> Equestrian Conjurer
>  by Lunafan1k
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure about this, Archmage?” asked a hooded figure.

“Of course, when have I ever done anything I wasn’t sure about?” Replied the much shorter archmage.

“I can think of a long list of events which resulted in us running for our lives. Need I remind you about the ruins in the mountain with the invisible demon statues or the time you set off a trap and awakened the ancient guardians or the time-”

“Those were unforeseen complications which I had accounted for to some degree, as you can see my plan worked as you are here to complain about it.” The shorter figure interrupted. “Now get back to work, are the runes placed? How about the wards?”

“Of course Archmage, but my original question still stands, why are you taking instruction from a strange unknown entity in the first place? I've never seen anything like these runes, let alone on a grid as complicated as this. How do you know it will work?”

The shorter mage looked up at him, revealing a soft, unnaturally pale face framed by brilliantly white hair. Her eyes seemed to glow with magical prowess as she gazed with a dull expression. “Because he owed me, Konnor.”

“... How the hell did you get a creature like that indebted to you?” Konnor asked. He was a tall man with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a decent tan. He gazed down at her with a raised eyebrow, expecting some insight into the mysteries surrounding his old teacher.

“... I accidentally released him and convinced him it was on purpose.”

Konnor sighed with the weight of the world on his shoulders, “How the hell are you an archmage, Phie? I’m serious. You’re brilliant beyond anyone I’ve encountered but just the sheer… shenanigans that happen around you, it's impossible! You, are impossible!”

“... I find that mildly offensive. Name one thing about these so-called impossible ‘shenanigans’ you seem so keen on.” Phie replied, crossing her arms with a stern look.

“Fine. I’ll name you three. First, your staff. It has rings on the end. How the hell does it jingle like a series of small bells?” He pointed to the staff leaning against the wall. Almost as though it sensed the situation, it let out a small jingle.

“Magic.”

“Second. You were teaching a class and then started rambling about theoretical magics nobody has heard about, then you asked, ‘How was that?’ And then an extraplanar being nobody noticed was there gave you a thumbs up and disappeared.”

“He and I are good friends.”

“And third, a cyborg cornered you on the street and was about to kill you when a random truck turned into a mech and started fighting it. They leveled a city block and then they both seemingly vanished.”

Phie shrugged, “That was not my fault, they had been fighting and I got in the way. When it got rough I teleported them both ten miles under the ocean.”

Konnor gave her a flat look, “You can’t teleport things to a place you’ve never been.”

“Who said I’ve never been there?” Phie replied with a hint of a smile.

Konnor shook his head and motioned to the room, most of which was covered in loose paper with notes and runes scribbled on them, one being a list of groceries, the rest seemingly painted in chalk drawings. “Why are you doing this? Really? You've ruined my office.”

“Because this is the most excitement you’ve had in months. Besides, he promised that I would discover an entirely new branch of magic. I am duty bound to uncover all there is about this new magic, compile it, find a pupil to master it, and start another coven.” She said with a gleam in her eye.

“And that’ll be what, the tenth coven you founded?”

“That you know of.” Phie flipped through some papers and made some minor adjustments while Konnor just stared at her in incredulity. “Looks like it’s ready.”

“Right… Well. I can’t convince you otherwise can I?” He asked while he moved to his position.

Phie moved over to her own position in the mess of runes. “Then let us begin. I promise to write when I remember to if I'm not completely distracted.”

“I’ll just assume you’re fine and go about my day.” He replied.

Both mages began to channel their magical might into the runes, causing them to peel from the floor and rotate around Phie in a large sphere. Konnor soon lost sight of her as the magical energies encased her, glowing with a painfully bright light. As the spell neared its completion, he could have sworn her heard a disembodied chuckle and the snap of someone’s fingers as the spell, Phie, and all the notes winked out of existence. The only remaining note was one for more bread, eggs, and to inquire about the cost of hiring a mariachi band for reasons unknown.





“Discord, I know you have been reformed, but you still can’t just invite beings from another reality into the castle!” Princess Celestia scolded as the draconequus in question floated above a hammock, which was tied off on a pair of palm trees, which were also floating, in the middle of the throne room blocking the line of petitioners.

“But you and little Twilight taught me to repay my debts and to help out my friends. Besides Celestia, you enjoy helping ponies. This one just needs a bit… more.” Discord replied, looking at her from under his martini and sipping his sunglasses while casually placing an olive in an umbrella.

Celestia sighed, “While that may be true we can't be sure if this is going to be another ‘Smooze’ incident.”

“Oh please, o’l Smoozy needed some time off and he may have been a bit too excited. I can guarantee you’ll enjoy my other good friend.” Discord replied from the postcard of himself he had yet to take of himself in the hammock that was on an island beach.

“I suppose you won't tell me anything specific.” Celestia sighed, resigning herself to an unannounced guest of questionable origin.

“Oh of course not Celest- Oh! Do you hear that?” Discord cut himself off and snapped his fingers, vanishing from the throne room.

The next petitioner looked up at her from the far end of the room, warily glancing around. Princess Celestia motioned them forward, “Don’t be shy my little pony, I will hear your request now.”

The pony in question, a lime green mare with beets for a cutie mark, never was able to approach to ask her humble request, as the empty space was no longer empty. A bright ball of energy expanded into existence, scaring the mare into fleeing in terror.

A large number of guards rushed into the room to defend the princess, spears and shields lowered as the light grew brighter. Soon a strange shadow was seen standing within the whipping winds, eyes glowing orange as it seemed to regard them as insignificant. The winds slowly died down as what appeared to be odd sigils could be seen swirling around the figure. With a small, final gust of wind the magic was dispelled. The runes returned to powdered chalk and coating the guards, causing more than a few to cough and blink it out of their eyes.

“Ah!” They heard a female voice say with a start as well as the fluttering of paper. The guards recovered enough to see a robed, bipedal figure  scurrying around and snatching up loose leaflets of paper.

“Halt! Remain still creature!” one of the guards called out.

Said creature didn’t appear to hear or understand and was instead sorting through the papers and shuffling them around at a frantic rate. “What was after the eggs!?” It muttered to itself.

“Bah, I’ll remember it later. Maybe. Probably. Not likely.” It shoved the papers into it's clothing and finally started to look around with a calculating gaze.

“Don’t move!” Another guard demanded.

“Am I under arrest?” it asked.

“I said don’t move!” the guard called again, the creature pointedly ignored him as it held out it's tiny claw. There was a flash of light… and it was suddenly holding a stick.

Jingle! went the stick as she shook it once.

“... Alright arrest it.” The guards moved in to capture the strange being, but with another jingle it seemed to disappear into thin air. “Wh-what?”

“Poof.” It said dully, it's location being behind the throne gazing out the window. “Well this world may prove to be interesting after all. Going by the decor and weaponry it's about mid-fifteenth century or equivalent.”

“Guards, you may stand down, I think this is our guest.” Celestia commanded. The guards retreated to the sides of the room as she stood and approached the biped. She easily towered over it, though it was slightly taller than the average pony. It's glowing eyes were about level with her breastplate as it gazed up at her with a dull expression. “Is that right?” She asked.

“Hmm. Perhaps. If I was expected then I would be that guest, if not then I would be a surprise for the evening. Regardless, I am here for my own reasons, reasoning, and desires.” Its gaze seemed to pierce through her as it stared. “Hm. That’s new. Usually ancient beings are less… alive. You must be young.”

“I can assure you I am not a young mare.” Celestia replied.

Its tilted its head to one side and looked her over, its eyes wandering her form but always returning to focus on her own gaze. “I’m thinking around 1500 years. You live a life in the lives of others, you don't take everything too seriously yet you know when to be serious and cautious. You lived a life filled with pain and loss, sorrow and might, working hard to create a regime of peace and love. You hide it well but I’ve met demons and danced with devils, dined with the mighty and feasted with the brave. My eyes are keen, my wits sharp, and my magic strong.”

Princess Celestia could only stare as this creature seemed to stare through her and see past the mask of royalty. If she didn't know any better she would assume Discord had put it up to this.

“Oh, forgive me, I seem to have rambled aloud.” It said as it shifted its position a step back, “I am Archmage Phie of the Hidden Coven. What is your name young archangel?” jingle

Celestia blinked, “I am Princess Celestia, I rule over the day while my sister rules the night. I do not know what an ‘archangel’ is, but I, as well as my sister and a few others, are alicorns. And I'm only 1100 years old.”

“1250 years at the least.” Phie remarked, “Diarch leadership, Celestia, or Sol, for the sun and probably Luna for your sister, ruler of the night. Though I’ve never heard of a civilization that needed a ruler on the throne 24 hours a day. Either your people are incredibly dependent, the kingdom is under constant threat, or you are overcompensating for something. Perhaps a mistake of the past. Perhaps the throne is a comfort from childhood of how things once were, holding onto the past unable to let go and live for the future. Unable to find a meaning in this life unless one is instilled, ‘My people need me, I cannot leave for as they need me, so too do I need them.’ Perhaps...”

Celestia was beginning to feel uncomfortable in her unwavering, judging gaze. “I ask that you stop doing that at once. You have no idea what I or my sister have been through and I will not tolerate these accusations!”

“Can you see me, Celestia?” Phie asked in response. “Can you not see into my eyes, as I see into yours? I will speak of myself then, as I see I have spoken out of line. I am younger than yourself, I am only 516 years old. I am an elf, one of what is called the ‘fair people.’ I have spent my life learning and studying magic and history, going to great lengths to recover forgotten knowledge that lies in forgotten tombs of lost civilizations. My goal is to preserve history. In doing so, hopefully save the future from the same mistakes and atrocities. I have seen wars. The rise and fall of empires. I’ve met just about every kind of person or being I would care to encounter, and they all fall into predictable categories. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, but it is a habit and generally a test of extraplanar beings. If they can get into your head, you are at their mercy. It was a harsh lesson.” jingle jangle

“... Yes… Well of everything I was expecting today, you have surprised me with your unnatural insight and long windedness.” Phie smirked at the slight insult, “However, perhaps you would like some tea and we can wake my sister and have a discussion.”

“Tea sounds good.” Phie nodded.

“Proceed through that door, it's my private study. I’ll have a guard bring you some tea shortly.” Celestia said, pointing to a door that was already closing behind Phie, leaving jingle jangles in her wake.

“... She must really enjoy tea.” Celestia muttered. She motioned for a guard to deliver several teas and another to wake her sister. Once she was situated on her throne she continued her court duties while trying not to worry about what the occasional jingle from inside her study foreshadowed.





Princess Luna wasn’t sure what she expected when she teleported directly into her sister’s study, but it sure wasn't the sight of a strange biped surrounded by a pile of books reading several pages a minute while tea seemed to pour itself and the books were returned and selected several at a time.

“Ahem.” Luna cleared her throat to announce her presence. The being in question didn't even glance up as it responded.

"Ah, you must be Luna. You’re much more sparkly than I imagined.” It said. “Forgive me, but I am Archmage Phie of the Hidden Coven.” She said, snapping the newly completed book shut with a jingle, handing it to something which floated it back to where it belonged. She stood and approached her, her short stature not stopping her from seeming to demand eye contact.

Nothing was said between them as they stared into each other. Luna seemed to get lost in the endless depth of her orange eyes, as she stared they seemed to soften, hinting at a pain and loss, perhaps as deep as her own for just an instant, and like that it was gone.

Phie smiled slightly and placed a hand on her head, “Pat pat.” She said before returning to her chair and picked up another book.

Luna could only stare as Phie continued reading like nothing happened. She stood behind her and looked over her shoulder at the pages of the book she was reading. They were flipping of their own accord before she was able to make out too much on the page but she was able to see it was a history book covering the last few hundred years.

“I heard there was an interesting form of magic in this land.” Phie suddenly spoke up. Luna stood there silently as she reviewed the types of magic she knew to see if any could be what Phie was referring to. “But first I need to find out more about this world. This was more than a simple planar transition. This world is so far removed from my own…” She paused in her reading for a moment. “Perhaps there is no way back.” She resumed reading again. “Perhaps that’s for the best too.”

“So you are from another world?” Luna asked as she sat on a cushion as well. "And why would you presume remaining here is for the best?"

Phie paused again, “Another world?” and resumed reading. “It’s a possibility I will have to look into. This world is so far removed from my own world and plane, it would have needed to be quite a large displacement for the reality to change this drastically where the races are so far removed. It’s also possible that my coming here damaged the planar boundaries of both worlds.” She looked up at Luna, “Be on guard for things trying to worm their way in. As for why I feel remaining here is the better solution, well, perhaps I'll explain another time. Also I'm placing you at 1220 at the least.”

“What?” Luna asked, but Phie had returned to her book. Luna looked around a moment, soon noticing the books going back and forth without any sign of telekinesis. “Alright, I'll leave that subject to yourself for now. So… what magic is that you are using? It doesn't appear to be the usual form of telekinesis.”

“That’s an unseen servant. Think of a short invisible biped that obeys mental commands.” The tea picked itself up and poured some for Luna. “No idea what this tea is, which is fascinating in and of itself, but it is rather good.”

Luna sampled the tea, recognizing it as an extract of one of the flowers from the royal garden. “Thank you. And I must say, that is a new form of magic, what school is it from?”

“Conjuration. My specialty.” Phie responded. “It’s actually the only school I can actually use, though I am well learned in all of the schools. In order there is Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, and Universal, which doesn't fit into any category but can be used by anyone with any bit of magic.”

Luna nearly choked on her tea and forced down the coughing fit, “You know Necromancy?!”

“Know it? Of course I do. Can I use it? Not at all.” She replied calmly.

“You would seek knowledge of the most vile and evil of magic?! Why? For what gain? Nothing good comes from learning such evils!” Luna yelled out.

Phie looked at her over the book she was reading. “No magic is inherently evil. Evil is a concept invented by society to maintain order. On a grander scale, good and evil are two halves of the same whole, one cannot exist without the other. What I learned I can use to assist should a necromancer decide to become evil and I can counter it. I can show what it means to use such powers.”

Luna scoffed, “The powers of darkness care not for your alignment, to use them or learn of them corrupts the innocent.”

“Is acid evil?” Phie suddenly asked.

Luna thought for a moment, “... No, but it is dangerous.” 

“And with all dangerous things, must be handled with care. It is the same with magic, no matter the field.” Phie responded, returning to reading.

“...” Luna sipped her tea in silence for a moment, “So that aside, what is this type of conjuration? We had thought it simply parlor tricks to entertain foals or to assist with holding small objects like ink and quills.”

Phie slammed the book shut and stood with a jingle as though Luna had insulted seven generations of her family, a mad glint in her eye. “Conjuration is the best school, and I'm saying that out of bias! Conjuration is the art of manifesting objects, creatures, or some form of energy to me and my location! It also covers teleportation and dimensional travel through the planes!” Phie coughed and wiped the drool from her mouth.

“I see…” Luna hesitated, “It seems we are ignorant of some of this magic.”

“Of course you are.” A male voice said from nowhere. Luna jumped to her hooves while Phie didn't seem to notice. “It’s why I thought to bring her here after all. Well, one of the reasons.”

“The first being repayment for somehow releasing you.” Phie commented.

