloud as she wondered what was going to come in the next few days.

"Oh come on, Braeburn wouldn't have been given the rank of Captain if he wasn't reliable!" Pinkie Pie offered with a commonly massive smile.

"He got it because the last Captain died Pinkie, not because he's reliable." She retorted, her lack of confidence in her cousin evident from her faint grimace.

"Well that's just great." Spike said sarcastically as he yawned deeply, the late hour weighing heavily on him. They traveled in relative silence, little to be said as none had the desired answers. The lamps glowed brightly above, projecting light onto the whitestone pavement, gilded buildings, dimly lit alleyways and the few Ponies wandering around. The closer they got to the train station, the more questions formed within their minds surrounding the coming mission.

"Still positive you wish to come with us? Not to undermine you, but this may get problematic if things go wrong." Twilight asked Starlight as she placed a hoof on her shoulder, worried about her student coming to harm, while their friends rushed ahead to the well lit and surprisingly well populated train station.

"Of course, it'd be a bit cowardly to back out now wouldn't it?" Starlight assured, smiling confidently as she slowly trotted next to her mentor.

"There's a difference between confidence and caution. I trust that you're smart and strong enough to handle almost anything, but we're dealing that's come back from a confrontation with Celestia." She pressed, using what little she knew to weigh up the odds in her mind while they approached their small group of fatigued but pumped friends.

"If he's anything like Chrysalis then I'm sure we'll be fine, As far as I know this 'Alistair' might not even be alive. Twilight, I want to help you and the Princess and I know we're well prepared for anything we find." Starlight affirmed with a fiery spark of resolve in her purple eyes, whether forged through experience or cockiness it was there. Twilight gave into her assurance and sighed softly before putting on a calm smile.

"As long as there's not another magic blocking artifact, I suppose you're right. Come on, it won't be long before the next train pulls in." Twilight joked, chuckling slightly, before indicating towards the platform. Finally able to sit down and breath, Twilight began fretting over whatever abomination she'd be faced with next.

"Lord Alistair, why're you awake at such an ungodly hour?" Faded Scroll questioned as he peered in through the ajar doors of the war room and stared at the looming figure leering at a map of the world.

"Sleep is for mortals and the lazy, I've got work to do." The Human responded, suppressing a yawn, as he continued to look at, and adjust in his mind, the borders of 'his' land. "I could ask you the same thing Fade." He continued as he curled up the colossal scroll with his magic before whisking it away onto a black, bleak shelf devoid of relevant or modern information aside from the map.

"I find it difficult to sleep before a battle and Snowfall doesn't need my help handling your detail so I decided to simply patrol the halls." The old seer explained as he stepped next to Alistair and noticed the bags under his eyes. "...Have you actually slept since we revived you?" He asked as Alistair headed towards the doors, stretching his arms.

"I passed out in the main library, that counts." He proclaimed as he stepped out into the moonlit hallway and cracked his neck, his joints aching from a lack of rest. "We should head out soon, is Snow ready?" Alistair asked as he ran his hand across the walls, his magic fixing the cracks running down from the ceiling.

"Yes my Lord, she's amassed a small group of our elite fighters and casters; they're waiting on your call." Faded announced, anxious but ready for the coming fight. Meanwhile, Alistair seemed distracted by something.

"What about Chrysalis?"

"She received your missive, although she was...Perturbed to lend her forces at such a critical time, she'll meet us at the rendezvous point with a contingent of guards." He said as he handed Chrysalis' response to him, a grimace on his face as he remembered how disquieted the messenger was when he came back.

"Excellent...Monsters aside, who else do you suppose could pose a threat to us?" His master inquired, looking out of one of the dust covered windows out into the howling desert.

"Well, the Minotaurs have largely forgotten or forgiven Humanity, only the xenophobic tribes would hate you. The Griffins still despise the memory of your people and even the fringe tribes or separatists would be loathed to aid you, Chrysalis seems to like you but the other Changeling Queens are enigmatic at best and aside from the frontier town Appaloosa Equestria has very little interest in this region; if anything they're apprehensive to come here. If someone were to discover you before you're ready we'd be surrounded by potential enemies but the chance of that is remote, my Lord." Faded listed off, a clear list of targets or aggressors etched into his mind as he rattled off.

"Well I guess that's the beauty of living in a wasteland, no one wants to come here...Assuming we play it safe, no one should find us until the majority of my followers arrive." He responded, neither dismayed nor thrilled by the report as he continued to stare out into the dead land with a burning hate in his eyes. "Have the soldier's been briefed on what to expect?" He continued, losing the glimmer of wrath and exhaustion as he turned to face him. Before the senior Mage could begin however, the sound of a door creaking open interrupted him.

"Hey Wonderlust? You out here?" Braeburn called out, his rustic accent cutting the silence. Almost instantly, Alistair changed form and approached the Captain. Cursing slightly for giving Braeburn a magical key with which to open the door, he approached the stallion.

"What're you doing up at such an hour? You should be resting." 'Wonderlust' stressed, the irony of his statement not lost on Faded Scroll who simply rolled his eyes.

"The wounds healed and I know you're going on some kinda mission to kill those monsters." He announced, proving his point by stretching his hooves and showing no sign of discomfort.

"How did you hear about this?" Faded Scroll asked, surprised he would've found out.

"Some of the guards you put on my door were discussing it, something about tracking down their den or whatever those things call home. I want to come along." Braeburn claimed, his usually soft and charming accent taking on a sinister tone as he spoke about the hybrid monsters.

"Out of the question." The Human turned Unicorn stated firmly with a frown, causing the Captain to eye him.

"Pardon my bad manners, but these fuckers killed my soldiers and left me for dead like trash; it doesn't help none that a lot of those stallions were my friends...if you're not taking me with you then I'll go kill those bastards myself, injuries be damned." He assured, donning his stetson and standing tall with a hardened look. Standing there in his dark brown scale armour, ax at his side and injuries fixed he did look tough enough to handle the fight, but there were several issues with bringing him along, chiefly the fact that he didn't want an Equestrian Knight seeing Queen Chrysalis.

"I understand that you're furious, but I believe you should let us handle this for now." Faded Scroll interjected, his voice calm but he too shared my sentiment on bringing him along.

"No, you really don't partner. Unless you're gonna stand there and tell me you know exactly how it feels to watch a bunch of friends and innocent Ponies die at the hooves of some monsters and be told you can't get even you're gonna let me come." The Captain demanded, his fierce scowl and spiteful voice a mask for the pain his soul was pouring out.

"Unless you believe you can attack a Mage who's trained in close quarters tactics, you will step back and calm down. Try to understand where we're coming from. You've been fatally wounded, you're clearly still torn up over what has transpired and you're out of your element; I believe it'd be wise to simply rest." Fade threatened back, his serious inflection and demand falling on deaf ears, before trying to placate with a softer, friendlier tone. Meanwhile, Alistair was theorising and came to a brilliant idea.

"I'm sick of resting! I've lost my whole troop and now I'm being told I can't even-"

"Fine, you can come." Alistair interrupted his rant as he waved it off and turned around.

"Really?...thanks partner, sorry I flew off the handle back there..." He apologised, genuinely upset over his behavior as he smiled and followed Alistair. Meanwhile, Faded Scroll seemed flabbergasted.

"My Lord, Can you hear me? What are you doing?!" Scroll cried out in alarm telepathically, his projected voice clearly articulating his shock.

"Think nothing of it, so long as you follow my orders I have no problem with you exacting revenge." He told Braeburn with a neutral look to which he simply nodded. "Don't worry, I have a plan that will benefit us in the long run." Wonderlust reassured Faded Scroll telepathically, announcing both sentences at roughly the same time.

"So what's the plan?" Braeburn inquired, trotting ahead so that he stood by Alistair's side.

"We're going to meet Snowfall, one of my more skilled combatants, and teleport out to the site of your battle. From there I will track down their den if I can sense any residual magic and also regroup with our scouting party; after we form up and find their hideout we'll formulate a plan of attack." He enlightened the soldier as they continued down the hall, nearing the Grand Entrance.

"Sounds good." Braeburn said simply, having little to say about the plan.

"Scouting party?" Fade asked, confused as to why he waas lying about how many of their own soldiers were going into the field.

"I'll ask Chrysalis to disguise herself and her soldiers as Ponies before we meet, if Braeburn sees us with Changelings he may have questions but if he sees us helping him not only avenge his lost soldiers but slay monsters he'll most likely have nice things to say about the reclusive Mages out in the desert when he returns back to his lands instead of telling Ponies about the cold and hostile or Changeling allied potential threats in the desert." Alistair said in Faded's mind, finally calming the old Mage as although susceptible to errors or problems, it was better then having the armed Captain agitated in their new home. With nothing else to say, they rapidly approached the Grand Entrance.

Moonlight graced the shanty town and rubble and illuminated the band of tattooed, robe and leather clad warriors of varying ages, races and skills. There were several Diamond Dogs, Minotaurs and a handful of Unicorns and Earth Ponies, despite their apparent mundanity the markings, facial tattoos, rune etched cloth wrapped around their hands and their wooden weapons faintly glowed a multitude of violent colours.

"Welcome my Lord, we're just about ready to-oh!...I didn't realise the Equestrian was tagging along..." Snowfall started with a pound to her plate covered chest, the robe lying over it muffling the clang of metal meeting force, only to halt and gawk at the Pony who merely nodded at her.

"Don't worry ma'am, just trying to help out and get even." He reassured with a polite grin. After a telepathic message was relayed to her from Alistair, she merely sighed as the constant stress of preparation continued to mount up.

"If Wonderlust says you're fine, you're good in my books." She said with a shrug, having to remind herself not to say Alistair or Hierophant, as she turned back to her combatants. "Alright boys and girls, you know what's being asked of you. The days of fighting bandits and Drakes are over, today we get to be heroes and slay monsters!" She declared dramatically with sarcasm, earning a few smirks from the less professional among the elite. "We're walking into Tartarus here and we're coming prepared; we've got our leaders and an Equestrian Captain for backup." She reminded, gesturing towards the three Ponies. Aside from a few grimaces of displeasure towards Braeburn who was simply stand at attention the group remained unshaken. "Ain't we lucky? Back when I was a grunt we didn't even have a hornhead to stand next to, now we've got a Plateflank to fight with!" She continued with a mocking smirk, earning a few short lived laughs before Faded Scroll gave her and the fighters a stern look.

"At least I'm wearing armour, wooden staves and cloth ain't gonna save ya from those demons." Braeburn countered, not used to being on the receiving end of a superior's mocking. Although a few may have been chuckling beforehand, several were now bellowing, Alistair and Faded Scroll included.

"You're not familiar with magic, are you?" Alistair rhetorically asked, in between gasps of air, as he wiped a few tears away after the laughter died down.

"Can't say I am, no." He answered, unsure whether he was suppose to feel embarrassed or not.

"Well I'll put it simply." Snow said as she reached out to borrow one of the warrior's staves, who handed it to her, and walked towards a collapsed pillar. "It isn't the wood and wool that makes our gear effective." She assured, reinforcing her statement by holding the branch like staff overhead and swing it down onto the ancient marble. As it impacted, two things happened: The staff exploded with colour as several magical runes and etching illuminated, the old language illegible to the Equestrian, and the fallen pillar cracked all the way down to the center of the construct.

"Whoa Nelly..." He mumbled, dazzled at the display. "...Think you can spruce up my ax?" He requested, causing the Diamond Dog to smile.

"Make it back in one piece and I'll think about it...Oh, uh, sorry about the pillar boss." She started with a smirk, before taking on a more repentant expression as she addressed her Lord.

"No harm done, I'll fix it later." He dismissed with a shrug, he'd have had to repair it later anyway.

"I'm more worried if you woke anyone up with that display." Faded Scroll said with concern, furrowing his brow at Snow before looking back towards the fledgling town.

"Sorry...So boss, we about ready to move out?" She apologised with a somewhat flat tone, years of being Fade's apprentice numbing her to being chewed out, before turning to Alistair who walked up next to her, Braeburn and Fade tailing behind him.

"Of course. Remember, although I'm in command during this expedition I'm more interested in seeing how my new followers operate. Don't play hero or go out of your way to impress me, do what comes naturally, follow your orders from Snowfall and Faded Scroll and if I say something then you do it. Everyone ready? Good. Prepare yourself, this may feel tingly." Alistair ordered, his straightforward and simplistic command getting the soldiers to form up and ready for action. As he closed his eyes and began murmuring a soothing, echoing lullaby, a halo of blue energy began rapidly encircling the huddled group. The feeling of power coursing through the air was a new and peculiar sensation for the magically inept, but it was soon replaced by the sudden and exhilarating head rush and nausea of teleportation soon followed. To Alistair and Faded Scroll it was like a sudden but pleasant gust of astral air, but to the rest it was a dizzying and bombastic assault of the senses. As the large circle of combatants reappeared in the middle of the moonlit desert, several had to take a knee or expunge the contents of their stomach.

"Gods...How can anyone get used to that?" Snow asked herself, grasping her spinning head. As the various warriors and Braeburn settled down and reacquainted themselves with the ground, Alistair was busy staring out at the horizon and tried to sense Chrysalis' presence. It wasn't hard to sense her, being a Changeling Queen meant she was...Easy for him to sense in a way; separating her mind from her hive was a different beast entirely. After turning towards the direction of her hive, Alistair felt her mental presence in full force. Differentiating her mind for her hivemind was difficult, but after being swarmed by a barrage of voices, all calling out for orders or reporting various tedious accounts or assignment reports, he began narrowing it down. After learning a bit too much about the birthing process of Changelings, he found Chrysalis' mind, and just her mind.

"Chrysalis? Can you hear me? Change of plan." He asked, finally getting over the headache of listening to the hivemind.

"Alistair? Why're you-...Never mind, what's wrong?" She asked in surprise and ire, but calmed down as she knew he wouldn't have risked joining the hivemind if it wasn't necessary.

"I need you and your guards to disguise as Ponies or something similar, there's an Equestrian Royal Guard with us." He requested, the whispering of thousands of voices completely rescinded.

"What?! Why?" She demanded, angered at the sudden development.

"Long story short, found him dying in the desert, couldn't let him die, and he wants revenge against these monsters; better to risk this then leave him alone and furious in the Archive with a weapon. Sorry, but this will benefit us in the long run." He explained, hearing her faintly growling within his mind.

"You're testing my patience Alistair, I don't enjoy being the one surprised." She stressed, irritation clearly expressed through her tone.

"My apologies, I promise this won't happen again." He guaranteed, failing to placate his old friend.

"See to it the fool doesn't get in my way, I won't stand for any provocations from the cretin." She demanded before the mental link went silent. With little else to do, Alistair began scanning the sand covered battlefield.

"Were it not for the stench, I don't think I would've recognised this was where it all happened..." Braeburn told Alistair as he surveyed his surroundings morosely. The ruined transport was covered in sand, most of the bodies of his fallen allies had seemingly disappeared and all that was left of the monsters was a disgusting, congealed ooze that seeped into the sands, staining the once pristine dunes black and dark red.

"It smells like death and rot...What the hell made those things?" Snowfall asked, gagging slightly at the miasma of disease and corruption.

"Something not of this world evidently, keep your guard up...My lord, have you found anything?" Scroll inquired as he approached the Unicorn, his snow white fur clashing against the darkened sand.

"Yes, I've found something, though I'm still unsure what it is exactly. It's magical in origin and not dissimilar to an aura...But it's so...Putrid and unnatural. It's small and barely detectable here but I can definitely sense a greater presence to the south." Alistair informed, his closed eyes glowing faintly as he scowled from the overwhelming sickness of his surroundings. "Once our scouts rejoin us, we'll teleport once more; the less time we spend around this muck the better." he continued, examining the sludge that bubbled and hissed infrequently. Curious as to the nature of the substance, he removed a vial from his saddlebag and scooped up the black slime and bottled it.

"Wonderlust, a pleasure to see you again." He heard a strange, sultry and unfamiliar voice call out behind him. Turning around, he watched a tall, black armour clad Unicorn flanked by a dozen or so similar Ponies. Her green mane, pale coat and blue eyes hid her identity well but he saw through their disguises easily.

"Likewise Visage. Are your soldiers prepared?" The Hierophant responded with a polite nod before gesturing to the bored, agitated looking knights and mages who would infrequently glare at Braeburn who was obliviously searching for his soldier's remains.

"Although dissatisfied with the sudden change of plans, they're eager to wet their blades. Shall we?" She answered, a sickeningly sweet smile on her beautiful face as the two guards next to her smiles in turn, their faces obscured by helms.

"Of course. Everyone, form up and brace." He called out as once more, this time with hesitance, the now substantially larger force fell in line and watched as Wonderlust knelled slightly, once more began his soft chant, and all were transported in the blink of an eye. When they reappeared, Alistair's forces once more queasy from the experience, Chrysalis noticed Alistair falling to his knees for a moment before standing up once more with a groan.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she stood aside him, her tone neutral but concern sincere.

"I'm fine, just...Exhausted. My magic seems less effective than it once was...Perhaps I just need more practice." He assessed, unsure as to why once simple spells were draining.

"Well partner, you're about to get a lot of practice it looks like." Braeburn informed as he stepped next him with his ax in hoof. Although Chrysalis was eyeing him with hunger and hate, both he and Alistair, along with the rest of the non-Changelings, were distracted by the ominous sight in front of them. Much like the rest of the hellish desert, runes of the Valetorian Empire were plentiful and they stood in the center of what could've been a town square, the sand covered stone path beneath them weathered by time and the elements. Before them, built out of the ruins of a cathedral dedicated to one or more of the Human deities was a tunnel adorned in black stone, ooze, stone rubble and discarded, rusted weapons. area immediately surrounding the tunnel was surrounding by bleached white skeletons of various races, stripped dry of possessions, and more rubble seemingly purposefully set up so as to provide basic cover.

"Before you ask, this isn't a Changeling hive...I'm not exactly sure what this is." Chrysalis confessed with a hint of surprise, confirming Alistair's suspicions. As the various leaders gave the orders to advance, the soldiers all drew their weapons and formed up into a defensive formation with Chrysalis defending the left flank, Snowfall and her elites defending the right, Scroll and a contingent of Unicorns behind the defensive line and Braeburn and Alistair forming the tip of the spear. Stepping into the dank tunnel, a few soldiers lamented the state of their boots as they trudged through refuse and magical ooze.

"It smells like a Dragon's arse down here..." Snow cursed, almost gagging at the horrendous, ripe stench, as she instinctively began opening and closing her fists anxiously.

"You're not wrong, and here I thought the barrack outhouse smelled bad." The out of place Captain remarked, scanning the darkened tunnels and pathways they passed.

"Did you see that?"

"What the fuck?"

"Quiet...I heard something..." Along with various other comments and hushed commands, the soldiers began noting the scuttering and growling of beasts in the shadows, the torches and magelight barely combating the shrouding darkness. With ever step deeper into the echoing, cavernous tunnel the sounds of hushed whispers, laughter and inhuman growls cried out. Alistair felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the shadows dance in front of him, just out of sight of his pale blue light. As they neared the entrance to an alcove, the dulled sounds of hundreds of voices grew agonising to listen to, the gibberish of dozens of languages laid over each other unnerving the two immortals and their servants alike. As Alistair stepped into the massive room, losing sight of the cavern roof above, the snapping of bones and metal under his hooves replaced the sound of waving through primordial ooze. The floor was littered with blackened, rotten remains and weaponry from unrecognisable or disbanded guilds, bands and civilizations.

"My Lord, the voices...They're all around us..." Faded Scroll informed, gripping his metal staff tightly as he tried to pinpoint the location of the unknown speakers. Realising this was most likely an ambush, the group backed up and covered all sides, waiting for the attack. As the chorus of disharmonious voices reached the peak of their crescendo, they all suddenly silenced as all light within the cavern was snuffed out, flame and magical alike.

"Licht!" Alistair cried out, his voice echoing against the cave walls, as a great pale light exploded out of his horn, bathing the entirety of the room in blinding light, allowing his allies to see the horde of monsters rushing them from all sides. Their armour was falling apart, their weapons little more than rusted antique weapons and farming equipment, their bodies were decomposing as they ran but the sheer numbers were overwhelming.

"Shields, now!" Faded Scroll ordered, using his steel staff to direct a beam of incinerating golden light out of the diamond affixed to the tip. Before the monsters could crash upon the defending circle of warriors, a multicoloured barrier separated them causing any of the beasts to burn to death if they passed through while allowing the defenders to strike physically and magically.

"How long is that barrier gonna hold?" Braeburn asked frantically, hacking rapidly but precisely through the rotting, shambled sewn together Ponies who tried to pull or cut him through the barrier.

"A half hour if these numbers stay this strong!" Faded Scroll yelled over the rabble, using his magic to bolster the shield and also picking up a few particularly feisty monsters and dashing them against jagged rocks on the other side of the room.

"Then thin out the crowd and get to work!" Chrysalis screamed back, her forces striking as a singular, frenzied mass that were taking apart anything that shambled in front of them.

"Hey Boss, got any ideas?!" Snowfall asked, smashing apart the larger, Minoturian and Diamond Dog hybrid monsters with a single blow from her glowing, scorching fists that were smashing bones and armour with a single strike.

"Of course, take point next to Braeburn and get ready, when I say so smash your palms into the ground and level the floor around us! It'll kill a few but throw the majority off guard and may allow us to rout the rest!" Alistair ordered, sweating profusely as he focused on not only keeping the light alive, slashing apart monsters with Talon, blasting the stragglers away with magic and aiding the barrier.

"Got it!" She announced as she hurriedly moved through the battered lines, standing next to the bloodied, calculated Equestrian who, despite suffering from a few cuts and dents to his armour, was cleaving apart the monsters coming at him. By the time she'd gotten next to him he had planted his ax deep within the drooling, beady eyed skull of whatever these things did to Diamond Dogs; it's brown fur and stitched together flesh stained with blood, feces and flakes of metal.

"Holding strong ey Plateflank?" She jested, grabbing one of the Pony looking creatures by the head, crushing its skull, and throwing it back into the crowd.

"Strong as I can, you?" He returned, wiping the sticky, almost purple blood off his brow before taking his stance next to the Diamond Dog once more.

"A few bruises and love bites, though I gotta say I've never had to take on anything like this." She said, shrugging it off somewhat, as she closed her eyes and began channeling magic into her palms, causing the blooded paper wrapped around her hands to crackle with electric energy.

"Visage, left!" Fade called out, sensing the presence of several invisible monsters. using his powers, he magically held the twenty or so hidden monsters in place, causing his nose to bleed, and reveal them.

"What are-...Kill them all..." Chrysalis began as she and her hidden soldiers turned to faced the unveiled monsters, only to reel in horror as they saw what theses monsters did to Changelings. The cloaked former Changelings were revealed, their pustule covered, grey tinged and sickly organs and innards pouring out of their cracked and soft exoskeletons. What little colour the monsters had that would normally signify what hive they belonged to was devoid of any pigmentation, matching the lack of life or reasoning in their sunken, bloodied eyes. Without a word, Chrysalis took on a fierce, terrifying expression before channeling her magic into a cone of green, incandescent flame that engulfed the mangled Changelings, as well as the monsters surrounding the suspended beasts.

"Snowfall, are you ready?" Alistair screamed over the cacophony of battle, somewhat distracted as he continued to tear apart monsters with his blade while conjuring small, disposable blades out of his tome while channeling an extensive amount of magic.

"Ready boss!" She answered, shaking slightly from the amount of stored magic she had ready.

"Now!" He commanded, slamming his hooves into the ground while she did the same with her paws. The sound of the two pouring their magic into the ground was akin to a war song, inspiring and energising to some and terrifying to others. The ground lit up as a colossal circle that surrounded the soldiers appeared and with a discordant crash, the ground beneath the monsters broke apart, unable to support the weight of so many monsters. Some were impaled on jagged stone, some fell deep within the new ravines in the floor, some simply lost their footing and were injured in the process, but either way this gave the defenders a great advantage. Dropping their barrier, the Unicorns, Scroll, Chrysalis and Alistair began laying waste to the suppressed soldiers by raining down hellfire on them while the few who recovered and charged at the defended Unicorns were dispatched with haste by the soldiers. After ten minutes of continuous bloodletting and magical barrages, the sound of clashing metal and screams died down and all that could be heard was the huffs of fatigue from the victors.

"Gotta say, never been in a fight like that before...Whoa..." Braeburn exclaimed, covered in blood and sweat as he huffed and tried to get his breath back.

"Yeah...Nothing like fighting off bandits..." Snowfall agreed, sitting on a dulled rock as she rested her spinning head in her bloodied hands.

"Is everyone alright? Anyone in need of aid?" Faded Scroll asked the relaxed mass, amazed at the lack of lost allies.

"We're fine for the most part, your own suffered a few blows it seems." Chrysalis pointed out while wiping away the blood on her face. For the most part the group was fine, they'd remarkably suffered no casualties but just under half of their combined forces were suffering from wounds of various severity.

"It was unavoidable it seems, if anyone needs medicinal aid I'd advise seeking it now as I doubt we'll have another moment of respite anytime soon." Faded announced, causing several bleeding or battered Changelings in disguise and Archivists to limp towards the numerous Unicorns around Scroll. "My lord, are you hurt?" He continued, diverting his attention to the titular Immortal.

Something seemed...Off to Faded Scroll. He stood there, his body almost radiating with the amount of magic that surrounded him, covered in blood and gore. His robes were painted red and black with the reward of his onslaught and his coat was likewise dirtied, his mane was frazzled from the rampage he unleashed and his blazing eyes held a tingle of glee as he surveyed the cavern full of dead creatures. His sword was dripping red and his tome, despite the resistant enchantment meant to repeal damage and stains, had a splatter across the House Leonas sigil. He looked less like a regal archivist who'd allegedly spend weeks delving into the mysteries of the universe and more like a ravenous warfighter.

"...My lord?" He asked once more, breaking Alistair out of his stupor.

"Yes? Everything alright?" He asked, a sanguine smile on his gentle face. Although he still looked unnerving in his current state, at least he was clearly back to reality.

"Y-Yes, for whatever reason the beasts have stopped assaulting us and at our current rate we should be able to fix our soldier's surface wounds in a matter of minutes. I'd advise taking a moment to catch a breath and...Um, clean off blood." He suggested, pointing towards his ruined robes.

"Oh...Um, thank you, guess I got a little too into the battle." He said sheepishly with a smile as he casted a spell to wipe away the blood, leaving him looking mostly pristine were it not for his ruffled hair and torn robe.

"I gotta say, bit worried that we only find skeletons and monsters...If those things turned my colts into them..." Braeburn left the sentence hanging as he and Snowfall stood aside the two Unicorns. He looked less furious after venting his anger onto the brutes but the words he said invoked hatred, fear and sadness in equal measures.

"Well, if worst comes to worst we could deal with it for ya; no one should have to kill their own troops." Snow offered, patting the battered Earth Pony on the back, trying to keep his head in the game.

"Thanks, but I think I outta be the one to fix my own mess..." He rejected, putting on a small smile for the first time since he arrived at the Archive as he chose to occupy his time by checking for damage to his weapon or armour.

"Why're we loitering in this disgusting cove? We still have a hive to destroy correct?" Chrysalis demanded to know, visibly unsettled and wrathful.

"No use going forward if half our soldiers are going to bleed out and we can't leave them behind." Snow reasoned, taking in the state of her soldiers as they either went to the Unicorns for aid or patched their own wounds with basic supplies and remedies.

"And while we're sitting here, those abominations are no doubt amassing for a second strike! Forget the injured, we have more than enough to finish these freaks." Chrysalis ordered, her soldiers preparing to move on with a synchronized nod.

"Now hold on there partner, we can't just up and leave our friends behind because they got a bit scraped up. I say we wait here and-" Braeburn interjected, siding with Snow, as he also noted the injured on both Chrysalis' and our side. Before he could continue however, Chrysalis snapped at him.

"Don't presume to order me around you Equestrian simpleton! If we wait around for the slow and weak these monsters will once more ambush us and we may not be nearly as prepared. So unless you're through with the platitudes, we shall continue onward." She snarled venomously, her contempt for him evident as her thralls merely looked at him like he was little more than scum.

"Now where do you get off telling me what to do you yellow bellied, little-"

"Enough!" Alistair commanded as he teleported between the two, causing them both to step back. "Sitting here and arguing will get us nowhere and leaving men to die is beyond inane!" He barked at Chrysalis, causing her to scowl and almost hiss. "Faded Scroll, can we fix some of their wounds while we march?" As the old mage nodded, he turned to Braeburn. "Then we're good to go." He ordered, causing the somewhat exhausted yet still eager mass to stand up and continued deeper into the twisting and winding tunnels.

"Piece of work that Visage of yours..." Braeburn remarked as he stepped next to Alistair at the front, his light burning away the shadows, while looking back to the end of the pack to glare at the mare. "Where'd you find a mare as heartless as her?" He inquired as he kept an eye out for stragglers or another ambush.

"A hole somewhere...She has her moments, but heartless is a bit much." He answered cryptically before defending as he raised Talon, preparing for anything.

"She just tried to leave half of our force behind 'cause they got hurt." He stated with a deadpan expression.

"True, though I will say...Did you hear that?" Alistair began with an understanding nod before going quiet and raising his sword defensively, the band behind him tensing up likewise.

"More of those things?" The Captain guessed, raising his ax overhead aggressively ready to strike.

"No...For once I can understand it...It's coming from over here..." He assessed as he rushed further down the path, scanning for traps, before rounding the corner and coming face to face with yet another one of the several disgusting sights Alistair had seen that day. It was a wide, room like alcove built into the tunnel that seemed like some kind of preparation room for whatever process made these monsters. To the left of the room laid a pile of corpses, all Pony and armour clad, and to the right a table with several knives ranging from surgical to nature to a butcher's knife. The stone table dripped blood off its chipped surface onto the floor where it seemed to pool into a stagnate, putrid puddle in the center of the room. Against the opposite wall was looked like a cell, rusted spikes of metal forming rods embedded into cracked stone and solidified grim forming walls and within rested two emaciated Ponies, a Pegasus resting against the stone wall and an Earth Pony grasping the bars.

"...Woah! Hey you, you're not one of those things right?! Get us out! Please!" The Earth Pony yelled desperately. His thick, black fur and gold, short cut mane were matted by sweat and his muscles, though still admirable, seemed almost decaying and the flicker of desperation in his bronze eyes added to the depressing sight. His armour hanged onto him despite the holes and broken plates.

"God's blessing, there's living people down here!" Alistair called out, causing Braeburn to round the corner; in an instant his expression shifted from determined to jubilant and sorrow.

"B-Boulder?! You're alive?" He stammered out as he rushed over to the bars, looking for a key or anyway to force them off.

"Celestia's arse, captain?! Lance, get up it's the Cap!" Boulder screamed in joy, his accented, deep voice cracked and hoarse. As Braeburn neared them, Alistair close behind, Lancer looked up from his corner in the back of the cell, the bags under his cyan eyes and his gaunt figure made it look like he had been prisoner for weeks.

"Captain? You survived?" Lancer rhetorically asked with newfound hope, struggling to his hooves he limped over to the bars. His blue fur and feathers were filthy and his long white mane was clumped and seemingly falling off in patches.

"Yeah, I made it just barely 'cause of this fella here. How the hay did you two?!" He asked as he stepped back and watched Alistair use his magic to tear the bars from the wall.

"The...Thing that threw you away grabbed me after I tried killing it for awhile and threw me back through their portal...There were so many rotting Ponies on the other end..." Lancer explained, clearly traumatized by the prior events.

"When those monsters over ran my position, one of them tackled me. Turns out some of them know magic and it sent me back here. When I woke up, I was next to Lancer watching them...Well..." He punctured his sentenced by pointing while avoiding looking at the pile of rotting corpses that were their platoon. "After we refused to eat the bodies, they seemed to decide to starve us out...I don't know what they were planning to do with the bodies, or us, but they never got the chance...Cap, it's good to see you again..." Boulder explained, an audible shudder in his voice, before weakly saluting his captain as he stepped out of his cell on shaking legs.

"Likewise private, were it not for Wonderlust here I would've died with the rest." He said aloud as he nodded towards Alistair who merely smiled and aided Lancer, who could barely walk, out of the cell.

"Thank you, I'll buy you a cider or something when we get back to Appleloosa." Lancer thanked with a faint voice and a massive, grateful smile.

"Don't worry about it, how are you two holding up?" He responded, examining the two prisoners. Boulder was battered, bruised and had various stab wounds that seemed to have been somewhat healed and Lancer was sweating profusely and could barely stand.

"I'm in a pretty rough state, uh, we're leaving now right?" Lancer asked, trying to keep his eyes open.

"Yeah, although I'd love to kill some more of these monsters I think I'm about ready to keel over..." Boulder assured, his movements sluggish and slow as he had a noticeable limp in his gait.

"Shit...Well, you're not exactly in fighting condition." Alistair cursed, realising that bringing them along would be suicide but leaving them behind would be a death sentence for them as well. "Obviously you two can't stay down here but we can't retreat now...Braeburn, could you escort these two to the surface?" He suggested as Braeburn put Lancer's front left hoof over his shoulder.

"Already ahead of ya...Thanks for bringing me along, I know you were hesitant but I'm glad ya changed your mind. See ya up top." The captain thanked with a sincere grin and a small nod. Purposefully avoiding looking at what remained of his forces, ax and Lancer in hoof he headed back with Alistair and Boulder.

"Hey, before you head out let me help you a little." Alistair offered to the two injured guards. As they turned to face him, he casted a wave of basic, yet effective, healing magic. Although it wouldn't fix everything or cure whatever Lancer was suffering from, at least Boulder could walk straight.

"Thanks buddy, you're a lifesaver." The burly stallion said, testing out his mostly fixed front hooves by patting Alistair on the back. As they rejoined the group, Faded Scroll and Snowfall approached the survivors.

"Woah, I didn't think we'd find anything normal down here." Snow remarked, examining the two injured knights as they marveled at the size of the force.

"Yes, it is quite shocking; I would've assumed any survivors would've been, well, dealt with. I gather you're escorting your comrades to safety?" Scroll guessed, examining the way Braeburn was guiding the sickly Pegasus.

"Yeah, they're no good down here and I sure as heck ain't leaving them behind." The captain informed with a hardened look that emphasised that he wasn't changing his plan.

"In that case you're gonna need more than one ax and a mean kick, take a few guards with ya." Snow insisted as a Unicorn and several Diamond Dogs approached upon Snow's indication.

"Much appreciated, we'll keep the exit clear for y'all." He thanked, grateful for the additional aid. With that said, the two parties parted and once the larger group rounded the corner and descended deeper into the caves, the Changelings and Alistair dropped their facade.

"You're playing a dangerous game letting rats into your fold." Chrysalis chastised, glowering at the newly formed Human, devoid of blood but still adorned in torn robes and scratched armour.

"Trust me, this will pay off in the long run...Thank you for help, I sincerely appreciate it." He promised with a tone that indicated he was planning something before smiling warmly at his old friend.

"Hmph, without my aid you'd've no doubt died once more and I'd rather have that not happen." She half mocked, looking straight ahead. "Still, it is quite nice to finally inflict pain on something Pony-like after such a long dry spell. It's almost like old times again isn't it?" She said with an almost lecherous smile as she examined her dark green, curved sword fondly, before turning to her old companion with a warm, rarely seen smile.

"I distinctly remember more Liches and Dragons and less slime and rot, but you have a unique way of making things less insufferable." He jested, wiping off a dollop of ooze that had fallen on his shoulder before looking ahead with his hand in the air, a ball of light within his palm.

"Odd, most would say I make most situations intolerable." She added with a cackle, her duel voices making it sound more sinister than intended. Were it not for her spiked, dark metal and heavily modified and warped plate armour she may have looked less intimidating.

"Well I've never been like most people huh?"

"True, most people know when to not go spelunking into hellish pits." She ribbed before taking on a serious demeanor, sensing something ahead. raising her spiked great shield and sword with her magic, the began to creep ahead.