Discord popped into existence and sighed, “Yes, that. How ever did you find one of my artifacts way out in your corner of the galaxy anyway?”

Phie just shrugged while Luna rounded on him, “She freed you!? What-but-how? What?!”

“Calm down little Lulu, you’ll get a hernia.” He chuckled as her face turned beet red, “It was all just a happy little accident. As for why I invited her, well I was in her debt for releasing me far earlier than any of us thought. Then I learned about the ‘magic of friendship’ and figured that could be what she should learn and do with whatever it is sparkle-butt does, with the added bonus of teaching Equestria her conjuration magic, an as of yet fully discovered field.”

“So that’s the fine print.” Phie remarked. “I think that would be fun. What say you Celestia?”

Luna turned to see her sister standing in the doorway listening in. “How long were you there sister?”

Celestia finally stepped inside looking slightly embarrassed. “Unfortunately long enough to be noticed. So this was your great plan Discord? Magic for magic? Besides, our ponies know conjuration as Phie has defined it. We can teleport, after all, as well as conjure small objects, as you yourself stated.”

“Is that truly the extent of your knowledge in that field?” Phie asked as she stood once more. “Allow me to prove a demonstration of true conjuration. This is considered seventh tier magic. There are nine tiers that are known, and this is the highest tier I can cast at the moment. Make a space.”

Luna moved aside, dragging the coffee table along with her. She and the others watched as Phie held aloft her staff and began chanting, a holy light seemed to radiate from her body as she did, and with a small jingle tapped the butt of the staff on the ground. There was a bright flash, and there before them stood a creature far removed from any they had ever seen. The creature was bipedal, but appeared to have talons on its back legs while the torso was covered in feathers. It turned to Phie and spoke in a strange language that wanted to make her smile and dance, and Phie replied to it in kind with the light, ringing language like a mixture of bells and songs.

Phie addressed the others, “This is Ave, an Avoral from a good plane. Highly intelligent and very adept at combat. This is the power I wield, a far cry above whatever passes for conjuration in this land.”

“It… would seem we would have much to learn.” Celestia commented.

“Perfect. I have much to learn about this world as well. When do I start?” Phie asked as she offered tea to Ave, who declined.

“It appears I am not needed any longer. I will return to my own plane.” Ave spoke to them with the same strange wistful bell sounds. A moment later he vanished in a flash of light.

“I hope you appreciate him taking the time out of his day to answer my call and the strain on my mana.” Phie commented as she downed some more tea.

“Yes, of course, it was just so sudden…” Luna replied. "And what was it saying before? How can anyone speak like that?"

"That was the celestial language. Its ability allows it to speak any language anyway but it's respectful to address them in their native tongue." Phie remarked.

“Yes yes it was all very exciting.” Discord said before looking at the full size grandfather clock on his wrist, “Well, well, look at the time. I do say it’s about time for bed and what not. Tally-ho!” He snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash.

“I suppose he is correct, I think we should sleep on it and discuss this more in depth tomorrow. Archmage, I can have somepony prepare a room for you to stay the night.” Celestia said.

Phie put the last book away and shook her head, “That won't be necessary. Is there a relatively large area with little traffic nearby?”

Celestia thought about it for a moment, “The gardens come to mind, why?” 

“I’ll sleep there then.” She responded.

“Surely you don't need to sleep out in the open?” Luna asked.

“No, I'm just going to summon my house I use when I'm traveling.” Phie responded as she made her way outside by guessing the way.

“Is that a seventh tier spell as well?” Celestia asked.

“No, the seventh tier version makes a door to my mansion. I only use that when entertaining guests. This is fourth level and it's just a small cottage.” Phie explained passively.

The sisters looked at each other for a moment. “Sister, I think there is much to learn of this one.”

“I agree Luna. She definitely knows far more than she’s letting on, and seems to be holding back information from us about herself.” Celestia commented.

“She’s also got long ears good for hearing. And what, you want my life story? We just met, you need to earn it.” Phie said from in front of them as they turned the corner into the throne room again.

“Also I have no idea where I’m going. I was expecting at least some direction.”

Celestia face-hooved.

> Equestria Journal Entry: 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Felix,

I'm off on another adventure again. Konnor was being hesitant and resistant as always but I was able to talk him around. You remember that strange artifact I mentioned a few years ago that released a serpentine spirit? Turns out he kept his word and has indeed offered me a chance to learn about some unique magic. Also, he didn't seem as evil this time. I would even go as far as to say that he was happy.

He told me about a place filled with magic that was home to a magic unique to that world. He said that he was affected by it and it had changed him for the better. He wouldn't tell me what this magic was called though, instead insisting that doing so would ruin the surprise.

He advised me of a very complex extra-planar teleportation spell. I call it that because it had runes to 'bypass all known planes of existence,' or so he said. The power required for the spell seemed to be immense as well, but he also advised that he would hear me 'knocking' and would assist with the energy supply.

This spell was migraine inducing. Setup alone cost several thousand nuyen in supplies and several days to properly enchant them. You would think making magic chalk would be a simple process, but no, it's not. It didn't help that Astrid ruined the alchemy lab my trying to create a new flavor of ice cream. I suspended her rights to the lab and assigned her an 'assistant' to keep her out of trouble. I've also been considering teaching her the familiar contract to see if a companion would be able to keep her head on straight. She's a good kid though. 

Anyway, we finally managed to set up the grid and place the runes, nearly running out of the chalk doing so. Konnor was being fussy about his office the whole time. He should be glad he has an office, I don't. Where's my leather chair with a huge oak desk and walls of bookshelves?! But I digress, he was a huge help even with his constant whining.

The spell itself was a bit too flashy for my tastes, but otherwise it was a smooth transition. Right before the spell activated I felt the power jump over a hundred fold. I'm not sure what this Discord creature actually is but his power would rival that of a demigod. I'm just glad he's a trickster type and not the conquer/destruction type. I believe it was also his doing that all the notes and calculations we had written down had been transported along with me.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting exactly, but an army of horses in armor pointing spears at me was not in the top twenty. There was also a big one staring at me from a throne. I did the only thing I could think of and panicked. 

Thinking back to it now, I think I was a little too intense and scared the little things. I sensed the raw power held by their leader and was able to quite easily read her emotions, it always amuses me how probing questions elicit such responses. If only people knew that I only know what I do is because they told me. That plus the wild magic issue helps add an air of mystery I've come to enjoy. 

In the end I believe we reached an understanding and I was escorted into her private study and was served some tea. The chairs were too fluffy as I was nearly consumed by a few before I found one to my liking. I spent the time waiting by attempting to read the books on the shelves, but the language seems to be composed of ancient hieroglyphs and odd symbols. I just flipped through them idly looking at the pictures while making idle chat.

I was also able to meet the co-ruler of the nation as well, or at least I assume it's a nation. They appeared to be like polar opposites, where one was bright and stern, regal even, the other was dark and depressed, as though barely containing an infinite sadness. Something terrible had happened to her, something she is trying to get past. She reminded me of myself, of when I lost you... and of when I lost all the others.

That aside, I agreed to teach them the ways of conjuration! I've never taught in an official capacity before, aside from the one or two apprentices every few years. I wonder if I'll be giving lectures in a fancy school? That would be totally wizard. People still say that, right? Anyway I'm turning in for the night, wish me luck!

May you always be in my heart.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia's morning sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the city of Canterlot with its brilliance. The mighty towers seemed to sparkle in the light as the sun's rays reflected off the moisture collecting on their stone surface.

Along with the morning sun, the dawn brought about the change of the guard from the night watch to the day watch. One pair of such guards were discussing what appeared to be a small cottage nestled in the castle gardens.

"Why is there a cottage in the gardens?" The day guard asked, shuffling his wings to warm himself in the cool morning air.

"I don't know the full story, but apparently the Princesses are entertaining a guest and it decided to build it here for some reason." The night guard responded, turning his slit-eyed gaze back to the cottage. They took a moment to look it over, it appeared to be constructed of carved wood with a polished exterior. The windows were simple four-pane with white curtains hiding the interior. Jutting up from the back of the cottage they could see a chimney puffing out smoke from a hearthfire.

"You seriously think someone just built this in an evening?" The day guard asked.

"Well it seems pretty obvious someone did, and did a damn good job of it too." The night guard remarked. "I've been staring at it for the last four hours, I would know."

At that moment the front door of the cottage suddenly opened. They stared at the strange being standing in the doorway, examining them with a dull expression. Behind it they could see a warm fire crackling around a small log in a fireplace, framed by smooth stone that gave way to the same wooden walls that could be seen on the outside of the cottage. In front of the fire was a few chairs and cushions as well as a small table. In a word, it was rather cozy.

"Ah, you made it." It said to them. The guards looked at eachother in confusion for a moment. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"We're on duty, so we'll have to decline." The night guard responded.

"Nonsense, everyone has time for breakfast. In some circles it's even considered the most important meal of the day." It responded and stood aside, welcoming them into the strange cottage. "Also it's rude to decline a guest's offer of free food."

"You said the magic words!'" The day guard said as he seemed to skip into the cottage.

"... Screw it, I've been hungry for the last few hours anyway." The night guard said as he followed his counterpart inside as well.

The door closed behind them as they made their way to the table. They both looked around the rest of the room as they entered, overall the cottage was nearly bare with the exception of six bunk beds lining the walls.

"Reminds me of the barracks but nicer." The day guard remarked as he sat at the table. The cottage smelled of wood and what was unmistakingly pancakes.

"It is for traveling with companions. My name is Phie, by the way. What is yours?" She asked as she returned to the fire to remove a pan from the rack and started plating a few pancakes for them.

"The name's Morning Dew!" The pegasus guard responded with enthusiasm.

"Dusty." Replied the thestral.

"Morning Dew, Dusty. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She responded as she set a plate in front of each of them. 

Morning Dew wasted no time in slathering the butter and syrup over them and going to town. “Mmm! These are delicious!” he exclaimed around his pancakes.

Dusty was more reserved as he ate his share without any toppings, "Aren't you hungry?" He asked her suspiciously.

"I've already ate." She responded as she joined them at the table with a cup of tea. Her gaze lingered for a moment on their hooves as they somehow held the utensils as they ate.

"Why are you doing this, giving us food?" Dusty inquired further as he chewed.

Phie stared at him for a moment before suddenly standing with a jingle. She whirled around to the cooking area and returned a moment later, placing a small box on the table as she sat back down.

Dusty  looked it over, he was unable to read the writing on it but it had a picture of the very pancakes they were eating.

"Pancake mix?" He guessed.

Phie nodded, "A single batch yields eight to twelve pancakes. That's way too much for me to eat and I wouldn't want it to go to waste."

Dusty nodded, "I can see that, then why didn't you just use half a batch?"

Phie stared at him as her eyes widened in realization. "Well, you can't just use half an egg!" She reasoned quickly. "To use too much egg in the ratio would ruin the pancakes." She nodded to confirm her reasoning.

"You say that like you didn't even think about using half a batch." Morning Dew replied around his mouth full of pancakes.

"That's just the pancakes saying that, they must have gone to your head." Phie responded.

"But we didn't say anything." The remains of the pancakes on the plate responded.

The ponies stared in slackjaw horror while Phie casually replied, "Shush, pancakes don't talk."

"Oh right. Forget we said anything. Carry on!" The pancakes went silent once more.

"I don't seem to be hungry anymore." Dusty responded and pushed his plate away.

"Yeah, that was too weird." Morning dew agreed and did the same.

"Oh well, you ate most of them so I’m not feeling as wasteful." Phie said as an invisible force cleared the table and started doing the dishes. "Though I have some questions that I hope you can answer."

"I have some myself, but go ahead." Dusty replied.

"The guards all look identical with minor differences, such as some having a horn or wings such as yourselves. I would have assumed that an entire race would have more than two ethnicities and features." She asked.

"Oh, this? It's a spell in the helmet to hide our true appearance for our protection." Morning Dew replied. "I'm actually a mare."

Phie stared at him for a moment in awkward silence. "Ah. I see. What would you like you know? I am quite knowledgeable."

"Well my first would be 'What are you' but I'm sure word will get around. Anyway, I guess i just want to know what your I deal is."  Dusty said, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"The deal was I get a vacation and learn some new magic and maybe teach some too. Hey, if you encounter anyone interesting, send them my way." Phie replied with a thumbs up.

"I'm sure if we do they'll be locked up." He rolled his eyes

"Well the time is up, I would recommend getting out of the chairs." She said, suddenly standing up.

"Wha-" Both guards started to ask when suddenly the entire cottage, including the table, chairs, and plates of leftover food, vanished into thin air. They both fell onto the ground looking around in confusion.

"What the hay! Where'd the cottage go?!" Dusty yelled as he bolted upright.

"Time was up. The spell only lasts so long." Phie replied as she picked up her staff. "Thanks for the company though. Also can you take me to the princesses? I'm unfamiliar with the castle layout."

"... Fine, I'll take you. Morning Dew is my relief this morning anyway. I'll take you to the dining room where they should be serving breakfast soon enough." Dusty waved her to follow with a wing.

She jingled her staff and walked with him along the path leading back to the castle. "Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Shoot."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what exactly are you?" She asked curiously.

"I could ask the same thing you know." He replied with a sideways glance. "All we know is you're a guest of the princess, or Discord, depending on who you ask."

"Technically it would be both." She replied. "To answer your question, I am an elf."

"An elf? Never heard of it." They turned a corner into a small hallway. "This is a shortcut through the castle used by the staff to quickly get around without being seen." He answered without prompt. "As for your question, I'm going to assume we're just as strange to you?" Phie nodded. 

"Well as a whole, we're all ponies. I'm a thestral, Morning Dew is a pegasus, there's also unicorns with horns on their head that allows them to cast magic, and earth ponies with neither wings or horns. The exception is the princesses, all of whom have both horn and wings." They had exited the small hall and entered a large entryway, stopping before a pair of large wooden doors. "Any other questions?"

"Yes. Why does a race as small as yours require doors so large?" Phie asked with slight amusement.

"I'm not an architect, I just guard the place. The princesses are through those doors, you can ask them. Have a good day ma'am." Dusty turned and walked off, shaking his head in bewilderment. He's got an interesting story for his friends in the barracks.

Phie waved him off for a moment before turning to the door and looking it over. The wood appeared to be oak and was reinforced with iron or steel plating. Around the edges was a number of designs of the various ponies while the center was taken up with a golden sun or a shining crescent moon on either door.

"This must be the right place." Phie commented as she pushed on the door. It swung open easily on the well oiled hinges, leading into a great hall. The room was about two hundred feet long and about seventy five feet wide. The center of the room was taken up by a massive table covered in a brilliant white cloth. Sitting in one of the tall chairs on the end was Princess Luna.

"Ah, good morning Phie. We were going to send somepony to fetch you once everypony had arrived. Are you always up this early?" Luna asked her.

"I've been up for a few hours now." Phie responded as she took in the layout of the table. It was covered in various plates and glasses in preparation for the coming meal and appeared very neat. However, something needed to be done.

Phie moved to the table a few places in front of Luna and started to rearrange the plates, leaving a five foot area clear.

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Was the arrangement not to your satisfaction?"

"Trust me on this, I'll explain later." Phie replied as she took a seat to her left.