"Yeah, I feel it too." Alistair affirmed, drawing his blade once more as they approached another alcove. On the other end of the elongated room rested a massive set of double doors, the antique and beautifully detailed steel doors contrasting against the decay and disease of the surroundings. On the other side rested a great feeling of uneasy and terror, the closer Alistair, Chrysalis and Faded Scroll got the more intense the feeling became.

"This must be the source, or at least something important..." Alistair asserted, running his hand along the door and examining the layer of dust in his palm afterward.

"Looks too sturdy to break down." Snowfall lamented, wishing she could've broken them down.

"Nonsense, anything can be taken down if you try hard enough and apply logic." He retorted as he placed his palms on the door and with a flash of coursing light he felt the weight behind the doors drop to that of a wooden door. Before Alistair could walk inside however, a rumbling within the caverns caused all to turn around to see another great swarm of beasts approaching from all sides.

"Shit! Get those shields up!" Snow hastily ordered. Before the monsters had gotten halfway across the room the shield was already up while the Changelings began firing searing energy at them, melting flesh and metal alike. Before Alistair could join the fray, the door he was resting on swung open, causing him to lose balance and stumble into the chamber within. As he crashed against the wet floor, the door closed behind him and with a chain like pattern of flashing light, something locked it.

"Lord Alistair, are you alright?!" Faded Scroll mentally asked with panic, worried for his ruler.

"I'm alright, though something locked me in...The magic on the door seems extreme, so I'd wager whatever is in here didn't plan for anything to get in." He assessed, looking around the room for any sign of the caster. "I'll find the source of these monsters, with any luck destroying it will have a domino effect on the monsters like most thralls to dark powers." He strategized with a commanding tone, taking control of the situation.

"We'll hold the line, these shields won't fall for awhile." His second in command promised, a determined and confident inflection to his voice. "Be careful Alistair."

"You too Scroll." He responded, severing the mental link to focus on the task at hand. The light in his palm seemed dampened somehow, like the shadows were all consuming past a point. The light reflected off of Talon and his lion pauldron, causing him to almost shine in the darkness. With every step forward, the faint echoing sound of sloshing blood cried out, Alistair's steps disturbing the pools of warm, fresh blood covering the cool stone pathway beneath him. The walls around him were decorated with ancient stone statues of the Old Gods, their features all but unrecognizable as the primordial and ever present muck ensnared the old stone and metal idols. The ceiling above was unseeable, Alistair's magelight extending only so far. With only the disquieting, constant sound of a woman humming at the far side of the corridor, Alistair slowly crept forward with his blade and light held high.

Beyond Comprehension

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Alistair continued deeper into the cavern, his slow, cautious steps reverberating off the blackened, painted over walls. The floor ran red with the blood of countless unknowns and the walls and statues of ancient Gods were vandalized with what could be graffiti or runes of some kind; with the mad scratching and painting unreadable it was impossible to distinguish. The old deities were almost recognisable, but the ever present muck had grown over them all, corrupting their images to the point of turning the once beautiful beings into something akin to nightmares. The constant shadows that writhed just out of sight, the creeping corruption along the stone work, the wet blood lapping at his soles and the warped idols...Everything screamed perverse and wrong to Alistair. The further he walked, the greater the feeling of being watched became; like there were a thousand eyes watching him through the cracks in the walls. Every dozen or so feet, Alistair tried to bolster his light as the shadows seem to constantly grow in the seemingly never ending corridor. He continued onward, the gentle humming far ahead guiding him.

The sounds of muffled battle had silenced long ago, given the illusion that Alastair had been walking for what could very well have been hours but he knew he had only been walking forward for at most ten minutes. Despite the knowledge that he hadn't been walking for hours, it did little to alleviate the profound sense of nothingness ahead and a stalking presence behind him. His steps were mirrored by something else far behind him, although barely audible he knew something was tailing him. Stopping in place, he failed to hear the sound of a foot stomping down and going silent, as if his stalker was hovering or merely never put his foot down. As he stood there in the dark, listening for any queues or the sound of an incoming strike, he heard nothing but his own breath. Even the seemingly constant, lyrical humming ceased. And then, out of the darkness, came a hushed whisper. It was faint but understandable and clearly Valetorian.

"There is no greater cause than to seek to understand the unknowable." Alistair's breath went still as he heard a faint mimicry of his voice call out from the darkness far ahead. Believing it to be whatever foul spirit or Necromancer playing tricks on him, he started moving once more and so did the thing far behind him.

"I promise this to you all, now and forever, to be a Shepherd to the lost and a teacher to those who seek enlightenment, regardless of creed or God." He once more heard himself call out, almost mocking his speech when he attained the position of Hierophant. The whispers were growing louder from all around and the creature far behind him seemed to be picking up pace.

"The new Queen Chrysalis' hive is an ally of the Archive, any who stand against the Queen stand against us as well..." He heard yet another decree, his voice carrying a threatening tone, as the voices became numerous and all around. Trying to keep the light alive, Alistair began jogging forward, catching glimpses of something horrendous staying just out of sight.

"I love you...The Gods as my witness I've loved you for so long..." His voice taunted, putting on a melodramatic voice before laughing obnoxiously at his confession. As Alistair's malice grew towards his own voice, he stomped forward, splashing the blood in all directions. With every hurried step, the voices grew louder and all surrounding.

"You can't even begin to understand what's at stake, so believe me when I say nothing is more important than solving your problem..." Alistair once more heard himself say calmly far ahead, despite the fact that Alistair estimated he should've reached the voices by now. As the cacophonous sound of violent stomping grew louder, Alistair realised the futility of running forward.

"This war will benefit no one, we should strive to understand, not subjugate." He heard himself declare, his usually soft and melodic voice taking on a harsh, condescending tone. Stopping and turning around, Alistair stood his ground and blocked out the screaming whispers that seemed to originate from the statues all around him.

"you believe you could trust the Equestrians..." He continued, saying something Alistair had no recollection saying, the voice still far away somewhere. The thundering creature was rapidly approaching, the sounds of ragged, sharp breaths echoing out. As Alistair cast a ward, projecting a translucent silver barrier, and raised his sword and flickering light defensively he readied himself with a stalwart will. Suddenly the whispers ceased as whatever pursued him stood just out of Alistair's sight. Whatever it was, its dull golden eyes staring through the darkness longingly, it towered above Alistair. Its pale, bony hands brushed against the floor and its shackled feet were bloodied and calloused. As Alistair prepared for it to approached further, he tried to examine it but found its body was obscured by a thick layer of dirtied, bloodied black robes and restrictive iron chains. It stood there, not daring to step into the light, staring at Alistair with a profound desperation. As it reached out to him, its fingers like talons, the light in Alistair's hand was snuffed out by an unseen force.

"You believed we could trust Celestia..." The voice whispered in Alistair's ear, its voice cracked and full of abhorrence. As Alistair turned around, swinging the sword while stepping back, he was befuddled to finally see a light ahead. Looking around for the giant monster or the source of the mimicry he instead found himself back at the entrance to the room, the door and sounds of battle behind him and a short walk forward towards some unknown light.

"What is happening?" Alistair exclaimed quietly, finding himself genuinely confused for the first time in a very, very long time. With little else to do aside from standing in the darkness the steadfast mage continued onward, trying to notice any traps or enchantments. Despite the long, seemingly endless march he'd been on prior he saw no magical indication or traps that would've landed him in a pocket dimension or a similar location based trap.

Once more, the humming picked up with gusto as the unseen woman was present once more. The statues and walls to his side, no longer repeating, showed later stages of decay and corruption. With every step forward the blood beneath him seemed to get colder and take on a more adherent state. As be began wondering how there could be so much blood flowing in such a confined space, Alistair found his answer. The pathway led up a carved set of stone steps into an atrium of sorts, the massive spherical room had four pathways in the four directions and looked like it once cast light down from above if the collapsed stone roof is anything to go by. The floor below and the stone walkways above were littered with corpses of different races and factions. Some were old, like the once fabled warriors of house Stoneshield, some were new if the updated Royal Guard designs were anything to go by. All of the bodies were in various states of rot and seemed to expel a viscous black substance that polled in the concave center of elevated area along with the red blood. Burned and mold covered scrolls and books littered the floor and the broken marble tables, signs of the once decadent buildings past, but the destroyed decor and bloated corpses were of less importance compared to the humming figure standing before the pools of blood and other substances in the center.

"hmmm...All shadows fade and the terrors flee~...hmmm..." The creature sang with sickening cheer, enraptured by her work. From behind it look like it could be Equestrian, it wasn't wide enough to be a Griffin or slender enough to be a Zebra but too small to be a Deer. Her body was shrouded by a long, flowing black and purple robe stained by the blood and black substance. Her robe was tattered allowing him to see her festering, pale, silver fur covered limbs. She rested on the floor before a great, pulsating ball of dark energy in an act of supplication or possibly worship. The second Alistair stepped closer towards the center, she raised her head and looked behind her with a wide, welcoming smile.

"Welcome Lord Alistair, last of the perfected Humans and lord of nothing." She greeted, standing on shaking legs. Her fur looked like it would have once been a lustrous silver but was now dirtied and stained with a viscous substance. Her face masked by a thin, obscuring veil that did little to hide the burning red of her wide eyes that stared at him with reverence. Compared to the shambling monsters outside, still banging loudly against the shield, she was pristine and lovely looking but trying to compare her to a Pony like Faded Scroll was like comparing a poisonous weed to a colourful flower. She had all the basic necessities, all her limbs, a lack of clear injuries or scars, her fur and eyes seemed less rotten yet were dulled and full of a strange light, nothing monstrous or vile aside from the rot that seeped out of the ends of her limbs and an almost beautiful smile yet something told Alistair this pony was more corrupt than the mindless beasts he'd faced. She walked with an ungainly strut hindered by layers of old robes and corroded armour.

"What are you?" Alistair demanded to know, refusing to lower his guard. His question seemed humorous to her as she guffawed with a cracked, harsh voice.

"I'm what's left of your people, those who suffered silently for so long, and am I'm so happy to see you, my Lord." She assured, her cheerful voice and beaming grin convinced him that she believed she was speaking truthfully.

"I don't remember telling my followers to become...Whatever you are, besides, I'm sure my followers are out there fighting off your monsters." He refuted, disbelieving the idea that anyone who followed his ideology would resort to something so disgusting. Once more, she laughed loudly with a sinister tone.

"They are nothing more than blind children writhing in the refuse of a broken world they can't hope to understand; they're only fit to be fodder for those who accept the truth and give themselves wholly to the nothingness." She declared with spite and hunger, gesturing to the room full of corpses and the feeling of wrongness.

"I'd rather teach the blind then lead monsters...What are you? I won't ask again." He ordered, a scowl growing with every word she spoke.

"I, and so many more, are the result of a betrayal...Celestia's and yours." She spat back, her smile wavering somewhat as she regarded the Human. "Millennia upon millennia of sorrow, disgust and augur...We've all been waiting for so long for repentance..For you come and bear witness to our rebirth." She offered, holding out one of her dripping, dissolved hooves in a welcoming gesture.

"You think I came here to join you freaks? You're nothing more than repugnant, diseased corpses puppeteering the remains of my people! I would sooner slit my throat then become one of you!" He refused with a violent tone in his voice, visibly hateful towards the Pony.

"All will join us sooner or later, your anger is misguided..." She shrugged off, rolling her eyes at his display, before lowering her head. "I will ask once more, will you join us?" She repeated, the flicker of a crimson light beneath her hood. She stood there stock still waiting for Alistair's response but sighed when he refused to speak to her. "So be it." She said with a heavy sigh. Just as Alistair raised another ward, she fired a colossal beam of fiery black magic that created a screeching sound as it impacted against his silver wall.

"Untote drehen!" Alistair cried out, causing his sword to glow a bright golden hue as he dropped the barrier and rushed her. With a gasp of fear, she seemed to disappear into a wall of shadows and vanish. As Alistair stabbed his blade into the darkness, it dispersed and allowed him to see her standing on top of a pile of corpses.

"You will succumb sooner or later!" She declared with a hoarse, guttural tone as she levitated several Minotaur corpses and hurled them at Alistair. Dissolving into magical matter, Alistair rapidly flew towards her, reformed, and began slashing at her. With a yelp, she stepped back repeatedly and pulled out a crooked dagger and, while Alistair was stepping forward, she lunged at him and shoved it into his right shoulder. She cackled, but screamed as Alistair slashed her body and magically repealed her away, shoving her into a stone pillar.

"What did you-Argh!" Alistair began, only to scream in pain as he watched his physical form mutate, his right arm going black and leprous. The pain was unlike something physical, it felt like she had torn into his very soul. Realising he'd be hexed, he regarded her with a mix of hatred, confusion and fear.

"As I said, you will succumb." She reaffirmed, smiling at the sight of the small mutation. Taking action, Alistair cleaved his right arm off using his sword, causing his limb to disintegrate into ash and for the purified stump to secrete his magical, gaseous energy.

"You would willingly tear yourself apart to avoid a hex? Curious." She mussed, intrigued and baffled by his actions. Shrugging off the holy, burning nature of purification, He teleported next to her and smashed the stone pillar apart using weight manipulation. As rubble rained down on them, he deformed again to avoid the crushing stones. Moving away from the pile before reforming, he looked at where her crushed body would be and sneered.

"Stay down and die with dignity wretch." He spat with contempt, looking to where his arm should be. Before he could examine the ball of blood and magic in the center he heard something rumble and with an explosion of dark energy the dark mage emerged, bloodied but alive.

She said nothing, instead snarling like a wild animal, darkened blood running down her torn up face, as she grasped her sacrificial knife and limped towards the center of the room. As Alistair ran towards her, eager to end the battle before it can continue, only to raise another ward and jump back as she plunged the dagger into the black orb causing it to pulse with dark energy, pushing back everything aside from the corrupted Pony. As Alistair dropped his magical shield, he reinforced the enchantment on his weapon as the dark mage removed the dagger which looked more like a living greatsword. The sacrificial dagger had been manipulated, the small knife reinforced by a fuller and center ridge of sinew and hardened blood and an edge of sharpened bone. The sword lacked a cross guard or a pommel, resembling a misshapen, unrefined slab of biological muck yet Alistair knew better than to undermine a skilled dark mage or necromancer's weapon.

With a cackle, she turned to Alistair and shoved her right hoof into the orb causing the disgusting object to pulse once more and, with a groan of pain, she absorbed a copious amount of soul energy and radiated an intense amount of power. With a sudden burst of speed, she rushed Alistair swinging wildly causing him to raise his sword, block the brunt of the barrage, and wait for her to slow down. After her flurry of hexing blows were halted by his blessed blade, he kicked her back forcefully and swung at her with a much slower, but more precise, style that forced her to block multiple blows from multiple angles while winded. Pressing his advantage, he throw his sword into the air, grasping it with his magical force, and took a step back while he pulled out his tome. Seeing this as a time to attack, she walked towards him with her guard up, only to be stopped in her tracks when the sword seemed to act on its own accord. While Alistair was proposing the ancient book, she was fending off the sword as it harassed her from all sides, switching positions whenever the Pony seemed to try to strike it down. As Alistair found an appropriate spell Talon flew below her guard and hacked at her back left hoof, the golden enchantment cutting through her magical defenses and flesh alike, causing the wound to bleed profusely while she took a knee.

"Coward! Come here and fight me!" She challenged, frustrated and annoyed by the swords distracting assault.

"Very well Whelp. Heiliges Sperrfeuer!" He decreed, his lyrical voice booming with a mighty inflection. A golden halo of blinding light formed above Alistair before flying into the air and fracturing into numerous incandescent shards. As Alistair pointed towards the injured Pony, he levitated his tome as well and began walking towards her. In an instant the bolts of light rained down on the crippled mage, causing her to scream in agony, as she attempted to block them with her sword. After all of the bolts faded after impact, leaving her scorched but alive, she stood once more and charged Alistair with her blade pointing directly at his heart. Despite the sudden action snapping her injured leg, she moved with an unnatural ferocity.

"Reinigen." Alistair cast calmly, his palms glowing with an intense white light. When she was within striking distance of the Human, she began swinging feverishly while casting simple hexes from what he assumed was her horn under the robe. He backpedaled slowly, dodging the bolts and balls of black magic while knocking the blade away with his palm. When she began stumbling over her own feet, he lunged forward, pushed the sword out of her hooves and grasped her forehead. As she tried to bite, punch and kick him with a base, animal like intensity Alistair muttered a complex, ancient prayer. As he held onto her, Alistair began using the stored, holy magic to force it into her body. Although violently fighting back physically and mentally, the wounded Pony could do little to stop him as he forced the darkness within her to be expunged. Howling at the pain of the rushed, painful exorcism, the enchanted red light in her eyes, the black corruption around her limbs and the pale discoloration to her fur began to fade; despite the demonic presence within her fading she still fought back. With a swift, jerking punch that surprised him, she reached for her disfigured weapon with shaking hoof and plunged it into Alistair's torso. It wasn't the sensation of being impaled that shocked him, it was the feeling of something primordial and malicious within the blade trying to tear him apart from within that did.

"W-What?!" Alistair sputtered out, realising his mistake. Although a normal weapon can merely incapacitate or destroy his physical form, an enchanted or cursed weapon can damage his metaphysical form and the corrupted Pony somehow possessed such a thing. Grunting with agony Alistair hurriedly destroyed his physical body, causing the weapon to drop to the floor, and used his energy to wordlessly cast an immensely powerful healing spell. As his darkened, almost bleeding, true form slowly regain its normal look with newfound luster it hovered over to the limping, panting and convulsing creature. From her twitching movements, rapidly eye spasms and fluctuating voice Alistair gathered she was fighting herself, or what infected her body to be precise.

"It'll take a lot more than that to destroy me, you loathsome fiend." Alistair remarked as he enveloped the Pony in his magical cloud and restarted the purifying spell, this time causing the Pony to scream in pure agony and shine golden. When the exorcism was finished, he gently placed the Unicorn on the floor, her body wrapped in robes. With great effort, Alistair reformed though still unable to regrow his right arm and still 'bleeding' magic from his chest wound.

"Gods...I'm too careless..." He chastised himself as he examined the multi-coloured, thick substance he bled before bottling some of it in another vial hidden within his robe and placing it next to his other collected sample. Turning to face the inert Pony he did a cursory scan of his surroundings, pleased to see nothing else ready to strike for once.

"Please don't be dead..." He pleaded, the act of rapidly and unprofessionally removing any corruption to one's soul often being fatal. As he turned the Unicorn over and opened her robe to examine any wounds, his breath was caught in his throat and tears came to his sapphire eye.

"H-How?!...Why would you-?" He asked quietly, horrified yet relieved to see his old assistant Dawnstar. Her red mane was faded, her silver fur closer to grey and where her stump once resided sat a black and twisted horn, yet it was her. Clad in a necromancer's robes and covered in welts, dirt and cuts, Alistair was lost and appealed at what he saw. Silently, he mended her wounds while she laid there unconscious on the floor. He had a thousand questions, yet they could wait. With newfound contempt for his surroundings, he turned to the ball of black blood and magic and prepared to destroy it.

"Interesting, wasn't aware a lesser creature could break my connections...Though it's no surprised you would be able to..." A strange, monotone and hushed voice mused from within it. It's voice was like nails on a chalk board and when it spoke Alistair winced in pain. Regardless, he readied for whatever would come next and prepared for a fight.

"You did this to her? What in the name of the Pantheon did you do?!" The enraged Human demanded to know, approaching the ball. As he stepped closer, it morphed into a massive, dripping ring of energy that created a image of something Alistair struggled to see. Whenever Alistair looked directly at the image, he felt his mind burn and a chill run down his spine.

"I gave her what she desired, the tools of her revenge." It justified, its voice grating to him. Trying once more to look at the being, he only caught glimpses of a swirling darkness with ever watching eyes and a gaping, spewing maw before he was forced to collapse to the ground in pain, his eyes searing with pain while his mind felt like it was tearing at the seam.

"What are you?!" Alistair screamed out after gaining control of his body once more, his brow dripping with sweat.

"I am like you, incomplete. I will be made whole and you will bear witness Alistair...It will be your saving grace." The being stated, his voice flat and calm yet its words reverberated in Alistair's mind, causing his teeth to chatter softly.

"If you think I'll stand by and watch you desecrate my people's remains, my people's civilization, then know this...I'll destroy you...I'll burn every last disgusting monster you bring back from the grave, I'll raze my own ruins and leave nothing behind to stop this insidious crime of nature. I won't let my people be denied their right to rest...If you think I will let this stand you're wrong." Alistair decreed, his voice full of zeal and conviction, as he stared at a corner of the image refusing to look directly at the mass of appendages and darkened flesh.

"Such assurance, such passion, such hubris...You don't change, do you? It matters little what you do, Alastair, only that you're alive in the end." It dismissed, unmoved by his words. Wordlessly, the image dissipated and the blood reformed into a sloshing mass of potential power.

After calming his shot nerves and stopping his body from shaking, Alistair stood tall and approached the ball. After inspecting the sphere, Alastair plunged his hand into the ball and gasped at the euphoric feeling of overflowing power. After Alistair got over the initial head rush, he confirmed his suspicions. The writhing, wriggling feeling of soul power was presence and with it the whispers and cries of the trapped beings. Some were Humans from long ago, some were wild, confused animals and others were other races from all over the world. With a concentrated effort, he began channeling his magic into the object and began the Rite of Release. After chanting briefly, the sound of escaping souls overpowered everything else. The ball of blood exploded apart, releasing the victim's souls within. Most disappeared almost instantly, some sang his praises while others seemed to fly off in various directions. Regardless, soon the oppressive atmosphere of the den gave way to the calm, serene quiet of nothing. The festering corpses littering the room slowly faded away into nothing, the unnatural, wiggling shadows retreated into the darkness and the sounds of distant battles faded before the sounds of raucous cheers rang out. Although the black sludge and blood still littered the area, the caverns seemed exercised for the most part and Alistair considered that a victory.

Limping back towards the giant double doors, covered in blood, missing an arm, bleeding profusely with a long lost friend on his shoulder, Alistair stared off into the distance wondering what he had just seen and what that foul creature meant.

"Huh..." Snowfall exclaimed, dumbfounded at the sudden shift in the situation as she grasped her left arm to stop the blood flow. Just moments ago they'd been swarmed from all sides sans behind them by a seemingly endless horde of monsters and now they stood among piles of ash and dried bones. As the shield fell, the Archive Guards cheered with a deafening amount of pride and valour. Meanwhile, Chrysalis' honour guard quietly tended to their dead with subtle pride and relief.

"I...I don't know how long we could've held out...But it was admirable indeed!" Faded Scroll surmised, beyond mentally and physically drained as he took a knee and huff. Noticing his state, Snow offered him a paw and let him lean on her for stability. "How many did we lose?" Faded continued as he surveyed the wounded and deceased. Most of the collective was in one piece, mostly, and the wounded could be helped yet some were far gone; their blood pooled on the floor amidst their discarded weapons and tomes.

"five among your lot, thirteen of my own." Chrysalis responded without looking away from her task, too busy helping her wounded drones.

"I see...Thank you for your aid, we apologise for your losses, we had no idea what we were stepping into." Scroll expressed his gratitude and regret in equal measures as he began trying to cast a mass healing spell, only to give up halfway through with a sputter from his horn.

"Your apology means little to me, drones are easy to replace but good guards aren't. I did this for Alistair, I'll expect him to come to my aid when I beckon and rest assured I will." She responded, apathetic to his words, as she continued with the tedious task of mending her people's wounds. Aside from the occasional grunt or sneer in pain, she remained silent.

"Shit...I know we'd lose someone but I was kinda hoping we wouldn't.." Snowfall lamented, her brushed visage adorning a shadow obscured frown.

"Loss and conflict go hand in hand Snowfall and you did well in your role as commander, don't let the loses detract from your victory. We lost five warriors, but we held the line against countless beasts, that is a testament to our ability to operate as a force...The time to mourn will come, for now we celebrate our success and tend to the wounded." Scroll comforted with a proud grin towards his student while advising their next course of action. Although she couldn't get her mind off the deceased, her eyes constantly flicking back to where they rested, she admitted to herself it could've been worse. With nothing else to say or do, the fatigued group of wannabe heroes and Changelings licked their wounds and covered their dead with respect. A little while later, the thick doors behind them began opening with a groan; prepared for whatever could be thrown at them, they readied for another onslaught only to lower their guard as Alistair limped out of the darkness.

"My lord, what happened?!" Scroll questioned with alarm and worry, noticing his missing arm, gaping chest wound and dark blood stains. His eyes were foggy with thoughts and his composure was wavering. Approaching the band of soldiers and Changelings, Alistair came back to reality and looked at everyone with a proud, calm smile.

"It's alright, I merely stepped into more than I bargained for." He dismissed, hiding his doubts with a cheerful mask. "For now, we should return to the Bibliotheca." He ordered, pausing to cast a mass healing spell that fixed the majority of everyone's wounds.

"Is that Dawnstar? What is she doing here?" Chrysalis demanded to know, quizzical at the long lost Unicorn's sudden appearance.

"Either she was a prisoner to whatever caused the creation of these bastards, or there's more going on then I thought; either way she's unconscious for the time being." He addressed, equally uncertain as he adjusted the resting Pony on his shoulder.

"Weird Pony aside, what the hell happened in there? You like you got run over by a Tinbox...Twice." Snowfall inquired, examining the seemingly grievous wounds that the Hierophant was smiling in spite of.

"Well...After walking into what could've been a pocket dimension or a time loop trap, I arrived at the epicenter of all of this mess. After separating Dawnstar from a spirit of some kind, I destroyed a ball of blood, biological material and dark magic...I gather from all the bones and ash it was the conduit for the life force these monsters leeched off. Fade, can you sense anything else down here?" Alistair asked of him, trying to ignore his somewhat disingenuous retelling, stepping past the crowd who were marveling at their Lord who seemed to not even notice his condition.

"No my Lord, after these savages decomposed I've sensed nothing living aside from us, thank you for your help." He answered, closing his eyes to perform one last thorough check of the pit, before bowing respectfully before Alistair.

"No need to thank me, it was a pleasure to rid the land of these things. How are you two holding up, you both don't look too well." Alistair asked, frowning as he examined the battered Sage who was hobbling around with his staff and the assistance of the equally wounded Snowfall.

"I'll live my Lord, don't mind me." Faded Scroll dismissed with a warm grin, shaking his head slightly.

"I've had worse, though I'd rather get back home sooner rather than later." Snow chimed in, hobbling slightly due to her brushed knee.

"If you say so, but when we get back I'm healing the rest of everyone's wounds. Come on, let's find Braeburn and get the hell out of here." He ordered, causing the wounded pack to smile in spite of the horrid state of everything. collecting their gear, wounded and dead they moved onward. Moving to the front of the convoy, Chrysalis eyed Alistair with a stern look of suspicion.

"What aren't you telling me?" She whispered with a hint of ire, seeing through his facade.

"Not now, later." He promised, dropping his placid mask. The second his tone shifted, she realised the severity of the situation; gone was the calm, collected composure, replaced with a look of doubt and dread. With little else to say, the pack of soldiers traversed back through the darkened tunnels, the sounds of shifting ashes and broken metal the only noises to be heard echoing throughout the darkness.

The mood in Appaloosa was tense to say the least, the usual hospitality and welcoming demeanor of the quaint frontier town lacking. The streets were lined with patrolling guards, the hastily constructed walls surrounding the town maned with Ponies and cannons alike. The local constabulary had all but been liquidated and replaced by a contingent of guards due to the rising and unprecedented threat of bandits in the region. The locals cowered in fear behind their walls or waited anxiously in their motley militia, unconvinced by the guard's efforts. Flanked on both sides by armed and armoured guards, Twilight and her companions waited outside the barracks.

"What the hay happened out here? I don't remember seeing more swords than pies the last time I was here." Rainbow Dash asked as she eyed the passing guards and locals, both armed and on edge.

"Celestia told me things had gotten bad down here, but I didn't think it'd have gotten this out of hoof..." Twilight remarked, trotting back and forth nervously as she awaited to see Captain Braeburn.

"I'm sure Braeburn will clear things up when he shows, the lazy colt's always dragged his hooves. Maybe this 'Alleystar' fella has something to do with all this nonsense?" AJ interjected, trying to disarm the situation with a small ounce of humour. Despite her cheerful demeanour she was feeling the sense of dread in the air as well.

"I'd stake quite a lot of bits on this ruffian having something to do with all this pandemonium, though I wouldn't expect bandits to be his strike." Rarity added, brushing a small layer of sand off her saddle bags, while she scrunched up her face pondering the state of everything.

"I don't know girls...Maybe it's just a coincidence? I mean, Celestia even said she dosen't know if this Mage has come back." Fluttershy countered with a quivering voice, obviously hoping Celestia was mistaken to be worried over everything.

"Yeah, and maybe this Al guy is just misunderstood! I mean, sure Celestia and him fought and everything, but he sounded kind of nice!" Pinkie Pie suggested, her usual optimism and spunk never failing to rub off on the rest of the dower group.

"I hope he's a kind Mage as well Pinkie, but he openly fought against the Princess and the whole of Equestria as well...I doubt he's calmed down in all the time he's been thought dead." Twilight deflected with a neutral expression as she continued to pace, her attitude towards other, recently resurfaced immortals long since been jaded.

"Well, what about Discord? He's a good guy...Mostly." Spike offered as he rested on one of Rarity's extra bags, fishing a quartz out of his much smaller and more convenient rucksack.

"Yeah, it seems kind of ignorant to write off people so easily...Not that I'm calling you ignorant or anything!" Starlight added before hastily backpedaling, waving her hooves frantically and apologetically with an embarrassed expression.

"No, you're right, both of you. I'm sorry, it's unbecoming of me to act so callously especially as a Princess." She responded with a mix of self-deprecation and annoyance. "I suppose it's unhealthy to think people can't change huh?" She continued with a nervous chuckle, her disappointment in herself obvious. Just as she was about to complain about Braeburn's tardiness, the doors to the hurriedly constructed and poorly maintained barracks opened and out stepped a Buffalo covered in light, metal armour wielding a gargantuan shield that resembled a wall of bronze and a standard issue captain's dagger.

Her brown, shaggy fur was braided or kept back so as to not interfere with her armour and arms, her red and blue facial markings were on full display, only somewhat obscured by her steel helm. Her face was expressionless and scarred, a veteran and experienced soldier Twilight surmised. Despite her scars and markings, her bronze eyes and soft features made her look less like a tribal warrior and more akin to the often beautifully groomed Equestrian Guards. Although they were relieved to finally talk to somepony who looked to be in some position of power, they were all confused to not see the dusty yellow Stallion.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, welcome to Appaloosa. I'm Commander Thunderclap, Second in Command of the Appaloosa Royal Guard battalion. How may I aid you?" She announced with a well rehearsed but respectful tone as she stood at attention and saluted. Her deep, even tone was somewhat unnerving but had its own charm.

"Nice to meet you Commander, though I was hoping to talk to Captain Braeburn; I'm afraid there's an important issue I need to discuss with him." Twilight informed with a small bow to greet her. Her words didn't sway the Commander, though there was a noticeable shadow of dread on her like most of the soldiers.

"I'm afraid that's impossible at the moment, my Princess, Captain Braeburn and his platoon have been declared MIA." The Commander reported, looking her in the eyes as she broke the news. The group reacted in a multitude of ways, ranging from confusion and dread to fear and sorrow.

"W-What? What do you mean MIA?!" Applejack screamed, holding back her tears, as she refused to believe her cousin could've died or gone missing.

"Please restrain yourself. Let me explain, about four days ago he went out with his platoon to patrol the edge of the Equestrian border. It's routine to scour the ruins to the South within our territory frequently due to the defensive benefits they could give to any opposing forces. He was expected to return by nightfall or send up a green flare if he was delayed, red if he was under attack...No signals were given and his forces never returned. I dispatched a scouting party to discover what happened, but there's only so far I can send people out without risk of further losses...After two days with neither a signal nor evidence of his demise we had to declare him missing." She informed, her even tone and matter-of-fact explanation failing to quell the farmer's fears.

"So you're just gonna leave him out there?!" She shot back, anger in her green, teary eyes as she stared down the Buffalo.

"As I said, I can't risk losing more squads or platoons to an unknown threat. We're understaffed, low on supplies, low on morale and in need of reinforcements. Protecting Appaloosa and the neighboring lands is our number one priority, and as such I can't afford be wasteful; I'm sorry but I can't risk deploying a large scale search and rescue or recovery operation out into no mare's land." Thunderclap apologised, the stress and pressure mounting which each passing hour adding to the bags under her eyes and the weight on her shoulders.

"I didn't realise it was this bad down here..." Twilight quietly remarked, dumbfounded at the once prosperous towns dire state.

"No fault of your own Princess, no one expected the Royals to intervene." The Commander dismissed, not surprised by the admittance of ignorance.

"What if we helped look for him? I'm, like, the fastest Pony in the world and Twilight's crazy good at magic!" Rainbow offered, bragging somewhat while adding her own advice.

"The offer is appreciated, but all of you are civilians and we can't keep you all protected if you go out alone...I don't want a Princess and her entourage to die or go missing while I'm only on my third day in command." She refuted, shaking her head causing the helmet to shake slightly.

"What if I promise to aid the town? If you can give me a small team of Ponies to escort me through the desert, I promise to oversee the transfer of supplies and soldiers down here. I had no idea the town was in such an abysmal state but I promise to fix this." She offered with a confident, convinced look while trying to appeal to her.

"I know you're powerful but-"

"I'm sorry, but we've all been in fights before, I've got my guards with me, I have the support of Celestia to go out into the desert and most importantly Braeburn is a friend. I can't leave him to die and I refuse to go back to Canterlot empty hoofed." She interrupted, her tone stressing her conviction to act immediately, causing Thunderclap to raise a brow at the diminutive Alicorn.

"You're twisting my hoof here My Princess...Fine, I'll allow one final expedition to find the Captain but I'm leading the expedition; if a Princess goes missing I'll be dishonourably discharged or worse." She gave in, sighing with immense annoyance towards the member of royalty. "I take it you want to depart immediately?" She continued, looking at the setting sun with suppressed ire.

"Yes please, time is of the essence." Twilight thanked, failing to notice the slight frustration in her gaze. Bowing, the Commander parted ways to prepare for the sudden operation.

"Do you think this Mage has something to do with Braeburn's disappearance?" Starlight inquired, her eyebrow raised quizzically as she watched her teacher sigh.

"Most likely, these kind of things seem to tie together from my experience." She agreed, past experiences telling her she was about to uncover a powder keg again.

"I know Brae's out there, he ain't dead..." AJ reassured herself, trying to keep the self doubt and sorrow out of her mind as she wiped away the sweat dripping from her forehead.

"The guys tough, he'll pull through whatever the heck's going on." Rainbow added on, patting her friend on the back reassuringly while offering her one of her common, cocky grins.

"Yeah! Burns is way too awesome to let some Mage or bandit stop him!" Pinkie chimed in, her beaming grin somewhat infectious as Applejack started to smile.

"Thanks y'all...I'm fine, really." She weakly replied with a smile. As her hooves stopped shaking, she took of her hat and dusted it off if only for something to do.

"Don't worry dear, we'll find him and we'll make whatever ruffian pay if they hurt him." Rarity guaranteed, causing Applejack to laugh at her dainty threat.

"Sounds like this just got a whole lot more complicated huh?" Spike rhetorically asked Starlight as he hopped off Rarity's baggage and stretched his limbs.

"You can say that again...At least it's not Chrysalis this time." Starlight remarked, remembering her first major crisis with a small grimace.

"Don't remind me about her, it took forever to get that cocoon slime out of my scales." He announced with a audible shudder causing Starlight to giggle somewhat.

"This is far more troubling than I imagined...If he kidnapped Braeburn, Celestia will no doubt see that as an act of aggression." Twilight muttered, trying to foresee the coming events or at least plan ahead.

"I think there's too many variables to jump to the worst conclusion though it is strange how close together these two incidents are." Starlight chipped in standing next to Twilight who shared her worries.

"I guess we won't know until we find him. If we get into trouble out there, remember, ward first-"

"enchantment second and then strike. Don't worry Twilight, I don't plan on messing up if we get into trouble." She concluded, cutting her off somewhat, before sharing a reassuring smile with her mentor and best friend.