"I see... I trust you had a pleasant rest?" Luna asked.

"Small talk with a princess? I'm flattered." Phie replied with a small smile. "And yes, the beds in the cottage are designed to give the best rest possible for exactly eight hours."

"That's... interesting. And what is wrong with a little small talk?" Luna asked.

"Generally royalty from where I come from won't even acknowledge the existence of non-royalty, let alone accommodate a complete stranger into their castle or manor or what have you. Not to mention that 'small talk' among royals is generally chatting among themselves about their own greed or backstabbing a fellow royal in some petty manor." Phie said from her slouched position in the chair.

"Seems that royalty never changes no matter the distance. We are above the petty rivalries and allegiances of the nobles of Canterlot. Even then not many ponies are able to speak to us so freely, or want to far that matter... Anyway, you must have many questions about Equestria, We would be more than happy to assist!" Luna smiled excitedly.

Phie responded in kind, "I would greatly enjoy that, but wouldn't it be rude to begin the question and answer portion of breakfast before the others arrive?"

Luna narrowed her eyes, "My sister told Us of your uncanny deductions, We wonder as to how much you actually know about us, seeing as you were also reading through Equestria's history last night as well."

"Do you really want to know, what I know?" Phie asked. Luna nodded her head. "Fine then.” 

Phie stood from the chair and pointed at her chest sternly, “You are the younger sister to Celestia, your bond with her is closely guarded. Something happened, to her, to you, but you are most affected by it. You radiate fear and sadness, akin to loss, but much greater. One as old as you would not mourn the death of a mortal, so it was something you would not normally be without, which leads me to believe it involved your sister, which ties to holding your bond with her close to your heart. You blame yourself for this incident to this day regardless of your sister having seemed to forgive you and free you of blame. This I know because she has moved on, or I would have seen her own grief more plainly. This depression you find yourself in is self inflicted. You cannot seem to move on, no matter who or what consoles you."

Luna was staring at her, silently whimpering as tears flowed down her muzzle. Phie sighed and moved to her side, quickly embracing the princess. "I see I was fairly accurate. There there. Pat pat."

Luna sniffed, "Am I really that easy to read?"

"Only to me, I would assume. Those unacquainted with immortals or ancients usually can't see past the regal mask. Can I tell you a secret?" Luna nodded into Phie's robes, "I can't actually read your language. I was just looking at the pictures."

Luna let out a hoarse laugh, "So you truly know nothing then, yet know all that?"

"I know many things. I'll tell you another secret. I only know what to look for so well, because I know that pain very well." Phie broke out of the hug to look her in the eyes with sincerity, "I find speaking of it helps ease the pain, perhaps we can share our stories sometime?" She asked as she handed Luna a napkin.

Luna nodded as she wiped her eyes dry and composed herself. "Thank you... I think that would be a grand idea. Sister, I think, is not very comfortable talking about it and ponies cannot relate directly."

"I'll bring the tea then." Phie smiled as she sat back down. "To continue with how I know we're waiting on other people, or ponies in this case, is because there are a lot of plates set up. Also royals tend to dine in groups, it's why so many assassinations happen during dinner, because they are all in one place and the panic prevents them from fleeing successfully as they trip over themselves."

"Wh-what? Assassination?" Luna sputtered at the abrupt change in topic. Phie smirked and jingled her staff. Any further banter was cut short at that moment as the great doors opened, revealing Princess Celestia escorting an entire herd of colorful, smiling, and bouncing ponies.

"Smile, the others are here." Phie recommended as she silently observed them with her keen eyes and magical senses. "Also curse the exceedingly high magic concentration in the air, it's interfering with my senses." Luna smirked a bit herself as she watch the others approach the table.

"... and that was why I knew I would be making a new friend today-*GAAAASSSSP* AND THERE IT IS! HI NEW FRIEND!" Pinkie Pie, as energetic as always, bolted to the table and leaped on top of it. She landed neatly in the empty space and slid directly into Phie's face as she yelled. The next moment she vanished with a jingle.

Phie lowered her hand from the place Pinkie used to occupy. The other ponies, the princesses included, stared in horror.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH PINKIE PIE?!" Rainbow Dash yelled and rushed at Phie. She too vanished into thin air.

"I teleported her to the gardens. Sorry about that. I panicked." Phie explained to the empty air.

“Archmage, could you please not teleport ponies to the gardens?” Princess Celestia asked as she calmly took her seat beside her sister. “Everypony, this is Archmage Phie.”

Phie stood and took a bow. “Phie, you have already encountered Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash,” Celestia continued, “This is Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. With her is her assistant Spike, her student Starlight, and Starlight’s friend Trixie.”

“Hello.” Phie jingled her staff.

Applejack stomped around the end of the table and poked her hoof at Phie’s chest. “Now listen here missy! Ah don’t take kindly to ponies or other types messing with my friends. Are we going to have a problem?” 

Phie stared at her for a moment. “I wouldn’t recommend picking a fight, no matter the reason. Someone would get hurt.”

“Is that a threat?” AJ responded, pressing in closer.

“No, I am stating a fact.” Phie responded plainly, “I am quite certain that should we engage in combat that I would suffer a great deal of damage ranging from shattered limbs to organ damage with internal bleeding. I don't expect I would remain conscious long enough to properly form a spell of any kind. Chance of death would be high even with emergency medical support. However, should I have adequate time, at least one to six seconds, I will have summoned allies or teleported to safety. Is that answer satisfactory?”

AJ had a disturbed look on her face, “Um… Twilight?”

Twilight translated Phie’s non-answer for her, “I think she’s saying she won’t do anything to cause her near instant death? Or something? I’m still trying to get that imagery out of my head.”

Phie sighed, “What has happened to gallows humor? What I said was I don't plan to anger you to the point of wanting to fight me as I am physically frail and would easily be defeated. However if I really wanted to hurt you or your friends I would be the victor.”

AJ raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Ah don't see how someone who says they’re that weak can take me in a fight with confidence.”

“Who said you would be fighting me?” Phie replied with her own eyebrow firmly raised.

“Wot.” 

“Boop.” 

AJ blinked and went cross eyed to look at the finger booping her snoot. “Ohh, yer a weirdo, ain't ya?”

“That’s rude, I’m an archmage. I did a lot of magic to get that title.” Phie responded.

AJ turned around and found a place to sit and held her head in her hooves. Fluttershy joined her and pat her back gently. The others took their seats as well, with Celestia on the end, Luna and Phie to her left while to her right was Twilight, Spike, AJ, Fluttershy, and Rarity on the other side.

Trixie snickered and turned to Starlight, “Looks like she sure put that hayseed in her place.”

Starlight smirked and playfully elbowed her in response as they sat a few seats away from the strange mage. Once they had all been seated several ponies in fancy black suits strolled out with a few trolleys. They quickly set the table and placed the covered dishes on their respected plates, leaving Phie’s five foot gap as it was. 

Rarity gave Phie the once over after the food had been placed, “While your ensemble is rather… fitting, although it leaves much to be desired.” She subtly insulted.

“But magic.” Phie explained with her infinite wisdom.

Twilight cleared her throat loudly to get Starlight’s attention, earning her a questioning gaze from her pupil. Twilight nodded her head toward Phie once, twice, three times before Starlight understood and rolled her eyes. 
She cleared her throat as she turned to Phie, “Hello, I’m Starlight. I’m learning the magic of-” 

“AH-BU-BU-BUH! No spoilers!” Discord appeared in a flash, standing on the table in a strange stance. “I won't have you spoiling the great surprise to my saucy friend here!” He motioned to the entirely not-covered-in-sauce Phie. Discord frowned and stomped his cloven hoof on the empty section of the table, some distance from the plate holding the bowl of sauce.

Discord stood tall and crossed his arms as he glared at Phie, “Well played, archmage, well played.”

He vanished and reappeared next to Phie, “That aside I look forward to hanging out with you, I can see the appeal I must say.”

“It sounds fun. Perhaps once I am more acclimated to this world we can ‘hang out’ as the kids say.” Phie reasoned.

“Of course, friend! I’ll be planning our first outing so you can get the best of Equestria! Ta-ta!” He cheered and snapped his fingers, vanishing in a flash.

“Ta-ta.” Phie replied.

“Anyway, yeah. I guess it's nice to meet you.” Starlight finished off, elbowing Trixie to go next.

“Fine, I’ll go next. Hello, I’m Trixie, I don’t know why I’m here other than because Starlight asked. Although I will say you look like a weird hairless monkey.” She commented.

“Trixie! You don't just tell people they look like a hairless monkey!” Twilight scolded.

“Whatever, you were all thinking it.” Trixie joined her friend.

“My only response is your species’ fur is more akin to that of a cat than a horse resulting in being soft and fluffy.” Phie responded.

The ponies glanced at one another, “Well I’ve got nothing.” Trixie commented.

A moment later the door burst open as Rainbow Dash barreled into the dining hall, speeding towards Phie with rage in her eyes. “I’ll teach you to mess with me or my friends!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Luna yelled, her horn’s aura enveloping the multi-colored missile and catching it just over the table. “You will control yourself and will sit down or I will lock you away until you calm down!”

Phie’s eyes widened slightly at how close her face was to being minced. Rainbow struggled in Luna’s grasp for a moment before settling into a glare that was leveled at Phie.

“Grr! Fine! Whatever, just let me down. But this isn’t over.”

Phie responded by poking the bunt of her staff into Rainbow’s chest. The effect was almost immediate: Luna’s aura exploded outward and quickly dissipated, while Rainbow gasped in shock and fell limply onto the table.

“Hm.” Phie hummed as she moved forward and examined the shivering pegasus, her senses examining the pegasus’ magic. “Ah, so that’s it.”

Rainbow Dash slowly stood on quivering legs. “What. The. Hay.”

AJ tapped her hooves on the table threateningly as the others murmured to each other

“What was that?” Twilight asked, “The effects looked similar to when Tirek drained the magic from ponies, but to a lesser extent.”

“It appears your race is innately magical in nature.” Phie spoke as she examined Rainbow as she pulled out one of her wings. “While most of the magic is contained within, this magic is escaping? No, it encases the wings. When dispelled the magic quickly restores itself, effects may vary but repeated dispelling may result in extreme fatigue, loss of consciousness, and drowning.”

“What? How would she drown?” Twilight looked up from the notes she was suddenly taking.

“She will drown if her lungs fill with water.” Phie replied, “Heh.”

Everypony stared at her for a moment, “Was… Was that a joke?”

Pinkie burst out laughing, “Hahaha! That was a good one!”

“Pinkie?! How long were you here?” AJ asked her.

“I came in with Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie replied from her chosen chair to the right of Rarity. Rainbow shook her head and slowly made her way off the table on quivering legs, sitting to the right of Pinkie who gave her a happy hug.

"Ya feelen alright there Dash?" AJ asked while keeping an eye on Phie.

"It's... AJ, I feel like... like a cloud." She replied as she sank into Pinkie's embrace. "Like, wow."

AJ tore her eyes off her target to stare at the floppy pegasus. "Y’all look like Winona ly'n in the sun."

Rainbow responded with a quiet murmur before falling asleep with a soft snore. The assembled ponies and mage watched her sleep in silence for a few moments.

"Well that's new." AJ remarked.

"Interesting side effect." Phie remarked.

Twilight turned to her old mentor, "Should I take her to the infirmary?"

Celestia's horn glowed for a moment as a similar glow flowed around Rainbow Dash, "No, she'll be fine. The magic is slowly restoring itself and the process is causing her body to completely relax, like a gentle massage." Her horn flashed and Rainbow was gone from their presence. "I sent her to one of the guest rooms for her to sleep in peace."

"Fascinating!" Phie exclaimed as she took out a book of her own as well as a pen. "Teleporting the target at range as well as examining magical effects, you're species' talents with manipulating magic is quite surprising. It's refreshing to be in the presence of talented spellweavers that aren't completely self centered." She finished her notes and slipped the book into her robes.

"Are we eating or not? I'm hungry!" Pinkie cried out in despair. She helped herself  to taking the tops off the various plates and trays revealing a plethora of breakfast foods, from pancakes to cereal to even large bowls of spaghetti, the royal breakfast had it all.

"This is a lot of food." Phie remarked as she gathered a sample of everything on her plate.

"Not everypony has arrived yet, but we shouldn't allow the food to get cold. Dig in everypony!" Celestia declared. Her word was unneeded as most of the ponies had already begun eating by then, with the exception of Rarity and Twilight.

Once the food had been distributed Starlight struck up a conversation with Phie, "So, what exactly are you planning to do here?"

"Sample some of the local delicacy. So far my plans have come to fruition with little deviation." She responded while tasting a hay pancake. She slowly chewed, swallowed the bite, set her fork down, and slowly rotated the plate so it was no longer facing her. "I should have known..."

"No, I mean here in Equestria. Why did you come to this world?" Starlight clarified while eating her own stack of hay pancakes.

Phie pondered for a moment as she tried a bit of spaghetti. "Well, it's an adventure, isn't it? Why would I pass up this opportunity to experience something nobody else has? To me the answer was simple." She said as she tried another bite of the spaghetti.

"But what about the ponies, er, people back home? Wouldn't they miss you?"

Phie pondered for a moment...





Meanwhile, in front of an ice cream shop currently engulfed in flames:

"AAHHH I'M MELTING!!! SAVE MY CHOCOLATE CHIPS!" cried out a young mage in icy blue robes. She had long light blue hair, pale skin and teary blue eyes. Her staff was a steel rod with a large hexagon of pure ice.

"Astrid calm down you're not actually ice cream!" Another mage, taller but nearly identical, shook her to her senses.

"WHAT'S THE POINT IF I'M NOT WHAT I EAT!?!" Astrid cried out to her sister.

"It's a turn of phrase!" the taller mage yelled as she started to drag Astrid away from the scene as the police and firefighters arrived.

"WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE ICE CREAM?!"





"I'm sure they're doing just fine." Phie replied.

"And you're just fine being away from them? Won't you miss them?" Starlight continued to question.

"I can move on." Phie replied. She set her fork down to instead stare at Starlight.

She frowned, also setting aside her fork to stare back. "How can you just say that? Don't you have friends and family you want to see again? I may only have a few friends, but I would still want to see them after a few days."

"I'm sure the princesses can answer that question in a way that suites your perceptions." Phie responded and broke eye contact, instead helping herself to a slice of apple pie.

Starlight was confused and looked to the princesses, "What's she talking about?"

They looked at Phie sadly for a moment before Princess Celestia responded, "Starlight, she may not appear so, but she is quite old. I would imagine she has lost quite a number of friends to the passage of time."

Starlight's eyes widened in realization, "Oh my... I had no idea..." She looked once more to Phie who was now engaged in a conversation with Twilight.

"So unicorns can only channel magic through their horns?" Phie asked, book and pen once more in hand.

"Essentially, yes." Twilight confirmed. "This magic though is generally closely tied into that pony's special talent. For example, a construction unicorn can lift heavy loads in their magic, or a musician can play an instrument with better precision than normal magic. My special talent is magic in general, allowing for me to easily grasp and understand multiple forms of complex spells."

"Then what is the case for the other races? The rainbow one, the pegasus, had magic flowing through her wings much like a spell from a horn." Phie remarked, flipping back to the previous page.