As Thunderclap stepped outside, a platoon of guards close behind her, the small group fell in line and prepared for whatever was to come.

"After I picked her up, I walked back out and you know the rest..." Alistair finished, his right arm slowly regrowing. If Chrysalis said something under her breath, it was unheard as the sounds of a raging, raucous celebration over powered it. Although they sat on the massive staircase towards the upper levels of the main hall together, the sounds of beating drums and horns originally ringing out from the center of the shanty town were reverberating off the walls. Shadows danced against tents and small brick buildings as the people of all ages, the young and infirmed alike, celebrated what they perceived as not only a successful operation but a major blow against those who would seek to pervert their lands.

"This is...Alarming to hear...What do you think all of this means?" She asked with a straight face, her mind racing with thoughts and fears for her people.

"Honestly? I'm scared and confused." He started, those two words together alarming her somewhat. "I've seen dark magic before, I've mastered many schools of it as well...But this...This wasn't just dark magic, it was like something had torn magic itself and shaped it to its will...Those creatures are more than reanimated Humans, they're a perversion of the existing races as well." He finished, genuinely dumbfounded at what he saw. Grasping a bottle of home brewed mead tightly, he tried not to think about it.

"If they continue to form dens in our lands, I'll inform you; these things are obviously preying on Changelings as well...Whatever those things did to those drones...It's beyond monstrous..." She reassured, vocalising their unspoken support, equally outraged at what they did to the other races.

"It isn't just their dens and spawns that worry me...I saw things in those shadows Chrys...I don't know what they were, but I saw things that should've stayed in the dark. That creature in the hallway...I don't know what it is, but its eyes were haunting..." He mumbled, his mind reflecting images of its desperate eyes into his vision.

"What was it?"

"Not one of the things we cut down, that's all I can say for sure. Its flesh was mostly intact I think, and it seemed to have some kind of higher intelligence but what I saw was beyond disquieting..." He summarised, trying to convey just how inhuman it was.

"What happened to Dawnstar? She was always in tune with the darkness but to side with those creatures is beyond insane." She questioned, disapproving of his decision to not cut her down.

"If I knew I wouldn't be keeping a detail guarding her right now...All I know is what that...Thing told me...It gave her power and the cost of her mind..." He repeated, aggravation and sorrow in his voice.

"What was that thing? You still haven't told me what it was." She chastised and asked, annoyed at his cherry picking of information.

"It was a thing, that's all I can truly say...Countless eyes, haphazardly placed vestigial limbs...Mouths that said nothing and only seemed there to leak primordial muck..." He said quietly, mumbling his response. His description was limited to say the least, but even Chrysalis' blood ran cold when she saw how much he feared talking of it. "That all comes second place to the most chilling thing about it...It knew me...It seems to want me to be around for something...It wants something from me."

"What does this monster want?"

"If I knew, I'd probably wish I didn't..." He responded after a short, palpable pause. As they sat there in the uncomfortable quiet, the noises of the party deafening all else, eventually causing Chrysalis to sneer in irritation.

"Why are they celebrating? If they knew what you just told me they'd be sharpening spears and hiding their spawns..." Chrysalis snapped, the sounds of banging drums and thundering singing giving her an intense migraine.

"Most mortals see these things as heroic, they probably think they've slain the proverbial dragon. Besides, it's better they have a night of laughter after the nightmare the soldiers went through." He reasoned with a half smile at the humble, indoor town.

"These simpletons can enjoy banging their sticks together and getting blackout drunk but I'll never understand it. I'd much rather prefer a quiet, formal event over this rabble." She dismissed their frolicking with an audible scoff. She glowered at Alistair who was softly laughing at her.

"I don't know, I think you might enjoy getting blackout drunk. I certainly do." He remarked with a faint smirk, the terrors of the day fading away slowly.

"I'd assumed you were a more principled man then that Alistair, your station demands better." She admonished with a scowl at her compatriot, causing him to laugh even more.

"We're both immortals, sooner or later it's only natural we indulge in everything live can give us." He waved off her reprimanding words with a grin, remembering his wilder days.

"Some of us can't afford to be seen as a disgusting libertine, what would your followers think if they heard this malarkey?" She continued, shocked at his brazen carelessness and liberal attitude.

"It sounds like they'd give me a standing ovation. Honestly, I could probably piss on Scroll and they'd still like me." He jested, determined to take his mind off the prior day. Standing up, mead in hand, he walked down the stairs.

"Where exactly are you going?" She asked, confused that he was leaving mid conversation.

"To enjoy the party, want to come?" He offered with a half smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"I'll pass on associating with drunk Ponies." she refused with a roll of her green eyes, scowling at the idea.

"Come on, even your guards are having fun." He continued, trying to reason with the bitter Queen.

"They are? I'll have to reprimand them." She assured, jotting down a mental note with a crestfallen, disappointed look. Before she could continue gripping, Alistair grabbed one of her hole ridden hooves and gently pulled her along.

"Lighten up already, we just walked into hell and stared the daemons in the eyes, alcohol will be a welcome respite." He insisted, an uncharacteristic goofy grin on his face. With a groan of annoyance, Chrysalis allowed him to pull her into the raving crowd of partying and chanting cultists who welcomed their arrival with unanimous praise. The love for the two was so overwhelming that Chrysalis had to suppress a shudder from the emotional overload. Remembering to disguise herself when Alistair did as well, she tried to contain her detest for the people around her.

"Hey y'all!" Braeburn yelled over the partying, his hat lopsided and a massive mug in his hoof. He looked at the pair with a strange level of admiration and respect.

"Hey Brae, how are they?" Alistair yelled back, causing him to move to the side so they could look into the medical tent. Lancer and Boulder were in parallel beds with a mug and bowls of fruit each. Despite their injuries, they smiled and waved at the people who orchestrated their rescue.

"Feeling better by the minute! I tell ya what, y'all know how to throw a heck of a hoedown 'round here!" He praised as he downed his mug of golden, syrupy sweet alcohol before looking for something stronger and more bitter.

"They've been living in a desert with little to show for, it seems when they party they party hard!" Alistair said with a shrug as he toasted with the inebriated Captain when he found a new drink.

"You know, the last few days have been a fucking nightmare, and it means a lot for you guys to help me not only get payback, but bring back some of my colts. I ain't gonna forget what you've done for not only me, but for Appaloosa!" He announced with a massive burst of passion, getting a round of cheers from the surrounding patrons.

"You're a hell of a Captain and a good soldier to have in a foxhole Brae. As they said back home, 'drink for the fallen, drink for your friends and drink for the hell of it!'" Alistair quoted his father, as he clinked drinks with the Pony.

"I'll drink to that!" He responded, drinking and eating ravenously before a marking covered, rather attractive, mare danced up against him. Taking that as a cue to move on, the pair walked deeper into the party.

"At least he's dumb enough not to see through our disguises." Chrysalis said aloud as they approached the center of the celebration. In the center sat Snowfall and her trusty paw picked soldiers who were all merrily reveling in the overwhelming joy. Some were regaling others with their tales, but most surrounded Snowfall as she out drunk yet another soldier who wobbled off into the dance floor. As he moved through the dance floor, stepping past a jubilant Scroll who was dancing with a equally old Zebra, he approached Snowfall and sized up the gathered crowd.

"Boss! You're still here!" She joked, expecting him to have turned in early. "And you dragged her majesty into the revelries as well!" She jested, causing her men to laugh and some of her Changelings as well.

"That I am, so what's going on here?" He said, obviously starting a follow up question.

"Drinking people under the table Boss, so far I ain't even tipsy." She boasted with a smug grin as she rested in her massive carved chair.

"Bet you think you're unstoppable huh?" He inquired, a smile growing slowly.

"That I do, that I do."

"Bet you can't out drink me." He challenged, causing the gathered group to start whooping and gesturing for their friends to hurry over while Chrysalis groaned and put her head in her hooves.

"Bet I can. Starting light, mead, bottoms up." She started, pouring a generous amount of beautifully crafted, slightly mystical mead into their wooden mugs. As they raced each other to finish first, savouring the taste second to proving something, the crowd began chanting their support for whoever they wanted to win. Chrysalis begrudgingly chanted for Alistair to win with a frown. As the night grew colder, the party became more and more lively and heated till the point that it was nothing more than a blur of movement, music and overflowing booze.

The sounds of parting and imbibing were dulled by the passing of time. After Alistair could barely walk sometime in the early morning, Chrysalis had to carry him back to his room before she swiftly fell asleep on his couch in the corner. And so he laid there, staring at the swirling, blurred stars hovering before him. Whether it was the 'magically' enhanced alcohol, the tiring dancing or merely the lack of sleep over the course of four days, Alistair's vision was swirling and going in and out.

A part of him begged him not to go to sleep, fearful of what he'd see, and another welcomed the chance to confirm that his life wasn't just a prolonged, strange dream. He desperately wanted to wake up, roll out of bed and study some such nonsense. He desperately wanted Dawnstar to chastise his reckless lifestyle. He wanted to fly over to the Lion's Den and talk with Aurora about the constant troubles that arose. He just wanted to wake up.

Gone was his smile or the warm feeling of joy, in its place was a blank, expressionless thousand yard stare as he counted the countless stars and tried to not think about the life he lost. The people he lost or morphed with time. The lives he could've seen blossom. His life gone because of Celestia.

Few words could truly, utterly infuriate Alistair but with each repeat of her name he felt his blood boil and tears of hate and despair well up. As his eyes burned brighter, the veins surrounding his two toned eyes mirroring their respective colours, he thought countless murderous thoughts. He wished nothing more then to see her suffer, if it was in silence or in agony he didn't care. He wanted to see her lose everything and try to find a reason to continue onward. He wanted to take away her destiny, her fate, like she had done to him twice. He wanted to witness her suffer for as long as he lived.

As he gave into the grips of fatigue, a mad smile replaced his placid, sorrowful mask. As tears stained his pillow, he gave into the darkness and waited for whatever he'd find.

Dreamwalking

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"Raven's gaze! My Lord, get up already!" The robe covered, irritated Unicorn yelled at Alistair with spite, who groaned as he rolled out of his fluffy bed which begged him to return to it. The afternoon sunlight graced the messy, regal room and caused the Hierophant to groan and grimace.

"Morning Dawn..." He mumbled his greeting, a dumb smirk on his tired face. His azure eyes covered in sleep, his silver and brown hair covering his pale face and his robe missing; to Dawnstar he looked less like a wise Hierophant, the bearer of Human magic, and more an unwashed buffoon.

"It's the early Afternoon, my Lord." She responded with a roll of her glowing purple eyes. As her cracked, seemingly useless horn sputtered to life with a purple glow from beneath her thick, black robe she shoved a cleaned and pressed blue robe into his scarred chest.

"I suppose late night study sessions aren't exactly smart." He joked with a chuckle, walking towards his bathroom, as he patted her on the head. She grumbled softly, irked by his constant optimism.

"Or it could be the constant and unnecessary times you stay up for an entire week." She stated with a chastising tone as she looked past her shoulder towards his private study. The burnt table was littered with strange papers with writing that ranged from eloquent and clear to what could either be insane scribbling or an arcane language; she also groaned as she spotted the pile of used bowls and mugs that softly reeked of food scraps and coffee.

"All in the name of research and to understand the Gods." He waved off as he strutted with an odd cheer towards his spacious bathroom. Dawnstar watched her liege waltz off into the bathroom with a well rehearsed half smile and sigh of annoyance. The clustered, lived in library turned bedroom was covered with discarded or destroyed relics and personal effects in equal amounts and at some point his servant couldn't differentiate the two groups.

"Wait...Did you shave?" She asked, stunned she didn't notice the lack of his normal, thick beard.

"Oh...Yeah, I guess?" He answered obliviously, somehow never noticing he'd lost it.

"Well, at least Lord Aurora will be happy." His assistance spun the confusion into a positive with a dismissive wave of her gauntlet covered hoof. Alistair almost seemed lost in thought before he opened the simple wooden door leading to his bathroom.

As he walked into the massive, gleaming bathroom he locked the door behind him and dropped his facade.

"I forgot dreams can be this real." He announced aloud, his cheerful demeanour vanishing in an instant, as he glanced at the details giving the dreamworld some verisimilitude. His usual faint scowl and tired eyes returned and he slouched over as if he carried a great burden on his back. Feeling the bald spot under his mouth and chin as he got to look at himself in a mirror, he felt naked without his glorious, long beard. He did a cursory scan of the bathroom and found everything to be in order. Blue tiles symmetrically laid out on the floor, white marble walls with a few torches for magical mood light, an over sized and elegant bathtub and a similarly scaled shower as well. It looked almost identical to the real world equivalent.

"Well, no harm in going along with it." Alistair mumbled with slight enthusiasm, hoping he could use the time spent in the illusion to read some lost literature; as long as his mind didn't play tricks on him, most of the books should be complete and not empty or full of nonsense. Removing the last segment of clothing he had on him, he stepped into his shower and let the water pour over him. Although it was fake and didn't compare to the genuine feeling of warm, invigorating water rushing down his body, it was still nice all the same. Resting his head against the soft stone wall, his wet hair sticking to the back or falling down past his face, he let out a pent up, sorrow filled sigh. At least he felt alone once more and he didn't feel the need to fake a smile. As he began his usual routine, he pondered over many things. He tried to figure out what that thing was and its connection to Dawnstar and what remained of his people, he wondered if any of this was connected to Celestia, he wondered if there was anyone else out there in the real world who could, or would, help him aside from Chrysalis. He tried to figure out what he should even be doing. As his skin started to wrinkle and his thoughts stayed scattered, he realised he was getting nowhere fast; turning off the blast of blessed water, he stepped out and toweled off with a dark purple towel and fixed his hair so it resembled its usual, messy look. Donning his dark blue robe, he put on a fake grin and walked back into his lavish library and spotted Dawnstar disintegrating his garbage and tidying his loose notes.

"If you're finally ready to face the day my Lord, you have several diplomatic matters to attend to. Princess Celestia wishes to-"

"Cancel all of it." He cut in with alacrity, smiling as he strut towards his doors with a raised, magic shrouded hand.

"What? What should I tell Princess Cel-"

"Tell her to go hang herself, I don't care." He informed, causing the usually disdainful and quiet Dark Mage to sputter, wide eyed and scrambling to think, as the door opened.

"You can't just not do your duties my Lord!" She cried out, chasing after him with a black scroll listing his duties for the day.

"Sure I can, watch me." He simply said with a chuckle at the dream keeping up with him before he walked away brazenly, leaving his dumbfounded assistant behind to deal with the pigsty of a bedroom. He knew it didn't matter whether or not he went along with whatever the dream had in store, he'd long since became master of his own mind.

He noticed the strange, perfect imperfections littered all over the place. The ancient stone and metal walls were all symmetrical and void of damage or weathering, the metal and robe covered knights and spellswords mechanically walking back and forward in their set patrols, the panel glass murals were barren of flaws. Even the magical, vibrant crystals which burst forth from the walls and ceilings were almost methodical and structured in their placement. The Bibliotheca radiated perfection. Mulling over his surroundings, he wondered if imperfect perfection would be a more appropriate phrasing.

"Hmph, perhaps my dreams are mocking me." He stated with spite as he grimaced at the set of perfectly aligned murals which depicted various scenes of his and his old friends rise to power. The image of him standing atop a pile of undead heathens betwixt Celestia and Luna caused his blood to boil. Refusing to think of the pair in what should've been a present dream, he placed a palm against the wall it was mounted onto and caused a pulse of magic to burst forth.

Although he didn't aim to collapse the wall, he gained the same results. Before he continued towards wherever he deemed fit to go, glad to be temporarily rid of the offending memories, he was stunned into stillness as the wall gave way to the landscape bordering the Archive.

He wondered if he simply took it all for granted. The towering, mystic, beautiful yet terrifying woods that expanded as far as he could survey, only held back by the great walls that protected his people, the new walls he erected a tribute to his sincerity in his duty. The cloudy Spring skies were alive with swirling Pegasi, Griffins and Dragons either guarding the top layer of the city, the spiraling towers and divine archives brushing against the clouds. The colossal walls which stood steadfast in defiance against not only the magical forest and Alistair's rivals but time itself, the runes refusing to allow the surface to weather from the rough seasons and hellfire they were battered by. The streets of Drachen-Tor were alive with the raucous sounds of life and love, vendors declaring what they deemed worth selling, swarming crowds milling about joyously and the clashing, magnificent sounds of street music ranging from tribal to contemporary. From the sounds, to the people, to the aromas and even the clashing and complementary colours and structures the city exuded a strange sense of community unlike anywhere else Alistair had seen. Even the gardens far below his newly built veranda was a mix of training grounds preparing the next generation of guards and combat Mages, a stone garden of statues and effigies and a garden that was as organic and alive as it was crystalline and magical. From the sweet sounds of flowers both natural and mutated or the sounds of beasts who're either the product of evolution or magical interfering it created the sight, scents and sounds of home. Somehow, Alistair had almost forgotten all of this. He'd almost forgot what he called home.

Even in the dream he resided in, the illusionary world that felt too perfect to be real, he felt a bittersweet feeling of joy and sorrow in his nonexistent heart. He'd sworn to protect this land he called home, he'd sworn to look after the youth of his nation like he had looked over their ancestors long before. He'd sworn to protect them from anything that dared gaze upon the Archive with disdain. And yet, he failed all of them. He'd let them all die and burn away into nothingness. Because of her actions, and his inaction. With the fire reignited deep inside him, he turned away from the city that once was. He'd gain nothing lingering on memories, instead, he looked to the future and gained a new sense of purpose.

He'd failed his people one, and he dared fate to try and test him once more. He silently vowed to protect his new followers, blind that they may be, and build something new on top of the ashes of his homeland. He refused to live in the past, he refused to linger on his failure. He refused to remain a passive observer, content to let the other Immortals act while he lingered in obscurity. He'd refused to play a role before and it led to devastation. No longer would he remain quiet. When the time came, he'd never make the same mistakes.

With a confident smile and a sense of purpose, he moved onward towards his sanctuary leaving the cityscape behind.

Luna was tired. Ever since she'd returned from her exile it seemed disaster was always around the corner, whether it was something simple or inane like a prudish noble acting out of line in her court or Chrysalis attacking Equestria. In between defending the country from threats within and outside its borders, tending to her people's dreams and the strange sense of dread hanging over herself and Celestia she was exhausted and sick of constant upsets to the country. She was tired of constantly worrying, working and adapting to the new world. Luna was tired, and she couldn't simply crush her foes or create some spell to deal with the asinine demands of the nobles. With a built up, agitated sigh, she walked out of yet another scared foal's nightmare and smiled slightly. For all her lamenting, she still gained a sense of satisfaction from helping assuage the helpless.

The world between dreams was something akin to a barren field of magic with doors, portals and tears in the peaceful vista that lead to dreams and nightmares of countless people. There was no wind in the blank space between dreams yet her spectral mane and tail and dark blue coat still somehow gracefully waved and swayed, giving her a sense of power and beauty. Analytically gazing across the void, her cerulean eyes found nothing but pleasant dreams and more salacious ones, she breathed a sigh of relief and flew into the air, trying to find yet another person in crisis.

After several minutes spent in tranquil silence, nothing moving nor making a sound aside from her lengthy wings and the occasional, soft hum. The ground was littered with nothing but pleasant dreams and the rare lucid dream, just as she began to wonder if she had lucked out, or struck out, and was about to get an early rest of her own she spotted something...Odd.

Amidst the swarm of colourful, bizarre and outlandish entrances to her people's dreams there rested a singular, colossal door made of steel and stone. With a raised brow and a murmur of confusion, she softly landed before it.

"What manner of magic is this?" She mused as she brushed a hoof against the doorway. Magic radiated forth like all dreams, but the sheer amount was staggering; whoever was dreaming within was a being of sheer power. Yet, the power that it exuded was familiar and almost welcoming. The magic was like a warm embrace, beckoning her to wander through the doorway and step into the world within.

"This feeling...Who is this?" She pondered rhetorically, baffled at the sense of belonging she felt as if she was meant to be within the dream itself more than the real world. Hesitantly she pushed open the ancient door, causing an explosion of light to envelop her, and after adjusting to the new surroundings she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"W-What..." She stammered, reeling from the world she found herself in. The towering stone and metal walls with the occasional guarded doorways, the panel glass windows and murals, the sparkling stone floor immaculately cleaned. The bipedal, obscured guards clad in long lost arms and armour, the dark robes and armour of the Raven's Scholars and the star covered ceilings. Somehow, she was inside the Archive of Valetoria, a castle she helped expand, a castle she trained at, a castle she watched be razed into the ground. A million thoughts ran through her mind as a strange sense of displacement warped her thoughts, though it always came back to 'why?'.

"Ah, Lord Luna, how wonderful it is to see you." She heard a quiet, flat voice sarcastically drawl from behind her, a voice she'd last heard thousands of years ago. "How may I assist you?" Turning around, she came face to face with a ghost.

"Dawnstar?" She continued to question, her eyes wide and horn pointed down defensively, half expecting the imaginary being to attempt to attack her.

"Yes?...My Lord." The replica of her old 'friend' responded, eyes glaring at her as if she was insane or simply trying to test her patience. Her black, feather covered robe and form hugging obsidian armour shifted slightly as she begrudgingly bowed before the Princess, seemingly given even more contempt than she would for...Him.

"It's...Nothing...You're dismissed Dawnstar..." She commanded half halfheartedly, still struggling to come to grips with the sudden rush of nostalgia and melancholy as she meandered away from the Dark Mage who passively watched her walk away, wondering if she even knew where she was.

"Hmph, as you say...You're just as bad as Al...What's with everyone today?" Her words cut into Luna, her progress halting as she processed what she'd just said. Somewhere in this bizarre reimagining of the Archive was Alastair...Her blood ran cold and a sense of urgency overtook her. Turning around in a snap she looked to where the disdainful mare only to find nothing where she once resided.

"Who's dream is this?!" She harshly whispered, mind racing to try and determine the source of the dream. Few remembered the Archive, fewer knew Dawnstar and only four people called him Al and three of them were dead. As she ran through a list of potential people, an incredibly small and ludicrously implausible list, she sensed the presence of the dreamer. Whoever they were, they were lucid and seemed to be able to form a large, highly detailed dream if the entirety of the entrance hall could be sensed when they were so far away and above. With little else to do aside from worrying, she ascended the marble stairs towards the higher levels, passing dead silent guards and students in a hypnotic state of reading, casting or walking, seemingly oblivious to the world.

The Archive was almost a complete recreation, from the crystalline chandeliers, the delicate threads and plates of the patrolling paladins, the ever expanding halls and classrooms and the gardens far below it all seemed to be a reflection of the lost city. Even Dragon's Gate far below and over the Archive wall seemed lively and functioning. Yet there were off sights and sounds wherever she looked close enough. The Pyromancer's robes were charred black but were almost always dark red, the Clerics were being trained in libraries and lecture halls, not in the Hallowed Wing or Divine Spire and the swords the Guards were armed with were outdated by at least two years prior to the Archive's fall. Perhaps this was a lapse in memory on part of the dreamer, or perhaps things degraded in quality and continuity the further the land was from them; regardless, she pressed onward and refused to look at the long dead students and knights who trailed her with their eyes.

After climbing several stairways, forcing her way through crowds who bowed before her, wandering down several hallways and blowing down a wall out of sheer frustration and a sense of urgency, she stood before a set of old wooden doors she hadn't seen in years. Between the living stone, glass and metal of the Archive resided a small, delicately carved set of earthy brown doors with stone handles wrapped in moss and veins. It contrasted heavily against the steel golems that stood guard, their blank faces staring down at her but never moving nor acting against her. As the sun shined upon the door, the rays painted blue and green because of the tinted glass behind her, allowing the faint silver inlays to shimmer. Hesitantly, still at a loss over who it could be who'd dare reside in Alistair's old sanctuary, she pushed the eons old door open, its creaking hinges alerting whoever waited for her.

His sanctuary was something almost separate from the Archive, another world entirely. The sweet and earthy scent of gilla fruit and dark wood from the Northern Province of Valetoria wafted in the air along with the sounds of a crackling fire that never seemed to dissipate or fade away. The shelves burst forth from ancient trees that burst from the ground yet they were neither carved nor looked forced out in anyway; all the trees, shelves and small workspaces caked in fine powder and thick tomes led into the center of the old personal haven. Further in, surrounded by trees and shelves rested where he used to read and work primarily, his massive stone slab of a table decorated with personal effects, photos of family and friends, dolls and toys made for him and a well kept and treasured calligrapher set; the scent of fresh ink and parchment was his third favourite smell in the world he'd often remark while he wrote a memoir or some such thought.

In a circle surrounding a stone fire pit were several chairs ranging from archaic and treasured wooden chairs to soft carpets for laying upon. And there, under the effigy of the Old Raven sat Alistair. Her breath hitched in her throat and her thoughts ground to a halt as she saw the back of his head and the ends of his robes resting on the floor. His calm, melodic voice sang an old lullaby that shook her to the core. Alistair was dead, she knew it to be a fact, and yet he was apparently dreaming and cognitive enough to remember almost everything about his home and city. Blinking to keep the tears back and steeling herself, she spoke.

"...Alistair?" She said, her voice calm and quiet but composure wavering. She felt it in the very air, gone was the sense of cozy comfort and hospitality, in its place resided a thick aura of despair and loathing. She felt a chill run down her spin and she wondered if she should've simply turned back, but she needed answers.

"...Hello Luna." Alistair greeted with a flat, empty but polite tone. He continued to read from whatever book rested in his palms, still looking away from her.

"I...We thought you were dead." Luna stammered, at a loss over what to ask first. For whatever reason, he found her obvious sentence mirthful and he chuckled with a dry, humourless laugh.

"Regrettably, you thought wrong." He said aloud, closing the old tome he was busy perusing with an audible thud; the metal effigies of twin Alicorns, a Lion, Raven and Changeling confirmed her suspicions yet it brought little comfort. "Why are you here?" He demanded, refusing to change his soft inflection. The lack of warmth and melodic mysticism in his words was unnerving, not since he was mortal had his voice lost its blissful, beautiful tone and sounded so eerily Human.

"I found a peculiar dream...When I arrived in the entrance hall I needed to know who's dream this was...How? How did you survive? Celestia told me she delivered the final blow herself..." She informed, her voice equally questioning and morose, filled with dour.

"Hah, Celestia certainly tried but as Chrysalis, Discord, Tirek, Sombra and I will assure you she tends to be rather inept at finishing what she started. Then again, wouldn't you count among that list? Shame Aurora and I couldn't be exiled, instead we faced the sharp end of our own swords." He jested with a hateful, malicious tone. His jab stung but she refused to resort to arguing...She knew she had to try.

"Celestia didn't want to hurt you...She wanted an end to the war, while she was trying to broker peace your sister was executing Griffins and Ponies alike." She defended, trying to appeal to his sense of truth and objectivity. Instead, he laughed again and rose from his chair. He stood taller than her, his robe and plates obscuring almost all of his body.

"You stand there and tell me about how my sister treated raiders and traitors when in the real world my entire country is nothing but rubble and bones? Celestia got her end of the war, and you stood next to her the whole time staying silent as she took all the glory and you resided where you always have, in her shadow like the leech you've always been." He mocked with a biting, scathing tone. She felt a dagger pierce her heart, she couldn't believe Alistair would have ever acted like this, not the Alistair she knew. Looking forward, he walked towards the wall and blasted it apart, leading into a classroom she knew wasn't meant to be there.

"You know the Mad King's war was a mistake! Even you saw it for the fool's errand it was! Celestia never wanted any of this, none of us did! I wanted to see you stand aside us, saving Humanity from the threat you knew he was." She asserted, holding back her tears as she laid into him, tailing him slightly. The classroom seemed to be rapidly aging, the walls crumbling and wooden desks disintegrating into nothingness, all while he teachers, students and guards stared at them with a empty smile and barren gazes.

"You truly believed I would stand against my people, my King, my country, my Gods, my sister if I was forced to, on the off chance your precious sister's tyrannical need to constantly intervene would've finally led to something positive? She is, and always will be, a warmonger dressed as a goddess. You were a fool to think I'd become a turncoat against my empire for a monster like her, or perhaps you thought you could manipulate me like she tried with Aurora." He chastised, her sheer ignorance causing bile to build within him as he stormed through the singed hall, the marks of countless spells burned into the ground, while Luna tried to ignore the gaze of the brain dead illusions.

"I never wanted to manipulate you, I wanted you to see reason. What did the war grant aside from death and madness? You were one of the first to see it for what it was, you could've convinced Aurora to-"

"Don't you dare say her name, you insolent shrew! Yes, the war was a harbinger of death and madness, the proof is all around us and amplified by the obscurity of my own people's history, but I did what I thought was right. Unless you're trying to aggravate me by questioning my decision to stand for my own people I'd recommend leaving." He suggested, full of scorn and detest for the mare he refused to gaze upon. With every wall be tore down to avoid the extra work needed to find the nearest door, the rooms continued to shift and morph as the dream world seemed to be trying to keep up with his destructive streak. Rooms began shifting and changing, creatures and people of various races popped into reality or disappeared when they stood in his path. Walls, windows, armour and flesh began deteriorating rapidly until they were stomping through sand and plant covered ruined halls lined with bones and rusted scrape. She faltered at the sight of the beautiful Archive she once knew suddenly tearing itself apart.

"I didn't mean to harm or anger you, I wish to talk to you. You must have seen that with the Mad King in power, the Griffins arming themselves and the Minotaurs uniting, that the war would’ve only escalated and that Celestia and I wished to stop a catastrophe on a global scale!" She defended, voice hoarse as she yelled out her retort, running to catch up with the sprinting Human who weaved through a sea of detritus.

"Instead she saw fit to aid in the downfall of my people? The destruction of my family and bloodline? My home?! How can you stand there and try to justify any of this? The Mad King was mad, Aurora was wrong, but I wasn't about to spark a civil war, letting the Griffins and Minotaurs surround us and kill or enslave us once more, and so I stayed out of all of the nonsense… And what did my inaction cause?" He asked rhetorically, livid that she was still trying to paint her and Celestia's actions as warranted. With a great, resonating boom the gargantuan stone wall before them collapsed and gave way to a cool wind of ash and snow. After blocking her face from the sudden torrent of ash, ice and dust she lowered her wings and felt her blood run cold.

"It caused this." He answered himself, stepping over the frozen corpse of a House Leonas knight. The Lion's Den was burning, its old stone walls crumbled under the magical barrage of the Equestrian forces, the ramparts were littered with dead archers and Mages, their bodies charred, crushed or broken. The great hall where she once sat aside Alistair and drank their first great victory away alongside friends was little more than cinder and rubble. The memorials dedicated to the former Lords lining the ice covered paths were cracked and broken apart, indistinguishable from the falling stone from the ancient towers and buildings. The virgin snow was topped by chilled pools of dark blood that ran in all directions, the rock and valatite knights of Aurora laid battered, broken and crumbled like refuse. Their bodies were riddled with arrows, magic burns or the occasional javelin and sword. All of Equestrian design. And there, amidst her valiant soldiers, rested Aurora.

Her two toned, short blond and redish brown hair was covered in flecks of snow and ash, her white armour and blue robes were stained red with blood which poured out from a smoldering tear in her stone breastplate. Her valatite tower shield, which depicted a golden lion rampart, was scratched and battered with several arrows and even weapons embedded in it. Her ancestral sword which she was sworn to pass onto her successor was missing, her hand left grasping for something long lost to her. Her foggy yellow eyes were staring up into the night sky, stargazing eternally. Her face was contorted into a clear look of betrayal...She looked hurt, confused but more than anything, she looked broken.

The howling Winter winds accompanied the sounds of clashing swords and crashing magic, the beleaguered capital of the North was in its death throes yet all was still inside its walls. Luna walked forward, only a few feet away from Alistair, shame and horror washing over her as she was made to witness the first great 'victory' of the old war again. Alistair was quivering where he stood, shaking profusely as he stared forward, eyes locked onto his sister.

Luna was filled not only with a sense of disgust but also confusion. How could Alistair remember the siege of a castle he was never at so accurately? How could he have noticed the minute details that even Celestia herself would've forgotten or overlooked...How could he so vividly and accurately create a mirror image of a battle he wasn't present for?

"Al...I'm...I'm so-"

"I don't care if you're sorry Luna, your sorrow and guilt won't bring her back, it won't bring anyone back!" He snapped, reeling around and staring her down with a powerful, hate filled stare. "You dare betray me, betray my sister, betray the people who saw you and your sister as a ally and now, after everything has ended and nothing can be restored, you tell me you're sorry?!" He continued, a twisted, confused smirk plastered on his face as he looked down upon her. "I will never forgive you Luna, I'll sooner flay my skin from my bones then suffer the shame of accepting your pitiful apologies." His contorted grin switched to a dead, cold stare that shocked her as she finally got a good look at Alistair.

His skin was still pale and had a glow to it but was whiter than normal, his hair shorter then she remembered, eyes mismatched and face devoid of his endearing imperfections and blemishes. The once friendly, gentle, beautiful man was replaced with a creature she couldn't recognise. Where once was a pair of calm, life-filled azure eyes were a mismatching pair with veins stemming from them flowing with the same discolorations. His pleasant, graceful features were hardened and imposing, his lips were curled into a foul sneer and his entire body radiated a sense of power and malice. This...Human spoke, dressed and acted like Alistair, but she had no idea who this person was.

"Who...Who are you?"

"If you end up finding me Luna I'll let you be, you were merely a pawn to Celestia, in the same way she tried to use my sister. But words cannot begin describe what I feel for Celestia, if I see her, I'll make sure she knows exactly how I feel before we're done. Stay away from me Luna. Goodbye." He bid farewell with a slight nod of his head before he closed his eyes and began willing himself to wake up. Before Luna could ask him one of the millions of questions she had, they were both forcibly awoken, leaving the cold, biting winter of Lion's Den behind.

Alistair awoke with a jolt, snapping into an alert state with a fiery drive. Trying to ignore the scenes he'd just dug up from the recesses of his mind and trying his best to forget Luna, he went through his morning routine. After putting on a fresh set of robes, fixing his hair and practicing to look calm, he quietly left the room so as to not awaken the slumbering Changeling Queen in the corner of the room who was busy mumbling some vague threat to whatever she was dreaming of. After putting a soft blanket on her and leaving a chalice full of water for when she awoke, he departed.

It was still barely morning, he suspected he'd only been asleep for four hours, yet he was invigorated with an inhuman sense of might and determination. He finally had something more to focus on aside from simply surviving… He had people to protect from a monstrous horde and potentially, an Equestrian invasion; and this time he refused to wait and see what would happen. Pondering several possible routes and actions to take, he walked down the hall with a hand to his chin and a smirk on his face. His eyes were aflame with passion and desire and he set his sights on a grander, greater vision than simply waiting to die. His followers were still allegedly flocking en masse to the Archive but they wouldn't be enough… He could rebuild the Archive but evidently its defenses may prove lacking in the new world in which he lived… He knew where he had to start, but not where it would end and that limitless potential thrilled him

With a chuckle and a happy, upbeat hum he began plotting how to rebuild Drachen-Tor and he knew where to start, the Archive's heart.

Author's Notes:

What a do bitch? 500+ likes, that's pretty sweet. Thanks dudes!

Big news, I finally got a editor! Give a big ol' fuckin' welcome to Rest! Now we're one step closer to this burning pile of trash being somewhat decent. He's been a big help and fixed up some of the more iffy parts of the chapter. Thanks again man.

Also, to sum up my first few weeks of Uni, it's great but fucking rough going straight from school to this shit. Obviously I can't keep pumping out the huge fuck off walls of texts without sacrificing my school/work/social life and given that I'm already something of a recluse I don't want to fuck myself over even more. I'll still try to upload twice a month but they may be shorter chapters.

after fixing it up with Rest I think this chapter though it may be subject to change, what're your thoughts? Hell, given that I can't actively see how many people are reading my story at any given time seeing some comments would be cool anyways.

Lastly, does anyone have any good ideas/suggestions for a better cover art? Although I like the image I find it lacking in several ways, first off the actual Archive wouldn't be nearly as overgrown given it's in the middle of a fucking desert. If you have any ideas or images that are not already being used or stolen somewhere, if possible I'd like to give the artist credit for letting me use their image.

It's midnight, I'm tired. Haven't slept in two days. Going to play Dark Souls 1 till I fall asleep. See ya fuckers.

L.P.C-Licking Penis Cream.

obligatory inspiration music!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w182aT01Qkg

This song makes me think equally of Alistair and Luna, they're both trying to adjust to a new world that seemed to have forgotten about them(though Al's got it worse) and some of the lyrics apply to them imo. Also 'La Lune' means 'The moon' so that's coincidental.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q0Qm21J6BY

Thought it was a nice, calming but sad song that I liked to listen to while writing the dream sequence.

Getting off on the Wrong Hoof

View Online

As Celestia's sun rose over the horizon and blasted the scorched desert with its light, Twilight squinted as the golden rays flowing through the tiny windows stabbed her directly in the eyes. Her friends were struggling to stay awake, the late night patrol achieving little other than amazing Twilight as she examined the scattered ruins. Fluttershy and Rarity struggled to keep their eyes open, Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed primed for anything but were obviously growing restless and Pinkie Pie, as always, was energetic thanks to the aid of sugary treats. Spike had long since fallen asleep, resting on an annoyed guard's saddlebag, and Starlight Glimmer was jotting down countless notes; whether she was sketching the ruins or writing her own opinions it seemed to keep her alert and active. Even the Princess, slouching and eyes bloodshot due to fatigue, felt driven to carry on by her sense of duty.

Contrasting the Princess and her compatriots, the guards were a symbol of stoicism. Their armour was almost pristine, the few scratches and splashes of dust adding a sense of character to them, and their body language never hinted whether or not they were exhausted. Even during the early hours of the morning, Twilight's purple-plated guards and the seasoned frontiersmen were both ready for action.

"Coffee, My Princess?" Thunderclap offered as she handed Twilight a metal cup of black coffee. The aroma of freshly made coffee caused her to sigh with slight glee, long night study sessions having long since addicted her to the beverage.

"Yes please. Thank you." She thanked with a small smile and nod, getting a slight grin in return.

"You're welcome, it doesn't taste great but it helps keep us awake." She warned, taking a long sip from her own mug with a slight scowl, as she pointed towards the small pot in the back corner of the larger transporter. With the blessing of extra space, the guards were occupying their time by tending to their weapons while Thunder inspected the face of her shield for the twentieth time.

"This 'anomaly' you believe the Captain may have run afoul of, any idea what we can expect?" The Commander continued, drinking the rest of the foul coffee in an instant.

"Well...There's a chance these bandits you've mentioned could be involved, perhaps a few wild animals made feral from the raw magic, maybe some old relics reanimated given the ruins everywhere." The Princess answered matter-of-factly, going through the list in her head.

"We can handle animals and bandits...Old relics may be a challenge. Don't worry, we'll do most of the fighting anyway." Thunderclap guessed, examining her soldiers, before shrugging and going back to her bronze shield, the scratches and dents doing little to damage the decorative buffalo head design and the two massive spikes jutting out of it. "That all?" She continued, looking down at the wall of bronze.

"Well... we're still unsure, but Princess Celestia worries this magical anomaly may be tied with an old foe of hers." She started, pondering if it was appropriate to share such information.

"Something like Queen Chrysalis?" The Commander guessed, not looking away from her weaponry.

"Not exactly. She fears it may be a sign that an old, powerful Mage from her past may have returned from the dead...She knows he's dead but it seems possible, given the uncanny amount of monsters or immortal beings coming back in recent years." She announced. This caused Thunderclap to halt, surprise flashing across her features for a second, before resuming her menial task.

"Well… can't say I've ever taken on an Immortal Mage before but I'll do my duty. I appreciate your honesty My Princess." Thunderclap thanked with a nod and a small grin.

"It's the least I can do given my sudden demands...How long until we've searched the whole desert?" She dismissed with a wave of her boot covered hoof before looking out the dust covered window behind her, examining the strange houses and ruined towers built into the slopes of the massive dunes.

"Honestly, we've only gotten about halfway. If you want to go till we hit the coastline and do an in-depth search then we'd be out here for weeks, for now we're going to the border and turning back. This is the furthest we've gone out in almost a year and since we’re being thorough we may be out here for another day or two." She guesstimated with a grimace, the thought of several days on patrol in scorching heat already tiring her.

"If that's what it'll take then so be it I suppose. We're not turning back without finding the source of this strange magic and finding Braeburn." She assured, the determined look in her eyes like a bulwark against the Commander's skeptic thoughts.

"You're tenacious Princess Twilight, I'll given you that. We're coming across the largest set of ruins within our border, it'd be the wisest place to seek shelter if the Captain's platoon got delayed. We should be arriving in a few-" The Commander's words were halted as, with a wail, the transporter jerked to a stop. The operators in the cockpit were yelling out several warnings and demanding the engineers in the back get out immediately. With a small detail of guards, they departed out into the cool desert.

The early morning sun cast the colossal dunes and the gleaming piles of rubble in an orange and purple haze, the twinkle of weathered metal and gems still present. As they emerged from the back of the armoured carriage the engineers rushed to the vehicle's engine and hurried back after a thorough search.

"What's the status?" The Commander ordered, weapons ready.

"The tracks have been severed, the engine blew a crystal and it's not starting with the replacement power source. It's dead." The engineer reported with a sigh as a murmur spread among the soldiers.

"Do we know what caused it?" Starlight spoke up, her voice revealing she didn't think it was a coincidence.

"No, it doesn't look like we drove into a trap or mine but the damage was too specific to be an accident and not so severe as to indicate it was related to an engine failure. Best guess is it may have been a very specific hex or spell, no way an explosive or sapper could've shut us down without making some noise or going at it for minutes." The stallion continued, listing off everything with a small nod. With a sigh, Thunderclap stood up.

"Get your boots on and weapons drawn, this is obviously not a coincidence given everything we've been told so far about our operation. Whoever or whatever caused this is most likely in the ruins ahead so that's where we're heading. Grab your gear because we can't hold this position, don't wander off from the platoon, don't give away our position and don't let the Princess or the civilians get harmed. We're disembarking in two minutes." She ordered, strapping on her helmet and walking outside with her shield raised.

"What the hey happened now?" Spike inquired, finally roused from his nap.

"Something blew out the engine and we're walking the rest of the way. This is gonna suck." Rainbow groaned, walking outside with the few soldiers already prepped.

"Ooh, this sand is going to absolutely ruin my coat!" Rarity mumbled as she begrudgingly disembarked while Pinkie playfully bounded out alongside her.

"You okay 'Shy? You're shakin' like a leaf." AJ asked as she held out a hoof to the shaking mare who slowly reached out for it and got up.

"I-I just hope we're not walking into a t-trap..." She meekly muttered as she stood behind the imposing Earth Pony, eyeing the seemingly endless expanse of desert for an unseen monster or murderer.

"Don't worry hun, we'll get through this and make it home soon enough; not like we haven't faced worse." Her confident grin enabling the timid mare to stand a bit taller and even smile behind her mane. As the remaining members of the platoon and Twilight's guards disembarked the Princess couldn't help but feel minuscule among the ruins.

The wastelands stretched on for miles in all directions, the scattered remnants of the old empire the only indication someone once lived in the forgotten plains. The remains of ancient stone walls still stood around them, their defense long since compromised and their stature reduced to little more than loose bricks and toppled stone yet they still stood in defiance of the howling winds. The uneven ground buried countless secrets and treasures lost to time, so many she wouldn't even know where to begin. Far to the East rested Appleloosa and the rest of Equestria, and in the opposite direction beyond countless dunes rested the coast; whatever resided past the silver waters was a mystery she wondered would ever be uncovered. The only thing that could be heard over the barking orders of the Commander was the soft, somber winds that blew over the shifting sands and through the archaic ruins.

"A bit imposing, isn't it?" Starlight asked rhetorically as she nudged Twilight, causing her to drift back to reality.

"Pardon?"

"The ruins, I mean. Somehow that's still standing atop all of this." She added, pointed towards the towering, dilapidated castle ahead of them. Compared to the collapsed houses, fallen walls and destroyed statues the massive building was stunningly preserved. Although battered and broken beyond repair it still stood proudly in the sea of sand and nothingness. Its towers, although missing their peaks, tore through the sky and their windows still stood against the wind. The weathered walls still stood firmly in the sand and the ramparts and few external portions of the castle left standing invoked a presence of security and power, as if the ruins itself were unconquerable. Beyond the fallen walls and the remains of a city, the former citadel still stood.

"It's beautiful...I wonder what it looked like all those years ago..." Twilight mused, finding the ancient architecture fascinating, causing Starlight to smirk.

"Don't know if I'd call it beautiful but sure, why not...I'm positive this Alistair person is inside that thing, it's the only standing structure for miles." She asserted after chuckling at Twilight's fascination. Although it may have seemed impressive and looked long since deserted it felt like a thousand eyes were watching the pair from the far off windows high above.

"Well, regardless of whether or not he is, I think we should hurry." The Princess ordered with a worried, somewhat panicked look, as she pointed at the massive sand storm brewing far off in the distance. It was far away and they'd be able to make the trek towards the run down structure but the raging wall of dust and shrapnel seemed powerful enough to flay them alive should they be caught in its winds.

"Alright everyone, move out!" Thunderclap ordered, her voice booming over the quiet conversations and murmurs of the crowd, as she and everyone began trudging up the uneven slope with the raging wind at their backs. Although they knew they had to seek shelter, none were under the delusion that the castle promised refuge given the dangers they were expecting.

"Get that door open! Now!" The Commander barked with a raspy voice, her throat bleeding from yelling over the incoming storm. Their cloaks and armour were stained with layers of dirt and sand, small wounds littered their bodies and though they had fortunately been able to block some of the larger pieces of debris, they weren't sure how much longer their luck would hold out. The weathered, gargantuan wooden door refused to budge no matter what they threw at it. The entire platoon, Twilight's guards, Applejack and even Twilight and Starlight's combined magical push couldn't even shake off the dust embedded on it.

"I am not dying in the middle of nowhere! Who'll commemorate me out here?!" Rainbow screamed out as she rapidly pushed, punched and flew into it, her feverish assault only serving to tire her out.

"What about the windows? Could someone fly in through one of them?!" Twilight suggested, sweat and sand dripping from her forehead.

"Unless they can clear five stories and push open this hunk of wood alone, we'll be buried under layers of sand before they make it. Push you bastards, push!" Thunder retorted, dropping her shield to give it her all once more. Twilight tried to teleport inside, power radiating off her, only to feel a magical barrier repel her. Grunting from the magical drain, she began trying to form another plan.

"This is real bad..." Starlight muttered, fear gripping her, as she slammed her magical might into the wall, causing a thud to sound out over the storm that was almost on top of them.

"Everypony stand back!" Twilight warned, her eyes glowing violently as she summoned as much magic as she could muster into one massive thrust. Before she could materialize the magical battering ram, they heard the sound of a deafening thud ring out and they watched the old door begin to swing inwards, the thick layers of undisturbed dust raining down.

"Get in! Quickly you fools!" They heard a old, weathered voice demand from within the darkened hall. Not needing any more encouragement, the swarm of Ponies grabbed their discarded gear and ran in through the gateway. As they cleared the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind them.

"What in the name of the Gods are you all doing out here?! You could've been killed!" Twilight heard the decrepit voice exclaim, more out of shock than anger. Looking up after catching her breath, she came face to face with one of the oldest Ponies she'd ever seen.

His fur and mane were muted and lacking in colour, his milky pale eyes gave the impression he was as blind as a bat and his tattered robes and worn staff looked as old as Celestia herself. He stood on shaking legs and his face gave signs of fatigue, no doubt due to his assistance in opening the colossal door, and he seemed almost as ancient as Granny Smith. Regardless, the stallion seemed to radiate an aura of power and wisdom.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, thank you for letting us in. We've been looking for an Equestrian Captain but the name of Braeburn, he went missing days ago and he was suspected to have sought shelter somewhere in this area. Have you seen anypony like that? Yellow coat, bronze mane, always wears a hat?" She explained, describing the Stallion as best she could.

"Ah, we thought someone would come along sooner or later. Yes, we found him a few days ago; if you'd like we can take you to him. I'm Faded Scroll by the way, and you are?" The strange Mage introduced himself with a warm smile and the groups sighed in relief at the welcome news.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. Could you take us to him?" She grinned as a sense of accomplishment washed over her. She felt one step closer to completing her goal. For a split second, she thought she saw surprise and fear cross the old Stallion's features, but it was gone in an instant.

"Of course, follow me." He said, nodding and leading the small band. The hall they found themselves in was dimly lit by torches lining the walls and the slim amount of light that fluttered in through the skylights high above. Three great metal bars with several runes etched into them were being slowly lifted back onto their stands, barring the door against the storm and anything else that could threaten them.

"Is he safe? What happened to him?" Applejack asked with a slight tone of worry, rushing up next to the hobbling Pony who winced slightly at her loud voice.

"Yes, he's safe now. When we found him he was rather...Well, badly hurt." He informed, an uneasy look adorning his features.

"What do you mean?" Thunder asked, an eyebrow raised as she stood next to the Princess in case she needed to protect her from a sudden attack.

"He told us his platoon was suddenly attacked by a pack of monsters, beings devoid of sense and sanity. He and his soldiers held out and killed many of them, but they were overwhelmed...When my master found him, he was barely hanging onto his life." Twilight and her friends gasped in horror at this revelation.

"What happened to him?!" Applejack begged to know, terrified at the thought he could've almost died.

"As I said, my master happened to find him while he was coming back to the Archive. He fought off the remaining beasts and found Braeburn surrounded by the dead. It was a close call and it took a lot of his energy, but my Lord saved him. In fact, yesterday he was healthy enough to help us hunt the remaining monsters out of the region. Along with the Captain, we were able to rescue two of his soldiers from the monster's den. He'll be delighted to go home, I'm sure." He guessed, grateful at the thought of the Equestrian Knight returning.

"Thank you for your assistance. Could you possibly show us where the platoon was ambushed? We'd like to give their remains a proper burial." Thunderclap requested, disheartened at the staggering losses but glad to hear her Captain was still alive.

"That may prove difficult as the monsters, well, relocated the remains...The Captain should be able to fill you in on the rest..." Faded Scroll explained with an apprehensive look, hoping to avoid explaining the fate of the departed.

As they continued deeper into the abandoned fortress the pack of Equestrians were surprised at the sudden shift from ancient stonework and crumbling ruins to a tribal shanty town of sorts. Even in the early morning, robe-clad soldiers who more closely resembled a tattoo covered monk or Mage instead of any type of civilized Knight patrolled the haphazardly laid out paths, their faintly glowing eyes wide and alert. Stone hovels and tents decorated with ancient markings lined the roads, the occasional sign or symbol indicated the presence of a shop or craftsmare of some kind. The fallen stone pillars and deteriorated statues and effigies left behind after the old war were covered in childish graffiti and messages in a language lost to the Equestrians, telling them there were either children among the strange Ponies or simply childish Ponies. Something that shocked Twilight were the other races present in the crowd. Although Faded Scroll's clothing and the town were less than normal to her, the sight of Minotaurs, Zebras, Deers and even non-reformed Changelings caused her to stop in her tracks.

"There are Changelings here?" Thunderclap stated with a stern look, holding her shield tighter as she expected them to pounce at any moment.

"Yes, we let in any who share a similar goal in understanding the magical and unknown. I understand they may scare you, but can you please sheathe your dagger? Thank you." Faded requested, causing Thunderclap to halt as she ceased drawing her diminutive weapon. As she started to question how he could tell what she was doing without looking behind, they heard a voice call out somewhere ahead.

"Faded Scroll, that you? You got any potions for hangovers?" They heard Braeburn groan from the small wooden table he was resting his head on, his eyes closed and hoof still wrapped around a massive mug of mead.

"Braeburn?!" Applejack yelled, mirroring similar reactions from her friends and the Commander, delighted and relieved to finally find her missing cousin. Both perturbed and surprised by the loud chorus of voices, he opened his bloodshot eyes and looked up.

"A-AJ? Commander?! What're y'all doing out here?" He asked, a wide grin adorning his disheveled features as he shakily stood up only to suddenly be embraced by his cousin.

"We went looking for you, you've been gone for almost a week you idiot! We all thought you'd died." She informed, slightly upset at his carefree response.

"Ah shucks, sorry to scare y'all. Truth is, it was pretty close out there, but I'm fine now...Uh, Commander...Report." He alleviated her concern with his usual, cocky but reassuring grin before separating from her and turning to the others. Although his fur and mane were a mess, his eyes still groggy, his armour missing somewhere in the crowd along with his ax and stetson and seemingly embarrassed to stand before his subordinates he still tried to act like the officer he was with a stern look and proper posture.

"Town's still falling apart around us, morale dropped after you went missing and people are worried, but they'll no doubt love to hear we found our CO drunk in a tribal commune." She joked with a slight chuckle at his mess of a state, before saluting and taking on a stalwart appearance. "It's good to have you back Sir."

"At ease Commander."

"What happened? The Mage told us you were attacked by monsters, he said you almost died.” She asked straight-faced, though concern showed through her voice

"That's the short of it. We were nearing the end of our patrol, the troops were complaining like usual and everything seemed normal...Then we got attacked from seemingly all sides. The drivers were killed in the first strike, some kind of magical explosion...We formed up and pushed through the initial wave of freaks and monsters...They were unlike anything we'd fought before...Soulless eyes, pale and rotten skin, sickness and bile pouring out of them...They were like the dead come back to life...We dispatched them easily but there was just so many of them. They overwhelmed us, they were endless...Then something resembling a Minotaur tossed me around like a ragdoll and I blacked out soon after." His eyes glazed over as he thought back to the attack, disgust and contempt in his voice.

"Sweet Celestia..." Thunder gasped, horrified at the mental image. Their soldiers were equally horrified but their helms hid it.

"I woke up here, alive but the last of my platoon. After a few days of waiting we formed a counterattack and tracked down their den. It was a grueling fight down there, but it was worth it. We destroyed the source of the monsters and I was able to save the two surviving soldiers, Brass Boulder and Lancer. They were in pretty rough shape but these folks are amazing healers. As you can see, they wanted to celebrate their victory and things got a bit… wild." He explained, gesturing to the small town square they were currently in. Ponies and other people were sleeping wherever they could, spilled food littered the ground and there was a distinct scent of sex and alcohol in the air. The houses around them looked as if they'd been painted with food and vomit and the colossal stairs at the other end of the square were covered in armoured Changelings. The Ponies found this odd, but decided not to comment to Braeburn or Faded Scroll.

"Well...At least you're okay Captain." Thunder said with a disgusted groan, repulsed by the drunken mess surrounding them. "Where are the other survivors?" She continued, looking around to try and spot the privates in a ditch somewhere.

"Oh, they're just-"

"Ey Captain! These guys make some amazing-Oh crap!" Brass began, hobbling out of the medical tent with an empty mug in his hoof, before freezing at the sight of not only his Commander but the new Princess.

"Huh, so somepony did come looking for us." Lancer mused as he exited as well and stood beside his squad mate, less spooked and more relieved. After ditching their mugs and fixing their appearance to seem like the noble warriors they were trained to be, they joined the motley platoon.

"Gotta tell ya, I’m gonna miss you lot; y'all certainly knew how to make a Stallion feel right at home." Braeburn admitted with a grin, offering a hoof to Scroll who merrily accepted it and shook it with what strength he could muster.

"It's merely what one should do when hosting a guest, think nothing of it." The old Mage dismissed with a beaming grin.

"Hey, where's Wonder? I'd like to say bye before we leave." Braeburn asked, looking around the square hoping to spy the Snow White stallion somewhere in the drunken crowd. Twilight and her friends stopped in their tracks, an uneasy quiet hanging in the air.

"Wait, who’s Wonder?" Twilight asked, her voice taking on a more questioning tone as she remembered Celestia’s warning.

"Hey, what the hell's going on out here?" They heard a soft voice, but clearly agitated, call out above them all. Everyone turned towards the stairway and watched a cloaked Pony approach, a white horn jutting out of the shadows.

"My Lord, I'm surprised to see you awake so early." Scroll exclaimed, shocked to see his master still standing after the rowdy party and the amount of alcohol he consumed.

"I've got a liver of steel Fade, takes pure Minotaurian grog to drop me. Now, who're these people?" The stranger asked, gesturing towards the Equestrians. His odd phrasing continued to make Twilight uneasy.

"My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends and guards, we're sorry to intrude but we were looking for Captain Braeburn and his platoon." Twilight introduced with a polite smile, pointing towards the two parties, though on the inside she was fearful she may be conversing with the creature her mentor warned her about.

"Ah, I see. I apologise for the mess, my subjects can get pretty out of control." He apologised with a calm smile before pulling his hood back, causing Twilight to tense up. White fur, silver and brown mane and blue eyes, just as Celestia described. "My name's Wonderlust, and this is-" Before he could finish or anyone could react, Twilight dropped her head and shot out a beam of purple, crackling magic.

"What the-?!" Braeburn cried out, stunned by what he just saw. Likewise, Faded Scroll snapped to attention and teleported next to his master.

"Now that's just not nice. Let me guess, you're a friend of Celestia?" Alistair assumed, looking down at the hole in his chest with a raised brow and mild surprise.

"Yes, and she told me everything Alistair, You can't fool me." She responded, anger and determination in equal measure in her voice. Realizing what was going on, the guards took point in front of her and her friends, establishing a wall of metal while Braeburn, Brass and Lancer stood on the sideline, baffled at what was going on.

"Yet clearly she can. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to try to kill your host in his own castle?" He rhetorically asked with a voice filled with contempt as his body became formless and colourful.

"What the hey is going on?!" Brass demanded to know, watching the Unicorn who saved his life take on an entirely new form.

"Woah Nelly..." Applejack exclaimed as Alistair showed his true colours and morphed into his Human form. Clad in shining armour and a pristine cloak, his eyes crackled with energy and his face snarled down at them. He held a sword in one hand and a tome floating above his other. In that moment, they realized just what they were up against.

"This is bad Princess, we've got no path of retreat." Thunderclap warned, looking around as she watched the slumbering crowd wake up and notice they were under attack.

"Your guard's right, you're kinda screwed here 'Princess'." Alistair taunted, watching the town wake up, alarmed and fearful.

"Twilight darling, that may not have been a smart idea..." Rarity reprimanded, horn glowing as she prepared for whatever was coming.

Before anyone else could speak, they heard someone cry out in alarm and began barking orders. Everyone's attention was drawn to Snowfall and her brigade of warriors who were rushing into the square from the right side.

"The Hierophant's under attack! Form up!" She ordered, her hand picked warriors taking point as they smashed their palms and hooves into the ground, causing a stone barrier to burst from the ground. As they created a defensive line, several guards either brandished their staves menacingly or held up rudimentary stone weapons.

"This is really getting out of hoof..." Lancer stated the obvious, ducking behind a fallen pillar as he couldn't make sense of the incoming skirmish.

"If you drop your weapons, I'll order my people to do the same and we can settle this like civilized people." Alistair offered, lowering his sword to his side and dimming the glow radiating off him.

"How do we know you won't pounce on us when we do?" Rainbow Dash retorted, eyeing everything that moved.

"Guess you'll just have to take my word. Not that you have much of a choice as you're vastly outnumbered..." He countered, gesturing towards the pockets of armed militants who were ready to go at a moment's notice. As the guards started counting the growing number of armed opponents, they also noticed the panicked civilians.

"T-Twilight...There are children in the crowds..." Fluttershy pointed out, highlighting the scared kids and crying babies being held in the hands and hooves of parents running away into their huts.

"Look, he might be a meanie but maayyyyyyybe we should not try and fight the immortal magic guy and his small army in a really cramped, crumbling building?" Pinkie suggested, surprisingly being the voice of reason as she backed away from the frontline.

"I'm with Pinkie on this one, if we're lucky we can maybe de-escalate the situation." Starlight remained optimistic as she tried to persuade Twilight. Before anyone else could speak up, yet another interloper joined the fray.

"You!" Chrysalis shouted, her disharmonious voice cutting through the muttering crowds as she and her Changelings stood high above the battleground on the second floor.

"What is Chrysalis doing here?!" Thunderclap demanded to know, shifting her attention to the Queen.

"How long has she been here?" Brass Boulder asked Braeburn, hoping someone knew what was going on.

"My Lord, what're your orders?" Snow requested, looking back at her leader as she hefted her simple stone shield.

"Hold your ground, I don't want anyone dying needlessly." He ordered, his words alleviating some of Snow and Twilight's fears.

"If you won't tear them apart Alistair, I gladly will..." Chrysalis promised with a malicious tone as her elite guards prepared to descend onto the mass of prepared guards.

"Stand down Chrysalis or I swear to the Gods I'll make you." Alistair threatened, his voice growing angered and stern as he eyed his old friend who was preoccupied with staring down at Starlight.

As the situation grew with all sides bickering and debating, Braeburn tried to take stock of the situation. His savior was allied with Queen Chrysalis and was apparently an enemy of Equestria, He'd both aided and been aided by said enemy and now his own soldiers were about to get slaughtered once more while potentially killing innocent bystanders and the people he'd come to see as allies. Realising he had to act before the standoff turned bloody, he jumped over the small barrier he and his unarmed soldiers had rested behind and found himself standing in the middle of the room, all eyes on him.

"Everyone, drop your weapons and stand down! This is pointless! I can't say I understand what's happening but I do know Wonderlust, or Alistair or whatever your name is, saved not only my life but Brass' and Lancer's as well. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead and buried under ten layers of sand. And I know y'all didn't come here to kill people but if you fight him you're going to get crushed and hurt plenty of innocent Ponies in the process. I don't know why Chrysalis is here, I only just found out she's even here, but it sounds like Alistair doesn't want her killing us either...Please, in the name of all that's good, put your damn weapons down and stop before we start killing each other." The Captain implored, his subordinates baffled at his sudden request while Alistair and his servants were stunned that an Equestrian Knight would back them up.

"He's right, killing each other will get us nowhere and if My Lord demands it then I won't raise my hoof against any of you. I hope you'll all offer me the same courtesy." Faded Scroll agreed, lowering his staff as he stood aside Alistair who likewise sheathed his blade.

"I really wasn't looking forward to killing people while hungover anyway." Snow shrugged while dropping her shield, causing it to lose the magic holding it together and crumble into nothing.

As Twilight watched Alistair's forces uneasily lower their guard in a sign of peace, all while Braeburn looked ready to collapse from the terror of standing in between the two defensive lines, she noticed Chrysalis hadn't backed down. If anything, she seemed all the more ready to pounce as her horn crackled faintly in the dark.

"If you can promise to help us should your guest attack us, we will agree to lower our weapons." Twilight negotiated, causing the Changeling Queen to cackle softly.

"Fair enough, but that offer extends to you all as well; if anyone attacks anyone else I'll throw you into the sandstorm myself." He declared, eyeing the Princess and Queen who both stared back at him, relieved and furious respectively.

"Okay, now that we're not going to kill each other...Now what?" Brass Boulder asked, his thick accent cutting the tense silence as he listened to the raging winds outside telling him they were all stuck inside. As everyone stood around with their weapons sheathed but guards raised, Alistair made an offer.

"I was going to grab breakfast before you all showed up...Anyone else hungry?" He offered, scratching the back of his head as he weakly smiled and gestured gestured towards the direction of the dining hall. With little else to say or do and the sound of growling stomachs the only answer the leaders of each force needed, the mass slowly and uneasily followed him, hoping he wasn't leading them into a trap.

To say the atmosphere within the lavish dining hall was tense would be an understatement. Guards were glaring daggers, daring each other to strike first while Alistair's uninvited guests sat at the extensive, beautifully carved table with him. On one end near the double doors sat Twilight and her entourage, nervously looking between them while the Princess stared straight ahead at her supposed enemy. Alistair seemingly didn't care, too busy carving apart his hearty meal while Chrysalis stared back at them, switching between Starlight and Twilight intermittently with pure contempt. Acting as a divide of sorts, Braeburn and Faded Scroll sat at the middle point of the table, a bronze candelabrum separating them. Snowfall and Thunderclap stood at the side of the rooms with their guards, both sides opting out of sitting down in favour of being prepared should another stand-off occur. Were it not for the raging winds outside that battered against the immaculate stain glass windows, they could've heard a pin drop on the other side of the room.

"It's not poisoned." The Hierophant spoke up, his mouth full of cooked eggs and bacon, while reading a novel he somehow found on the way.

"Pardon?" Twilight responded, confused at his sudden statement.

"The food, it's not poisoned. It's rude to not eat something your host cooks for you." He continued, still engulfed in whatever he was reading.

"Funny, that sounds like something someone would say if they had poisoned the food!" Rainbow countered, a scowl on her face as she sat a bit taller in her seat, causing the guards to flinch should she pounce.

"Rainbow Dash, poison is a coward's tool, if I wanted to kill you I'd simply use my magic or sword." He assured with a flat tone, his words causing her to sit down once more.

"How'd you know her name?" Rarity asked, trying to remember if he'd been introduced to them beforehand.

"I'm a Telepath, it's not too hard to read someone's mind and find out simple things about them. Also, no the knives aren't sharp enough to be usable if a fight were to break out Applejack and yes, I do have hot chocolate available if you don't like coffee Pinkie Pie." He explained, waving it away with a flick of his wrist. Although the group was taken aback but his assurance, Pinkie seemed a lot happier than the rest.

"How can you read somepony's mind? That's impossible!" Twilight refuted while she watched him begin brewing a pot of hot cocoa using his magic powers.

"For you and most mortals, perhaps, but you're forgetting I'm a being of magic; if I want to understand something I need only set my mind to it. Hell, even Faded Scroll can read other's minds." He informed, finally looking away from his book and addressing Twilight directly before gesturing towards the old Stallion who was pouring a cup of coffee.

"He is correct, when one has an extended life span and the magical gift or necessary materials it's very much achievable, though quite traumatic at first." Faded Scroll continued, closing his eyes as he rattled off a simplified lecture before taking a sip of his black coffee.

"T-T-That's quite impressive." Fluttershy complimented, hoping a few niceties would alleviate the feeling of dread in the air.

"Thank you, it took years to perfect and it's nice to know some still care about the art of magical study." Faded Scroll responded, a small smile on his face which helped to alleviate the timid Pony's worries.

"This is pathetic, why are you playing nice with these cretins? They're Celestia's pawns! We should simply kill them and send their bodies back to their Princess..." Chrysalis demanded, glowering at Alistair before grinning at the idea of exacting revenge.

"I'd like to see you try, last I checked you have a habit of blundering." Starlight jabbed, a small smirk on her face as she watched the Queen's snarling expression grow more intense.

"You petulant, insignificant-!" Chrysalis began, her horn glowing with intense green light, before Alistair put a hand on her shoulder and softly pushed her back down.

"Enough, if you truly want them dead then settle that another day. I don't want new blood spilled in my Archive." He ordered, a serious look on his face before going back to eating his food. The Queen growled, furious at his decision to be pacifistic but settled down regardless. "Oh, your chocolate's done by the way." Alistair announced, levitating a kettle full of hot chocolate to Pinkie Pie who gingerly took it from him.

"Uh, thanks?" She thanked, somewhat polarized about how she should feel given how brazen Chrysalis was about wishing her pain.

"Think nothing of it." He dismissed, going back to his food while magically pouring himself a cup of extremely sugary coffee. The room was relatively silent aside from the sound of knives and forks scraping against plates as the guest slowly started eating, all aside from Twilight who continued to stare. When Alistair noticed, he looked back at her.

"Are you uncomfortable by my meal? I know most Ponies find people eating meat unpleasant." He guessed, sounding like he was worried he may have offended her while he gladly bit into a massive slice of meat.

"No...You're nothing like I expected." She explained, an expression of confusion still plastered on his face. Her words caused him and Chrysalis to both laugh, though his was much less menacing.

"And what, pray tell, did you imagine I'd be?" He asked, humouring her with a small smirk as he lowered his knife and fork onto his plate with levitation.

"Dark, twisted, brooding and murderous. I imagined you'd be covered in jagged armour and using dark magic. I imagined you'd have a horde of cultist followers and be driven to kill every Equestrian you found." She explained, almost amazed at how normal he seemed compared to the previous villains she'd faced before. Once more, the pair laughed.

"So...Like Chrysalis? Or perhaps Sombra? Give me some credit, not all of Celestia's old friends act the same." He jested, resuming eating his meal while Chrysalis rolled her eyes at Twilight's guess.

"Well, after ya fight one dark magic wielding monster bent on destroying, corrupting, feeding off of or enslaving Equestria you start to assume they're all the same." Applejack half joked, half asserted with a shrug as Pinkie Pie and even a few knights nodded at her statement.

"Fair enough, at some point I assumed all Griffins were evil as well. Took me a while to break that stigma." He shrugged, understanding how easily some accept false sentiments as truths.

"Either way, I've been led to believe you're evil, you tried to kill Celestia and you're clearly friends with Chrysalis; I'd be loath to think of someone more villainous than her." Twilight interjected, agitated at Alistair's continued lack of hostility or care, before pointing towards Chrysalis who in turn smiled back at her.

"And who told you that? Celestia herself? Yes, of course she believes I'm evil given our...History together. Personally, I couldn't care less what she thinks of me so long as she stays away from me." He replied with a frown, loath to have to keep mentioning her. "And yes, I considered Chrysalis a close friend. I can't say I know what your history is with her but she's saved my life countless times and although she can be rather...Blunt and undiplomatic, she's far more trustworthy than any other person I can think of. You most likely have a good reason to hate her, I don't." He defended, looking towards Chrysalis while speaking with a respectful tone. She genuinely smiled for a split second before adorning her usual wicked grin towards her perceived rivals.

"That's, uh, surprisingly neutral of you. I was expecting we'd either be in a dungeon, fighting or on the way home already." Starlight chimed in, taken aback at how calm he was acting in spite of everything she'd heard about him.

"Well, my teacher always told me to try and be impartial even if you're in a room full of Ponies hoping to kill you. Besides, killing all seven of you would accomplish very little in the long run." He explained, trying to be as rational as possible, while finishing his meal.

"So says you." Chrysalis remarked under her breath, her ire rising along with her blood pressure as she came to the conclusion that her revenge may be stalled while he was present.

"This is...surprisingly great news." Twilight proclaimed with a small grin, hoping she may return home with the chance to reform another Immortal. "Would you be willing to possibly talk with us again at a later date after we return to Equestria? I believe we could both benefit as leaders if I were to share some more modern information and technology and you-" Twilight began, laying out the groundwork for a mutually beneficial, possibly friendly trade of knowledge.

"No."

"Pardon?" She said, confused at his abrupt interruption as well as the monotone voice he had.

"I repeat, no. Celestia made it abruptly clear she believes most of my Archive's knowledge isn't fit to be known when she tried to burn it to the ground." He started with a deadpan stare as he gestured to the still crumbling structure. "So I won't humour the idea of giving one of Celestia's pawns an inkling of my Archive, especially since I still consider you far from my allies." He continued, looking down as he began pouring yet another cup of coffee.

"I see...If that's the case, then why are you letting us stay here?" She pressed, perturbed at idea of not having access to arcane knowledge.

"Because any other option would most likely result in your death, unless you somehow can survive intense sandstorms. Were it not for the raging winds, I'd have you leave immediately." He explained calmly, his words causing more disdain than he expected if their growing scowls were anything to go by.

"You'd try and force us into that?" Rainbow gawked, disbelieving his threat. "You wouldn't even get us back into the hall without a fight!" She boasted proudly, daring him to strike.

"I'm sure." He said simply, condescension dripping from his words. "I wouldn't expect most mortals, let alone a Pegasus, to truly understand how powerful my magic is but I'm sure your Princess can sense my power. So rest assured, if I wanted you gone you'd be out in the wastes already." He guaranteed with an unnerving grin, looking towards Twilight to take notice how she reacted.