"Yes, each race of pony channels magic naturally in their own ways. While a pegasus can't channel magic into spells like a unicorn, it passively allows them to fly with minimal effort and allows them to stand on and manipulate clouds." Twilight explained, "Earth ponies can be described in a similar way, their magic makes them hardier and allows them to grow food at an impressive pace and with more nutrition than they would normally have. It also acts as a form of pesticide, bugs will tend to bypass crops grown by earth ponies.”

"Fascinating." Phie replied, "Have any of the races attempted to use magic beyond what naturally occurs within themselves?"

"Well, if a unicorn puts forth the effort they can learn spells that are not directly related to their talent, but earth ponies and pegasi can't channel magic in the same way." Twilight replied.

"What about runic magic? Potions? Item enchantments?" Phie asked, "I would think being able to channel magic directly into an item while it's being created would be a valued asset. Or are enchantments done another way in this realm?"

"Er, well, we just cast the magic on whatever we need to be magical." Twilight explained. "Potions are generally considered alchemy and is only performed by select individuals and isn't widely used. Generally foals are taught some basic alchemy to teach them how to follow instructions for more advanced magic. And I've never heard of runic magic."

Phie stared at her for a moment, "There is much for your people to learn."

"Excuse me, Phie, but it almost sounds like you're disappointed." Rarity spoke up.

Phie turned her attention to Rarity, "Mildly. It's disappointing that other areas of magic have been neglected. This means there are types of magic yet to be uncovered or forgotten, and that won't do. That won't do at all..." Phie trailed off, eyes staring blankly ahead for a moment.

Rarity and Twilight were about to try and snap her out of it when she blinked and shook her head, "Sorry, where was I?"

"Something about lost or forgotten magic?" Rarity replied.

"Then you zoned out for a bit." Twilight added.

Phie nodded, "Right, right. I was thinking about something was all. Apologies."

"Mind if I ask what it was?" Rarity questioned with intrigue.

Phie pondered for a moment and looked around the rest of the gathered ponies, who suddenly seem to find her quite interesting. Phie cleared her throat, "I won't say exactly what, that's personal, but it is important to me that history should be remembered. The past should not be forgotten, because remembering the past prevents history from repeating. Learning from mistakes allows society to grow and evolve. By this I mean the unbiased version, the true history of events free of propaganda and hidden agendas. Where atrocities are remembered as horrible vile actions taken against an innocent people rather than a holy cleansing in the name of a faceless god or to line someone's pockets with gold." She finished, glaring into her cup of juice.

The ponies glanced at eachother for a moment before Twilight broke the silence, "Well... I can see you enjoy history, I happen to read several history books a week so I'm well versed in the subject."

Phie blinked and looked over to her, "Then you would be most helpful in my research."

The doors opened into the breakfast hall once again, allowing a unicorn with a white coat and a golden mane and tail to enter gracefully. "My apologies for my tardiness, Aunties. I was speaking with the House of Clovers and was unable to excuse myself for the longest time."

Several of the ponies, namely Rarity, glared at him in clear sustain while Starlight and Trixie appeared happy to see him. The others, Phie included, remained indifferent.

"Worry not, dear nephew, we were entertaining our guest. I hope you don't mind that we started without you? I'm sure the chefs can prepare a hot meal should you require it." Celestia said as he walked around the table to the open chair next to Phie.

"It's no bother at all, I was the one who was late after all." He replied as he helped himself to some fruit.

"Wonderful. Blueblood, this is our guest, Archmage Phie. Phie, this is my nephew, Prince Blueblood." Celestia introduced them.

"Ah, well met Archmage. I trust your visit is going well?" He said kindly.

Phie stared at him for a moment with her calculating gaze, "Yes, thank you. Your kinsmen are quite kind."

"Yes, we do try to accommodate the many races of Equis, both foreign and domestic. Auntie has told me about you, although her description of a short minotaur doesn't quite seem fitting." He remarked.

“I still say she’s more like a hairless monkey.” Trixie whispered to Starlight, who just smirked and shook her head.

Phie turned to him and placed her fists on her temples with each index finger pointing upwards in an imitation of a minotaur's horns. "Moo."

Pinkie Pie spat out her juice in a fit of laughter while a few others chuckled, Blueblood being one of them. "Yes, not much difference now is there Auntie?"

Celestia giggled, "No, not at all. Although you may want to refrain from doing that in their presence as it may offend them."

"Moo." Phie said in acknowledgement, earning a few more snickers before she dropped her hands. "I assume minotaurs are at least friendly?" she asked the table.

Fluttershy, who up to this point was nearly hiding under the table, spoke up in a whisper. "Iron Will is nice..."

Phie's head swiveled as her eyes locked onto Fluttershy, "Sorry, didn’t catch that."

"This is Fluttershy! She's shy!" Pinkie explained as she shook Fluttershy a bit, just enough to cause her eyes to roll around comically.

"I had gathered." Phie replied.

"I'm sure she's talking about Iron Will," Twilight filled in, "He was a minotaur who came to Ponyville to teach an assertiveness course. Fluttershy is helping refine his course for ponies in mind. So far it's been a huge success for pony-minotaur relations."

"Indeed, it has also promoted immigration and tourism between the cultures." Bluebood added.

"Which means more money in the treasury. Yay economics." Phie summed up with a jingle of her staff.

"Which leads us into why we have gathered you all here today." Celestia interjected, "Luna, Phie, and I have come to the decision that her time here would be best spent learning of a certain magic that you and your friends are known for, and in turn she can teach us her own magic."

"Her own magic?" Twilight looked to Phie, "What magic can you teach us? Is it the alchemy or runic magic you mentioned?"

"I'm not telling until I am advised on your magic." Phie responded.

"That is fair." Celestia commented, "As such, I feel she should join Starlight in her own studies, under your care Twilight."

Twilight beamed with a large smile, "I get to teach another student?! Yes yes yes YES!" she yelled out in excitement.

"I look forward to learning of this world." Phie stated.

"Wait! But what about the ceremony?" Twilight asked suddenly. "I can't teach a new student and prepare an award ceremony at the same time!"

"I'm sure Phie would understand and would be glad to help if you simply ask." Celestia advised, shooting a small smirk towards Phie who replied with the same dull expression.

"You're right! I didn't even think of that!" Twilight turned to Phie, "Phie, do you mind if we hold onto the studies just a little bit so we can prepare the ceremony and would you mind lending a hand?"

Phie didn't seem to respond at first, but after a moment she spoke up, "I do not know of how much help I can be but I am willing to assist in any way I can."

"Great!" Twilight cheered, "Thank you so much! I can't wait to get started!"

"Then we shouldn't keep you, have a pleasant trip back to Ponyville."

"Wait, I'm not ready." Phie said, stopping the others from leaving the table. "I need to pack my things."

Celestia and Luna shared a look before Luna said, "We were unaware that you had brought items in need of packing."

Phie didn't reply and instead shoved several apples and oranges into her robes. "Okay, I'm ready now." She stated as she picked up her staff.

"If you were hungry we could have brought some snacks for the train ride." Twilight reasoned.

"Apologies. These are intended for use as rations should we need them in an emergency situation should one arise." Phie informed them.

The ponies chuckled, "But the train is a hundred percent safe, darling!" Rarity remarked.

"A train derailing at speed has the potential to kill and trap hundreds of people. In the instance we survive the crash and await rescue, provisions are necessary to stave off starvation and mental delusions." Phie replied stoically.

The ponies looked shocked at the statement, "Why are you preparing for such a horrible thing to happen!?" Twilight exclaimed.

"To be prepared means faster reactions to the unexpected, however improbable. I do not expect the train to crash, but if it does then we will have provisions for a few days. If it does not crash then we have a sweet snack that can be enjoyed in the company of others. Everyone wins." Phie responded.

There was silence as the ponies thought how to respond. Phie stood there unmoving until Starlight stepped forward, "Um, exactly how many trains have you been on that have crashed?"

"I stopped riding trains after the fifth crash in a row." The ponies seemed to pale slightly. "However, just because every train I have ridden on has crashed or been robbed or destroyed does not mean that this train will encounter such troubles as well. In fact I can prove it mathematically that the upcoming train ride will both make it safely and crash horribly, also known as the Schrodinger's Paradox, so we have a 50% chance of making it there without issue." Phie gave an enthusiastic thumbs up with a mischievous grin, "Those are better odds than my normal adventuring!"

Trixie walked up to Phie and placed a hoof over her mouth. "Stop talking."

Phie jingled her staff in response.

"What?! But if we walk then we won't make it back in time for the party!" Pinkie cried out.

"Pinkie, the ceremony isn't for another few days, there's plenty of time." Twilight reasoned.

Pinkie spun around in despair, "Not that party! The OTHER party!"

"But the picnic party won't take that long to set up." Rarity advised her.

Pinkie groaned, "Not that party either! The OTHER other party! That one!"

"Oh that one!" AJ replied, "Well why didn't you say you wanted to throw a party for the Apples?"

"AJ, you're doing that on purpose!" Pinkie wailed.

The others chuckled, "I'm sorry Pinkie, but we'll make it back in time." Twilight gave her a comforting hug, "Celestia, would it be alright if we borrowed the chariots to Ponyville?"

"Chariots?" Phie asked.

"Of course, though I don't think the train ride will be any more dangerous than usual." Celestia replied as she approached the group.

"Who or what pulls the chariots?" Phie asked, going unanswered.

"I'm sure, I just don't want Phie to worry about getting into another accident." Twilight replied.

"I'm not worried, I'm prepared." Phie tried to cut in, "Do ponies pull the chariots? Isn't that both demeaning and slower than a train?"

"I agree with Twi." AJ said, "I'll go get Rainbow, meet you all at the gate?"

"Please respond to my inquiry as to the nature of chariots in this world." Phie demanded to no avail.

"Alright AJ. Come on everypony, let's head to the station before the next train leaves!" Twilight announced, leading the others with the exception of Phie and the princesses.

“Well so much for the question and answer portion of breakfast.” Phie shot them a glance, "Although I'm not keen on being blatantly ignored."

"Twilight and her friends can be a bit..." Celestia trailed off as she chose her words.

"Thick headed and completely incompetent at times." Luna supplied.

"Luna..." Celestia sighed.

"Tis true, my first Nightmare Night is proof of that. However it is also true that they are wonderful friends who just want to help, even though sometimes their idea of helping is not helpful in the slightest." Luna added.

"I see. Reminds me of a certain ice cream obsessed mage. Heart of gold but don't let her touch the expensive things." Phie remarked. "I should be off before I am abandoned. Or should we take a bet on how long it will be before they realize I am not among them?"

"Personally I would take you up on that bet." Discord said from behind her hood. "Personally I think they'll be halfway to Ponyville before they do."

"Discord, do not enter the confines of my cloak without my express permission." Phie scolded as she teleported Discord to just in front of her.

"Tsk, touchy. Fine, I'll respect your 'personal space.'" He said with air quotes.

"Thank you." She replied, though she wondered what he meant by 'personal space.'

Luna approached and gace Phie a light hug, "When you sleep tonight we will be able to speak at length."

"Pat pat." Phie replied.

Luna chuckled, "You are indeed a strange one. Try not to overthink the train ride, it is protected by strong magic and those ponies are quite resourceful."

Phie smirked, "It's a simple analysis, and it will take more than that to get me worried."

Phie stepped back suddenly as she felt a magical signature, a moment later Twilight had teleported directly in front of her.

"There you are, Phie!" Twilight exclaimed, "We thought you were right behind us!"

"Approximately how long was it before you realized I wasn't behind you?" She asked.

"We were halfway to the station before Rarity tried to show you her clothing store she recently opened." Discord groaned and balanced five bits on Phie's head. "We were really worried something had happened!"

"You needn't worry, but the thought is appreciated." Phie reassured her.

"Great! Let's go!" Twilight half yelled and grabbed Phie in her magic, the both of them instantly teleporting across Canterlot to the front of a clothing shop.

"Twilight, you found her!" somepony cried out. Phie looked around to see the ponies from before gathered around and loitering in front of a clothing store. There were several not-so-happy potential customers being blocked from the front doors. Rainbow Dash was on AJ's back, purring and cuddling into her haunches and lower neck.

"Ta-da." Phie announced her presence.

"Great, yer here. Now let's go before RD soaks me in drool." AJ demanded with a stomp. "What the hay is wrong with this gal?"

Phie walked up to Rainbow and peeled open an eye, it was completely dilated and slightly bloodshot. "Oh."

"'Oh?' What do you mean 'oh?!'" AJ demanded.

"It seems the effect of having her magic dispelled and restored is having the same effects commonly associated with potent narcotics." Phie explained.

"The hay does that mean?!"

"Silly! It means she's flying higher than she's ever flown before!" Pinkie explained as she ran around, arms spread pretending to be a bird.

"In non-Pinkie-speak please." AJ sighed.

"I think they're trying to say that she's basically on drugs, but without any actual drugs. Right?" Starlight asked Phie, who nodded. Rainbow responded to the diagnoses by licking AJ's neck, causing her to visibly cringe.

"Can we just get going so Ah can get her off a me?!" AJ yelled as she tried to shift Rainbow into a position where she cannot lick her as easily. To no avail.

The other ponies giggled, “Alright, let’s get going. The train station isn't that far from here.” Twilight said as she started leading the group down the road. Phie followed, the five bits still stacked flawlessly on top of her head where none of the ponies were tall enough to see.

Phie observed the city as she followed behind the group, noting the layout and architecture of the buildings. Many of them reminded her of the small towns that dotted the lands of her old world before industry took over. The ponies themselves either completely ignored their procession, avoided them completely, or shoved through them.

“Hm. I would think a strange creature walking through their midst would cause some kind of reaction.” Phie remarked to the others.

“Oh, that’s just how Canterlot is, ponies here are too busy or concerned for themselves to notice or pay attention to anything outside their little world.” Trixie explained.

“Whereas in Ponyville I’m sure you’ll cause a riot.” Starlight added.

“Ponies there must be panic-filled, fearful creatures.” Phie commented aloud.

“Well that’s what happens when creatures from the Everfree wander into town and destroy it on an almost weekly basis.” Trixie continued, “Or, you know, if somepony doesn't go power mad and try to enslave them...”

“Or brainwash them...” Starlight sighed.

“Or grow the size of a mountain and rip up the town...” Spike added.

“Ah. Well at least it sounds like the ponies not only survived but also forgave you. You should be happy to have others to lift you back up.” Phie concluded sadly, “Not everyone is as lucky.”

“I guess that’s true.” Spike pondered as they entered the long station.

Ahead of them beyond the bustling sea of colors was a bright pink train with weird swirly designs. It looked like it was held together by wood, magic, and naive wishful thinking.

Phie pondered what she had mentioned earlier for a moment, “Good thing I brought rations.”
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phie and the others boarded the train headed to Ponyville, several ponies appearing skittish in her presence but overall the boarding was uneventful. The front of the train was quite crowded, forcing them to search for open seats further back on the train. Most of the ponies packed their luggage under or over the small benches lining the walls while the others didn't have any luggage at all.