"If you harm any of us, Princess Celestia will come after-"

"If Celestia steps into my lands again I'll rip her limb from limb and feed her to the monsters." He interrupted, his expression unreadable but eyes aglow. "If she wishes to come and face me, perhaps to finish what she started, I'll destroy her and anyone she brings with her. If she tries to force my hand, attack Chrysalis or desecrate what little land I can still call home I'll do unto Equestria what she did unto Drachen-Tor and the Lion's Den; I know my words probably hold little sway over you lot, but you're Celestia's lapdogs and I know she'll understand the meaning of my promise." He assured, a small frown on his pale face while Chrysalis' smile grew with each violent word he uttered.

"If you feel so strongly about her, why are we still alive?" Starlight shot back, unsure how she should feel watching her strange host shift from polite, to almost friendly, to the violent state he was in now. She thought his terroristic threats were little more than petty and empty jabs yet his dim, crackling eyes and unswayed expression gave her pause.

"Because you're not my opponents, you're my opponent's pawns. You're short lived mortals and an untrained immortal who seem to think you compare to either Celestia, Luna or I. You have a lot to learn about your own kingdom 'Princess' and I can assure you, Celestia won't give you any answers. I'm not going to harm any of you, it's unnecessary barbarism and would accomplish nothing aside from angering her, I'd like to think we can simply tolerate each other's existence until you go home and we need not ever interact again. To this end, I'll give you shelter until the storm ends but afterward I wish you all to leave immediately." He decreed, laying out how he hoped the following events would take place. "In the meantime, try to avoid each other if there's nothing pertinent to discuss as I imagine we'd come to an impasse sooner or later." He advised, pushing his chair away from the table while using his magic to whisk away his plates, cups and kettles.

"So what, we just avoid each other till we leave?" Starlight surmised, quizzical at his simplistic decision.

"More or less. I have no desire to get to know you seven and I have this odd feeling none of you would agree with my...choice opinions on your Princesses or my association with Chrysalis so I believe it'd be best to simply stay out of each's way until you leave." He said as he stood up and straightened his robe. "If you need me, simply ask a guard, otherwise I'll be preoccupied. Stay out of the West Wing, it's where I reside and where Chrysalis is temporarily staying. Unless you have a death wish, I'd avoid her and her guards." He added at the end, remembering how vehemently she despised them.

The Equestrians were in a state of confusion. They couldn't tell if they should be offended, furious, glad or fearful. All they knew for sure was that they weren't going to be taken hostage anytime soon and they had respite from the storm, albeit begrudgingly given. Their guards held their weapons tight and glared as Alistair and the Queen stood up and began to walk out through the doors at the other end of the hall.

"When you're finished with your food, just leave them. Someone will deal with it." He waved off as he parted ways, leaving with his detail of guards.

"You know Starlight, I wasn't able to properly thank you for how you foiled my plans. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll run into each other soon enough." Chrysalis ominously threatened with a fake smile as she stared down the Unicorn who stood her ground, refusing to show any sign of wavering composure or fear. As she departed, the dining hall was left in an uncomfortable silence as the group processed what they heard and what they'd been told. After an extended period of silence, Twilight stood.

"Captain Braeburn." She started, drawing his attention away from whatever he was doing.

"Yes Princess?" He responded, clearly conflicted between feeling betrayed, confused or to begin laughing from the constant barrage of misfortune.

"We need to have a long, long talk." She said with an audible sigh of frustration and annoyance, brow furrowed and thoughts racing. She found herself having breakfast with one of Celestia's old enemies and now she was at a loss over what to do next. With little else, she felt a need to find out everything she could.

Biding Time

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"So now what Alistair, you expecting us all to simply wait out this storm while those cretins loiter about?" Chrysalis guessed, visibly livid as she followed her friend down the cracked hallway, stepping over the small piles of rubble lying about.

"And what would you have me do? Fight an Alicorn and her friends in a crumbling building with my people inside?" He responded with a groan as he expected she'd be hesitant to simply drop the matter. Believing he was far enough away from the hall that Twilight or any other potential enemies stumbling upon them would be unlikely, he stopped marching ahead and leaned against a faded stone wall.

"No, I'd have you slit her guard's throats in their sleep, kill her friends and take Twilight and Starlight hostage. Her friends are more than just meat shields to her, if you were to fight them as a group their collective magical powers would be daunting but without them Twilight is just an emotionally broken, comparatively weak Alicorn. We could easily overpower her." She strategized, seemingly prepared to act out on her plan in a heartbeat.

"Yes, if we wanted to we could kill them all, but you're forgetting two things. For starters, I'm barely hanging on here." He reminded, showing his injuries as tears and entire parts of his body broke apart and gave way to magical hues. "I can keep up the illusion, but if we have to fight someone right now, after we just got back from a day of bloody fighting and a night of alcohol and troubled sleeping, I'm going to be as useful as a blunt sword." He continued, his voice hoarse and tired.

"Then let me take point while you recover, we're both immortals here with our forces waiting at our beck and call." She suggested, equally worried and frustrated over his state.

"And so is Celestia, and Luna, and Discord and whoever Cadence is. We're all immortals but we're heavily outnumbered. I'm a barely physically stable mage with a cult and you're a Queen in hiding, or were anyway, with a few battalions of loyalists. I agree, they're going to be a problem sooner or later, but If we put Twilight in chains Celestia won't wait for negotiations or diplomacy to get her back and when it gets bloody it'll be the Eastern Offensive all over again." He explained, covering up his seeping wounds once more, with a forlorn and exhausted sigh.

"Then we just bide our time? Wait for them to leave so we can do, what exactly?" She asked, an audible pause as she looked at him with a skeptical look while rolling her hoof hoping he actually had a plan to deal with them.

"We wait and grow stronger, look for people who'd be able to help us and rebuild. It's all we really can do in this situation, unless you have a death wish." He shrugged, trying to formulate a proper plan of action for the foreseeable future.

"Lovely, doing nothing is sure to get us far." Chrysalis responded, sarcasm dripping from her fangs, as she rolled her eyes and began walking off. "I take it you have somewhere for us to all hold up? We can't all sleep on your couch." She asked as she gestured towards her guards who showed no signs of fatigue or suffering from a hangover.

"Most of the West Wing is repaired so it shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere to rest, worst case scenario some people could sleep on the war room table or in the town." Faded Scroll interjected with a soft smile, causing the Queen to shift her gaze towards the old Pony.

"I refuse to allow my Changelings to sleep on a table or among your people, they deserve better then such squalor." She demanded, disgusted at the idea of hunkering down in the disheveled village.

"Wow, talk about ungrateful. They certainly didn't mind sleeping on the bloody stairs last night." Snow added with a hint of disdain before smirking to herself.

"We'll find somewhere for your guards to sleep Chrys, just take my bed if need be; wouldn't be the first time I've slept on a table." Al assured before shrugging off the idea of another restless night.

"I believe we have greater things to worry about aside from allocating bedrooms, such as the platoon of guards and the Alicorn in your Archive." Faded reminded, nervous at the presence of something rivaling a god.

"Yes, yes I haven't forgotten about them...Keep them occupied and content, try to keep their movements around the Archive to a minimum and should an emergency arise or should they be demanding my presence then wake me up." He ordered with a straight face as he walked ahead done the barren, ruined hall.

"Wake you up?" Snow repeated quizzically.

"I'm only awake at the moment because the Equestrians showed up and I needed to look prepared. I am so, so gods damn tired...If I'm to be alert for tonight then I need some sleep." He stressed, rubbing his aching temples as he rounded the corner and began heading towards the grand entrance, the sound of questioning conversations and movement ahead.

"And what are you planning?" Chrysalis inquired, raising a brow as she hoped he'd finally come around to her 'kill them all' suggestion.

"The Archive is in ruins and I plan to do something about it; old magic still rests deep within the Archive Chrysalis." He announced with a knowing, twinkling smile that caused Chrysalis to almost double take.

"The Archive's heart is still intact?" She asked, surprised and almost excited.

"That it is. It's faint, but there's still something stirring inside this old place. Meet me in front of the Founder's statue at midnight. Till then, try and stay out of trouble please." He requested, genuinely concerned Chrysalis would simply kill the Ponies regardless.

"No promises." She remarked with a teasing, almost intimidating tone as the thought of exacting revenge still ran through her mind.

With little else to discuss for the time, Alistair bid farewell to the group and trusted that Faded Scroll could handle the situation and that Chrysalis wouldn't undermine his plan. Although Alistair was as calm as he could be the atmosphere within the hall was tense, as if a single incident could set the whole off like a powder keg.

"And that's that Princess, he saved my hide and the privates' as well." Braeburn finished his report, his composure and tone were rock solid despite the questioning gaze from the Princess and his Commander.

"And you never once suspected he was an Immortal? Or that Chrysalis was with you?" She questioned, finding the story suspect.

"With no disrespect Princess, I never once thought he might be lying to me. Sure, he seemed more powerful than the average Unicorn, but I didn't know Humans were even a thing until today. On top of that, Chrysalis and this Al guy seem too smart and too powerful to let their disguises be seen through by someone who isn't even looking." He defended, speaking truthfully as he scanned his memories, trying to find something that could've been disconcerting or suspicious in his previous talks with Wonderlust, or Alistair as he now knew him.

"I don't get it...Why'd he save an Equestrian guard captain if he hates Equestria so much?" Twilight pondered, rubbing her chin as she looked down to the ground thoughtfully.

"Well...He's only mentioned how he hates Princess Celestia so much, maybe his hatred ends with Celestia and doesn't extend to all Ponykind?" Starlight reasoned, trying to figure out his motive.

"If somepony were to attack Celestia, it'd be just as severe as attacking Equestria itself. I can't really see how you could separate the two." Rarity exclaimed, finding her logic lacking to say the least. From within the sizable tent they were granted they could hear the murmurs of the cultists outside, their questions and worries clearly audible through the colourful tarp. The guards standing at the ready by the entrance seemed cautious of a Changeling attack, even after Alistair's guarantee for safety.

"I don't know, it seems like he just wants to be left alone...Maybe if we leave him be he'll stay away from Equestria?...Maybe?" Fluttershy countered from behind her mane, unsure how to feel about the predicament in which they found themselves.

"As much as I want to think that he'd be so calm, I don't think he'll simply mind his own business sugarcube. I mean, he's friends with Chrysalis and seems to be pretty keen on seeing Princess Celestia dead...Fella like that ain't got good intentions." Applejack asserted with a stern look, not buying Fluttershy’s argument.

"Well...If he's so evil, why'd he save us? He hates Princess Celestia with a passion, yet he saves her guards? Why?" Lancer questioned with a soft voice, his mind racing at the possible reasons.

"He's right. Now look, I don't know squat about what the Princess told all of yous but I can't believe somepony evil would risk life and limb to save the Cap, and then go the extra mile to save us...It just don't add up." Brass added shaking his head, messing up his already frazzled mane, with a befuddled voice.

"He's obviously smart, maybe he was hoping by saving you he'd seem like a hero and nopony would see it coming when he strikes." Rainbow hazarded a guess, trying to keep up with the conversation while she watched the entrance, ready to pounce.

"Or he just felt like saving them like a normal Pony, uh, Human." Pinkie defended, hoping there wasn't some devious motive behind saving the three soldiers.

"Normal Ponies don't associate themselves with Changeling Queens." Thunderclap retorted with a deadpan look that caused Pinkie to deflate somewhat.

"I don't think we'll learn anything arguing with ourselves over our enigmatic host...I wish our meeting with him had gone better..." Twilight lamented with a sigh as she collapsed onto a soft, feather stuff bed resting on the floor.

"Maybe it would've gone better if you hadn't shot him in the chest unprovoked." Starlight said with an uneasy tone, hoping not to agitate her mentor. "I mean, Princess Celestia may have been pretty clear about his actions but maybe we should've heard what he had to say before opening fire." She rationalized, causing Twilight to once more sigh.

"You're right...I don't know what I was thinking...Celestia told me he was evil and that he'd be some kind of monster in Pony form...I guess I was just worried if we didn't strike first he'd get the upper hoof like all the other villains we've faced. Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, Tirek, they've all had the upper hoof before we realised we were in trouble. I wanted to not get caught off guard for once...Guess it was pretty foolish, huh?" She explained, equal parts exhausted and crestfallen as she realised the severity of her actions.

"Yup. Pretty foolish. I mean, we were surrounded by his supporters, Chrysalis was hiding with some guards and did you see some of that crazy magic they've got? If you had killed him, I bet they would've-" Spike shut up with a flush of embarrassment as he noticed the scowls from Twilight's friends and the sorrowful look on her face. Chuckling nervously, he started over. "You acted in the middle of a tense situation, you were confronted with what we all believed to be an Immortal as powerful as Celestia, maybe more, and you had to act. It wasn't the smartest move, yeah, but you thought it was the best way to avoid a catastrophe like in the past when Discord got out or when Chrysalis almost took over Equestria, twice! You thought acting as soon as possible would've been the best for your friends, Celestia, and Equestria. It takes guts to act in the heat of the moment...Maybe just use a bit more brains next time?" He explained with a grin and an attempt at a joke at the end, and he felt a sense of pride when he saw her face light up once more and chuckle at his little jab.

"Yeah, gotta be a lot smarter than that if I'm gonna be a proper Princess huh?" She responded with a small smile as she looked around the room. Her friends were in various states of confusion, as were Braeburn and his surviving members, and the guards standing by seemed ready to act. They were all either lost or looking for action, and here was their leader, wallowing in self-doubt. Adorning a harder, more commanding expression, she stood tall.

"Captain Braeburn, keep the guards alert and ready should Alistair's Ponies try something unexpected. If somepony wanders off from the area, they should keep a small contingent of guards with them for protection." She ordered, causing him to snap at attention.

"You got it princess." He answered with a salute as his stallions likewise stood at attention.

"Okay girls, we're a bit in over our heads here but for the foreseeable future we're stuck here. Unless necessary, you shouldn't split up, or go making trouble. If we need to get their attention Faded Scroll mentioned just asking one of their guards, apparently he'd know pretty quickly if we were looking for him or Alistair. We don't know where Chrysalis went but it goes without saying we should avoid her and her guards. If we hunker down, stay alert and stay together we should be fine." She assured her friends, her confident smile giving them the boost they needed to believe they weren't in grave danger.

As the small group of Ponies began to bounce back to their normal state of minds, temporarily disregarding their doubts over the situation, the town around them likewise tried to function casually despite the interlopers among them. For the moment, it seemed peaceable.

"So we're expected to play nice, huh? Try and forget how that bitch tried to kill our leader?" Snow heard one of her Minotaur soldiers ask, his raspy voice full of malice as he thought about leaving them be. Snow had already had this discussion several times with several other guards, healers, and even a few children, and it was steadily growing on her nerves. Cracking her knuckles, she placed her palms on a pile of stones shaped somewhat like a Pony.

"I'll tell you what I've told everyone else, the Lord Hierophant himself commanded we leave them be. Unless you're claiming to know better then the Lord himself, I'd recommend just not thinking about them." She advised with a strained voice, trying to sound calm despite the insufferable situation in which she found herself. With a cry, she felt a flow of energy burst forth from her and cause the stones to crumble into rubble and ash.

"N-No, I'd never claim to know better than Lord Alistair!" He sputtered, his red fur ruffled at the thought of disrespecting his leader. "It’s just, how can we trust these outsiders? These Equestrian royals will be nothing but trouble." He continued, less combative as he tried to come across as concerned and not insulted.

"I know, I can't stand their presence either, but the Hierophant believes it's wiser to let them be. Besides, they're not all bad, Braeburn certainly seemed a lot more likable than the usual stuck up Royal Guard." She said, trying to convince the Minotaur that the Equestrians weren’t all monsters as she knelt before the ruins of her training dummy, the ash staining her white fur.

"True, for starters he knows how to fight and he doesn't scare easily. Still, he works for Celestia and that other Princess, I doubt he's all that-" The warrior started, playing around with his stone mace while eyeing the large canvas tent the Ponies were resting in, only to be cut off by his superior.

"If I recall, Blood Diamond, you're suppose to be on patrol by now, yeah?" She cut in, looking out the nearest window, she tried to spot the sun high in the sky but was impeded by the sand.

"Yes, I was-'

"Then maybe instead of worrying about our 'guests', you should be doing your damn job?" She reprimanded, sick of arguing with her men over decisions beyond her control. The crimson Minotaur seemed stunned at her sudden agitated tone, only to become embarrassed when he realised he was shirking his duties. With a final farewell, he departed in a hurry.

"About time..." She muttered, relieved to see him go. Despite her words, she too was unsure what would happen in the coming days. For the time being, they were stuck together and Alistair had assured there'd be no violence between the two parties, but what would happen when the Equestrians left? What would stop Chrysalis simply ambushing them on the way back, what would stop Twilight from assembling a strike force the second she returns? What if those monsters attack them and Celestia believes it's Alistair's fault? All of these questions weighed on her mind, causing her to break concentration and disrupting her restoration spell. With a loud bang, the rubble exploded outward and became an even bigger mess.

"Gods damn it all!" She cursed, slamming her fist into the ground. Her body crackled with intense power that caused her pain, the scripture wrapped around her palms and arms glowing faintly, as she let out a pent up, aggravated growl of annoyance and pain.

"Let your hate and frustration go, Snow, lest you let your powers overwhelm you." She heard Faded advise softly, stepping up to her and offering a hoof to help her back to her feet.

"Sorry, just got a bit...Angry there." She apologised, the light receding from her as she cast her eyes down to what remained of her practice dummy.

"It's fair to be furious, we find ourselves at a crossroads and even I am unsure what lies ahead. That being said, don't overwhelm yourself. I'd hate to see my prized pupil squander her powers." He cautioned, a soft frown on his weathered face as he watched her palms twitch with pain.

"I'm fine, just need to vent on something and I'll be good." She assured, putting on a cocky smile as she tried once more to rebuild her target only to see it crumble once more.

"If that's the case, you'll need more than dust and stones." He said, smashing his staff into the floor. Slowly, a circle of Pony, Diamond Dog and Changeling-like statues burst from the ground surrounding the pair. "Would these do?" He asked with a grin, watching his student roll her shoulders and prepare for her second round.

"Definitely. Thanks Fade." She thanked the ancient stallion as she prepared to go into a frenzy, her palms conducting energy once more.

"No thanks necessary my dear, just make sure you don't send any debris into the village." He ordered, looking around the relatively barren side of the hall they were in and its proximity to the rest of the village. As he walked away from the sound of stone breaking and grunts of effort, he surveyed the minds of his people to try and find a problem he could solve.

Many of their thoughts concerned the Equestrians and though the more murderous and violent thoughts were worrying, he knew the Gifted wouldn't disobey an order from their Lord and found little else that would warrant his immediate intervention. As he walked around the crowded village, his eyes closed yet sure of his direction, he approached the few thoughts that troubled him. After addressing the few malicious thoughts, he spent the afternoon helping a few children find their missing ball and aided some elderly Ponies in their duty repairing broken swords. Following the afternoon lunch for the soldiers, he was just about ready to relax.

"Ah...But an Elder's duties never end." He exclaimed to himself, pride and joy eclipsing his exhaustion, before he began looking for something else to occupy his time. There was always something in need it doing.

"For the last time Equestrian, I can't let you tamper with our rations, let alone wander into the kitchen tent, without authorization." He heard a mare announce somewhere near him, confusion evident in her voice. Curious, he wandered over to the source of strife and was baffled at what he saw.

"Aw come on, pppllllleeeeeaaasssseeeee? I just wanted to give you guys a 'sorry we tried to kill your leader' apology cake!" He heard a shrill, high-pitched voice plead. Rounding the corner he saw the bubbly, pink Pony from before with a comically large, delicious looking chocolate cake on her back resting on a silver platter.

"And I repeat, I can't let a possible threat into the-"

"What's going on here?" Faded demanded to know, bewildered at the sight of the frustrated guard and the smiling, almost giddy Pony.

"Greetings Scroll, this Pony here wanted to give us an apology cake and I've been telling her I can't let her proceed until someone's checked it for poison or something suspect." The guard explained, her expression telling him she'd been here for a long time arguing with the Pony. As he pondered the situation, he also noticed the four guards following the pink Pony, clearly they were worried she may get into trouble alone.

"I Pinkie promise it's not poisoned! I just want to try and make up for all the stuff that happened." She continued, seemingly truthful. He couldn't find an ounce of maliciousness or deceit within her mind and she seemed like one of the more reasonable Ponies...Taking a risk, he cut himself a slice of the cake using his magic and levitated it towards himself.

"What are you doing?" The guard sputtered, fearing his leader may be attempting suicide by cake.

"Do not worry, the Hierophant's power protects." He explained as he examined it, using what magical means he could to weed out any hazardous materials. After surmising that the only harmful thing was the excessive amounts of frosting, he took a bit out of it.

"Oh...Oh, by the Gods..." He whispered, pupils dilated and taste buds exploding. It was more than cake, it was ambrosia. The mountains of silver frosting complemented the moist, tasty cake and, much to his amazement, there was a creamy layer within.

"How can a mortal make something so divine?" He gasped, examining his slice of cake with reverence.

"Thanks! I guess I'm just good at baking?" She blushed under the heavy praise.

"You're more than good, you're peerless." He announced, causing the guard to raise a brow. With little stopping him, he pulled out his dagger and procured a slice of his own. Similarly, he obtained a state of food nirvana.

"Wow, I've gotten a lot of compliments before but that takes the cake! Heh, get it?" She joked with a beaming smile. Composing himself, he shook his head and adopted a more calm expression, a small dab of frosting on the corner of his lips.

"Yes, quite funny...You may leave the cake with the cooks, but please hurry back to your people, your presence may upset some." He advised, stepping aside to let the mare and her guards pass with the colossal cake as well.

"Okie dokie! Thanks and sorry for earlier!" She yelled as she hurried into the kitchen tent.

"Hell of a mare huh? Most annoying voice I've ever heard but Gods can she bake...How in the name of Aurora did she bake something like this?" The guard questioned, wondering if she somehow hid an oven in her mane.

"Only the Lord himself could know...Carry on." Faded Scroll bid farewell, slowly nibbling his piece of cake as he wandered off, wondering if the day could get any better.

As the sun slowly fell from its peak, some late afternoon light was able to shine through the raging winds of the sandstorm and into the broken and exposed rooms of the Archive. One of the few rooms left with proper windows, the Hierophant's chambers, was granted an immaculate view of the swirling, chaotic storm. It raised ruined stone from the earth and pulverized all that stood in its way, even breaking the Equestrian machine left stranded out in the winds. Despite this, the Hierophant himself slept peacefully. He'd collapsed onto his old bed with a lack of grace and still clothed and had rested for several hours undisturbed. Aside from the occasional stone that tried vainly to smash through his windows, propelled by the winds, nothing attempted to stir him from his slumber.

His dreams were for the most part pleasant, when he could actively overlook the hollow world he was within he could almost believe he was home once more. Just as he was nearly finished reading whatever book he was nose deep in, a frantic, loud knocking roused Alistair from his sleep. With a frown, he wandered over to his door and opened it, inadvertently causing the messenger to stumble into the doorway.

"Yes? What is it?" Alistair asked somewhat harshly, hoping to have gotten a bit more rest for the coming night. The messenger was catching his breath from his position on the floor but managed to sputter out what he needed to tell him.

"T-The mare you brought back, she's awake!" The colt announced, sweat pouring from his face. Before the colt could even react, Alistair teleported away in a flash. Reappearing in the center of the village, he immediately heard the healers trying to calm down Dawnstar.

"Get away from me you cretins! I won't be fooled by your illusions!" An agitated, raspy and scared voice howled over several healers trying to calm her. Running through the crowd, thankful they got out of the way so he wouldn't have to push them aside, he bolted into the medical tent.

"Please, calm down! You're safe now! Our Lord Hierophant Al-"

"Don't you dare speak his name you foul aberrations! None of you are worthy!" She screamed, furious and distraught. The tent was a mess, several trays and medical tools were held in the air with deep red magic and healers were stumbling over themselves to either leave or restrain the confused mare. When the healers near the entrance noticed Alistair, they backed away and bowed before him, hoping his appearance would calm the necromancer.

"What is going on?" Alistair asked the Elder Healer, her faded features tired from hours of rejuvenating and healing the mare currently trying to break out of her magical restraints.

"She seems to believe that we're monsters or illusions or some such trick. She also seems to grow more and more livid whenever we mention you by name...Be careful my Lord, she may not even know what's going on." The healer advised, stepping aside to let him through. Walking passed the empty beds, destroyed medical equipment and scared healers, he neared the space at the back of the tent where Dawnstar resided, surrounded by healers trying to calm her.

"Move." He ordered, causing the sacred healers to separate and allow him to approach his former assistant.

"Get away from me! All of you, monsters! Savages!" She screamed, consumed with hatred and horror, only to halt and stare blankly when she spotted Alistair slowly approaching, his steps unsure and composure wavering.

"Dawn...What happened to you?" He asked softly, standing by her side as she stared at him with a disbelieving look.

"No...You're not real...You're just an illusion." She asserted, refusing to believe what she was seeing. Her fur was sickly grey and her ruby mane was wiry and uncleaned. Her eyes were a teary haze of red and purple, her horn was made of obsidian material that radiated power and her body was malnourished. She looked like a hollow shade of what she once was but Alistair knew it was still her. Behind her hazy, weeping eyes he saw the old spark of genius that he once knew.

"I'm not an illusion Dawn, please, you have to believe it's me." He pleaded, kneeling next to her bed as she scanned his face trying to find something she found familiar.

"Your eyes, your face, your very soul...What happened to you? Why would you try to trick me like this? Why..." She muttered, casting her eyes downward, refusing to look him in the eyes. "No, you're not him...You can't be...He's dead, dead and gone like all the rest...You can't be my master." She continued, shaking her head dismissively, lost in her thoughts. He didn't need to read her mind to realise she was in the midst of turmoil, her mind trying to rationalise what was happening around her. Alistair was dumbfounded, how could she not recognise him? After so many years, so many centuries...Had her madness taken such a heavy toll on her mind? As he watched her retract from him, sitting as far from him as she could, he knew he had to do something to comfort her.

"It was the Spring when I came back anew. Ludex wept when he saw me come home after so long, fearing I'd died far from home" He began, closing his eyes as he reflected on horrors long past. "After an evening of rejoicing and receiving a hero's welcome, you confided in me, you told me that despite your hard-as-nails attitude, you waited with bated breath for my return. You didn't want to learn that the pale-skinned, cowardly apprentice you'd dedicated years to helping had died at the edge of the world in vain. And I told you something that caused you to smile, perhaps one of the few genuine smiles I can remember coming from you. I told you that you were one of the few true friends I had." He remembered, opening his eyes as he saw she continued to look away from him, repeatedly muttering to herself.

"After I succeeded Ludex, you told me you feared you were no longer needed. You told me I had greater worries and a castle full of servants who would clean my underclothes or fetch me a book from some ancient corner of the Archive. You thought I no longer needed an assistant and that, without a horn, you'd be useless to the new Hierophant." He continued, finally getting a response from her as she raised her head to look at him, still avoiding his gaze. "I told you that if you feared your lack of magical prowess would hold you back, then I would simply take you in as my first apprentice." He put a hand on her quivering shoulder as she began to grow quiet, listening to his words. "I spent years going over the basics with you, repeating the same lectures which we had spent many late nights reading, when we were young. Even without your powers, you were one of the greatest students I ever had the privilege of teaching." He continued, misty-eyed as he swore he could hear their younger voices repeating old texts and tales. "And when you had learned all the theoretical knowledge I could teach you, I gave you what you'd been denied for so long. I gave you back your magic. I gave you a piece of my soul. You were ecstatic! You were overcome with joy and once more you smiled in my presence, even if it was only for a fleeting moment. You were no longer simply my assistant, or my apprentice, you were a fully fledged mage and you were my right-hand mare. "You were the Pony I could always rely on when the duties of being a Hierophant crushed, or when Ludex passed away, or when the nation crumbled around me and my friends, family, and Luna left me behind." She wept openly, her emotions breaking through the maddened, hardened facade. He felt hot tears flow down his cheeks, but that didn't matter to him right now. "The only time I can remember you abandoned me was when I ordered it. You were my first follower, my most determined Mage, my most powerful ally...You were my friend." He finished, embracing her as she openly wept. The tent was empty except for the pair, so they had no reservations when they succumbed to their emotions and cried while clutching each other tightly.

"You...You left us behind...You promised you would come back..." She whispered, believing the man before her was truly the Hierophant she'd lost all those years ago.

"I know...But I'm back, and I swear upon the Great Raven I'll never abandon you or anyone else again..." He promised, closing his eyes as he waited in silence for her to finish her wailing. The two sat on the old, musty bed for what felt like hours, consumed in thought and emotions as time passed by. Alistair didn't know if she was the same mare he once knew, and she still had doubts about the man claiming to be Alistair, but in that moment they wanted to think, even if it was just for that moment, that they'd finally found a shred of their former selves in another.

Night had fallen across the desert and the sandstorm still raged on, though somewhat dampened and reduced in strength. The Archive was bathed in darkness, the only light coming from the torches and campfires the guards kept lit throughout the night. Though the Equestrians were uneasy, ever vigilant of a surprise ambush in the middle of the night, they eventually were able to catch some sleep and although the guards would grumble about the need for a rotating patrol they stood vigilant against the dark. On the far side of the hall, separated by several fallen pillars and debris, Queen Chrysalis, Snowfall, and Faded Scroll waited in relative silence.

"He said midnight, yeah? It's gonna be at least one in the morning." Snow yawned, not used to a disrupted sleep schedule.

"Don't be impatient mutt, he'll show up sooner or later." The Queen responded, sick of her constant whining, as she scanned the hall with her glowing eyes hoping to spot the man in question. "Hmph, and here he is now." She continued with a small grin, excited to see what would happen next.

"Ah good to see we're all present. Fade, Snow, I'd like you to meet my confidante, Dawnstar." He introduced with a tired grin, moving aside as the mare stepped out from his shadow. She looked pale, exhausted and withdrawn, yet there was still a youthfulness about her and a spark of either genius and madness within her bored eyes. Her form was cloaked in a black and royal purple robe that trailed behind her. The embellishments woven into the fabric were strikingly similar to Alistair’s and the sound of metal plates shifting was faint but audible. Although damaged, the robe still held an impression of authority and skill few Mages could obtain. Her eyes slowly scanned every little detail of her surroundings, searching for a flaw in the possible illusion yet still, to all but her master, she seemed calm and collected.

"Greetings, I've been told I have you two to thank for this…Quaint crew you've amassed. Although paltry compared to the Archive of old, it'll do." She greeted, a flat expression and disinterested drawl to her tone as she looked between the two. When she spotted the Queen, she seemed surprised before returning to her usual, borderline catatonic state. "Oh, you're still alive? Interesting, I imagined after you lost the support of your closest allies the other Queens would've assumed you weak enough to usurp." She marveled, getting a small growl from the Queen and an annoyed huff from Faded Scroll in response.

"Ah Dawnstar, your dry sarcasm is as welcome as ever. I think I preferred you when you were a puppet for whatever Alistair fought." She responded in turn, causing Dawn to frown as she thought back to the creature.

"Ah, we're all making friends? Lovely." Alistair remarked with sarcasm thick enough to cut. "As much as I'd love to watch you two go at it we have something more important to attend to." He reminded, stepping past the gathered crowd as he approached the remains of a towering statue built in the likeness of some unknown Hierophant.

"You know what I loved most about my teacher Ludex? He was great at keeping secrets." He announced for seemingly no reason with a smile as he placed his palm against the only flat part of its base he could find. As if it had waited for him all those years, the surface light up at his touch. "So much so in fact, I used his memorial to hide our greatest tool from Celestia." He said as the statue slowly receded, showing a hidden stairway leading down into an unseen cavern. The stairway was massive, allowing possibly even a dragon to wander down to whatever awaited them.

"When I was a student this passage was a lot more obvious, but still a well kept secret. I didn't even know there was a subterranean section till I'd become old enough to pledge myself fully to the Archive." He remembered fondly, the thought of his childhood bringing back countless pleasant memories. "But the Archive, much like magic itself, can adapt to its wielder and when war broke out, I thought it pertinent to move the entrance somewhere a bit harder to find should someone try to use my weapon against me. Don't worry, there's nothing down here still living." He assured as he cast a simple light spell, causing an orb to burst forth from his hand. As they continued down the stairs, the statue rolling back into its position behind them, darkness engulfed their surroundings and faded stone turned to neglected, vine-covered marble and wood.

"My oh my, I wonder what other little secrets you're hiding from me Alistair..." Chrysalis mused with an air of interest, using the green light from her horn to illuminate her surroundings.

"I've got a lot of skeletons in my closet Chrys, trust me on that one." The Hierophant claimed, his tone jovial but the meaning more serious than Faded or Snow knew. The wall to their left suddenly disappeared, giving way to a drop into darkness. The opposite wall was slowly being replaced with a spiraling bookshelf whose tomes were hidden behind layers of multicoloured vines and leaves. The ancient knowledge called out to Faded Scroll, who pulled one out the second the wall of nature parted.

"By the Gods themselves...This is archaic! The language isn't even Valetorian...How old is this?" Faded exclaimed, his bafflement carrying out for possibly miles, as he flipped through fragile pages of yellow parchment and held the blue book with delicate care.

"Everything down here is older than myself Scroll, after years of neglect I'm amazed they're even legible at all." He explained, proud of the Archive as he ran a hand against the bookshelf absently.

The black wood of the bookshelf and the white stone steps were slowly becoming consumed by the vividly colourful nature surrounding them and although there was seemingly no bottom in sight, they could all assume the ground would be completely overgrown and submerged. After almost a half hour of walking down into the encroaching darkness and ensnaring nature, they could finally see the floor.

"Heh, that's kind of unexpected." Snow remarked with a grin as she looked around the veritable forest growing beneath the scorching desert far above. The ground was littered with flowers, shrubs and vines that burst forth from the stonework, exposing the black dirt beneath. The statues lining the massive pathway had weathered considerably and the study areas between the shelves were nearly unrecognizable as such, either from entropy or from the all-consuming forest floor. Massive stone pillars and bookshelves stretched all the way to the ceiling, too high to be seen through the darkness. The only light that allowed them to see more than two feet ahead was the faint, beautiful blue glow on the far side of the chamber.

"What is all this?" Faded inquired, gasping at the untouched stores of knowledge all around them.

"This is the original Archive, built by the Golden Dragons and the first Human Mages back before Valetoria was truly unified and before there were any other such covens. Although the new Archive grew to become grander and much more sizable in comparison, the magic down here is cut from another cloth. It's raw, it's primal, it's beautiful. Some would have feared or coveted the knowledge down here, even the Emperor or Empress themselves, if they knew what the Archivists knew. So, after a great amount of debate, when the Archive became a lot more open to outsiders my predecessors locked away the more...Primordial tomes. If the Archive up top is the tip of the iceberg, this is the soul." He announced with grandeur, twirling slowly as he soaked in the forgotten halls of lore immemorial.

"Pantheon’s grace...It feels like I'm home again..." Dawn sighed with a sense of nostalgia, an unseen smile escaping her lips as she tried to spot the tomes she used to read late into the night alongside her mentor.

"I'd kill for some of this 'primal' magic, mind teaching me some when we get the Archive up and running?" Snow requested, almost salivating at the idea of accruing more power.

"Of course. I'd hate to see you lose an arm attempting some of this stuff alone. Trust me, when I call it raw, I mean it." Alistair cautioned with a serious look, his wistful tone gone as he told her the possible risk.

"Nice basement, but what are we doing down here?" Queen Chrysalis asked, snarling at the technicolor plants with disdain as she looked for something to do.

"You're all here because I need to ask something of you, I need you all to lend me your power." He requested as he continued down the path, a faint hum growing along with the blue haze ahead of them.

"Pardon?" Faded said, unsure what he meant.

"You're all magically powerful and you all have some of my power within you. To this end, I need your aid to help me survive what I'll be attempting." Alistair informed, striding with purpose as he neared the source of the resonating sound.

"What?! What are trying to do Alistair?" Chrysalis demanded to know, wary of lending her might but scared of the prospect of Alistair dying once more.