As they neared the end of the train the crowd thinned out, allowing Phie and the ponies traveling with her to finally pick out benches of their own. Phie claimed the rear-most bench on the right side of the train, allowing her to look out over lower Canterlot. The others sat near and around her, including a lankey colt.

Phie's eyes met his and he gulped, looking away as he fidgeted in place. She observed him a moment while the others finished taking their places, oblivious to the jittery colt.

"See Phie? The train is perfectly safe. You're just being paranoid." Twilight commented as she sat in front of Phie, her front hooves propped on the back of her bench.

"It's not paranoia if one is correct." Phie responded, glancing back at the colt. "What's in the last car behind us?" She suddenly asked Twilight.

"The last car?" She pondered, "It's usually changed out for a number of different cars, like storage or a kitchen, depending on the need."

Phie scooched to the end of the bench and stood in the aisle as the train whistled. There was a slight lurch as the train began moving forward.

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked.

"I'm curious about the last car." Phie replied as she released the door latch. There was a small gap between the cars with a small platform connecting them and a pair of chains as a guard. The wind whipped her cloak as she opened the door to the last car and stepped inside.

The interior was dimly lit and smelled of musty wood. Around the cabin there were a number of large crates with more of the unfamiliar symbols stamped onto them. The door opened and closed again, Phie turned to see that Twilight had followed her inside.

"Oh, it's a shipping compartment." She commented as she read a few of the addresses, "Most of these are going to Manehattan."

Phie walked around the cabin back to Twilight, "Okay, that's all I wanted to know."

Twilight shrugged, "Well let's get back to the others." Twilight opened the door and stepped over the platform to the previous cart, followed moments later by Phie.

Twilight returned to her bench and turned back to Phie as she sat back down, "Feeling safe now?"

Phie looked around the cabin again, noticing another, older looking pony had joined the colt. "Being safe is an illusion. It means you've dropped your guard and you don't notice the dangers, or you willfully ignore them."

Twilight frowned and looked around the cabin, "I don't see anything dangerous here, it's a bit more crowded than usual but that's about it. I think we should try working on your paranoia a bit when we get back to the castle."

Phie raised an eyebrow, "I would like to adjust my hypothesis regarding the train ride."

Twilight's ears perked up, "Just saying we’re completely safe isn't going to get you out of your therapy."

Phie shook her head, "While there is a smaller chance of us crashing, I believe the more likely outcome is going to be train robbery or taken hostage, perhaps even kidnapping."

Twilight stared at her for a long moment before she burst out laughing, "Hahaha! I never would have guessed you had such a sense of humor! I should have realized sooner that you were like Maud!" She wiped away a tear to see that Phie was not laughing or grinning. "Heh... Right?"

Phie blinked in response. "Oh Celestia... I can't believe you would not only think that but accuse somepony you haven't even met. I think you might need professional help." Twilight sighed.

Phie glanced to the suspicious ponies, noticing they numbered four at the moment. They were talking amongst themselves in low voices, glancing at the ponies around them, but lingering on Twilight and her friends.

"I feel that you will come to see how accurate I am in a few moments." Phie commented, gripping her staff. A fifth pony had entered the cabin, locking the door behind him. "Tell your friends to be ready to act, the next two or three minutes will be the key to victory." She said, gripping her staff as she feigned ignorance of the suspicious ponies to not draw their attention*.

Twilight was getting worried, she was sure Phie was just being paranoid because of her fear of trains, but she seemed too serious to not at least be on the lookout for trouble. She turned to AJ who was sitting with Fluttershy in front of her.

"Hey AJ," Twilight said as she propped herself up behind them, "Phie thinks we're about to be robbed or something, have you noticed anything suspicious?"

"Well, Ah've been talking with Shy about that colt there, but Ah reckon he just don't like trains none." She said, pointing out the colt who was looking around erratically.

Twilight watched him for a moment, soon coming to that conclusion as well. "I think when we get back to Ponyville we should see about getting a psychologist for Phie's paranoia."

"If'n ya say so, Twi. Ah know when someone's ly'en but actually believ'n there's danger everywhere? Ah got nothin." AJ turned an motioned to the bench with Pinkie and Rainbow, "Can ya see how RD is doing?"

Twilight glanced over, Pinkie was sitting side by side with Rainbow, who was leaning heavily into her. "Sure, It'll just take a moment." AJ nodded as Twilight moved to the other bench. "Hey Pinkie, how's she doing?" She asked.

Pinkie smiled, "She's starting to come around, she's eating all my cupcakes though!"

Twilight leaned around to get a better look, Rainbow was using Pinkie as a headrest while idly munching on several cupcakes and the occasional cookie. "Are you feeling alright, Rainbow?"

Rainbow nodded slightly with a far off look in her eyes, crumbs clung to her muzzle and dirtied the bench beneath her. "She means she's doing just fine!" Pinkie translated.

"Right... Well just say the word if she starts getting weird again." Twilight said, "Oh also, Phie thinks we might be in danger and has asked me to let you all know."

"Oh yea! Rainbow distracted me, but my knee has been pinchy since we got on the train, which means something scary is about to happen!" Pinkie replied with a grin.

Twilight's eye twitched.




Meanwhile

Rarity moved to Twilight's empty bench and struck up a conversation with Phie.

"I just wanted to apologize for saying that your robes were tacky, I'm sorry." She apologized, "I just don't see the appeal, they look like they don't breath well and they seem almost too baggy. If you like I'm sure I could make you some robes that would be more comfortable?" she offered.

Phie nodded in acknowledgement, "No need to apologize, but thank you. As for my robes, each fiber was enchanted during their creation and assembly, the spells included are ones to keep the internal temperature at a constant, so it is cool on warm days and warm on cool days. There are limits of course but it's perfect for traveling. They also provide some basic protection and they are quite durable. There's also over a hundred pockets hidden throughout. However, if you would like to expand my wardrobe you are more than welcome to do so."

Rarity gaped, "I... I had no idea... Do you know how the magic was applied? Could you teach me?! I'm sure I could make my outfits even more splendid!" She cheered, "But between you and me, I'm growing tired of just stitching gems onto the dresses. Yes they are pretty and it does increase the value of the dress, but I'm looking for something new to put myself ahead of the competition."

"I understand." She said, "However, I will need to study how my world's magic would need to be formulated for use with a horn, hooves, or wings before I can teach magic in any capacity. I have a few books of enchantments, I can't enchant anything myself but you would be more than welcome to see if they are within your ability to cast. If they are beyond you, I am sure you could find a mage to hire to assist with the enchanting."

Rarity turned to Starlight, Trixie, and Spike who were chatting amongst themselves across the isle, "Starlight, would you like to work in my boutique?"

Starlight turned her attention to Rarity, "Well, I'd be glad to help out but I'm not sure how good I'll be making dresses."

"What about me, Rarity?" Spike asked sadly.

"Oh Spikey, my door is always open to you dear, but I might need a full time employee if Phie can teach them a few things. This is all in the future though, so don't worry your pretty little fins over it."

Spike blushed and hid his face, "... She thinks my fins are... pretty?"

"Relax Spike, it's a figure of speech." Trixie replied in amusement, "What, do you LIKE Rarity or something?" She teased.

Spike blushed harder and began gibbering to himself for a moment before fleeing to an empty bench in embarrassment.

Rarity frowned, "You don't need to tease him about that."

"Everypony knows, besides, you should just start dating him anyway or dump him instead of leading him on like this." Trixie replied as she munched on some salted peanuts.

Rarity sputtered a bit, "B-but he's too young still! And I'm not sure if I want to say no, I don't want to break his heart..."

"Oh please, if you cared about his feelings you wouldnt string him along like this. You're using his affections for you against him for your own benefit." Trixie commented smugly, "But that's none of my business."

Rarity was about to furiously retort but Starlight butted in, "Stop it, both of you. Trixie, it's her choice. Rarity, calm down she's just messing with you."

There was a small jingle as Phie got their attention, "While that exchange was both enlightening and entertaining, I recommend paying attention to the situation."

"What situation?" Starlight asked. A moment later the train car lurched to the left. Out the starboard window they could see the rest of the train moving along the normal track, and at the split in the track was what appeared to be a railroad pony operating the lever that changed the direction of their cars. At the head of their car, one of the ponies associated with the nervous colt was holding the bolt that locked the mechanism connecting the cars.

"This situation." Phie responded.

The ponies, friends and strangers alike, screamed in fear as the out-of-control train cars careened down a hill and into a dark cave. The cars lurched with a crunch as the front end smashed through a wooden barrier, the wheels screamed as the momentum pushed them through loose, old and rusted rails. A moment later the cars smashed through another barrier that marked the end of the track, causing the cars to swivel back and forth as the steel wheels of the cars dug into the stone of the tunnel for another hundred feet before grinding to a halt.

As the dust began to settle a voice spoke out, "So it was both a hijacking AND a crash."

As the ponies finished coughing up any dust they had inhaled, the unicorns among them lit the tips of their horns. The car was a wreck, the front end was falling apart and the wood was splintered, all the windows had shattered, leaving glass all over the floor. A few of the benches had broken from the bed of the car and piled up near the front.

"Is everypony alright?" Twilight called out. She was answered with several shaky affirmatives, several ponies had minor cuts and bruises but overall they were fine.

"I have rations for about a day for everyone, a week if we use the bare minimum to survive." Phie said as she brushed the broken glass off of her robes. "Has anyone seen where the four ponies with the younger one went? Were they tossed outside or buried in the rubble?"

Pinkie suddenly gasped, "Rainbow Dash is gone too!" Several of the ponies also gasped and started to panic.

Phie banged her staff on the floor causing the car to fill with thuds and jingles. "Everyone, ponies, calm down."

Several of the ponies glared at her, "How do you expect us to remain calm in this situation!?" a pink mare yelled at her.

"Yeah! I bet you caused this!" Another one, a yellow mare, shouted. "I saw it go into the back car before we left Canterlot!"

"Sorry, but I'm not dumb enough to be a part of an accident I orchestrated." Phie cut them off, "If I was the one behind this, I would have hired some expendable personnel to pull off the job so if they are captured they won't trace back to myself, then I would ensure those that survived received medical attention and some sort of food because dying of starvation and infection is not only unpleasant but there's no point in a dead hostage. If there are a large number of civilians then I would ensure I had taken one or two hostages immediately to ensure the others complied with my demands and behaved."

Phie paced around the cabin as she continued, "So if that were the case then I or my more trusted and loyal partners would be near enough to claim said hostage. Then I would blindfold or knock out everyone to take them to another unknown location so they wouldn't know where they are. Being that this is a large group it would take fewer resources to just put a bag on our heads, chain us together, and lead us to the more permanent holding area." Phie stopped and looked out one of the broken windows, "Something like that?"

The ponies in the car immediately turned to look out the windows as well, but could only see darkness. A moment later the darkness lit up, revealing the four ponies and the colt on either side of a large, black, insectoid looking pony, her horn glowing the same sickly color as the light above them. "Yes, it was almost too accurate for my liking, however it just means that great minds think alike."

Her horn glowed again and brought forward a slightly battered Rainbow Dash, "Now, be good little ponies and come with us, and nobody has to get hurt."

"But she said a dead hostage is useless!" The pink mare tried to argue in defiance, "You need us alive!"

"While that is true, I have more than enough extras, and breaking a few limbs won't kill you, will it?" the tall mare smiled evilly. The ponies in the car gulped and filed out slowly, gathering in front of her.

Phie did a final search of the cabin before making her way into the cargo hold. Unfortunately the boxes were blocking the door from opening. She sighed and soon joined the others in front of their captor. "So, who, and what, are you?" She asked.

Twilight was about to respond but the taller mare cut her off, "I could ask the same of you. I am Queen Chrysalis, queen of the changelings!" The ponies beside her were engulfed in green flames for a moment before revealing they had a similar bug-like appearance to their queen. "And I'm here to get my revenge on those that ruined me!"

"Ah, I see." Phie responded, "I am Archmage Phie, you may call me Phie or Archmage or 'hey you,' it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The ponies and changelings stared at her for a moment, "Phie, why are you exchanging pleasantries with not only the enemy of Equestria, but our captor as well?" Twilight asked through teeth clenched in anger.

Phie smiled slightly, "Because being civil accomplishes many things, and we're both unknowns to each other. It's dangerous to act without any idea of the other's abilities." Phie looked back to the queen, "And your ability to completely change your forms is absolutely wonderful! I would like to talk more about that actually."

The changelings looked uncomfortable and took a fighting stance, "Um, no. That's our secret and I refuse to reveal whatever secrets we still have."

"Ah. It was worth a try. Shall we be going?" Phie replied.

"You are way to calm about this." Starlight remarked.

"Well, it's like this. If you are running for your life, but the one that's after you is walking, what does that mean?" Phie asked.

"Because he's... slow? Out of shape?" one of the ponies asked.

"No, it's because he doesn't have to, you are captured and he's taking his time, knowing you can't get away." Phie smiled again, "That is why I am not worried."

"So you have a plan?" Twilight asked with hope.

"No, of course not." She responded to the chagrin of the others, "I am merely prepared. We are in good health, we have some food, we have light and warmth and magic. For the time being there is nothing to worry about."

Chrysalis cleared her throat, "Are you done? Or did you want to tell me what you're planning? Because I would gladly like to hear more."

Phie jingled her staff, "Just stating what we all already know. Shall we be going then?"

The queen chuckled, "What if we're already here?"

Phie looked back to the crashed remains of the car and back to the queen, "If that were true I would question your ability to formulate plans to completion. By now the train should have realized it's missing two cars, and trains have set rails that they can move on. It wouldn't take long for them to find where the track splits and follow the rails into this cave and directly to this location. With that in mind I estimate our discovery within a few hours maximum, and no doubt they will have guards among them."

The changelings blinked, then as one looked to their queen, who blinked as well. "W-what!? Pah! I so have a plan!" She scoffed, "We go... this way!" She proclaimed, turning and walking further into the darkness of the cave.

Everyone watched her go for a minute, "Usually you have the captives go first to just ensure they don't try to run."

Twilight rounded on Phie, "Why do you keep helping her?!"

"Because this is just sad, pitiful even." Phie responded. "I wonder what happened to her...?"

The queen of the changelings stopped walking and spun around, "Actually, you know what? It doesn't matter if we're discovered, because I have the ones that I want to punish right here in front of me."

The four adult changelings quickly charged forward and encased their captives’ hooves in a green gel-like substance, or the bottom of their robes in the case for Phie. Chrysalis placed Dash on the ground where she was gooped in place as well.

"You three are the most troublesome, so I'm going to drain you first." She said as she pointed her horn at Twilight, Trixie, and Starlight. "See? I've learned the hard way that you so-called heros are more resourceful than I had given you credit." Energy began to drain from their chests, causing them to groan and enter a trance-like state as the queen licked her lips. "Mmmm... Yes... Delicious."

"Fascinating!" Phie exclaimed as she furiously took notes and drew illustrations. "What type of energy are you draining? Its signature is different than life energy, and they are planar beings so it's not celestial or unholy."

"Do you not care for the wellbeing of these ponies?" She asked as she started draining the others, not wasting any time.