"As I've said a few times, I'm going to try to reawaken the Archive's heart. Usually, something like this would've been a group effort with a few Elder Mages and the former Hierophant, but given there is no group to pitch in, you're all that I've got. That being said, a Changeling Queen, a Hierophant’s former apprentice, and two magically gifted individuals should be more than enough. I'm not planning to take anything away from you all, just...Fire some magic into me and cut my link if things get too intense." He surmised with a quizzical look, unsure about what'd come next. As they neared the end of the path, they finally found the source of the light and sound.

"Wait, you mean to-"

"Yes Star, I'm going to offer myself up to the heart once more." He informed, standing at the edge of the pool of water in front of them. Surrounded by statues of long dead Hierophants from all corners of the world sat a massive pool of shimmering, crystal-clear blue water. The water invited him, called out to him to go swimming in its shallow depths, the almost melodic drone adding to the mesmerizing nature of the enchanting pool. In the center of the pool, a strange, crystalline artifact rested on top of the undisturbed water. It was shaped like a heart made of gems, yet it was uncut and rough in design. Shards of various gems burst from its core and veins of valatite ran throughout the object, giving luster to the otherwise dull gem. It looked jagged and coarse, like a mineral straight out of a mine shaft and seemed to hold little light. If it weren’t for its unique shape and the fact that it seemed to float unimpeded, it would have seemed completely unnoteworthy.

"If that's the case, then let me as well." She requested, seemingly spooked, as she walked beside him.

"Sorry, but this is something I'm going to do alone. This thing's remained untouched for millennia and it's gonna need a lot of power to become active once more. If something goes wrong, I don't want a single one of you in that circle. I'm magic, if it backfires there's no risk of a permanent injury." He reasoned, removing his robe and armour and tossing it aside.

"This is foolish. You'd risk it all so soon after returning?" Chrysalis chastised, grabbing his hand forcefully as he went to remove his trousers.

"That just means I’m not losing much if this backfires. If I leave the Archive as it is and we come up against a real threat, it'll be like fighting a swordsman with a stick. If this succeeds, we'll be more than equals to these pitiful, mortal-ruled nations. We'll be a force to be reckoned with." He guaranteed with a look of steely determination that told her he couldn't be swayed from his decision.

"You fool...Fine, but make sure you succeed or else you'll wish you’d perished." She threatened with a scowl, letting go of his arm and powering up her horn. Likewise, Faded Scroll and Dawnstar were prepared to fire as Snowfall feverishly began looking for the appropriate scroll to use, rummaging through her pockets and satchel while softly, nervously cursing.

"Okay...When I say so, fire magic at me, not the heart, and hold onto something. Sorry in advance if this fails." He apologised nervously, dropping his trousers. Standing there in his briefs, muscles and scars on display, Snow couldn't help but snicker at seeing her leader nearly naked while the others stood around tentatively waiting for him to enter the waters.

As he stepped into the pool, there was an immediate reaction. The water darkened, becoming opaque, and Alistair looked extremely uncomfortable as if he was wading through daggers and claws as scratches and cuts appeared on his body. The hum turned into a buzz and the light grew brighter and brighter until everyone but Alistair had to squint.

"Yes, yes, I know...It's been far too long. I shouldn't have cut our link but I was desperate." He grunted out, almost pained as he finally reached the large gem. Clutching it with both his hands and pulling it out of the water, he held it above him and towards the statue before him. The stone dragon stared down, eyeing Alistair with a soft, caring grin. Letting out a pent up sigh, he placed his palm on upon the crystal and cast an ancient spell. A long, white shard shot out from the crystal. It was sharper than a razor and more glorious than an Empress' jewels. Clutching it with one hand while holding up the heart, be began to shout.

"As the Black Dragon watches over us, like a mother to her child, we pledge our life to these halls of lore. We, who would dare to defy Kings and Queens in our endless pursuit of power and enlightenment, give our bodies to the unbroken heart. We, who refuse the ignorance of the masses and the deceit of false idols, dedicate our souls to the Archive. And I, the one who forsook you, will take my penance and reclaim my throne. In the name of the Great Raven, who knows all and sees all, I give you this soul!" He screamed with vigor before plunging the shard into his chest. The wispy magic within him began pouring out and flowing into the shard, causing it to glow vibrantly and shift in shape and colour, while Alistair seemed to groan in pain. Dropping the heart and falling to his knees, he turned to his allies.

"Now!" He ordered, causing them to shoot their various forms of magic power into him. As he dropped the shard, his bloody essence still pouring into it, he fell onto his hands and knees and could barely keep himself above the water.

"In the Raven's forest I watch...In the Raven's forest I wait...." He began repeating as he felt like his heart pound and the blood rush through him. As the shard floated softly on the disturbed water, it suddenly sank and became one with the water. The water stilled itself before exploding with light, causing Alistair to scream in pain. Light and magic burst forth from the water and as the statues watched him struggle, the crystal heart slowly floated high above him with his essence trailing behind it. With every meter higher into the air, his cries of anguish grew.

"Gods forgive me!" He cried in pain, his skin dissolving as more and more of him seeped out. Horrified at what she was seeing, Snowfall began walking towards him, only to feel someone touch her and halt her movements.

"Stop, if you intervene now it'll be all for naught." Dawn instructed, refusing to break her concentration as she watched for anything that might indicate he was in trouble.

"He's dying out there! We should pull him out or something." Snow insisted with anger and fear in her voice as Alistair writhed in the water, his skin melting away like acid.

"He'll pull through, don't worry." Chrysalis reassured, suppressing her concern as she oversaw Alistair's current state. As if on cue, his wails turned into groans and he managed to stand despite the overwhelming pain. His body seemed to have been partially consumed, turning back into its normal, shapeless state. His face was partially dissolved and his hair was matted yet he stood tall and stared up at the gem floating high above him.

"I, Alistair Leonas the Lord Hierophant and Prince of the North, pledge my soul to the Archive!" He decreed, the words causing the gem to erupt with light. When the light finally receded the gem lowered back towards the pool before stopping several feet above the water. The gems were filled with a cacophony of colorful light, the metals embedded in it were shining like polished steel and it rotated as if it were caught in an unseen force. Alistair, despite looking on the verge of death, had a massive grin on what was left of his face and began laughing raucously.

"I knew you'd welcome me back...Come on, we've got work...To...Do..." Alistair began as he approached the gem, only to falter and collapse into the now translucent water.

"My Lord? Are you alright?" Faded yelled as he rushed to his side, hoping to heal some of his Lord’s wounds.

"Just...Really tired...Don't worry about me. It's all up to the heart now..." He dismissed before closing his eyes, finding the lapping waves welcoming and gentle against what remained of his flesh. As the ground beneath him and far above him began to shake violently with new life flowing through the stones, Alistair felt the pool was a good enough place to get some sleep.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the wait, sorting some Uni shit and assignments out. I've been pretty pumped though, finally bought my first car and although it's a bit of a fixer upper I'm looking forward to working with my family as we fix it up. Even though Uni is a bitch and I need a job life is going pretty great for me right now. As always, tell me what you think and feel free to comment. Comments are my only drug...Aside from alcohol and the devil's lettuce of course.

L.P.C-Lama Petting Coordinator.

Here's some music I've been listening to recently that made me think of the story.

I thought the song was nice and some of the lyrics fit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEABPD4wNCg

This is moreso because I'm a sucker for 1975 but I find the song calming/helpful to listen to when writing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9YFq00l6gI

Family Reunion

View Online

"Al..."

"Alistair?"

"Wake up!" Dawnstar screamed into her master's ear, smacking a tome loudly against the table he was sleeping on. Snapping awake with a spooked yell, wiping the drool away from his mouth, he looked around wondering what happened.

"Who's the-? Dawn? What? Why're you here this late at night?" He stuttered out, confused and somewhat scared. His blue eyes were hazy and bloodshot, his hair was frazzled and his silver robes were full of creases. With a groan, she realised he'd stayed up all night studying. Again.

"It's nine in the morning my lord, you're going to be late for your lesson with Lord Ludex if you don't shape up..." She stated dryly as she walked over to the other side of his colossal bedroom, pulling open the blinds and letting the sunlight in. The golden rays may as well have been the fires of Tartarus to the young Mage, as they caused him to shield his eyes with a groan.

"Gah! My eyes! Geez, you could've warned me or something..." He whined, slowly getting off his chair and flexing his muscles to alleviate the slight pain in his joints. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he scanned his table and the surrounding area with a groan. Several finished tomes, several reports and theories about the magical practices he was expected to learn, an empty pot of coffee, and still he'd gained nothing. With a sigh, he began picking up the scrunched up pieces of paper and the discarded texts he'd accidentally dropped.

"You know, killing yourself slowly by never getting any sleep and perpetually worrying about failing isn't going to alleviate your situation." She informed, aiding him by picking up some of the refuse surrounding his study area and pushing aside the small piles of books on the floor to let him wander freely.

"I know...It's just...It's been months and I still haven't learned anything about weight manipulation, conjuration, healing or even the basics! It’s so frustrating!" Alistair huffed, stressing his point by trying to levitate a crumb left over from a late night snack to no avail.

"Oh, how tragic. I feel so sorry for you my Lord, it must be so hard, not being able to cast any magic, how could I possibly understand your burden? Woe is me my Lord." She sarcastically and dramatically wailed, pointing to what remained of her amputated horn.

"Sorry." He apologised, frowning as he was reminded for the umpteenth time about her disability. "I'm just worried is all...Forget about it." He dismissed, shaking his head as he waddled towards the door, his steps labored in his drowsy state.

"What's wrong, my Lord? You're usually more annoyed by my sarcasm." She asked, her tone sincere, as she walked over to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"You talked to Ludex recently, yeah?" He asked, turning to face her but eyeing the floor and refusing to look at her.

"Of course?" Dawn answered with a questioning tone, wondering where this was going.

"Is he...Upset with me? I mean, I'm his Apprentice but no matter what he teaches me it goes nowhere...He tells me it's okay, he keeps saying everyone learns at their own rate, but it's just me who's falling behind. Acolyte Angus has already moved onto Nox channeling, Diamond Duster's learning the core spells of the Paladin's order and Din has already become a proper Mage!" He yelled, his voice crescendoing, as he clenched his fists in frustration. "I'm his Apprentice, the next in line to be a Hierophant, I'm suppose to be the best Apprentice here...But it feels like I'm just the biggest joke at the Archive..." He confessed, his voice strained and body shaking. Dawnstar looked at his current state: baggy eyes, slouched over, and he looked paler than normal. He was disheveled, upset, and stressed. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"You talk about yourself as if you're the village idiot. Alistair, you come from a family of savage warriors-”

“Hey!”

“-And the only Mage you’d met till now was your mom who kept it hidden from you. You were seriously misinformed and untrained, no wonder you feel like a fool!”

“Thanks Dawn...Where are you going with this?”

“Where I’m going is, every other kid here was either raised by Mages, grew up in the Eastern province or was ostracised by their parents, so they didn’t get much of a choice. They got a head start. Our Lord Ludex saw your potential, he knows you will become something powerful in time. It’s like...The other students were born as a small, polished gem and you’re a slab of rough, uncut rocks, you’re tough to look at now but you’ll outshine the rest in time.” She tried to explain with a soft frown, almost annoyed but understanding his grievances. With a sigh, he put on a practiced smile and tried to look somewhat presentable before turning towards the door.

"Can always rely on you for some kind words huh?" He remarked with a huff, far from pleased by her motivational comment. "See ya Dawn." Groaning as he felt his stomach rumble, he opened the double doors and stepped out into the brightly lit hall and greeted his guards. Knights in tow and notebook in his hands he hurried towards the Hierophant's library. Guards patrolled the hallowed halls with alertness, their weapons polished and armour flawless, and students ran about in a frenzy rushing to class. The light shined through the stain glass windows causing multitudes of colours to illuminate the walkways yet, despite the fancy decorations and the beautiful colours, Alistair was still morose. Being accepted into the Archive and becoming Ludex's protégé was by far the most bittersweet event to have happened to him and the wonderment and spectacle of the Archive was slowly giving way to crippling doubts. He had become a student in the most prestigious magical coven in the whole of Valetoria and he was the next in line to become the Hierophant, perhaps the most powerful and respected Mage in the whole world. Drachen-Tor was gorgeous and was greater than any of the large scale cities in the Northern Range yet it was all slowly causing him great pain. He didn't feel like he deserved to be a member of the Archive, what use was a student who couldn't even grasp the basics? What use is a Hierophant who doubts himself and would forever stand in the shadow of his predecessor? And for all its merits, the Archive wasn't Lion's Den. It wasn't home.

"My Lord, are you alright?" Alistair was snapped back to reality as he felt one of his guards gently shake his shoulder, causing him to survey his surroundings and realise he was already at the study area.

"Y-Yes, I was just in thought." He waved off his disparaging thoughts and ordered his guards to stand alongside the Hierophant's golden Battlemages as he parted the massive metal doors and wandered into the library. Ludex's library was like nothing else in the whole Archive. The walls were covered by layers of intricate, ornate metal sheets depicting legendary battles and rows of red, black, and charred books lined the shelves. The floor was made of black stone with an inner circle surrounded by blue flames. Despite this, the room smelt faintly of cinnamon cookies and the flames and metal only caused a slight, comfortable warmth and never the scalding heat it should. Alistair always found it a nice place to accidentally fall asleep in yet in that moment the thought of drifting back to sleep was far from his mind.

"Good morning Alistair! Sleep well?" Ludex greeted, looking up from the smoldering, yet undamaged book in his hands. His serene smiled wavered when he noticed Alistair’s disheveled state, a rare frown appearing on his otherwise graceful face.

"Yep, what're we studying today?" Alistair asked, a fake smile masking his unease, as he sat down next to Ludex at his black desk and began looking over the wands, gems and other artifacts.

"Hold on, are you alright? You seem...Distressed." He inquired, giving his apprentice a gentle look and hoping it was just his imagination.

"It's fine...Really. I'm just tired is all." He lied, a gentle smile accompanying his vacant stare eyeing the illegible tome before him. Unsure what to do, Ludex tried the time- tested routine of an energetic lecture. Snapping into action with a burst of fiery vigor, he began the daily lesson with gusto. Despite the energetic flurry of motion as he willed images into existence, using colourful language to make even the mundane seem miraculous and his decision to try and raise Alistair’s mood by talking about some more advanced texts, he still watched his pupil wilt, his sunken eyes full of despair.

"-Mages, the more infamous and cruel, mind you, have theorized that the art of Soul Transfusion could possibly allow one to live forever, a warped immortality if you will. Fortunately, none have been able to master this malicious art and the few who have partially succeeded have faced severe repercussions. Some saw their bodies destroyed or unwillingly changed, some lost their minds, and some even lost their very souls. As you can understand it's been unanimously agreed by all authorised covens to halt all study into such a violent and dangerous vein of soul magic and the Archive is the only coven with enough might to keep the dark forces from stealing what little is written about it. Now then, we'll discuss Soul Fracturing...Alistair, are you listening?" He spontaneously asked, dropping his theatrics and know-it-all tone to address his distraught student directly. Separating his stare from his notebook, he looked up at Ludex with an uncanny fear.

"Master...Am I a disappointment?" He asked with a pang of dread, fearing the answer.

"W-What? What in all of Valetoria makes you think that?" Ludex said, closing the burning book and turning to face his pupil directly, undivided attention matching his disquieting feelings.

"I'm a terrible student, all I can learn is the theoretical but what good is that when I can't even use my innate powers? Yeah, I have 'weight manipulation' powers but what does that even mean? Why couldn't I have been something useful, like a healer or a warlock? What good is a pupil who studies something no one, not even his master, understands?! My sister's gonna be an amazing knight, Dad's a great king, Mom's crazy smart but all I'm good for is reading books!" He screamed, rage burning inside him as he felt his blood boil with jealousy. "Why am I so useless?! What good is a Mage with no powers? What good is a Prince who can't rule? Why can't I get anything right?!" The floodgate opened as he broke down in front of his master. Months of fear, self doubt, and agitation accumulated into the mess before Ludex; Alistair's eyes were hazy with frustration and tears and his fist was clenched with enough force to turn his pale skin bright red. "I'm a horrible apprentice and I know you're trying to make it seem okay but it's not going to fix the problem! I'm...I'm a failure and I understand if you're upset with me..." He eyed the the floor as he waited for his master to confirm his dismay. He waited for what felt like hours, beginning to sweat under the self-imposed pressure, but sputtered with confusion when he heard his master laughing softly. Looking up, he watched Ludex suppress a chortle.

"Alistair, nothing could be further from the truth." He assured, placing a hand on his shoulder as he looked down to him with a caring look. "You've been slow to learning the practical aspect of magic, it's true, but what many Mages don't realize is that the theoretical part is what gives magic it's true power. Magic is more than just saying words, it's about understanding the phenomena you wish to take place. We're all blessed with our powers by the gods and we all adapt to ours in different ways, you may be an ember now but with enough time and power you will be a raging inferno unmatched by all." He exclaimed with an almost zealous amount of confidence, holding out a small, sputtering flame that rapidly exploded into a contained firestorm. "You're studious, dedicated, principled and above all else bursting with potential. You wouldn't have been discovered, trained, or passed the Trials if you weren't capable of even a small ounce of magic and you, my dear pupil, are going to be more than a simple spell caster. You are my apprentice, and Fiira as my witness you, you will never disappoint me." He promised, a twinkle of hope in his glowing eyes as he locked eyes with his student. Alistair didn't know what to think, but seeing how much promise Ludex believed he held made him want to believe as well.

Before Alistair could even speak up, voicing his joy and reassurance, his stomach cut him off first. His embarrassed, flushed expression grew tenfold when Ludex tried to hold back a chuckle.

"Why don't we put this lesson on hold and grab something to eat?" Ludex offered with a grin, hoping to put his worries to rest. His apprentice nodded and wiped away his tears, getting ready to finally have breakfast, but before they could leave, the doors burst open and a knight sprinted up to the pair, kneeling before the Hierophant with devoted fervor. In his outstretched hand he held a white scroll with a vibrant orange wax seal bearing the symbol of a roaring lion.

"A message from Lord Peter Leonas, my Hierophant." The knight announced, slowly rising after Ludex dismissed him. The Hierophant then tore open the seal and read the letter with a rapidly growing beaming smile.

"Hm, seems you'll want to read this as well." Ludex mused as he placed the open letter into Alistair’s grasping hands. Alistair focused all his attention as he digested the message, gasping with audible joy as he finished it. With newfound vigor, he exploded into a flurry of half-understandable words and energetic motions.

Ludex believed he said something along the lines of 'they're coming to visit!" but it was all nonsense. As he attempted to calm him, chuckling nervously but glad he wasn't emotionally tearing himself apart, he began chasing after the jittering boy who seemed unaware of the guards who were likewise trying to quell the seemingly possessed child. Before he began what he presumed to be a lengthy attempt to catch him, he noticed something that seemed bizarre. The chair Alistair sat in during their lessons was shaking and groaning, as if something immensely heavy was weighing it down. Curious, Ludex walked up to it and tapped it, hoping to sense some magic within it. He jumped back in surprise as the chair collapsed in on itself, black wood splintering and delicate crimson fabrics tearing apart for seemingly no reason. Nothing except Alistair and himself had ever touched the chair and it was in pristine condition...Ludex believed their was only one simply conclusion.

"Did he...How?" He wondered, his amazed and amused smirk unseen by any, before repairing the chair with simple mending magic returning it to its normal state. "This is...Quite surprising." He continued, levitating his notebook before him and writing into it with his flaming magic. "Perhaps I was right after all..." He finished as he set off to catch his frantic student, a hopeful twinkle in his eyes.

The Spring zephyr carried the sickeningly sweet scent of the bilba roots from the Archive garden which soothed the fidgeting child, the sounds of his boots tapping against the stone floor of the entrance were heard throughout the quiet garden grounds. The sun was at its zenith, staring down at the boy and his master.

“Ah, my Little Lion!” Lord Peter screamed boisterously as he all but leapt from his stagecoach, embracing his son with such vigor and infectious joy that none could help but chuckle at the sight. “Has this lout been treating you right? You’re nothing but skin and bones!” He declared as he sized up his boy, ruffling his fancy robes and messing up his hair.

“My apologies, we don’t subsist on a meat and ale diet around here Peter. How’s the North?” The Hierophant jested as Peter gently put his son down, only to be embraced in a back breaking bear hug.

“Cold and full of monsters, like always.” His Mother answered with a smirk as she knelt before her son and embraced him. “I’ve missed you so much, we all have...How’s the Archive treated you dear?” She followed up, closing her eyes as she resting her head on his shoulder.

“It’s been...Amazing, truly.” He hesitated as he thought about the right way to word it. “Wait, where’s-”

“Ally!” His sister screamed as she pounced on him, forcing him to the ground as she crushed him with a love filled hug. “You dunghead, you don’t write enough! You have any idea how lonely it is without you around?!” She whined loudly, pulling him up by the collar as she berated him.

“I’ve missed you too Aury.” He said, patting her on the head as he stepped back and stood beside Ludex.

“I thank you all for attending tonight’s fest, I hope the journey here wasn’t too troublesome.” Ludex thanked, bowing before the Lord and his Lady, with a serene smile.

“Ah, wouldn’t miss it for the world! I mean, a party all about my boy, how could we say no? ‘Sides, with all the other knobs in attendance, it’s only fair the rulers of the North come along to remind them what a real Lord looks like!” He boasted with a chortle, causing Ruby to roll her eyes.

“To be honest, I’m glad you all agreed to come. Alistair has been ecstatic to see you all, not to mention having you around is bound to deter any problems Peter.” He assured, looking around the courtyard as if expecting something.

“Expecting trouble?” Peter asked with a slight frown, hand on his pommel in preparation.

“No, it’s hopefully nothing, but you know how festivals tend to bring out the crazies.” He dismissed with an attempt at a joke. “Still, I’d like to go over somethings with you two.” He insisted with a concerned look in his eyes.

“Alistair, would you like to show your sister around the Archive?” Ruby asked Alistair, the twinkle in his eyes telling her he would never pass up the opportunity.

“Of course! Come on, there’s so much cool stuff here! Did you know they’ve got a whole floor dedicated to Northern Mages? They were the coven that invented ice magic and its numerous variations!” He exclaimed, grabbing a hold of his sister’s arm as he babbled on, planning out a map of the Archive that would show off what he believed to be the highlights.

“Oh, that sounds like fun I think?” Aury answered, unsure what to expect. As be began babbling on about the grounds, she couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. The pair soon disappeared, Alistair’s guards trying vainly to keep up.

“Glad to see he’s still obsessed with this magic junk...Now then, what’s going on?” Peter demanded to know, fearing something was amiss.

“I’m not too sure to be honest...” Ludex started, the sentence causing the pair to shiver in fear. “Alistair’s knowledge is beyond compare, he’s rapidly learning all he can about the theoretical aspect of magic yet fails constantly at anything practical.” He began, walking down the hall with his smoldering hands behind his back.

“How’s he handling it? I can’t imagine he’s all too pleased by this.” Ruby guessed, crestfallen by the news.

“No, in fact he’s taking it poorly. He’s staying up later, skipping meals and sleeping through lectures. Yet, all hope isn’t lost. When he found out you were coming down for the feast, he was elated. Additionally, Alistair’s chair broke for seemingly no reason after he had a rather...Emotional outburst.” He informed, earning a confused look from Peter and a proud grin from Ruby. “I think his powers may be tied to his emotions and thoughts very closely...I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised given the bizarre nature of his powers.” He elaborated, equally impressed by the revelation. “If I can find a way to train him with this in mind, perhaps enlist the aid of a Deity he’d take a liking too, he may be able to focus it...But if something were to set him off in some way, push him over the edge, I fear what may come to pass. He’s still a child, he knows not what he’s capable of.” He cautioned, hoping nothing would come to pass.

“And what happens if something does cause him to become...Overwhelmed?” Ruby asked, fearing the worst.

“Well, his powers are based around shifting something’s weight and form...Worst case scenario, he could could level the Archives...”

“Gods above...And you’re sure nothin’ gonna piss him off?” Peter stammered out, processing the idea of the Archive being lost.

“That’s why I pulled you two aside. I’m going to break the news to him tomorrow in a calm, prepared way and nudge him towards...Fast tracking his initiation. But, unfortunately, we’re expecting trouble tonight.” He confessed, looking around the empty halls trying to spot any prying eyes and ears. “With this many powerful figures in attendance it’s understandable to be on guard, but we’ve received genuine threats this time. We acted immediately and crushed whatever threats we could find, our guards have raided many supposed hideouts for dissidents and have seized several weapons, both magical and mundane. We’ve rounded up several suspects silently and disposed of more, but it’s very possible that some may have made it through the cracks.” He informed, turning to face the pair. He seemed placid, possibly even bored, yet there was a hint of fear beneath the surface. “We can’t call off the festival, it’s far too late and you know how the Southerners would react if we were to call off this celebration.”

“What do you need?” Ruby inquired, standing at attention as her eyes flickered faintly, magical power flowing through her.

“If someone does try to interrupt the festival, harm myself or Alistair, or anything else I need you two to grab Alistair and Lady Aurora and get out of here immediately. The guards can handle any would-be threat but Alistair must not be in harm's way or see anything distressing. A suicidal fool or three we can handle, Alistair being caught in the fray or forced into acting we can not prepare for.” He instructed, looking between the Lord and Lady. “For now revel in the festivities and put the possible threats in the back of your minds, if it should all go well neither of you need act, I just think you two should know what to do should something go wrong.” He finished, a weight lifting from him as he now knew he wasn’t the only one fearing absolute destruction.

“Well...And here I thought we were just gonna get drunk and crack jokes at Al’s expense...Okay, if any heathens come after him I’ll get him out of there.” Peter assured with a huff, the mad glint in his eyes saying he wasn’t too dismayed about the idea of shedding blood.

“Just make sure it won’t come to that Ludex, we came here to celebrate, not prevent anarchy.” Ruby chastised, already stressed out as she began playing with her robe sleeves.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this...Come, we’ve much to go over before the party begins.” He apologised before adorning his usual grin to mask his anxiety as he acted like all was calm within the Archive. As they wandered off down the winding halls, they felt unseen eyes watching their movements.

"Cool, you got a Pony servant! Man, you're living in the lap of luxury here!" Aurora remarked, patting Dawn on the head as the Pony unceremoniously dropped the Princess' luggage in the center of the room, resting against her master's desk, before leaving the two alone. Despite being far removed from the snowy training grounds of Lion's Den she refused to change into something more flashy or appropriate and was still wearing her blue gambeson and black padded pants, seemingly ready for a fight.

"We're royalty Aury, when haven't we been living in the lap of luxury? So how's everything back home? I was hoping to talk with Mom and Dad first but they seemed kinda busy with Master Ludex." Her brother asked, pulling out his desk chair and offering it to Aurora.

"You know how the Den is, it's always cold and crawling with suck ups. Father's going a bit overboard with teaching me and half the castle the art of tearing people apart with anything you can get your hands on. Mother’s been kinda upset since you've left, though she won't shut up about how proud of you she is. Gotta admit, I miss having my sidekick around. How long is this whole apprentice thing gonna take?" She elaborated with a shrug, walking past Alistair and collapsing onto his bed with a groan.

"Oh...Um, I don't really know...Master Ludex told me this was a lifelong thing, but I don't know if I have it in me..." He admitted as he scratched the back of his head nervously, eyeing the floor and refusing to look towards her.

"What, is something wrong? You didn't like, blow something up right?" She guessed curiously, wondering what could have gone wrong to endanger his tutelage. "I mean, you're training to blow stuff up anyway yeah?"

"No, I'm not learning to 'blow stuff up', I'm learning how to use my magic...Whatever it even is...I wish I could blow something up, at least it would mean I could do anything with my powers." He lamented with a forlorn sigh, sinking into his chair with resignation.

"Oh come on, I refuse to believe you're having trouble with this kinda junk! Whatever happened to all that guff about being an awesome Mage or something?" Aurora refuted with a slight chuckle, sitting up and blowing her dirty blonde hair out of her face.

"Talking about being a Mage is a lot easier than training to be one...It's like...Going from swinging a stick to trying to use Dad's sword." He tried to equate, furrowing his brow as he hoped the explanation would translate. If her sudden expression of realisation was anything to go by, it explained everything.

"Geez, that bad? Dang." She gasped, looking at her brother's defeated expression. Her brother was perhaps the smartest kid she knew, he was creative, upbeat, ever curious and his obsession with magic was overwhelming at times. Her confidence was mirrored by his determination, his knowledge that he was destined for something greater than being a Lord or Knight. Yet then and there she saw something that shocked her. She saw doubt. Doubt in himself and doubt in his purpose. The faint shaking, the inability to look at her, the unsure tone in his voice was something she never wanted to hear again.

"I think I may be coming home sooner than I first thought to be honest." He said with a slight chuckle, masking his fear with an attempt at humour. Frowning, Aurora stood tall and walked up to him.

"Ally, I can’t really say anything about magic stuff, It’s not really my thing, but I know for a fact it’s yours. You’re like, crazy smart, you got mom’s magical talent and as far back as I can remember you’ve been obsessed with tomes and books, and you live in a literal library now! I can’t predict the future, but if anyone in the whole of Val was meant to be a Mage it’s you and I know you’ll be a damn good one!” She praised with a cocksure smirk and a reassuring smack to the back. “’Sides, if the Gods are crazy and you don’t become a Mage, you’ve always got a home in the North. You’ve got ice in your veins like the rest of us and I certainly wouldn’t mind having my brother alongside me when I ride into battle.” She reasoned, punching him softly on the shoulder and already envisioning the two of them in the midst of battle, only with a sword in both of their hands. As he chuckled with newfound mirth and hope, she mirrored his beaming grin and sat down on his bed once more.

“Well, who else is gonna make sure you don’t get your butt kicked when we grow up? Maybe being a knight wouldn’t be so bad I guess.” He shrugged, his fears lessening somewhat as he realised it may not be the end of the world just yet.

“There we go! I knew you could still smile, so what you do for fun around here anyways?” She joked, glad to see her brother no longer moping about, before scanning his room looking for anything that wasn’t excessively dull.

“Well, I usually read or play Southern Cards with Dawnstar or Master Ludex-”

“Borrriiinnnnngggg.”

“Bbbbbuuuutttt, I did happen to borrow some practice weapons and shields from the training grounds earlier.” He continued with a sly grin, ignoring her interruption, as he hopped from his chair and pulled out the wooden weapons from under his colossal bed. Though the painted wood would do little more then give them splinters or bruises, the kids were already giddy at the thought of a mock duel to the death. “Care for a rousing game of war?”

“I thought you’d never ask! You wanna be a Lich again?” She all but screamed as she snatched up the fake weapons, getting a feel for the delicately crafted replicas.

“Nah, I wanna be...A possessed king!” He declared, raising his sword in a menacing manner towards the gallant warrior. “Now Lady Leonas, prepare to meet your false Gods!” He threatened with an attempt at a gravelly, deep voice that caused her to giggle.

“Your empty threats don’t scare me evil doer! I’ll strike you down for all of Valetoria!” She decreed in response, bashing her wooden mace against his shield as the fearsome, mighty king repressed his urge to laugh in the middle of battle. As their parents and Ludex communed far below them, the two were too engrossed in their battles for them to worry about anything other than smiting their foe. As shields buckled under blows and kings were dethroned, the sun slowly slid beneath the mountains and the festival began far below in the gardens.

The evening sky was full of glowing stars, basking the Archive gardens with silver light that gave a spectacular luster to the various gemstones and crystals bursting from the ground, complementing the stone statues and well kept vegetation. Magical light cast long shadows, causing the numerous dancing patrons and guests shadows to seemingly hold their own life. Surrounding the garden venue were platoons of alert guards, scanning the walls, the darkened corners of the grounds and the crowds, waiting for any signs of trouble. Although there was an air of tenseness over the lengthy dark wood banquet table, Alistair, Aurora and Dawnstar seemed absorbed in their own world.

“It wasn’t that bad Dawn.” Alistair protested, his averted gaze and faint blush telling the two girls across the table he wasn’t sure himself.

“Oh no, it was worse my Lord. As he stumbled about the lecture hall, a flicker of a fire on his sleeve, he stumbled into the Lord Hierophant himself and knocked him over, potion in hand.” Dawn continued with a straight face, pausing only to take a sip from her goblet.

“Wow Ally, nice going, I’m sure your fellow classmates loved you after that. What happened next?” His sister jabbed with a smug, infuriating look that caused him to huff with annoyance.

“Well, when the Lord Hierophant noticed that his apprentice had blindly stumbled into him, he-”

“Calmly defused the situation, extinguished the open flame, reprehended his pupil and continued the lecture.” Ludex cut in, diverting his attention from the nobles and warlords crowding him to address the three kids. “Now tell me Dawn, have you told Princess Aurora how you spilled water on a set of priceless tomes originating from the Zebra Delta?” He asked, a curious expression mirroring Alistair’s attempt as the Pony servant suddenly became quite enraptured with the silverware.

“Enough with the harassment Ludex, tonight’s a night of celebration not mockery!” Peter declared as he stormed up behind Alistair’s chair, putting down his colossal mug so he could pick up his chair. With a nervous giggle, Alistair began surveying the crowd, spotting all the Lords, Ladies, Mages and foreigners who came tonight, all drunkenly swaying the merry tones of some Equestrian anthem.

“Tonight is Alistair’s night! I feel sorry for all the poor bastard's who'd stand in his way when he becomes a bloody Hierophant!" Peter boasted, putting his son on a pedestal for all to see. Despite the praise, Alistair felt naked before the royal scions and legendary Mages from all corners of the world, all with their eyes on him. All in attendance trying to find something not even he knew of within him.

"Calm down dear, we're not here to spook him, we're here to congratulate his ascension into a junior Mage." Ruby chastised as she reached out and, with an unseen force, gently lowered her son and his seat to the ground once more. "He didn't scare you, did he?" Ruby asked, fearful her husband had inadvertently startled him.

"No, I thought it was kinda fun actually." He dismissed with a smile, causing his mother to sigh.

"Ah, excellent...So, how are you finding the Archive dear?" She continued, shifting the conversation.

"It's amazing, I didn't think a single place in all of Val could hold this much knowledge, and Ludex is a brilliant Mage!" He announced, causing Ludex to grin with a sense of pride, trying to avoid talking about his mounting sense of defeat.

"Yes, he may not look it but he's a savant with an equal amount of madness and genius. You couldn't have a greater mentor." She assured, a glassy look of nostalgia in her glowing eyes. "I just want you to know, you can always confide in me. I've been where you are before, all who have been blessed with draconic powers have, and I know the fear of losing it all to well." She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, her gentle tone soothing him as if a sense of calm washed over him. "You may be Ludex's apprentice now, but you will be my son forever and I want to know you will always see me as a shoulder to cry on and a mother to confide in." She stressed, smiling lovingly as she saw a spark of hope within him once more.

He didn't know why, but he felt something well up within him. It was a burning, blooming resurgence of self worth and confidence. The look in her eyes, her beautiful words, his father's bragging, his sister's annoyingly charming antics, Ludex's endless praise and even his assistants sarcastic and firm attitudes, all were something he found inimitable and core to his being and his desire to vindicate. They believed in him, more than he could in himself.

This feeling within escaped his body in the form of a grand, explosive burst of phantasmal, ever-changing light that graced the sky. The dancers before and below him all turned up to the stars to admire the magical display, awestruck and captivated. As the colours swam and dissipated high above the Bibliotheca and over Drachen Tor they turned their attention towards the young apprentice they’d heard so little about, already impressed. Although the whispering crowd was slowly growing in volume, the family around Alistair had a much more immediate, bombastic reaction to his sudden powers.

“What the what?!” He cried out, looking down to his glowing hands hoping to glean some kind of understanding as to how he miraculously has a handle of his powers. As he watched the pale light slowly fade, he became aware of the overwhelming sound of the crowd and his family.

“Woah! Do it again, do it again!” Aurora demanded, shaking uncontrollably as she looked straight up, hoping for her brother to start up again. As she realised he wasn’t doing anything, she continued to snap between him and the sky, hoping her constant motion and encouragement would cause him to let his powers loose once more. Almost juxtaposing his sister, Dawnstar’s slack jawed look of dumbfounded awe and a hint of elation was so motionless and one could mistake her for a frozen statue.