"They aren't going to die, not yet anyway, so there is no cause for concern." Phie snapped the book shut to see her drain the last of the ponies, they were alive if not mentally all there. "My concern is you. What do you hope to gain from this, what is the energy you absorbed, why are you an enemy to Equestria? Just, why?"

The queen smirked, "Your concern is not needed, nor is your pity. But you have been civil, which is more than I can say any other race has given me, so I think I could answer those questions." She licked her lips again, "Phie, was it?"

Phie nodded as she continued, "I'll spare you the details, but my kind feed on emotions. Love is the most powerful and nourishing, but any emotion can feed us. Some emotions carry with them memories if they are strong enough. Point is, my hive was starving, dying off. There wasn't any food to feed on, so we starved. Without food, there was no energy to change our forms. If we can't change our forms, we can’t gather more energy. We were stuck. So we took a vote, and decided an invasion of the city with the most amount of love would supply us with enough power to escape and return to our old way of life.

"So we attacked Canterlot on the day of the wedding of Princess Cadence. I took her form and gained enough power from her husband's love to match Celestia in a fight, and won. We had nearly completed our goal when we were blasted away, losing everything we had gained and more in the process. That was her doing, there." She pointed out Twilight.

"After that we managed to regroup, but the energy supply was gone. We were forced to kidnap and replace ponies for periods much longer than we normally would do. It made us sloppy, but we kept surviving. I eventually managed to capture this one, her friends, and both princesses as well as the entire town of Ponyville. They were to supply us with the power we needed to return to our lives, to the way things had been for thousands for years. But no, it was just a fairy tale I fooled myself into believing."

She pointed to Starlight and Trixie, "These two, and their companion Discord, tracked me down and freed everypony. Then they convinced most of the hive to betray what made them changelings, she convinced them to give the emotions that sustain us freely, causing them to enter their third stage of life... One I cannot achieve."

"Instead of come clean, I fled with these five here and planned on how i was going to capture and drain them. I do not want to kill them, but I do want their energy, which I just succeeded in obtaining. It will last us several months because there are so few of us. They will be discovered, but we will be long gone..." She trailed off.

"You don't know where to run, do you?" Phie asked.

“We aren’t like the ponies or zebras. We can’t just… find another place to live.” She stomped her hoof. “But we won't just wait for the princesses or whomever to find us and do who-knows-what.” She sighed and rubbed her temple, “I'm glad they were able to achieve the full metamorphosis, the rest of the hive that is. Ponies like colorful and fluffy things. They’ll be fine under their new king.”

“So they never fully grew up?” Phie asked her.

“No,” she shook her head, “The energy consumption required was too great for the hive to supply, so to ensure our survival as a species we, myself and the queens before me, kept that from them.” She sighed and closed her eyes, as though remembering another time. “I think it would be lovely if I could join them in their new forms…”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Phie said in sincerity, “I know many people who lost their homes, their families. They became outcasts, wanderers. Unloved and unwanted.”

The queen frowned, “What do you know about being an outcast? My kind, what remains, are going to be hunted the rest of our lives because of what we were forced to do out of desperation.”

Phie frowned, “I was like you once…” She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. “Are they aware of what we are saying?” she motioned to the ponies standing in place with dull expressions on their faces.

Chrysalis shook her head, “No, they won’t remember a thing.”

Phie nodded, “Good, I don’t want them to hear this, they are too innocent.” The queen raised an eyebrow. “If you wish, you may feed on my emotions, but not too much. You might become ill.”

“I’ve never heard of a changeling becoming ill from feeding, but you listened to my story, I shall at least do the same.” She said as she pointed her horn at Phie, her magic pulling out a tiny about of emotional energy. However, the moment she tasted it, her magic vanished and she stepped back in shock.

“What?! What was that?” She asked, “What the hell happened… Why? Why are you drowning in…” She trailed off, searching for a word that accurately described the emotions, “Just pure despair… How are you still alive?”

Phie smiled grimly, “I’m a bit stubborn.” She tapped the butt of her staff against the goop binding her to the ground, causing it to break apart and free her without issue. “I’d rather be sitting for this.”

Chrysalis nodded and sat as well. Once Phie was situated she began her tale, “I’m not from this plane, I’m technically an outsider here. I’m an elf, a species that does not die of old age like other races, and naturally attuned to magic. About five hundred and sixteen years ago, my mother gave her life on the day I was born. A human man and woman helped her during her final hours and cared for me after her passing.

“I grew up in a small human village thinking I myself was a human as well. I did not know it at the time, but upon maturity an elf’s hair changes from brown to white, a sign of their connection to magic. Their ears tend to start growing out around that time as well.

“When my hair started changing color, I panicked. I sought help from my best friend, Felix, but he didn’t know either. One of the townsfolk, an old wise woman, said I had been touched by a witch and I would die the night of the next full moon. This, of course, was not true.

“But word spread of the ‘witch child’ in the village, and it reached the then-capital, ruled by the pope. The pope sent his papal knights to investigate the witch child and kill her and any witches they could find.

“I awoke that morning to a pounding on my window, it was Felix. He warned me that the knights were looking for me and that I needed to run. I trusted him, so I opened the window and we hid in a burrow not far from town. I watched as the knights pulled my parents from our home, demanding to know my whereabouts. As they argued my innocence the knights set my home ablaze. They soon bound and tethered my parents to poles for refusing the pope’s will to turn me over even though they didn't know where I was.

“They were burned alive, screaming as their flesh charred and their eyes melted. The knights started to question the town, soon coming to the incorrect conclusion that they were harboring witches. The knights slaughtered everybody. They killed all of my friends, everyone I had called family, their wives, their children, the unborn, nobody was spared as they hunted down the cattle and even their pets, throwing their bodies into the ever increasing infurno.

“The village was burned to the ground, but Felix had saved me. We waited in the burrow as long as we could, but we needed to go, get to someplace safe. He took the lead, guiding us away from the village and into the woods. We thought the knights had gone by this time, we were proven wrong when we stumbled into their camp.

“We ran as fast as we could, but we were out maneuvered. Felix pulled out his dagger, but we were surrounded. He turned just enough to meet my gaze as he whispered for me to run. Before I could argue, he threw himself at the knight before us, ripping out his throat before turning to the next one.

“It happened almost too quickly for me to process, so I ran. I heard his cry of pain as he was run through, but still I ran. I don't know how he did it, but he held them off with his life long enough to ensure my escape.”

Phie wiped the tear from her face as she pulled out a red book, “Two hundred and eighty seven people died in the village. I have their names, and the dates they died, written here. You ask me how I’m still alive, I will tell you.” 

Phie looked up and met the gaze of the queen of the changelings, “I am alive, so that I may honor the life and death of those I am responsible for. I am alive so they are remembered. I am alive so the survivors never forget. 

“I have survived three hundred years of witch hunts while millions of my own kind were hunted and slaughtered like a plague. To this day, people with an affinity for magic are treated as outcasts, punished for being born different. I am alive to find those people, and give them hope, give them a home, give them a family, because I will not stand by idly and watch history continue to repeat itself.”

The changelings sat in silence, unable to respond as she continued, “Over the years, my burden has increased. Those I was unable to protect, people who gave themselves unto me, those I have been forced to kill by my own hand. I have them all written here.” She flipped through the pages, each one filled top to bottom with names and dates. “There are too many… I cannot count them, I fear that knowledge would destroy me.”

She sighed and closed the book, hiding it within her robes, “I am hoping this world can ease my soul. I am tired, but I cannot give up while the memories of so many depend on me.” 

Phie’s thoughts were interrupted as Chrysalis stood and pulled her into a rough hug. “I may not be so good at connecting with others, but as a changeling we know the truth behind the emotions. I cannot fathom the world you had lived in, but I do know it was horrible, far more than I have any right to argue against.”

Phie returned the hug gently as she continued, “You know, as strange as it is, I don't think I’m quite ready to try and disappear. You’re right, the memories will always be there. Perhaps I should do as you and try to move on in a beneficial way.”

“But my queen! We don’t know what they will do to you!” One of the changelings warned her.

“No, we don’t, but running isn't the answer either. It's time to move on with our heads held high and accept whatever comes our way. We will get through this, we will manage a new life, not on the run, but be it among the ponies and their fear or in a cell below Canterlot, I will accept that fate. Not for friendship, not for myself, but for my people. Thank you, Archmage Phie, I see that now.”

“Pat pat.” Phie replied.

Chrysalis broke the hug and stepped back, wiping the moisture from her eyes. “So, what now?”

“Do you wish to join me in my quest of enlightenment, wherever that may lead?” Phie asked as she jingled her staff. “I warn you, the road ahead will be long and treacherous, but will make you stronger, and perhaps a bit more mad. But sometimes just a little bit of madness is all that’s needed.”

Chrysalis gave a cocky smile, “Then let us walk into the mad king’s lair.”

“That’s next Thursday.” Phie responded.

Chrysalis went wide eyed, “You were serious?”

“I am always serious.” Phie replied. “Except when I’m joking. Good luck figuring that out. Heh.”

“Right… I am curious though, If I was intending to kill them, what would you have done?” Chrysalis asked, “You didn't believe you were in any danger at all, did you?”

“I suppose I didn't smell like fear?” Phie reasoned.

“It’s not that simple but technically yes.” Chrysalis replied.

“Well if I or any of the others were in danger I would have summoned a battalion of warriors to my side to lay waste to you and your changelings. But it didn't need to come to that, so best not to dwell on it.” Phie stood and dusted herself off. 

“Now, shall we see where the road may take us?” She asked, extending a hand in friendship.

“I think I’m beginning to like you more than the other races of Equestria.” Chrysalis placed her hoof in Phie’s hand, sharing a quick shake to seal the deal.





The next day, Twilight’s castle

“I think I’m beginning to hate you more than the other races of Equestria.” Chrysalis bemoaned.

“It could be worse.” Phie replied.

“I can’t believe it! I have three students now!” Twilight cheered as she jumped around them in circles. “Woohoo! YAASS!!”

> Equestrian Journal Entry: 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Felix,

A lot has happened in the last few days, but I was able to pass on your story to one who needed to hear it, the queen of a race called Changelings, her name is Chrysalis. It moved her in such a way that she will now hold her head high with pride and face the retaliation from the ponies for her past actions. I'm happy for her, she's been through a lot and faced a lot of challenges on her own. Backed against a wall, I can understand her reasoning and the desperation that drove her to her actions.

I suppose a bit of explanation is needed. Her race is more similar to those living in the outer badlands back home, though less feral, aggressive, and monstrous. They excel in infiltrating society and feeding on the emotions of ponies, generally by taking the form of a loved one for a few minutes before departing. However, a shortage of energy has plagued them, leaving them unable to transform and those who could still transform needed to kidnap and replace the pony to get as much energy as possible to survive. They even replaced an entire town before being found out and stopped.

Yet through all that not a single pony was harmed. I admire their courage to do what must be done and to do it safely, even if the victims don't appreciate it. It's better than being slaughtered and fed upon or the changelings becoming one of the skulls, a pure, unstoppable warrior who's only goal in life is to kill all living things. But that's getting off topic.

She has decided to join me and learn from me, not as a student of magic, but more as a mentee to learn how to move on and live with her decisions. It seemed to pain her that she would need to pay for her actions, but as she said, she does it not for redemption of herself, but for her people. I think that's very brave, like a captain giving his life for his men, but a less dire circumstance.

After that we simply waited for the guards to find us, in that time we shared some apples and other fruits I brought from breakfast as we just talked. The guards, when they arrived, wanted to immediately attack her and her remaining changelings. I had attempted to reason with them but they were blinded by their prejudice. Also, having all the ponies unconscious or near to it and covered in changeling slime didn't really help my argument, a slight oversight on my part.

I was forced to summon my small squad of gryphon allies to assist with the intimidation. Did you know gryphons exist in this plane? I didn't, and they can talk, which somehow granted the squad the power of speech as well instead of their usual screeches. They were just as surprised as I was. As it so turns out, the native gryphons are unorganized and nearly feral so when the ponies saw the much larger, proud warrior gryphons, I was quite easily able to convince the pony guards to do as I commanded.

We wound up taking a few chariots back to Canterlot to see the princess, Celestia, in her throne room. She greeted us with a kind smile but she was both furious and amused. I didn't point that out, but she allowed us to speak our piece. She seemed genuinely surprised with what Chrysalis had to say, and from what I was able to gather this was not the first time they tried reaching out to her. It really goes to show that words only go so far, it is actions and experience that mean the most, and apparently I was the only one to show her genuine kindness when all others stared in fear or yelled in hatred or had some other scheme in mind.

Up to this point I has assumed that ponies in general were rather kind hearted, but their racism and complexes run fairly deep. I hope I will be able to meet and interact with a broader array of ponies to make a more accurate assessment, as well as the other races like the gryphons. I wonder how they would react to meeting their warrior counterparts?

The princess had us, Chrysalis, her changelings, and I, wait in a small waiting room while she deliberated with Twilight and her friends. I can understand asking Twilight for council as she is a fellow princess and was once her student, but her friends seem to be just that, friends, with no training in official politics. If anything she should be speaking to her sister or nephew, Blueblood, or have a council of elders. The politics of these ponies baffles me, and their decision baffled me even further.

After returning to the throne room we stood before them awaiting judgement, Celestia was no longer as angry but was worried and amused. She announced that the changelings will be given a free pass but will need to remain in their natural forms, but their queen would need to become the student of Twilight much how I agreed to be.

The queen was not happy with this decision and voiced her outrage. I managed to calm her down long enough to interject an alternative solution. I was already appointed to learn from Twilight about ponies and their society, and Chrysalis was more interested in learning from me, we made a compromise that she would technically be under my guidance while I myself was under Twilight's. They both managed to agree as this meant that if Chrysalis chose she wouldn't need to attend whatever Twilight was teaching but I would be able to pass on what I had learned should I deem it necessary and in a way she would be able to understand.

After signing the court order, Twilight acted like she had just received a new puppy. She was over excited that she had another new student. My explanation that she was technically my student fell on deaf ears and Chrysalis wasn't too happy with that reaction but beared with it. Honestly it was a rather embarrassing display.

Tomorrow morning we will begin preparations for a ceremony of sorts as the guests are expected to start arriving then as well, even though the actual ceremony isn't for another three days. I hear that the changelings, the ones that defected from Chrysalis, would be in town about that time as well. I can tell Chrysalis is rather nervous to be meeting them again after what happened last time, their metamorphosis to their final form and her hasty departure. I assured her that they would likely hear her out and forgive her because she had their bests interest in mind.

On another note, when we arrived in Ponyville by chariot this time, as the train had previously crashed and now they won't allow me on another train, the sun had set and most of the ponies had gone home. Artificial lighting seems to not have been as developed as I expected, as outside of a few lanterns it was rather dark. I hope to see the rest of the village in the daylight tomorrow to see if the structures are similar to this strange castle. It appears to be a single large crystal with halls, tables, and even chairs seamlessly a part of it. Twilight says that it was grown for her and her friends, but there's more to the story she didn't tell me.

Regardless, it is late and tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Wish me luck!

P.S.
Don't dispel the magic from ponies, it makes them super high.

I love you as always,

May you forever be in my heart.

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phie opened her eyes to find herself floating in a void of various shades of blue. She blinked a few times and looked around, noting the different swirls of blue fog. She concentrated on the energies around her, quickly identifying the strange realm as a dream induced by magic.
 
"Interesting." She commented, conjuring a book from her memory. As she began reading, however, the pages were missing some information that she was unable to recall. "Ah, a shame, I enjoyed this one." She banished the book with a thought.
 
"I see you have already accustomed yourself to the dream realm." Phie twirled around to see Princess Luna standing with her in the plane.
 
"So this is your doing. Yes, this realm is rather interesting and responds in a way that a dream normally would." Phie replied as she attempted to float over to Luna. “... With some exceptions.”
 
"This realm has a floor to allow for walking if that is easier." Luna informed her as Phie slowly wiggled closer.
 
Phie's eyes went wide for a moment, "I knew that... I choose to float freely, like a bubble." She wiggled in defiance to little effect.
 
Luna giggled, "Try as you might, this is my realm and your surface thoughts are as clear as crystal to me."
 
Phie ceased her wiggles and let the dream's gravity take control, standing quite easily on a floor that couldn't be seen. "So, you can read my mind?" she asked, thinking really hard about a troublesome ice mage.
 
"No, not really. It's just surface thoughts or projections. Like the one of the strange elf gorging herself on ice cream." Luna commented, nodding to the projection behind Phie.
 
She turned to watch the memory of the young female shoveling ice cream down her throat with an impressive resistance to brain freeze, "This is one of the younger students in the newest coven I founded, with my old student, Konnor, as the archmage in charge. Her name is Astrid, and she is human. Well, her outward appearance is, I have my suspicions of what she truly is but either she herself doesn't know or it's her and her sister’s most closely guarded secret.
 
"What they truly are doesn't matter in my eyes, they needed a home and a teacher to show them how to control their magic. This was after I first found them, wandering the city, covered in filth. Her one, and only demand, repeated daily and with increasing determination, was to eat ice cream. Besides a specialty for ice magic, she also focuses on thinking up ice puns and using them at every opportunity. I hope to see her become an archmage in her own right someday. Hopefully after she learns how to handle responsibility."
 
"Do you do that often? Take in random street children?" Luna asked as she moved to stand beside Phie. They watched as the memory faded before flickering through a large number of images, each containing a young human or humanoid creature.
 
"As often as I can. It's in my power to save them, I will not let them succumb to the horrors of man." The images rested on a young human male, with brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. He was wearing what could be classified as rags and several belts holding everything in place. He had a goofy grin, revealing a chipped tooth.
 
"His father was the blacksmith, back then the blacksmith was the most valued member of any village, and usually one of the most wealthy, as everyone would require their skills with the forge." Phie explained, the memory flickering to a giant of a man slamming a hammer onto heated metal, the sparks bouncing off his mighty form. "However, his wife passed while giving birth to his son, Felix. He had wanted to teach him the craft as his father taught him and his father before him. Felix though, was weak. His body was small and frail and he was often sick, and was unable to endure the rigorous blacksmith training.
 
"His father became a mess, started drowning himself in alcohol and work. He took out his aggression and disappointment on Felix, treating him as a slave, beating him, scolding him that he was nothing and he had ruined his life and his entire family." The image changed to Felix curled into a ball under a tree in the rain, illuminated by a lantern held in Phie's hand. "I found him like this one night. We never really saw or spoke before this moment, but I stayed with him until my adopted father found us the next morning.
 
"After that he would come see me as often as he could. At first I humored him out of pity, but after some time we became close friends. He would sleep on my floor if things at his own home were too rough for him, and I would do my best to treat his wounds." The image shifted to view the boy's back, criss crossed in old scars and fresh, bleeding lashes. "Yet through it all, he would insist he was fine. His father called him weak, but I saw his strength."
 
The image changed to a moment frozen in time, they were surrounded by knights in armor, and he was locking eyes with Phie. His whisper of 'Run!' echoed hauntingly through the dreamspace. "In this moment, he shone brighter than the brightest star. I will always remember him." Phie wiped her eyes, even in the dream her emotions leaked through.
 
Luna watched as the image faded, "You still love him." She stated.
 
"It cannot be helped, and it is true. It took me years to come to that realization." She looked to Luna, "An elf, as a species, bonds for life. Once they form a bond, they cannot form another without fighting instinct every step of the way. Personally, though I will always miss him, I can take comfort in knowing I will not be easily wooed by another. I can keep my love to him alone, where not even the changeling queen can reach, as I have discovered."
 
Phie turned to face Luna, "Apologies, I did not intend to go that far into my past. Speaking of it with Chrysalis recently and seeing their faces again, it brought it all out, as they say."
 
"No need to apologize, it was rather enlightening." Luna told her as she took a few deep breaths, "That was the purpose of this meeting, was it not? Although I cannot help but compare my experience to yours, I feel that you have gone through much more than I and I have no right to feel as I do knowing that you-"
 
Phie interrupted her with a hug, "Stop that. What you experienced affected you deeply, and saying that others have it worse is counterproductive and illogical." She pulled away, "If I said that you should feel terrible because others have it better than you, would that make sense?"
 
Luna cracked a small smile, "No, I suppose not. But where should I start? I've never..." she trailed off, waving a hoof around as she gestured vaguely around them, "...done this before. Well, in this fashion."
 
"I would recommend starting at the beginning." Phie replied as she thought an old rocking chair into the realm beside her. She took a seat and rocked a few times as she waited patiently for Luna to speak.
 
Luna thought quietly to herself for some time, both to remember the start of her descent into madness and to calm her nerves. "Well, I suppose it started when we were foals. My sister, being older than me, was obviously ahead of me in development. Whenever she did anything new or figured something out or mastered a new spell or anything really, she would receive all the praise. I would work my hardest to catch up to her, but each time I did I would realize that she had moved on to something else.
 
"I chased after her like that for years, always just a few steps behind. All I saw was her outshining me and earning the praise and adoration from everyone. I felt alone, outcast, forgotten..." She trailed off, her mind going back to revisit the events that began to play behind her in the dreamscape, "I suppose I was jealous, incredibly so. I began hearing a voice in the back of my mind, giving me little hints, some bits of wisdom when I needed them."
 
Phie stopped rocking, "You started hearing a single voice?" Luna nodded, "I see... Please, continue." Phie remained still studying Luna as she told her tale.
 
Luna didn't seem to notice, continuing on with her train of thought as the events played out behind her, "I grew dependant on the voice's wisdom, pushing away others. 'How could they understand me more than this voice that's always been supporting me?' I remember thinking to myself... I know now I was being slowly manipulated into trusting the voice above all others, but at the time it was what I considered my only friend.
 
"After several years and the defeat of several villains, the likes of Discord and Sombra, my sister was showered in praise while I was shoved off to the wayside, forgotten and ignored. I was furious, for without me they wouldn't even have their precious princess!" Luna began yelling, her form slowly changing, her mane growing darker as she ranted. The scenes behind her changed to those of war and battle, Luna tackling her sister aside as blasts of magic barely missed them.
 
"I was the one who saved her from harm! Again and again and again! With nary a thank you or apology for not seeing the obvious! I loved my sister more than they ever could and they think they can replace me!? Those ponies just wanted her favor, not her love! And my sister was too stupid to realize this!"
 
The dream realm started to quiver as Luna panted heavily, "I had to do something, I had to make her see what these ponies were doing to her, so I asked the voice..." Luna took a deep breath and noticeably calmed down, returning to her normal form and stabilizing the dream as well. The image behind her changed to show a darker mare whispering softly into her ears. "The voice asked if I trusted its judgment, to which I responded that I trusted it with my entire being. It offered to help directly, and all I had to do was just step aside. I was confused but I agreed.
 
"I felt a sudden presence in my mind, but the voice was there to guide me. I followed along and felt myself retreating back into my mind as the presence took over. But before I knew what was happening, my consciousness was locked away, trapped, where I could only watch as the Nightmare took control. It used my power to make itself even stronger, soon launching an attack on the city and trying to kill my sister.
 
"Celestia was forced to use the Elements on us, she had hoped it would cleanse me of the evil I had become. However, instead of being cleansed, we were banished... Sealed in the moon to gaze out on Equis night after night as the Nightmare screamed in rage for a thousand years.
 
"Eventually the seal weakened and the nightmare was able to escape. It zeroed in on my sister, intent of having its revenge, which led us to arrive in Ponyville. We, it, couldn't find Celestia. She had hidden herself somewhere, so it went after the ponies instead. I'm pretty sure the Nightmare was completely mad at this point, because it wasn't acting like it did previously, instead it was trying to play poorly thought out mind games with Twilight and her friends.
 
"Eventually the girls made their way to our old castle in the Everfree Forest, as it's known now. The castle was in ruins, and still is despite attempts to restore it. There they located the Elements of Harmony, the ones we've used to defeat our greatest foes and the ones responsible for our banishment. For some reason, Celestia had placed them on a large podium in the middle of the Great Hall where they would be easily spotted.
 
"The Nightmare stole them, probably the most sensible thing it's ever done that night, and tried to destroy them. That obviously failed, anyone who knows anything about magical items knows you can't just simply break them." Phie nodded, "Regardless, Twilight figured out how to access and unlock their full power, and finally the Nightmare was defeated, my nightmare was over.
 
"I owe everything to those ponies, they freed me from my mistake when my own sister could not. But even still... You are right. I could not simply forgive myself. I forced myself to relive those moments in my dreams, the moment I lost myself to the Nightmare's hold as I could not forgive myself. That also went horribly wrong." The area behind Luna depicted scenes of chaos as she tried to regain control of a shadow of herself.
 
"They helped me once again in my time of need. While their support has helped greatly, I still cannot help but dwell on the past. I feel that a part of me is still jealous of my sister, while another is convinced that despite her words and kindness, she has not yet forgiven me."
 
Phie stood and pulled her into a hug. "Pat pat." She pulled back and met her eyes, "Perhaps you don't trust her words of sincerity because they have been spurned or twisted in the past, creating a psychological filter in your mind that her words are not to be trusted."
 
Luna frowned, "If that's true, what can be done about it?"
 
Phie gave her a boop, "I can think of three things. First, I can have a private chat with her much like this and I can tell you in my own words if she forgives you or still has doubts. Second, actual therapy from a trained professional. While I have experience helping others I'm still a conjurer, not a therapist. I would recommend one on one for a while before having joint sessions with your sister. And third, you may have a curse of some sort affecting you to twist the words of your sister. However, you would need to see someone who specializes in curses to look you over. With luck this is all psychological and can be worked through in time."
 
Luna thought on her words for a moment, "But what if it's the Nightmare? What if it's still there?"
 
Phie shrugged, "If it is and it's trying its old ways, blast it with these elements you mentioned. If not, go to therapy. Besides, I'm sure when you get checked for curses they will be able to detect the evil entity. Either way, nothing to do about it at the moment so no point getting worked up."
 
"I see..." Luna pondered for a moment, "Archmage, you have given us much to think about for the next few days. I can talk to my sister and see if she can secure some time to speak with you privately, probably during our upcoming visit to Ponyville for the ceremony, if that is alright?"
 
Phie nodded, "My time is open to anyone who needs it."
 
Luna nodded and gave her a nuzzle, "I was nice to speak with thee, Sister needs to finally visit with someone as wise as she, perhaps more."
 
Phie bowed slightly, "While wise, I doubt I can rule for a thousand years. Matching wits, however, is another story."
 
"And we have seen your effect on her already, I look forward to seeing her uneasy in your presence again as I eat her cake." Luna chuckled.
 
"Now that would be evil." Phie smiled.
 
Luna grinned back, "Perhaps, but the dawn approaches, you have a busy day planned from what I hear."
 
"Every day is a busy day." Phie gave a mock salute before vanishing from the dream realm.
 
Luna stared at where she was a moment ago, "How did she suddenly wake herself up like that?"
 



 
Phie's eyes sprung open as she stared into the darkness. The darkness opened its eyes right next to hers and blinked sleepily. "Sorry, I did not mean to wake you, but the floor is cold and that princess didn't have our room ready yet."
 
Phie blinked at Chrysalis and turned to see that she and the other few remaining changelings had joined her on the bed. "This wasn't part of the agreement."
 
"The agreement was that you would keep us safe, and at the moment you are keeping us safe from the cold." Chrysalis replied, cuddling deeper into the covers.
 
"Fine, just for tonight." Phie responded before returning to sleep.
 
Chrysalis waited until she was sure she was truly asleep and tasted some of her emotions, "Hm, bland, tasteless, but still has despair. She's a strong willed one... Perhaps she holds the key..." She mumbled as she drifted off as well, the sun still several hours from dawn.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phie awoke to a rapping on her door. She attempted to rise but was met with resistance. She looked around to see the changelings sleeping on top of her covers, binding her to the bed.

"Well at least it's not overly hot." She muttered, "Come in!" She beckoned to the door.

The door opened and the small drake, Spike, waddled in. "Good morning! I was about to get started on breakfast and wasn't sure..." He trailed off and slowed to a halt when he noticed five pairs of blue orbs and a pair of slitted eyes staring at him from the bed.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Twilight's lucky to have someone with such initiative in her life." Phie complemented, causing Spike to blush and quickly forget his rising fear of the pile of changelings. "As for what I'd like, anything without hay or oats would be fine."

"Well, I AM her number one assistant!" He preened, "My gemstone pancakes are the best! I'll make an extra batch for you!" he announced as he ran out the door.

Phie turned to Chrysalis, "Did he say 'gemstone pancakes?'" the queen nodded as she yawned, "I must inform him of this error in communication. I suggest you join us shortly."

Phie blinked out of existence and appeared next to the bed, wearing nothing but the modest white undergarments she wore while sleeping. The changelings watched her with interest, the queen's eyes widened at how skimpy and frail the pale elf appeared when she wasn't wearing her bulky cloak. She quickly donned said bulky cloak and rushed out the door.

Phie quickly caught up to the young drake as he turned at the end of the hall, "Young Spike, I am afraid you misunderstand. I do not eat gems either."

Spike looked confused for a second before he frowned, "Oh, right, you're not a dragon... So what do you eat?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Fruits and vegetables are fine and wheat-based breads and products instead of hay would be best." She told him, "I hope that doesn't cause any issues?"

Spike pondered a moment, "I don't think we have anything not made with hay or gems, I’ll have to check..."

"Salads are fine too." Phie suggested.

"Oh! Well why didn't you say so? I make a mean chef salad!" Spike declared. “Minus the gems for you though.”

"Glad to hear. I'm going to shower and get changed, see you shortly." Spike nodded as he ran off to the kitchen. Phie returned to her room to see the changelings haven't moved yet.

"I assume you are not the morning type?" Phie asked as she removed her cloak once more, hanging it back in the wardrobe.

"The bed's still warm..." Chrysalis murmured, still half asleep.

Phie chuckled as she ruffled through the pockets of her cloak and removed a small ornate wooden box. She held the small box in her palm and concentrated, the box glowed with power for a moment before the empty space in front of her collapsed onto itself, soon revealing a massive chest identical to the small box she was holding. She undid the locks and opened the lid, the inside of the chest seemed slightly larger than what it should be and was filled with books and scrolls. Shoved into a corner and folded tightly were several changes of clothing. She grabbed a few articles of clothing and moved her cloak from the closet to the chest before closing the lid, the magical and mundane locks quickly sealing it shut.