“Ah, my little lion already getting ahead of the curve and out performing you second rate Mages! Hah! He’s got ice and magic in his veins, the Pantheon itself show mercy on any who’ll stand in his way. Go on, blow ‘im away!” Peter continued bragging as he embraced his son, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him into a hug, as he raised a mug in celebration.

“What? N-No way, it was a random accident!” He denied, shaking his hands and his head in sync as he tried to get a handle on what just happened.

“That accident just blew our senior White Mages’ light spells out of the water Alistair, what was that?!” Dawn asked, her confusion and shock masked by a look of annoyance and fatigue.

“I-I-don’t-”

“It was a build up of emotion and magic accumulating into that, it’s not uncommon in younger Mages but it’s rarely that...Boisterous.” His mother explained calmly, quieting her panicking son and alleviating Dawn’s confusion. “It’s okay Alistair, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She continued, reaching over to put a hand on his cheek to try and reassure him.

The combination of the cheering audience, his father’s loud laughter and his sister’s ecstatic look was almost overwhelming, yet despite the panicking noise and voices yelling over each other, he soon made sense of it and the shouts of approval, his parents praise, it was so gratifying and rewarding. Soon, fear and confusion gave way to pride and joy. Just as soon as he began to make sense of the confusing onslaught of commotion and calm down, Ludex forced it to come to an abrupt halt as he rose from his throne alongside his family.

“Thank you, my apprentice, for that fantastic display of magical prowess. It certainly got our guests’ attention.” Ludex thanked with a rehearsed, regal smile and a slight chuckle that was echoed by the gathered audience as well. “You know...When I came to the Archives I was a child myself, poor as dirt and only saved from a life of poverty or winding up in some illicit coven by the good graces of then Hierophant Crescendo, or as many knew her in her golden days, the Siren of Diamond Bay. She found me on the streets, not a coin to my name or a robe to keep me warm. All I had was my inner fire. She saw my power. She saw my magic and though it's nature directly conflicted with hers, she still bothered to pick me up and gave me this life. A life with which I fought tooth and nail to earn my keep, to protect our beloved empire with Lord Peter of the North and to uplift those who too faced a life of pain and anguish. All I had was my fire and a chance, and with that chance I earned my title as Hierophant Ludex, the Endless Pyre.” He reminisced, his short life story like a history lesson yet he recited the past with a nostalgic smile that was mirrored by Alistair’s father who let out an impolite belch at the mention of his name. “The Archive is more than a city, it’s more than a library. It’s a chance for the blessed, the cursed, the blighted, and the lost. It’s a home for the rich, the poor, the naive, and the wise. It’s a haven carved out by the many who came before, those who will come after us and those who sacrificed their lives, either on the field of battle or in the lost corners of the world. I have seen the Archive through a period of great turmoil and I’d like to think I came out stronger for it. Years after the endless war halted, after the soldiers came home and I could rebuild, I found Prince Alistair.” He turned to face his apprentice, his smile genuine as he gestured towards him.

“I’d only met him once before, when Lady Ruby requested for me to perform his blessings, and when I met him again a few months ago, I was taken aback. He was curious, daring, enraptured with magic and embraced the Archive with open arms. He was the antithesis of any child I could’ve met from a Lord’s house before the cease fire. He seemed so...Hopeful. In the months I’ve know Alistair I think I’ve found perhap an answer to a question I’ve pondered for a long time. ‘What would be the future for the Archive?’ Who would I deem worthy of carrying the torch when my time comes to rest like the Hierophants before me. And Alistair is my answer. A child, whose hope, confidence and love for knowledge radiates like an aura, a student who persevered through months of tedious study and never once complained. A Mage who, despite his fears of failure, made his first show of skill a tour de force of emotion and power. You, my apprentice, will one day take my place and if these joyous few months of studious research, late night sessions and admittedly tedious lectures are anything to go by, I can rest assured knowing you will not fail me, the Archive, nor our beloved Valetoria.” He finished, his stupid looking grin that stretched from ear to ear almost made him want to laugh, yet he was too consumed fighting back the emotional tears welling up within him.

“To the Immortalis Bibleothica, apprentice Alistair, Drachen Tor and to Val-”

“Murderer!” A voice wailed, his cry interrupting Ludex’s emotional words, as a Griffin stood on the far side of the garden, a sword clutched in his talons.

“All of you, savages dressed in stolen gold, spewing profane magic and filthy traitors!” He screamed out, raising his blade. The guards, Spellswords and Battlemages were already drawing weapons and forming up, sensing a sudden ambush.

“Death to the vile Hierophant, death to his whoreson apprentice, death to the Mad Butcher! Justice for Royal Peak!” The strange, scarred and armoured Griffin belted out as three dozen or so enraged, armed and gungho Griffins bum rushed the elevated platform where Ludex and the Leonas family resided. Some more distracted Griffins opted instead to run straight into the crowd swinging wildly, hoping to take down a few nobles before they were inevitably slain.

“Run! Get the children out of here!” Ludex demanded as he snapped to attention flinging fireballs and pillars of fire from his hands, immolating the daring few who tried to take him down.

“Come on, move!” Peter yelled, drawing his sword as he ushered Alistair, Aurora and Dawnstar towards the Archive. Ruby kept the kids attention, trying vainly to keep their gaze away from the gratuitous bloodshed as Lords, Ladies, dignitaries, guards and the Hierophant himself fought back the interlopers.

“What’s happening?! Who are they?!” Aurora asked, watching the shadows for an attacker.

“Don’t know, don’t care! Move!” Her father reiterated, grabbing a flying Griffin by the throat and throwing it to the ground. As Ruby forced her children’s gaze away, Peter plunged his sword into the bandit’s chest causing it to scream horribly.

“Will Ludex be okay?” Alistair asked while watching his master stand his ground alongside the Archive’s golden knights.

“He’ll be fine, just come along and-what are you doing?! Alistair!” His mother screamed in fear as he broke away from her and charged back into the fray as he saw a Griffin clad in potions and vials scream and began running towards the Hierophant. As the strange killer began approaching his master, Ludex’s back to the unknown Griffin, he grabbed onto the creature’s back leg.

“What are you doing, you feral runt!” He demanded, slashing at the boy. The pain flared immediately, fresh blood seeped from his arm, staining the bird’s yellow talons. As he fell to the ground, he stared up and watched the raider dismissively turned away from him. As he pulled out a bubbling purple potion Alistair once more stood up and grabbed ahold of the stranger, a genuine fear for his teacher in his heart.

“I said, let go!” The Griffin ordered, raising the potion high above him preparing to smash it over the child’s head. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Alistair pondered what to do.
There were only three things running through his mind: intense fear, confusion and a palpable desire to do something. He was at a loss, horrified at the overwhelming violence all around him for seemingly no reason. Yet before him stood a scarred, heinous Griffin brandishing a potion of unknown content and hellbent on killing Ludex, one of the kindest men he knew in the whole wide world, and he had to do something. He was bloodied, bewildered and overwhelmed but he had to do something. He refused to let his master get hurt, he deserved better, he had to do something, anything. And so, his powers reacted.

With a disgusting, guttural noise the Griffin collapsed. Where a proud, angry being once stood now laid a sloppy pile of loose flesh, the bones and loosened meat sticking through the skin like a thin covering. His breathing was ragged and pained, his twitching hazel eyes indicating he was still alive and very aware of his state. What could have been his finger bones tried lamely to point towards Alistair, his haggard breathing gave way to faint words, pleading for death.

Alistair screamed for all the world to hear, stumbling away from the pile of flesh as he fell to the floor hoping this was all a horrid nightmare. He was aware of his family around him, trying desperately to calm him as he swung his arms about trying to battle away the sight before him. His body was growing limp, the sounds of battle giving way to moans of pain, gasps of air and the last screams of dying Griffins. He was terrified, was he dying? Was this some torturous afterlife? He tried desperately to combat the dark thoughts and terrifying sight before him. Soon, sleep embraced him as his mother held him, whispering some old Northern lullaby that once calmed him, yet his sleep was beset with terrors and the last gasps of the fleshy mass.

“It’s okay Alistair, sleep...Sleep…”

“Alistair…”

“Ally…”

Author's Notes:

Yo what up shit lips it's me again.

Okay, before someone tracks me down and kills me I should probably excuse my absence for all of June. Short version, half of the time was me doing something like seeing family or working, a quarter of it was self loathing hate and another quarter was simply me procrastinating.

Full version. At the start of the holidays I went to visit some family for about a week and all day and night I was doing shit with 'im. When I got home I was immediately thrown into an internship covering the local festival for three days, it was fun but I got sun burnt to fuck and wasted all my money at the festival and drinking with some friends. Then, nothing. Turns out when I got shit all to do and I can't find something to write I slip into depression easily. After spending a lot of time spent hating myself I was back at uni and I got my motivation back. So yeah, turns out I didn't get any writing done over the holidays...Whoops.

Sorry dudes, I fucked up but I'm back and I hope you guys like this new chapter edited by Rest as per usual.

Don't worry my dudes, I don't plan to stop writing anytime soon and I love this story and I hope you guys love it too.

L.P.C-Lets Purchase Carps

Music for yous. Did you know I like Madeon yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e1DBLXnjeQ
I find myself imaging Al sing about someone he loves and how weird the relationship is given the fucked up world they're in...Don't really know who since I don't intend romance to be a focus...Unless someone wanted that? Idk man.
"I've been ripped up and tossed like a mouse, Wrestle with the heavens and the devil himself."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BKOM4rYsxw
Same as above, I just like imaging Al singing for some reason. I really like Madeon by the way.
"You have some nerve showing your face here, It had been so long, I thought you'd disappeared..."

Resurrection

View Online

“Al…

“Alistair!”

Alistair awoke with a loud gasp of air, opening his eyes as a rush of adrenaline ran through him. As he blinked his eyes in the sudden light, Chrysalis, for a split second, noticed his eyes rapidly cycling through colours before settling on his usual two toned eyes. The cool water of the glowing pool washed over him, cleaning and purifying his wounds. Most of his body had dissolved into gaseous clouds and seamlessly melded with the spring water.

“W-What? What happened?” Alistair asked as he got up, his torso hovering above the cloud of gas before resolidifying into his lost limbs. As he stood tall he began grudgingly donning his robes and armour. Although his movements were sluggish and delayed, they steadied out as the slight blue glow radiating off him began to subside, giving him a burst of power.

“You reconnected with the Heart...I think it was mad at you...Are you alright, master?” Dawn asked as she came to his side, using her magic to fasten the straps of his metal chest plate, taking care not to tarnish the beautiful raven insignia.

“I’ve had worse, thank you Dawn...Ah yes, I feel the energy flowing through me...Now we can really get to work…” He exclaimed as he breathed in and out several times, getting ready. When he was completely reformed, he removed his glove and gauntlet and stretched his fingers, watching the dim glow of raw magic flow through his veins.

“Time for a warm up, hold onto something.” He warned as he rubbed his palms together and slammed them into the ground.

The reaction was instant. The ground roared as stones were reshaped and repaired. Grass and vines retreated within the walls as slabs of wood and ancient rock stood upright once more with cryptic texts. Torches ignited with purple flames, a colossal, crystalline chandelier made of sunstones, moon gems and azure crystals burst to life, illuminating the grand chamber. Statues of long lost Hierophants, worn featureless by time, were molded into their original forms and the spring was white with light.

“What?!” Chrysalis cried out as the floor beneath her gave way and replaced itself in a flash. She was surprised once more when the feeling of cold and aged vegetation was switched with an extensive and lovingly sewn carpet that spanned from the stairway to the spring and brushed the sides of the bookcases and pathways alongside it. She knew of Alistair’s abilities, she’d seen it used to both reshape and deconstruct, yet this display of power trumped anything she’d seen off the battlefield.

He was unwavering as the old knowledge burst from him, the collective intellect of countless Hierophants and acolytes filling him with the might of a roaring, ethereal flame. Far above, sand turned to glass and ore turned to metal decor as the land bent to his will and the desert was shaped as he saw fit. Wild, dried plants turned to lush greenery as the ancient, ward-inscribed walls rose once more, giving the crystalline gardens shade from the freezing moon and scorching sun that will take its position. As the aura exuding from him faded and he returned to his natural glow, the once-more silent library was lit with a warm glow from the torches.

“I might have botched some things here and there, but overall I think Archive looks a lot more complete than before. Pretty good, considering it was completely wiped off the map…What do you think Dawn?” He asked, rolling his shoulders and smiling with pride at the collective look of amazement.

“It’s...It’s just like it used to be.” She remarked, running a hoof along the side of Hierophant Augur the Clairvoyant’s statue, stunned at the minor details he recreated: the thin rivets of metal and the barely noticeable sparkle of quartz mixed in.

“Good, feared in my absence I may have forgotten something, would be a shame if I somehow screwed up.” He said as he checked every nook and cranny of the expansive room, looking for a single fault.

“It’s grander than I could’ve ever imagined...The tales underplayed everything…” Scroll remarked with a hoof covering his grin, joy overwhelming him. He ran over to the nearest shelf and pulled out the closest book, the words in the pages were akin to buried treasure, the incantations gold.

Alistair found himself feeling something...odd. It wasn’t joy, it wasn’t sorrow, it wasn’t disappointment, and his pride was rapidly depleting...He felt odd. Still, they wouldn’t want him to be seen so mixed...He continued smiling, planning to mull over his thoughts in isolation.

“By the Twins...You really don’t halfass it, huh? Wonder how those Equestrians are gonna react when they see your handiwork...Hope we get some converts? You know we could use them.” Snow said hopefully, after letting out a whistle.

“Before we talk about new recruits, perhaps we should ensure the rest of the Archive is as repaired as the subterranean section.” Dawn reminded as she began making her way to the spiral stairs. “Master, you coming?” She asked, before turning to see him still staring at the back of the room. Somehow, she’d ignored the pair of double wooden doors at the back...Had they always been there? Why was he staring at it? Was it not there before?

“Alistair?” Chrysalis asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

“Uh? Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, I was just in thought.” He still seemed distant, but his smile seemed genuine. Watching his bizarre display made her question his emotions. She knew him a better man than to lie to her...Cursing inside her head, she kept her promise.

“Master?” Dawn repeated, agitation growing at everyone’s standing around. As Alistair began walking up to her, the rest followed behind him.

“Indeed, we’ve still got to inspect everything. I don’t think our guests would appreciate it if a beam fell on them or their guards. Onward!” He jested, taking the lead with his head held high. Despite his chipper attitude and enthusiasm, Chrysalis felt he was hiding something and she would find it out.

The glowing spring continued to illuminate the area as the group left it behind. Their shadows were cast across the cavern as the old Hierophants watched their march to the ascending staircase. They climbed in silence. It wasn’t awkward but not necessarily comforting, everyone’s mind was elsewhere as they pondered what was to come. Alistair felt it all, their hopes and his doubts.

To Twilight, the ruined Archive was like the skeleton of a colossal dragon. Though long dead, the sheer size and sense of power demanded respect and admiration, mixed with fear. The inside was all but rotten; broken windows, walls, and pillars gave way to the sand and winds blasted away anything the elements could touch. The few who called it home were adept at this life, despite their shantytown appearance. Even Alistair seemed to reflect this sense of ancient awe. It was tragic to see a once regal stronghold of magic and knowledge waste away. When she awoke to find the Archive not just repaired, but shining in the radiant light of the sun through the windows, she felt that same sense of awe and regality tenfold. The marble floor was devoid of stains and the few carpets and tapestries around the main hall were made of the finest, most vibrant colours she’d seen. Once collapsed halls and stairways were now just waiting for her to explore. The piles of debris and stone that cluttered the chamber were now gone. High above her, reformed platforms and stairs led higher into the gargantuan library. The smell of musty books and potions wafted through the air and she could feel an immense, untapped arcane energy flow through the building, like blood. She felt compelled to cry, seeing what could’ve only been described as the greatest hub of knowledge known to Ponykind restored, yet she was far more perplexed and even fearful as to how somepony could’ve done this in a single night.

“Holy moly...This makes Canterlot’s library seem a whole lot less impressive…” Spike remarked, eyeing a particularly delicious gemstone sconce that glowed green from the emerald dust within the flame.

“Forget the library darling, the castle itself seems pale when compared to this!” Rarity asserted as she ran a hoof over the large banner of House Leonas that was connected to the pillar. Despite fawning over the elaborate designs stitched into the banners and tapestries hanging around the Archive, she did find the whole situation bizarre. It was almost enough to take her mind off the inspirational designs. Almost.

“This is...Disarming, to say the least...There are a lot of vantage points in this room alone…” Thunderclap assessed, noting the high platforms, sturdy pillars, and plenty of routes for reinforcements or retreats. It was risky to fight in a crumbling building, but it’d be downright suicidal to fight them now with the entirety of the battlefield changed.

“This musta been Alistair’s doin’...Don’t know a single Unicorn who could do something this impressive in a single night.” Braeburn guessed as he finished donning his armour and stetson, ax at his side and his soldiers ready.

“We should get the carrier's up and running soon. Don’t think our host wants us screwing around, admiring the stonework.” Brass Boulder said, making his way to the entrance, his hooves covered with metal cestus. Though scratched and dented, the metal was shining with a radiant glow that seemed magical.

“Agreed...Hope the carrier isn’t full of sand.” Lancer quipped, flexing his wings as a soldier handed him a new, stock standard silver spear. The group began to head towards the massive doors, the echoing sound of their hooves stepping on the marble floor carrying on around the room. The locals continued to eye them as if they were monsters ready to pounce, hiding their children away and keeping their weapons at the ready. It was a disquieting feeling, Twilight thought, being the hostile element and being so clearly unwelcome. As they tried to ignore them, hoping Alistair’s followers would do the same, they heard somepony approach.

“With the storm dying down, I imagine you’ll be eager to leave.” They heard Faded Scroll guess as he approached, Snowfall and her platoon close behind. Despite everything, he was smiling at them, no traces of disdain present.

“That’s the plan.” Twilight said curtly, on guard and alert. The same could be said of her friends and guards as they kept watch for any sign of a possible attack.

“Will you require assistance? We’re not mechanically minded but we could try applying some of our own skills.” He asked, demonstrating his powers as he broke his metal staff, before repairing it.

“No, no, we should be fine!” Twilight brushed him off quickly with a grin, causing her friends to look at her, baffled by her response.

“Ah, well then, I’ll tell the Lord Hierophant that you will soon depart. Should you need something, just think about it.” He said, taken aback at her sudden rejection, before leaving. Snow and her entourage stayed behind however, still on guard.

“It’s our job to make sure nothing happens to you all out there. Be a shame if our guests died before you told your Princess or whoever that we’re not a threat. Don't think she'd believe us if we said we didn't do it.” Snow explained with a half smirk, leaving out the obvious reason, ‘no one trusts you not to step out of line’.

“We got it, now, can we get moving? We’re burning daylight here!” Rainbow exclaimed loudly, shifting from side to side out of boredom, before dashing towards the entrance in an attempt to hurry along the party. With much greater ease, the guards forced open the wood and silver double doors, letting in the faint howl of desert winds.

The winds had settled, but the storm’s fury had ravished the land. Former buildings were obscured by layers of golden sand. Unearthed pillars of gems and spears of rock burst from the ground and ruins alike. Where lightning had struck, the ground sparkled like diamonds and the horizon was foreign to them. The landscape was almost unrecognizable compared to what it once was.

“Jeez, how the heck does a storm do this?” Pinkie asked, baffled at the drastic changes.

“Sandstorms in Appleloosa are bad, but out here they’re beyond anything I’ve ever seen. It’s like the world itself is coming to kill ya and it don’t care what it hits. Makes scouting a pain when the trail could become impassable or you’re suddenly buried.” Braeburn said, surveying the landscape with a grumble. On one hoof, they’d need to send out another scouting party to find anything worth scavenging or anything dangerous in need of destroying. On the other, he would be loathe to send another party out so early after the massacre of his own platoon.

“Least the tin box isn’t...too deep in the sand...We did bring shovels yeah?” Brass asked, trying to be optimistic as they saw their ride home stuck like the rest of the detritus littering the barren land. Before anyone could try to dig it out, Twilight lifted it out. Layers of sand spilled off as the slumbering beast groaned. Gently dropping the weathered construct, the combat engineers and mechanics rushed over to inspect the damage and the innards.

“Aw crap...The threads are fine, and we still got enough fuel, but the gears and joints are shredded and the cargo bay is stuffed!” One of them yelled out after crawling out from underneath the machine, sweating profusely from the heat.

“Damn...How long till it’s able to make the trip?” The Captain asked, wiping his forehead nervously as he wondered if it’s even possible to walk back to Appleloosa without getting lost.

“We ain’t promisin’ miracles here, this is some real bad erosion. But it’ll be capable of moving in...A few hours? We got spare parts still?” The engineer replied as a few assistants ran forward to provide the sparse spares they had left. “This is it?...Yeah, we’re gonna be here for a bit...Get comfortable. Celestia’s mane, anypony got some water?”

As the engineers began working with what they had, half-going by the book and half-improving their slapdash field repairs, Starlight couldn’t help but groan.

“So, uh, the reason we’re not requesting assistance from these people is...?”

“They’re our enemies Starlight, it’s not smart to show the enemy how your tools work.” She rationalised, looking back up at the Archive with suspicion, as if a volley of arrows would rain down from the towering, glittering stronghold.

“Yeah, but it’s also not too smart to stand around in the middle of a volatile desert with questionable means of transportation.” She retorted, a critical look in her eyes as she looked at Twilight, wondering how she would proceed. With a heavy sigh, Twilight rubbed her eyes and turned to face Starlight.

“I know.” She said before turning to look at her friends and Spike, trying in their own way to help the drained engineers. “I’m...I’m not really sure what to do right now Starlight. This Alistair person, I don’t know what to make of him. He’s hospitable, moral and intelligent, but you don’t become friends with someone like Chrysalis whilst being a good person. Not to mention the fact that he admits he wants to kill Princess Celestia…” She said, treading back and forth while occasionally snapping back to the Archive. “But he also saved Braeburn with seemingly no ulterior motive aside from doing the right thing. Not just that, but he helped save the remaining men of his platoon…” Finally stopping, he faced Starlight and looked at her with a look of annoyance and possibly confusion.

“He’s definitely better than Chrysalis, Tirek, and the rest but that isn’t saying much. Perhaps he’s playing the long game, hoping to win our trust while leading up to something major we can’t predict?” Starlight added on, rubbing her chin as the pair pondered on what the enigmatic Mage could be preparing.

“Perhaps...Or perhaps he’s simply doing what he thinks is right.” Twilight refuted, trying to see things from a less suspicious perspective, albeit struggling to think her enemy could be doing what he perceived as right. With a strained growl of agitation, she looked up into the sky with a sigh. “We’re getting nowhere sitting around out here thinking...We should get back to Canterlot as soon as possible, the Princess should be back in a few days...She has to know something.” The Princess believed, smiling as she began formulating an adequate report, happy to give herself a productive task.

“You know, I don’t think the Lord would mind if you lot rested in the gardens while your sappers fix the hot box.” Snowfall shouted over the sound of bickering soldiers, working mechanics, and Twilight and Starlight’s pondering. She seemed like she was about to go on, but halted as she seemed to be somewhere else, having another conversation. After a short pause, she continued.

“Yeah, the Lord said it’s fine. Just don’t touch the statues, he can’t remember which of them are enchanted.” She continued, shrugging as she gestured back towards the Archive. Gazing from the far side of the Archive and along the horizon was a tall, reinforced wall covered in ivy, flowers, and what looked like a variety of fruits bursting with colour. A silver gate separated the desert from the verdant ground, the faint shimmer of light in the air telling Twilight the grounds were protected by some kind of magical barrier.

“Hm, sounds a lot more bearable than standing around here. Tell Lord Alistair I appreciate the offer.” Rarity thanked, nodding before strutting towards the garden, anxious to get out of the sun and under some shady tree. With little protest, all aside from the engineers and a contingent of guards made their way, pushing open the silver, grated gate. The cool wind and pleasant scent of a forest hit them instantly, washing over them like a tidal wave of bliss. Light reflected off the small streams of water that flowed down from somewhere high above, forming a beautiful river that flowed through the serene park. Trees, shrubbery, and plants littered the grounds, lining the delicately carved stone pathways. Patches of fruit trees made perfect sites for a picnic and in the distance, gorgeous, intricately carved statues stood around like an art exhibit.

“Wow...It’s like the Canterlot Gardens.” Fluttershy gasped, walking timidly past rows of luminescent silver and golden flowers with metallic petals that blew in a faint wind. “What is all this?”

“Hell if I know, didn’t even know the Lord had a garden till we surveyed the reformed grounds. Something about testing the long term effects of metaphysical forces and nature working together.” Snow shrugged with a disinterested grimace, scratching the side of her neck and then her hand. “All this pollen isn’t great for me...Gonna go find the training grounds, just dirt and sand there.” She said, waving as she started marching a head while her men splintered off to mill around waiting for their guests to leave.

“Huh, who’d a thought the Human had an eye for agriculture?” Applejack mused with a smirk as she noted a particularly massive apple tree, granting shade all around it and dwarfing the others. “What even are these?” She asked, gesturing towards a tall tree bearing round, orange and green fruits.

“No idea, I’ve never seen anything like these plants or trees...I think this plant is native to the Crystal Empire! How’d he get these?” Twilight began theorising as she examined a crystalline rose that sparkled like a faraway star.

“I must say, he certainly has an eye for beauty. Everything from his castle to his garden is immaculate! I wonder if he knows anything about fashion, if he’s got the same kind of taste for clothing he could revolutionise the market.” Rarity assert, a twinkle in her eye as she placed a soft, dark blue flower behind her ear and began thinking of a new dress that could match the hue.

“Don’t know if the guy’s a fashionista, but I’m sure he’s got some nifty tips and tricks up his sleeve.” Braeburn said as he let out a whistle, taking in the scenery before heading down the path to find something to do aside from smelling the flowers. “We should be good to go in a few hours, get some r&r, it’ll be a long ride home.”

And so the group splintered off to find something, anything, to do to pass the time. Naturally, they assumed something interesting would find them first.

On the far side of the expansive garden, bordered by a shimmering river and dented and singed trees rested the training grounds, a dusty patch of land reserved for the academic and chivalrous elite of the Bibliotheca to duel each other with a variety of weaponry and enough rules in place to ensure no one killed their opponent. However, those days were long past and as Snowfall continued tearing through her soldier’s defense and ignoring their blows, one would wonder how many rules she alone was breaking.

Sand and unearthed rocks were blown apart as she kicked them up, either to distract her foes or to destroy their improvised protection. Soldiers were sent flying with shocking speed as she either physically threw them away or used her magic to manipulate the ground to her advantage. Their dulled weapons and stone forged replicas hurt, every strike against her exposed sides a lesson, but her reactions hurt her opponent more as she was eager to rectify her mistakes. To an onlooker, her frenzy would seem haphazard, untrained and unrestrained, yet her rage and irritation fueled her fire and focused her attention purely on the fight. The garden faded away until it was just her and whoever challenged her, the cheering onlookers nothing more than white noise.

Soon the battle came to a close, and once more she was the victor. Her bruises and marks were as evident as the limping and wounded combatants who skulked away in defeat, not looking forward to when they would have to hand over their end of the bet to their gambling friends. Despite the numb pain, she smiled in euphoria.

“You okay partner? Ya look as battered as a flimsy tin roof after a shower of hail.” She heard Braeburn ask, stepping onto the field as he watched the battered bruisers walk away, half worried and half bemused. She chuckled loudly, dropping her stone caestus causing them to shatter as the magical connection was lost.

“Feel better than okay, you?” She asked with a grin, stretching to pass the time until the next workout.

“Bored mostly, eager to get home and just...Drink some more before I have to fill reports about this whole operation...Celestia knows it’s been eventful.” He shrugged with an exasperated sigh as he began wondering how much red tape he’d need to go through.

“If she already knows, why write a report?” She joked with a chortle, getting a smirk out of him. “If you’re bored, why not join me in a sparring match? You seem to know how to handle an ax.” She offered as she cracked her knuckles and looked down at him with a challenging look.

“Ax, sword, halberd, hooves, among other things. The training is pretty diverse.” He rattled off as he examined the setting and weighed how likely he was to win.

“Diverse enough to take on me?” She asked, taking on a stance as she watched him prepare.

“Let’s find out.” He said with a challenging smirk. Getting ready to charge, he sheathed his ax in favour of a dull stone one she forged for the duel. As her men began placing new bets, Braeburn’s detail watched on in anticipation, ready to see the extent of his training and how easily he’d best one of these strange outlanders.

With a guttural warcry, she rushed him with a stone shield and club raised, only barely missing him as he sidestepped and retaliated with a blow against her side. The duel would go on for quite awhile, ending with the two bruised and lightly wounded. Although Braeburn won the first bout, Snowfall demanded a rematch and he eagerly accepted. They continued on like this, trading wins and losses, as their extended battle drew a larger and larger crowd. Though Braeburn and Snow were each far too engaged by a proper duel against a challenging foe to focus on the white noise.

With little else to do, time dragged on as the assembled Equestrians milled about, looking for a way to distract themselves. Some simply watched as the two commanders dueled and some joined in the spirit, using the other sparring grounds. Although she watched from the distance, Rainbow Dash found the spectacle enthralling; the refined combat styles of gold-plated knights and the focused, savage strength of the outlanders giving her inspiration for some flashy, impractical moves of her own. A few Earth Ponies took the time to smell the flowers and to examine the alien greenery. Applejack, in particular, was fascinated with all the unusual plant life, while Fluttershy was content with how pretty everything was. Although Pinkie was more interested in just how tasty a glowing daisy might be, Rarity was relieved to find somepony else who was interested in the applications it could be used for. When she returned to Ponyville, she thought, she’d have a cavalcade of new designs.

Spike was simply glad to have somewhere shady to rest and eat a quartz or two, though the irritated noises and hoof-tapping sounds emanating from Twilight’s side of the tree would always stop him from drifting off to sleep. The occasional grunts and groans grew in volume and annoyance as their unwanted rest extended.

“Are you in pain or something? Cause you’re groaning an awful lot there.” Spike asked, finally losing his patience with her huffing.

“No...Just bored. I’ve already written, formatted, read and reread my whole report to Princess Celestia at least a dozen times now...How long does it take to repair one of those things anyway?” She explained, placing her head in her hoof and blowing a few loose strands of hair out of her face as she looked down to her assistant. For all its splendor, Twilight was incapable of dropping her guard while in the magical glade. Behind any of the countless bushes, a possible bandit, behind that vine-covered tree, a potential Changeling knight. All its beauty was incapable of masking the fact it resided in enemy territory.

“I don’t know, but from all the swears those engineers were grumbling, it sounds like it’ll take awhile longer. Hey, why don’t you try to relax or something? Read a book maybe?” Spike suggested, shrugging as he dropped what was left of his snack in his mouth and shattering it audibly.

“I didn’t think I’d have time to get any reading done while on a highly important mission, if I’d known we’d spend it frolicking with these Ponies-”

“People.” Spike corrected.

“With these people,” Twilight emphasised, “I’d have just taken the whole castle library…But it's unwise to spend this much time in enemy territory.” She mumbled, upset at her bumbling mistake in not being able predict things would go sideways somehow.

“I don’t know…From how your soldiers are treating these guys, it looks like they could just be any other nation’s guards and not some desert raiders. Honestly, they seem pretty normal as far as hostile forces go...If you ignore the fact that Chrysalis and her drones are somewhere inside the castle.” Starlight shrugged with a smile, trying to lessen her friend’s sour mood. “Good thing Alistair seems not to want us dead.”

“For now! I mean, you heard him, he despises the Princess! How can we not expect him to attack us the second we least expect it?” Twilight all but shouted, amazed anypony could forget that little detail.

“Maybe he’ll simply stay in his castle and brood? Sounds like he just wants to be left alone, more than anything else.” Starlight retorted, hoping for once an old enemy of Celestia’s wouldn’t be out for blood.

“Right, because none of the Princess’ other enemies are the vindictive, or scheming, types. He’s friends with Chrysalis for Luna’s sake!” She snapped, causing her guards and a few of Alistair’s men to look at her.

“You got me there...But, I don’t think pulling my hair out stressing over an attack that may not come will make anything better. Hey, why don’t we go look at the new flower species? We might find a family of flora that’s never been seen by modern Equestria?” Starlight tried to coax Twilight into exploring with her, her inflection hopeful as she smiled and nudged her.

“No...No, I think I’ll just rest here for however long we have left.”

“Oh come on! The rest of your friends are getting along with these guys fine-”

“They’re what? Why are they doing anything with these ponies? We need to be ready to leave as soon as possible, not relaxing with the enemy! Where’s Braeburn? I want to make sure we’re ready to go.” She asked, looking around for the stallion in question.

“Sparring, my Princess.” Thunderclap answered, surveying the gardens with a suspicious look, sharing her Princess’ concerns.

“What.”

“‘I’m gonna make that loud mouth eat her words. I’ll show her that I’m not a backseat Commander,’ were his exact words before he got punched in the face by that Diamond Dog conjurer, my Princess...Should I get him for-” She quoted, stoic as ever, before Twilight cut her off.

“No, no, it’s fine, it’s fine!” She said, sarcasm dripping from every word as she stood upright and walked off, sighing loudly. “It’s fine! Really, it’s not like we’re literally in an immortal, angry Demigod’s castle grounds! What’ve we got to worry about?!” She barked, finally done with everything as she stomped off. Although Spike and Starlight chased after her in an attempt to calm her down, they found it difficult to follow the disgruntled Princess and she eventually disappeared from their sights.

For a while, she simply stomped around, griping about the whole situation. In time, she came to rest near a calming, tranquil pond and absentmindedly ate a few normal looking daisies. Just as she figured she’d better return to the group, she felt a pulse from within the castle, like a heartbeat. It was low, almost inaudible, but she could feel it in her bones. It felt like a wave of power, small but invigorating. As it pulsed, she felt like it was calling out to her, luring her into the castle. Looking towards the origin of the pulse, she noticed a wooden door, which had seemingly just appeared, blow open, as if beckoning her inward. Though it was covered in vines and clover, she could’ve sworn that it wasn’t there before. The dark and dingy wood contrasted so heavily with the white wall of stone and spotless windows, it would’ve been impossible to ignore, yet somehow it was there, clear as day.

Against her better judgement, she walked up to it and looked through the door frame, seeing only an empty hallway. Activating a simple spell to detect living things, she cautiously walked through and looked around. The floor was covered by a long, blue and yellow carpet with strange writing and depictions of otherworldly things; the windows to the left illuminated the hall and at the far end was the only other door. The thumping sense of power came from the other side of the massive door. Scanning the barren hall as she trotted forward, she was aware of two things. One, there was nothing here: no Ponies, no Changelings, not even a bug or rodent. No living thing could be detected, apart from herself. Two, it was deathly silent. As if stepping into another world, the sounds of splashing water, a gentle breeze, and idle banter gave way to the soft sounds of her hoofsteps on carpet and the low rumble and increasing noise of her own heartbeat. She wasn’t scared, but anxious, anticipating a possible trap of some kind. Whatever was on the other side of the door, must be beyond compare to invoke such a sense of might. Tentatively, and with a pensive caution, she approached the stone door. It was inscribed with countless distinct but illegible symbols, combined with the occasional gem embedded in the door, to create such marvelous patterns that she doubted even Rarity had envisioned anything close to it. There were no handles, yet as she approached, it opened ever so slightly.

Looking through the slight crack between the doors, she gasped in wonder. Entering the chamber, she found herself stepping into what could only be described as a maze of times and artefacts loosely forming a library. Rows upon rows of books lined the walls; some led into darkened corners of the chamber, while some curved around or simply ended, before creating new pathways to more expansive shelves or counters. Under the protective barriers of multiple glass screens were numerous objects and relics. Some were peculiar, albeit easy to recognise, a dagger made from obsidian, a particularly ancient book, an orange, jagged gem of staggering proportions, yet many more were so esoteric they seemed unreal. A floating orb of purple light that seemed to follow her with unseen eyes, a bland stone sword sheathed in shimmering parchment, a mass of ooze that would randomly fluctuate in shape and size, texture and colour before returning to an amorphous blob, and the skull of what must’ve been a hideous Minotaur. Despite the bizarre objects proudly displayed on pedestals and the seemingly endless shelves, the library had an atmosphere that was equal parts comforting and exciting. It was a new and promising experience, yet there was a peaceful aura that promised only protection and newfound knowledge, or, more precisely, rediscovered knowledge.

Suppressing her rapidly growing smile, Twilight made her way through the winding pathways, stepping between shelves and examining particularly interesting artefacts as she made her way to the center of the room. There were tomes ranging from truly arcane, the covers crackling with magical flames or chilled to the touch from an unseen cold, to a simple cookbook or presumably a Human fantasy novel. What surprised her, perhaps more than the vast collections of books, were the artefacts. Some seemed Equestrian in origin, such as a thick, antiquated set of silver armour bearing Princess Luna’s royal emblem. One set was obviously built for an Equestrian, but it was paired with what she assumed was a Human set as well! Could Humans and Equestrians have served in either country’s military forces long ago? The thought seemed absurd: a non-Equestrian serving in the Royal Guards? Yet it was clearly a precursor to the modern armaments of the Guards.

Before she could ponder the matter further, she stepped into the small clearing in the center of the room and came to an abrupt stop. There, seated at a wooden table covered end-to-end in scrolls and books, sat Alistair. At first, she assumed he was reading something of interest, yet the more she looked at him, she realised he wasn’t reading anything. Whatever was in the tattered book he held, it had his full, unwavering attention, as he stared at it, never blinking or looking away. His mouth moved as if he were muttering an incantation or spell, yet no sound came out and no spell took form. Despite standing just a few meters in front of him, Twilight went unnoticed as he continued to stare at the pages, mouthing some unheard conversation. Though his eyes shone brightly enough to illuminate his features, they looked so…Hollow. Void of love or hatred… Just an emptiness that unnerved her to her very core. Against her better judgement, she coughed loudly to gain his attention.

Snapping up and staring at her, she watched his features turn from shallow emptiness to pure malice to, finally, surprise. His eyes dimmed rapidly as well, returning to their normal two-coloured state. He seemed surprised more than anything, hastily shutting his book and leaning forward in his chair.

“How did-? You’re not supposed to be here.” He started, before simply stating the matter.

“I’m sorry, I just, I felt this strange aura, then this door suddenly appeared in the gardens, and the door was open so I-” Twilight began, suddenly fearful she’d incurred his wrath, only to be interrupted by a confused Alistair.

“The gardens? This study is on the twenty second story. How-...Ah, I see. For whatever reason, the Archive wanted you to come here...Old thing needs to learn to be less trusting.” He explained, now more irked than confused. “Well, I guess it would be impolite to kick you out after the building let you in so willingly...So, welcome to my private study.” He said, masking his displeasure with a thin smile and a sweeping gesture to his numerous shelves. “I doubt it has any modern writings or spells, but I’m sure there’s you could find something interesting.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” Twilight responded, puzzled by his sudden change.

“Please, don’t mention it, to anyone.” He dismissed with a wave of his hand and a resigned sigh, seemingly too uncaring about getting rid of her. “Don’t take anything from those two shelves. Unless you can read Old Valtic, it’ll seem like gibberish and those two rows are filled with dark tomes. Many, though I can't remember which, need to be exorcised before reading. Also, that third row is full of holy texts; unless you have a deity whose powers you wish to invoke, they won’t be of any particular use. Everything else should be safe to read...Oh, and not that row, blood magic and flesh-moulding tomes aren’t exactly light reading material, especially not for the squeamish.” Alistair pointed out the aisles he deemed unwise for her to peruse, the final one in particular giving her a strong sense of unease, so she decided to go into what she hoped was a much safer one. Most of the tomes and books were unreadable, written in an unknown language, she assumed it was the one Alistair mentioned, Old Valtic; yet, strangely enough, there were several written in Equestrian. It was an old dialect and most of the writing and words were faded, but she could understand it for the most part. When she turned back to the center of the room, hoping to find a table or at least a soft spot to rest on the floor, she saw there was another chair at Alistair’s table, opposite his position.

It all seemed...Strange. They were isolated from the rest of her friends and his allies, he knew the layout of the castle and if he wanted to, she felt like he could seal them inside the room and strike her down here and now...So why wasn’t he? Why was he letting her just sit at his table and read one of his books? Why was he being so amicable despite her being his enemy? She tried not to think about it, trying not to let him know her thoughts, and instead focused on the ancient book. It was quite the enthralling read, it outlined the early diplomatic relations between Equestria and the Valetorian Empire, highlighting the early conflicts and uneasy truce when the ‘Black Winter’ arrived. The wording was strange and the outdated language made sentences read more like code than anything else, but she felt like she could understand most of it. Despite this, she found her thoughts drifting further and further away from the historical recounts and more to her current situation. So, hoping she wouldn’t accidentally provoke the Mage, she struck up a conversation.

“So...The Archive is nice.” She stated, smiling awkwardly as she tried to break the ice. Alistair grunted in agreement, clearly invested in whatever he was reading. Every now and then he would pick up his quill, dip it in his sapphire inkwell and write, or perhaps edit, something.

“If I may ask, why do you talk about it like the building is alive?” She asked, looking up from her tome, as he put his down to look at her.

“How should I explain this...What do you know of magical springs and ley lines?”

“Well, springs act as a source of primal magic that have existed long before civilization as we know it. Druidic circles and ancient covens were often built around them, some went so far as to worship them as manifestations of divine power. They’re unrefined and untamable, but extremely powerful. Most scholars believe there are none left on the entirety of the Equis continent.” Twilight began, rattling off what she remembered of the topic getting a small nod from Alistair. “Ley lines are similar, but less centralised. Supposedly there are veins of power that flow through the world and in certain spots, these veins bleed magic out into the physical world. There are very few discovered spots within Equestria, though the few locations that have been discovered are located within the Everfree forest and deep below Canterlot Castle. Accessing them is seen as foolhardy, given their surroundings, but many would-be Druids and Mages often set out on expeditions to draw out this power.” She finished, impressed she remembered so much about the druidic magics despite never taking much of a liking to it.

“Very good, glad to see there are some elements of my world is still lingering around. Yes, magical springs are often seen as untamable but in truth it is less about taming and more about coexisting with it. The original founders of the Archive, a rebellious sect of scholars who followed the nomadic dragons, found one such wellspring deep, deep underground. They used it as a conduit of power and although at first the relationship between the Archive and the spring was...vitriolic, in time, the two would rely on each other. As the Archive expanded so too did the spring’s control of the land. The Archive itself became an extension of the spring. If we needed a new wing or library constructed, all we needed to do was ask. If renovations were in order, we would break the whole room down and rebuild from scratch in a day.” He explained with a small smile, running a hand along the side of the marble sculpture next to him. “Although it may be hard to work with at times, it is truly a great friend and research partner. In a sense, the Archive is a living thing; though some would say it is more like a puppeteer controlling a marionette. Regardless, this old building has a life of its own, evident by how you split past my guards and headed straight from the gardens to the twenty second floor.” He explained matter of factly, giving a short lecture about the origins and strange properties of the Archive.

“That’s...Quite fascinating.” Twilight admitted, surprised by his explanation as she became engrossed with the conversation. “You don’t fear the Archive could turn on you?”

“Why would I? The Archive wants students and archivists to aid in expanding and controlling claimed grounds, it can’t do too much against an invading force alone and without students to link with it, it isn’t quite as powerful. The relationship between the Hierophant and the Archive is symbiotic and deeply meaningful. The most the Archive has ever done with malicious intentions is lock a door or two, or drop a book on my head. Now, if you were to cause problems, well, that would be another story entirely. There was this one incident where a Minotaurian chieftain came to try and persuade us to lend him a few dozen War Mages for some personal vendetta. When I refused to lend a single coin, he threatened to come back and personally rip my head from my body. He was quite lowly, barely an adult by Minotaur standards, and only gained his position through regicide. A poor tactician with a history of rash, impulsive actions. If he did try to siege the Archive, not only would he have to trek through the whole of Val as a recognised military threat, but he’d also have to fight a literal uphill battle in an unpredictable environment. So I thought nothing of it and let him leave; I assumed the Archive would as well. So you can imagine my surprise when he opened the door that would normally lead back out into the hallway outside the war room, only to instead find himself falling several dozen stories into a pond.” He rattled off the story with a mirthful grin. Although she knew it was meant to be an example of why she shouldn’t cause problems while within his grounds, she did find the mental image quite humorous as well.

“Did he-?”

“Die? No. He broke several bones, which I graciously healed for him. At most, he left with a bruised ego and a short, but firm, reminder not to threaten a Lord in his own keep. He did not come to personally rip my head off, and made it a point to avoid me in the future.” He concluded, answering her question before she could ask. His smile disappearing as he began writing something down again.

“That’s...Interesting…” Twilight said, finding the implications of a living building interesting, but also worrying, for what it would do to her if she started acting out of turn.

For a while, the two sat there in silence, Twilight pondering what to ask and how to word it and how Alistair would react, while he continued to write something down, only looking up while deep in thought.

“So, how exactly did you come to meet Queen Chrysalis? She’s not the most approachable Changeling I’ve met. In fact, I think she’s made more attempts on my life than any other villain I’ve met.” Twilight asked, rubbing the back of her head hoping it wasn’t a touchy subject.

“The same way I met the Princesses; we all shared a similar goal and ran into each other through happenstance. She needed a source of love, we needed more man power and someone who could actually sneak around. Turns out an armour-plated pony warrior, two mages, a Minotaurian paladin, and a Human knight aren’t masters of stealth.” He began, conjuring a simplistic, cartoonish depiction of the band of heroes. “She was about as prickly and cold as a icicle spear, and was blunt with her displeasure and disdain for everyone. Everyone aside from me. At first, it was more or less a trainer-trainee relationship. She taught me how to wield a shortsword to counter my vulnerability in close quarters combat and how to utilise my magic for trickery and underhanded attacks. I taught her about world history or any other topic she desired to know about. Initially, she was quite hostile to me as well, but as it turns out, underneath her stony exterior laced with poison was an equally rock hard interior, though with less poison. When we’d returned to our respective realms hailed as champions, she went on to succeed her mother and, much to my own surprise, didn’t immediately begin raiding and subjugating the other nations and races. Turns out she might’ve learned a lesson or two in friendship and respect along the way, though I doubt she’d admit it.” The depiction changed to just Alistair and Chrysalis, the two back-to-back fighting off a nondescript mass of monsters. “We became friends, as much as two rulers from far off countries can be, and she proved herself time and time again...If what I’ve been told is correct, after I was deposed by Celestia, she took in my surviving followers…” He seemed morose, eyes glazed over, filled with thoughts and emotions. “For what it was worth, it was good to know there was someone still standing by me in my last days…She’s changed. It’s quite obvious that the eras have not been kind to her...Don’t think they’ve been kind to anyone...Still, she dropped everything and helped me when I came for aid, she continues to stand by me in battle, continues to simply be there...I know she is a volatile Changeling Queen capable of cruelty and with a cold, tactile approach, unlike any an Equestrian or even Human I’ve yet seen… Unmatched in intellect among her sisters and unparalleled when challenged directly. She has a deep loathing for most everyone, if I had to fear assassination from most of my family, I’d naturally be distrusting and considering the usual foreign policy for dealing with Changelings is to wipe them out, I’d also be xenophobic. Still, she has shown a kinder, honest side towards myself, my sister and even the Princesses a long, long time ago...I hope she’s still the Changeling I know.” Alistair finished. It was strange for Twilight to hear him talk about Chrysalis in a kind way, as if endeared to her. He was aware of her vindictive ways, but saw beyond that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anypony say anything quite as positive about her as you. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anypony speak positively about her at all till now.” Twilight admitted, pondering his words with a thoughtful expression. This got a chuckle out of him, a brief smile appearing as well.

“I assure you, I’m the only person who would speak kindly of her. My master thought it insane, befriending a Changeling Queen trained in subterfuge, and my apprentice would often accuse me of suffering a brief lapse in judgement or bout of madness whenever I would invite her over for a political matter or even something more casual...Perhaps it is insane to let her get as close as she did, but after what we went through, I guess I had to be a little mad. Friends, true friends, are hard to come by when you’re as old and powerful as I, and I know her to be a true friend.” He spoke with such clarity, such honesty and admiration, that she found herself believing him.

“My assistant Spike once made friends with a Changeling drone, Thorax was his name. We all thought he was being lied to, tricked by Chrysalis or being set up for something. Even after Spike proved him to be a friend, a Changeling who didn’t want to live his life leeching off other Ponies, I had my doubts. It wasn’t til-”

“This wouldn’t happen to be the same Thorax who took a large chunk of Chrysalis’ hive and rebelled against her? Yes, she told me a lot about her least favourite drone, mostly about what she’ll do when she finds him, but she did mention the whole ordeal.” He quickly cut her off, remembering her ranting tirade and the few useful bits of information he was able to discern from her bloody threats. “Don’t tell Chrysalis I said this, but I’m glad to see more people finding ways to live alongside Changelings that isn’t a parasitic relationship based around deceit. This Spike of yours sounds like a wise and kind man.”

“He still believes Windigos snatch up bad foals on Hearth's Warming Eve.” She told him, smirking at the idea of Spike being described as wise.

“Well, wisdom comes in many forms, as my master would say.” He shot back. As another small smile adorned his features, Twilight had to remind herself she was dealing with a foe, an openly hostile element. Someone who so deeply despised Princess Celestia. So why was she finding him so agreeable? Likable? She reminded herself to dislike him, and Alistair heard her remind herself. His smile vanished once more, and he went back to his journal.

Time passed in silence. Eventually, she’d lose interest in the book she was reading and Alistair finished writing. He looked at her with interest and struck up a conversation.

“Before you became an Alicorn, you were a Unicorn of renown, yes?” Alistair rhetorically asked, already knowing the answer. “Tell me, what has become of magical theory in the modern day? I hope the path of knowledge hasn’t become retrograde in my absence.” Alistair requested to know. He wanted to test her, to see what she knew of magic, but also found himself giddy at the notion of newfound research.

“Huh...That’s a...That’s a pretty broad question…” Twilight said simply, formulating a suitable and concise summary of the modern academic field. “The Equestrian Magi Circle continue to see themselves as the height of knowledge, and they’re certainly trying to live up to such a lofty title. Many old theories about the nature of magic often find themselves debated endlessly; some Mages believe the idea of an everpresent field of magic is riddled with holes, some think the idea that magic is purely soul-fueled can be easily countered, and many see the idea of friendship powering anything to be ludicrous. They're focused more on the philosophical and introspective nature of magic, that is to say, endless debates and pontificating. This has caused a lot of independent Mages to see them as a bunch of old Unicorns arguing about nothing. However, their practises and field studies are something to behold. They’ve revolutionised the field of teleportation, incorporated the innate powers of Earth Ponies and Pegasi to improve farming and weather control, and pioneered the modern school of medicinal magic. They might not be as powerful as their founders, but their findings are immensely helpful for all of Equestria.” She rattled off a brief description of the predominate Mage Circle in Equestria with no small amount of respect, smiling at the memories of learning the basics alongside them.

“Pragmatic and scholarly, not the best of companions, but you couldn’t find a better opponent for a debate. Some things never change I suppose.” Alistair responded, a nostalgic look in his eyes as he remembered the long, tense, and often loud arguments he’d find himself in, loving every minute of those heated debates. “Have they debunked Topaz Tower’s magic moral paradox yet? It was old hat long before I became Hierophant.”

“Hardly. If anything, the return of so many old, evil figures from history has added fuel to their fire. Some say their continual defeat proves that magic favours the righteous, whereas some point to the numerous forbidden schools of magic as proof that magic can quite easily lean towards the side of evil.” Twilight scoffed at the mention of the ancient paradox about the nature of morality and magic.

“Personally, I’ve never found discussions of good and evil all that interesting. Magic doesn’t care about a Mage’s moral compass, but that’s just my opinion.” He shrugged at her summary of the paradoxical discussion and how the modern scholars discussed it. “Now then, what of the Griffins?”

“What of them? It’s not like they suddenly discovered how to manipulate or use magic in the last few thousand or so years.” She found his mention of the Griffins strange, but figured he was going somewhere with this.

“True, but they’re intelligent enough to work around their magically-defective nature. When Humanity discovered the basics of magic, the Griffins discovered the secrets of metallurgy.”

“Well, socially and magically, not much has changed. They still fight amongst themselves and never have a permanent capital or leader, but economically and technologically, they’ve exploded. I don’t think anypony saw the discovery of grimon coming, or how it’d completely change their nation from a relatively impoverished splatter of towns and warrior bands to a country of forges, metal, and armies. Grimon is the blood of kings and peasants alike, as the merchants and grimsmiths like to repeat.” Twilight began, letting out a whistle as she tried to figure out how to sum up their growth.

“What’s grimon?”

“It’s a green crystal found originally at the Grim Coast, though they’re finding more and more veins. It’s not much on its own, but when it’s introduced to fire or magic, by Celestia, does it show its true colours. It’s a conduit of power, pure and simple. A single crystal can power a carrier for weeks, a shard can boost a Unicorn’s natural powers, and if it’s broken down into a powder and mixed in with their new weapons...Well, let’s just say that many generals across the world are rethinking their siege tactics, now that a barrage of grimon infused ammunition can level castles. As you can imagine, everypony wants it and the Griffins have a monopoly.” Twilight explained, causing Alistair to raise a brow as he pondered what he could do with a mine or two.

“I take it there are those who don’t want to simply buy something so precious?”

“You could say that. You could also say that warfronts are determined by trade routes; Minotaurs raid caravans and cargo ships, Changelings try to take over entire mines, Dragons scorch towns to get what they can. If the Griffins hadn’t discovered how to weaponise it so quickly, I shudder to think what could’ve become of their homeland. Despite the constant need to stay vigilant and defend themselves, they’re prosperous and raking in all the bits, gems, and treaties they can. For the time being, the world has its eyes on them and they are well aware of that.” She was audibly excited at the prospects of such a resource, and she could tell Alistair shared her fervor at the thought of such might.

“The God’s good graces…” He was speechless, eyes wide and a faint grin as he began scheming and preparing his new research projects and theories. “What of the other races?”

“Well, I’m no expert, but I know a little here and there. The Minotaurs haven’t changed from their reaving roots much, but they’ve tapped into something primal when it comes to their powers. It’s like divine powers, mixed with the ferocity of nature. I’ve never seen it myself, but if the reports and tales are true, their druids are masters of magic. The Zebra tribes have never been keen to share their secret practises, but the increasing hostility amongst their own tribes and against the other races has driven many tribes to flee wherever they can to stay alive. Some tribes disappear, some thrive, and some resort to...Less savoury methods to stay intact. It’s...Honestly tragic, seeing so many displaced and despairing people. They have nowhere to go and no home to claim. Still, some of them have adapted to the new world. A lot of powerful Mages have separated from their tribes and have begun sharing their knowledge in exchange for whatever they need. Many witch doctors and shamans, as they call themselves, have joined the Equestrian Magi Circle and, although alien and strange, their understanding of nature medicine and primal magic is unlike anything else. They’re trying to rebuild and, thankfully, many are thriving. The Changelings, Dragons, and the other races...? Can’t really say. It’s hard to have diplomatic discussions with any of them, and a lot of their world is completely unknown. I mean, it was a surprise to me to learn there even was a Changeling homeland and I doubt I’ll learn any big revelations about their society or magic anytime soon. I think you could teach me a whole lot more about them than I could teach you.” Twilight had little to say about the rest, but it was enough to satisfy Alistair. He seemed deep in thought, contemplating everything she’d told him with an intensity he saved just for ancient lore and new found paradigms. He needed to learn all he could about the new world and this was one hell of a crash course.

Once more, silence grew as Alistair retreated deeper into his mind, wordlessly strategising and theorising. All the while, Twilight watched him, enraptured by this strange man. On the surface, he seemed quite charming and she would love to keep discussing the world or the ancient mysteries of arcana with him, but she felt something deeper within him that caused her to hesitate: an intense hate she found disquieting. Her thoughts wondered, and she found herself thinking about how it all came to this point. She had heard what the Princess said, yet Alistair was nothing like she’d expected, so how did he end up like this?

“I did what I thought was right.”

“Pardon?”

You’re thinking, ‘why does he hate Celestia so much?’ Well, it’s quite simple. Look around; the ashes are your answer. Valetoria was at a breaking point, I had to make a choice, and I refused. I refused the Emperor’s call to arms and I refused to side with my sister in the war. I refused Chrysalis’ suggestion to leave and I refused to side with the Princesses in whatever asinine plan they were brewing. I began looking into the reasons behind the war. I began looking for the strings, whether they were there or not. I looked for the diplomatic and magical reasons. I looked inside and out of my borders. I looked everywhere for an answer. I refused to believe this was how it would end...Everything we’d done...Everything we’d worked for...The friends we lost, the kin who’d died in our places...The sacrifices we made...I refused to let it end in a pointless war. I just needed more time...I needed time to think, to formulate a plan, to prepare...And she went back on everything she’d promised. She had promised not to intervene, not to get involved in a Human problem, not to make things worse...And then, she did the worst possible thing she could’ve done. She attacked while my sister was vulnerable, forced her on the defensive and took the war to our soil...She single-handedly shifted the tide of the war... She knew all of our strategies. She knew what we would not let fall and what we could sacrifice...She exploited our long history to end a war she had no stake in...In the name of peace, she destroyed my homeland, razed my ancestral house, and murdered my sister...So, I retaliated. She forced my hand, foolishly thinking I could rationalize something so monstrous. So I fought back. By the Gods did I fight! I even tricked myself into thinking I could force her out of the North. Yet, turns out all I could do was hold her back for a while. After a few months, it became clear she held the North. I'd lost too many men, I was low on supplies and morale, and I was forced to retreat back to the Archive. As I tried to figure out how to hold her off, she wasted no time catching up to me. She had the numbers, the support of her people and I... I became desperate...I did everything I could...I broke vows, burned bridges, and went above the law. I did everything I could get away with...I did what was right!...Yet I didn’t do enough.” He looked through Twilight, towards an unseen horizon, watching an encroaching flame only he could see. “She cut me down in single combat, and with the last vestiges of my power, I sealed the Archive. I believed that if not I, then someone would lead in my stead. Dawnstar, Chrysalis, Golden Hammer, an aspiring apprentice, or a noble knight...Someone would succeed me. I was just another stone in the path that all the Hierophants before me paved and I accepted my death. And then I came back. I came back to nothing. Bleakness and silence. Everything was all for nothing. My life, my struggles, my death, it all achieved nothing...Just prolonged the inevitable death of a once unconquerable empire. Celestia ended the war by ending Humanity. She made her choice when she stepped across the border with an army and a sense of righteousness and she committed to it, to the bloody end. Did she still have that sense of right when she burned Lion’s Den to the ground? Did she still believe she was the hero when she sank my sister’s sword into my chest? Did she regret it, does she still?” He asked out loud, eyes downcast and mind elsewhere. He let out a heavy sigh, “...Doesn’t matter, her feelings change nothing. It doesn’t matter what she does or says, she can’t undo something of this magnitude. She can’t make up for killing my sister, for destroying the Valetorian Empire...I understand you’re one of her followers. If you’re worried I’ll do something to you or your friends, don’t. Killing innocents, harming bystanders just to get back at her...It’s not right...She wouldn’t…” He seemed to struggle to keep talking, shaking softly and closing his eyes as he stopped himself and let out a pent up breath. “I refuse to resort to such craven actions just to get even.”

“I...I knew what the Princess told me...I understood at the time that she did something terrible but...I didn’t realise…” Twilight tried to articulate her thoughts, shaken by such a raw and honest answer to her most pressing question. “I thought…”

“That I was a raging, cackling monster who would stop at nothing? Consumed by rage? Oh, I have more than enough anger to fuel me, should she come after me for whatever reason she concocts, but right now, I’m more or less just...Figuring out how to rebuild from something this devastating...Well, I’m immortal still, so I guess I have all the time in the world.” He tried to joke, his tone shifting from serious to light hearted in a vain attempt to appear calm. His eyes held a deep pool of anger, but Twilight could tell there was more than just rage in there.

“I don’t think she wants to-”

“Trust me, I once presumed her thoughts and it cost me everything. She may seem unlikely to do much of anything right now, but give her time and she’ll find some reason to act “for the greater good”. I can’t predict her thoughts, just read them, and I know her well enough to tell you, the second she believes I’m a threat, she will come back.” He interrupted, his smile shifting to something strange. It was a knowing smile filled with condescension and doubt, as if he found some sardonic pleasure in watching Twilight mimic words he once used to convince himself. Silently, she watched him for a while as he stood up and stretched, flexing his muscles and ruffling his robes, as he tried to breath life into his stiff bones.

“It’s strange, having to deal with your limbs falling asleep once more. I’m far more used to being a shapeless being...Now then, I’m sure your friends are looking for you and your builders should’ve repaired your construct. Come on, I’d hate to be a bad host and not see you all off.” He announced as he pushed his chair back into the table and picked up the faded, black book he had been writing in.

“Thank you for this...Enlightening discussion.” She thanked with a nod, choosing her words carefully as she still had not yet came to the conclusion on how to feel about their first proper talk.

“I needed the distraction, the Archive isn’t one for conversation.” He shrugged it off before continuing towards the doorway. “Oh! Yes, one more thing!” He said aloud, turning to face Twilight directly. “The Bibliotheca is, in a very loose sense of the word, a library and as the first new guest of some renown who holds an interest in Celestia’s and my history, I’d recommend this for some light reading.” He explained as he held out the tome he'd been writing in. It could’ve been as old as time for all Twilight knew, yet it was strangely well maintained. The surface was faded, more grey than black, and the writing was unreadable, but she knew that whatever was held within its pages was something she would find intriguing.

“There’s enough history between myself and the Princesses to fill a whole wing, triple it if you want to be thorough, but that right there is a good place to start. Try not to damage it; I don’t have much use for an old journal, but I’m still an Archivist at heart. If I get my diary back and it’s damaged, we’ll need to look up the exchange rate between a valatite coin and whatever Equestrians use these days to cover the damage.” He warned. The severity of returning a damaged book was not lost on Twilight, who carefully took it and tucked it under her wing.

“This is...Quite the responsibility. When do you wish to have it back?” She asked, keeping a strong grip on the tome as she feared the idea of damaging such a ancient book.

“Well, I figure that we’re bound to run into each other at some point in the future. Next time you’re in my neck of the woods, feel free to drop it off. No late fees, due to the fact that we’re not fully open for business just yet.” He answered with a grin and a nod, pushing open the double doors.

“Well, I’ll be sure-”

“Ah, Alistair, I see you’re playing nice with these vermin.” Chrysalis all but snapped as she appeared in the doorframe, her sudden appearance scaring Twilight as the Queen looked down at her with contempt and disgust. “Letting her walk away with one of your personal books? And here I was under the assumption that those were well guarded secrets that not just any naive child could get their hooves on.”

“What can I say, the Bibliotheca is under new old management. I figured that since Celestia is gonna get Twilight mixed in with our dirty laundry, she might as well read about it from a firsthand source.” He explained as he looked at Chrysalis, expecting her to step aside.

“And you don’t fear she’ll use it against you? Fear she’ll derive something of importance from it?”

“I hope she does find something meaningful in it; that’s why I’m giving it to her. ‘Sides, I’ve already lived through everything in there, and it’s all the early shit. The Golden Age, as a historian would put it, which I am. Now come on, I think when our guests see you, it’ll motivate them to get moving.” Alistair jested as he stood next to her with a cheeky grin. Twilight found it almost humorous when she jabbed him in the side of the stomach, but swiftly reminded herself that this was the same Queen who would gladly torture her to death, were Alistair not standing between them.

Using the same gateway back to the gardens, the three leaders were quite surprised to see the gathered groups had degraded even further into chaos. Although once calm and quiet, the brawls being bet on had expanded to most of the gardens, with fighters from the Royal Guards, the Changeling Forces and Alistair’s acolytes duking it out. The Changelings were most sparring amongst themselves, but every now and then, a member of the Archivists would approach them and challenge one or two, which would lead to quite the spirited duel. Those who weren’t fighting were sitting around relaxing in the shade, occasional bouts of raucous laughter or discussion erupting amongst them. The peaceable situation was interrupted, however, when Chrysalis rallied her soldiers and reminded them that they were supposed to be treating this as a serious deployment. Taking this as a cue, the rest of the men fell in line for their respective leader. The Equestrians made their way towards the carrier with Alistair and his men in tow. As they neared, they became aware of the engineers loud complaints.

“Seriously?! How do we repair this much shit with what we got?! This is buc-”

“Ahem, report, engineer Gear Grinder. I see the repairs are going well.” Braeburn yelled sarcastically over her cussing, causing the agitated brown mare to slam into the bottom of the carrier before hurrying out from under it to address her superiors. She was quite surprised to see her commanding officer bruised and happy, but she was mostly surprised that the strange, and supposedly hostile, bipedal creature was standing next to him.

“C-Commander! N-No sir! We’re experiencing major delays due to a lack of replacement parts and the sandstorm did a number on the undercarriage. We, uh, may be here for a while longer.” She reported, clearly stressed and upset, but still trying to look collected.

“Hmm...May I have a look?” Alistair asked, as he made his way to the carrier and began examining it. Before anyone could question his actions, he placed his palms on the broken-down box and a burst of magic pulsed from him. The gathered Equestrians were shocked and amazed at the brilliant display as they watched metal mend and snap into place. It wasn’t flawless, but it was damn near spotless, as bits and pieces reconnected, many seemingly appearing out of nowhere. In a matter of seconds, he did what the small number of engineers couldn’t.

“It isn’t perfect. Never worked on a construct of this scale, but I think it’ll get you from point A to point B. Now then, I believe you all have a town to return to, and you have a report to file, your highness.” He announced with a small, respectful bow as he gestured to the open bay door in the back and watched the soldiers embark.

There was little spectacle and no fond farewells, just politeness and a sense of tension as Princess Twilight watched the Archive and its walls fade away on the horizon. The sun was setting, purple haze darkening the shifting sands, dim lights illuminating the innards of the carrier. Soldiers struggled to stay awake, sleeping in shifts as they waited for Appleloosa to welcome them back. The faint click and clack of strained parts faded into the background like a faint, strained lullaby that worked in tandem with the drone of the engine, compelling Twilight to rest. Her friends had already gone ahead and fallen asleep, sleeping awkwardly while strapped into their seats. Twilight however, tentatively held Alistair’s journal in her hooves and eyed it intensely, as if interrogating it for answers.

She thought she’d be able to flip through a few pages and get the gist of the journal, then take a rest, content to leave the mystery for now. There would be time to dissect the taunting, inviting book at her own pace...The thought quickly derailed when she found herself unable to put the book down; she gave up her resistance and read its entirety.

Most of it was written in what she assumed was the native Human language, but she was shocked when she saw notes written in fresh ink between paragraphs, in headers, along the sides, and wherever space would permit. The language was Old Equestrian and, although dated poorly, it was legible and freshly written. Suddenly, paragraphs detailing life as a Hierophant’s apprentice were understandable, with Alistair’s Equestrian captions giving an insight into his life. Sketches and drawings of a band of adventurers and random monsters were contextualised; the book was given clarity and she was fascinated. Flipping far forward, she caught snippets of disgusting beasts, reanimated Humans, and depictions of Alistair before and after what he called ‘Ascension’. It was all fascinating. But then, she came across the Princesses. An entire section was dedicated to the Princesses. At first, the images were of their little band, then it was them all reunited after they had attained their powers. It was phenomenal seeing Celestia and Luna at such a young age, but something was strange about the pictures. In time, they would become far more casual and less regal-looking, shifting from depictions of the mighty heroes to Alistair laughing alongside the sisters. The three of them seemed so...Innocent, unaware, trusting. They were true friends. It made Twilight feel...Disheartened, like rewatching a tragic play and knowing all the sweet moments and romantic scenes were for nothing. Then, things became odd. Now, it was just Alistair and Luna. Twilight saw the two in the early days of their adventures; their ragged robes gave way to shining armour as the depictions slowly became more and more lively. She saw noble battles and rigorous research turn into two mages reading books, friends dueling, and fellow nobles discussing political matters with friendly banter. Seeing Princess Luna so laid back and peaceful was peculiar and unexpected, but not unwelcome. The pictures, drawings, and paintings continued on like this for quite a while. Together with the captions, they gave a slight look into Alistair’s life. Just as she was prepared to skip ahead and find something worth questioning, she came across one hell of an attention grabber.

It was a celebration that looked so joyous and lively Twilight could swear she heard the sounds of music and cheer. A painting showed countless Humans, Minotaurs, Ponies and Changelings in attendance, amidst a roaring party. A tall and imposing female Human stood beside Alistair, weeping with joy as she watched Alistair embrace a woman, an Alicorn, with unending passion. Celestia cheered on her sister, as Luna returned the passion and love tenfold. Their clothing was immaculate; her makeup and mane were done up like a blushing bride and Alistair looked like a prince, donned in a well-made, bespoke suit. They looked so alien to their real life counterparts. Stone exteriors gave way to unending love for each other, hateful eyes were instead filled with hope and tears. Future enemies stood alongside dead heroes, as they all cheered for what must’ve been a joke Alistair had created. The picture, the smiling enemies, their loving embrace, all a trick. She tried to believe Alistair was messing with her, playing some kind of unseen, psychological chess that was setting up something. Something, there had to be something telling about the picture. Something that showed it for the lie it was. But, the longer she looked, the less uncertain she was, as she examined every inch of the elaborately decorated halls, the faces of cheering friends and followers...It all felt so real. The only thing that looked out of place was Queen Chrysalis, who stood there in regalia. She smiled faintly, eyeing the pair with a subtle cheer. Reading the captions, she felt her blood run cold as her mind filled with questions.

‘The royal wedding between Alistair the Hierophant of House Leonas and Princess Luna of Equestria.’

Author's Notes:

So...Happy belated holidays? Okay...Yeah, I know I dropped the ball for several months and I'm sorry I went AWOL with no warning. TL;DR Life sucked and now it's sucking less. Full story, for several months I'd been dealing with a lot of complications at home with my family, general feelings of uselessness, struggling to find a job and deal with uni so I decided to temporarily slow down my writing just till things calmed down. Things didn't calm down. I'd been working daily for several weeks after getting a casual position, trying to find a way to make up for my abysmal uni results last turn and also finding a way to make things better on the home front though now that's impossible. A week or so ago I was told I'm getting kicked out of my house by my Dad and things looked pretty bad, as it is I'm currently living with some other family for the holidays. Thankfully since I'm a uni student with some money in the bank now I can afford on campus rent so I'm looking forward to not having to deal with a horrible living environment and although I'd been working on this chapter for several months, adding small bits here and there when I could, in the last few days I had a lot more free time and now that I'm moving into my own accommodations I should be able to find more time. Work is probably gonna keep riding my ass and when uni picks up again I can't slack off but for now I'm happy that things haven't been completely bad. I'm gonna try to release at least one chapter a month, but you all know me at this point and how my writing schedule(or lack there of) can be like. I'm saying any of this to try and make it seem like I didn't fuck up when it came to writing, because honestly I fucked up, but I just wanted to let you guys know I wasn't twiddling my thumbs in a dark room for five months.

I want to give major thanks to my editor again, Rest, without him writing and publishing my chapters would either take a lot longer or be of worse quality than it already is. He does it for free which is fucking insane to me, so I'm gonna keep thanking him whenever I can. If any of you see any fucks up we missed please point them out.

Happy New Years everyone, see you all in 2018!

-L.P.C Leprechauns Pissing Candy.

Some music that helped motivate me to write.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n55QVlBoDxI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWt5WB7wtJ0

I don't care what anyone says about Berserk, it's fucking awesome and the OST is stunning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnIo39YWQbU

Don't really like most of this guys stuff but something about this song reminds me of Alistair too much.