She turned and disappeared into the bathroom, the sounds of running water filled the room, rousing the changelings from their weary slumber, buzzing their wings to get their blood flowing. About ten minutes later she emerged wearing a modest light white summer dress that flowed down to her knees, her long silver hair ended at her lower back. The dress, in combination with her short stature and soft features, made her look like a child rather than a mage.

Chrysalis blinked in confusion, "Are you even the same person?"

She gave a small smirk, "Heh. It's my disguise."

"... Wearing a dress and letting your mane down is a disguise?" Chrysalis asked incredulously. "While you look different it's still obviously you, and in fact calling it a disguise is a bit insulting."

"Apologies, no offense meant. In my world I am quite short in comparison to adults, and wearing a simple dress such as this gives the impression that I am a young age, akin to a child. People tend to overlook sweet little children and won't arouse suspicion if they wander where they aren't supposed to be. I've simply walked past security before and people tend to respond to childish inquiries. It also gets me free candy." Phie replied, putting on a show of being a child by skipping around and twirling in a circle with a goofy smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"So you are telling me that pretending to be a child is an effective means of gathering information?" Chrysalis almost seemed shocked.

"Why didn't we think of that?" One of her drones asked.

Phie dropped the facade, returning to her resting bored face. "Well, there are some things a child can't do no matter how innocent, in which case liberal use of magic and shenanigans is needed."

"Wait..." Chrysalis started, a thought forming in her head, "Were you a criminal?"

Phie didn't seem bothered by the question, "It depends. If a child acquires a sword or another weapon, would you take it away from them?" The changelings nodded slowly, "When a group of non-magic users locate and secure a magical artifact, it's usually a non-issue. But sometimes they find something exceedingly dangerous or too powerful for them to handle safely, in which case I will infiltrate them and speak with the leader or steal the item and place it in a vault so it won't cause trouble or harm.

"Then there's evil mages, who want to use magic for evil deeds and the fastest way to put them out of commission is simply stealing their book or artifact. That doesn't always go as planned though..." She trailed off with a blank stare as her mind went back to all the times she was forced to fight. "In the end, I did what needed to be done, for the sake of innocents."

The changelings were shocked, the thought of murdering or killing was as alien a concept to them as it was to ponies. Sure they replaced ponies and kidnapped them, just a little bit, but they never killed or maimed the ponies. Chrysalis spoke  up, "So, in the cave, when you mentioned how you would 'deal' with us, you were prepared to kill us all if we were deemed a big enough threat?"

Phie sighed, "Yes and no, I would have tried talking you down first. But if you were intent on causing harm to the ponies or myself I would have taken the necessary actions." Phie met each of their gazes, "I suppose that knowledge put me in a bad light, but take comfort in knowing that I would do the same to defend you if it comes to it."

Chrysalis facehooved, "And here I am, thinking that I was something to be feared by ponies." She chuckled, "You must give your enemies the worst kind of nightmares."

Phie smirked, "I can be quite meddlesome. Shall we head to breakfast?" She asked, motioning towards the door.

The queen nodded and her changelings filed out before her, Phie slipped on a pair of sandals before heading out, closing the door behind them as they headed down the hall. The smells of pancakes and eggs permeated the air as they neared the large kitchen and eating area.

"Ponies eat eggs?" Phie asked.

"Just the non-fertilized ones!" Phie's vision was suddenly filled with pink and blue as Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared right in front of her, staring into her eyes. "They're good and good for you and without them I wouldn't be able to make any cakes or muffins or cupcakes or cookies or-" Pinkie suddenly vanished almost as soon as she appeared.

Phie lowered her hand, "Oops."

"Pinkie, what have I told you about-" Twilight cut herself off as she rounded the corner, seeing an absence of the pink mare and Phie in her casual summer dress.

"Phie?" She asked, "You look... different."

"It's my ears isnt it?" Phie asked, reaching up to hide her long ears inside her hair almost self consciously.

"What? No, I don't know why, but I just assumed you would always wear the black cloak or the robes. You look nice though, I'm sure Rarity would approve." Twilight reassured her. "By the way, have you seen Pinkie? I swear she ran off in this direction."

A door down the hall opened and a soaking wet Pinkie Pie walked out, dripping a puddle of water behind her. She grinned when she reached the group, "Sorry if I startled you again!" She said with a shiver.

"And I am sorry for teleporting you again... but why are you wet?" Phie asked, "I was sure I shut off the shower."

"Oh! When I appeared in the tub I accidentally hit the knob as I slipped and the shower soaked me good. I couldn't find the towels though." Pinkie said through chattering teeth as she seemed to vibrate violently.

“I think you should dry yourself before you catch a cold.” Phie suggested.

“Pinkie, come sit by the fire and warm up until breakfast it ready.” Twilight suggested as she escorted Pinkie away to another room, presumably with a warm fire.

“That was strange.” Chrysalis commented, summoning up the entire situation.

“Just wait. This is nothing.” Phie remarked as she continued into the kitchen.

“What? Wait for what? What are you talking about?” Chrysalis asked as she kept pace.

“Exactly as I said.” Phie dodged the question as she took a seat at the table, soon joined by Chrysalis, her changelings, and Twilight.

Twilight eyed Chrysalis and the changelings nervously, tapping her hooves on the table and grinning just a bit too wide.

“Twilight, there is no need to be wary of the changelings.” Phie commented.

“What? What are you talking about? I’m not still a bit scared of them or upset at them or anything!” Twilight said just a bit too quickly.

“Twilight, calm down. They wouldn't dare try anything.” Phie sighed.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, “How would you be so sure?”

“Because you would have tried something already and would have likely refused to meet with Celestia and Luna in the first place if you didn't think there was something in it for you. As such, if you take actions against the ponies then you would no longer be able to achieve whatever goal you have in mind. Even if you would attack once you attain your desire, in the meantime the ponies are safe.” Phie responded at length. “So Twilight, relax, get to know them, give them a chance. Kindness and understanding goes a long way.”

Twilight sighed and banged her head on the table, “You’re right… I should do as Celestia asks and try as well.” She looked up to the changelings, “Can you forgive me?”

The changelings looked to each other and shrugged, “She’s right to be suspicious and nervous.”

“That is our MO lately.”

“But we’re working on that, right?”

“Right.”

They turned back to Twilight, “Apology accepted.”

Twilight smiled back, more relaxed now. “There, wasn’t so hard, was it?” Phie asked.

“No, I suppose not. Thank you.” She said.

Spike soon joined them and placed several plates on the table, hay pancakes for the ponies and changelings, gem pancakes for himself, and a large salad for Phie. He topped it off with a large plate of eggs and toast with plenty of juice, butter, and syrup.

"Wow! Good job Spike! It looks delicious!" Twilight complimented him.

Spike beamed at the praise, "Well, I AM your number one assistant!" A sudden, very loud, sneeze echoed from the other room. Spike's ego deflated just a bit, "... Pinkie helped a bit."

"This is still an impressive spread, there is nothing to be ashamed of when you are assisted with a task." Phie commented as she helped herself to some eggs and toast, "Is the toast hay-based?"

Twilight shook her head, "Hay isn't the best when it comes to making breads, so wheat is the preferred product for baking."

"What's the difference anyway? Isn't hay just long grass?" Spike asked as he dug into his pancakes.

Twilight smiled at the opportunity to teach them all a little something over breakfast, "Well-"

"Hay is basically a dried plant meant to be used for livestock feed. Typically from grass or alfalfa. Wheat is a small grain. Typically the grain, or the seed, is ground down into a light powder, known as flower, and used for baking needs." Phie interrupted, "I could go on but I believe that should suffice for the moment."

Twilight gave her a flat look, "Right... what she said. Although in our society hay is used as a snack and primary food like hayburgers and hay fries."

“I see, interesting.” Phie commented as she took a bite of her toast.

Spike looked between them in confusion for a moment, "Uh, right. Thanks?"

"You're welcome." They both replied. Phie chuckled while Twilight glared at her.

"I should apologize, I'm too used to others seeking my knowledge." Phie remarked with a nod towards Twilight.

Twilight sighed in turn, dropping the glare, "I suppose I can understand that, I'm just not used to others interrupting me to lecture instead."

"I would hardly call that a lecture, and most people respond better to smaller pieces of information rather than a large amount all at once." Phie said as she finished her toast. She chewed a bit before looking to the other changelings and Chrysalis, whom were quietly eating their own small meals. "So what do you plan to have your changelings do while here in Ponyville? Will they just follow you around all day?"

The queen rolled her eyes, "It's not like they can go anywhere else."

"Ah, right, the stigma from the invasion and the kidnappings. Well, not really a stigma, to be fair those were pretty bad happenings. Anyway, I have an idea that I will discuss with Celestia when she arrives that should hopefully begin building some trust towards changelings." Phie replied.

Chrysalis stared at her for a moment, the gears in her head turning, "You are scheming something drastic, aren't you?"

"Perhaps, although I will need additional information prior to implementing the plan." Phie replied easily, "So we shall see. I will advised when such a time comes."

"Right..." Chrysalis trailed off, returning to her food. Her mind was abuzz with thoughts wildly suggesting everything from the mundane to the extreme on what Phie was planning.

"And why can't you just ask me about it? I'm a princess too you know, I have the title framed in my office." Twilight asked.

"Because I naturally defer to the highest authority, especially since my plan will likely affect the nation as a whole, she and her sister as the primary rulers would be the ones to consult. Not to worry though, you will likely be able to attend the meeting to voice any concerns, as well as you Chrysalis." Phie responded at length.

Chrysalis couldn't help be become increasingly worried, for both herself and her remaining changelings. 'Perhaps,' she thought, 'I acted out of desperation too soon, and doomed us all.'





Meanwhile....

"Trixie!" Starlight whispered harshly, "What are you doing!? We're supposed to be down at breakfast with the others!"

"What?" Trixie replied innocently, "We're just going to have a poke around. Aren't you curious about her? I bet she's hiding something! Or just imagine what spell books she has! She did mention she had some." She carefully opened the door to Phie's room, poking her head inside and looking around curiously.

"How do you even know she left them in her room? She didn't have any luggage in the first place!" Starlight said as she quickly followed her inside, being careful to close the door behind them.

"Then what do you call that?" Trixie asked, pointing out the large ornate chest next to the dresser.

Starlight stared at it for a moment, eyes tracing over the gold borders and embedded gems before settling on the large locking mechanism. They stepped closer, eyes wide in curiosity. The top of the chest was level with their eyes as they stood next to it.

Trixie reached forward to try to open it but was quickly stopped by Starlight, "Hold on, this doesn't feel right."

"Well we already technically broke in so it's a little late to suddenly want to back out." Trixie remarked.

"No, not that. I mean that this chest is magical, you can't just open it without thinking. It could be cursed, sound an alarm, activate a spell, or any number of things." Starlight said as she began to study the chest. Her eyes glowed as she cast a spell of her own, allowing her to more easily see the spells themselves. To her, the chest itself appeared to glow with thousands of runes and energy channels, all powered by the gems themselves.

"This is way more complex than I thought it would be..." Starlight commented as she continued to decipher each spell and what its function was.

"How complex?" Trixie asked, for all she was able to see was a mundane chest.

"Wow... We're looking at magic that distorts reality, no, it moves through reality... There's something that binds it in place, no, binds it to this reality? I'm not sure, this is way beyond anything I've researched." Starlight trailed off, muttering to herself.

Trixie rolled her eyes and searched around the room, soon finding what she wanted leaning against the wall. "This should do it."

Starlight was still muttering as Trixie returned, "I don't know trixie, I've studied the enchantments in Canterlot placed by Celestia herself and they weren't nearly as complex as these. There's even a spell here to specifically make it smell like mahogany."

"Not to worry, for I, Trixie, have the solution to this dilemma!" Trixie announced in the only way that Trixie announces anything, overly dramatic with sparks and fireworks.

"Trixie! We'll be caught!" Starlight whispered to her.

"Oh relax, these rooms are way down the hall, we'll be fine if we're not too loud." She responded slyly.

Starlight facehooved, "Fine, what solution is it anyway?"

"This." Trixie held up Phie's staff, bunting the end against the chest much like how Phie had done to Rainbow Dash at the castle. The staff let out a jingle as the magic dispersed from the chest. However, unbeknownst to them, it didn't go unheard.

Starlight looked it over, "Well I'll be, it's all inactive. Looking at the gems though I'd say we have about five minutes before they recharge and reactivate."

"Well we better not waste any time then." Trixie lowered her horn and cast a spell of her own, soon the lock opened with a heavy click. Trixie gave a sly grin to Starlight, "What? I know a few tricks."

Starlight chuckled and rolled her eyes, then pushed open the chest, propping her hooves on the edge as she and Trixie peered inside. "Well, looks like you were spot on about the books at least."

Trixie picked up a few and looked them over, opening one to a random page. Most of the page was taken up by a strange series of symbols laid out in an array, but the small text underneath it was written in an unfamiliar language.

"Well, this seems about as magical as you can get, can't read it though." She said, snapping it shut and tossing it aside. Her attention was caught by the sight of some dark fabric. "Well well, someone had a wardrobe change!" She said as she pulled up the cloak. It unfurled and a red book fell out.

Starlight giggled at her antics, "Right? What's this though?" She asked as she held up the book. "Might be her personal diary."

"Oh, well in that case we shouldn't look." Trixie stated. They stared at eachother for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"But how are we going to read it?" Trixie asked.

"Just watch me." Starlight smirked as she concentrated on a spell, combining the properties of her magic sight and a number of translation spells. She enveloped herself, Trixie, and the chest within a purple bubble of magic. "There!" she declared with a grin.

"Well it looks pretty but what's it do?" Trixie asked.

"Just watch," Starlight held up the book and opened it to a random page. They watched as the words and numbers seemed to shift before their eyes. A moment later they formed the language they knew and loved. "Area of effect translation spell." She bragged.

"That is pretty cool." She said as she read the text, "Wait... what is this? It's just a list of stuff and some numbers. 'Josh Ballman, 2044-2054. Allen Grayson, 2043-2054. Cheryl Smith, 2049-2054.' The list fills the page." She flipped through several pages, all listed names with the number ending in 2054. "Starlight, I think we shouldn't be reading this." SHe said with a frown.

Starlight was busy ruffling through the cloak, soon coming up with a brown book. "Ha! Journal!" She grinned and opened it toward the middle. She paused as she looked at the number on the top of the page. "What number is listed there?"

Trixie looked back to the book she still held, "2054."

Starlight flipped back a large number of pages until she found one dated for July 22, 2054, "Well the numbers correspond and this is definitely a date, so let's see what that's all about." She cleared her throat and was about to start reading when something behind them cleared its throat.

"You shouldn't be snooping." Starlight and Trixie felt their blood run cold, eyes wide as they turned to see what it was.





Phie and the others had nearly finished breakfast when a pair of blood curdling screams echoed through the castle then were quickly and suddenly cut off. The ponies shared a look of confusion while Phie prepared a summoning spell. They all quickly leaped to their respective feet and hooves and charged down the hallway, passing a much dryer but worried Pinkie Pie.

"That sounded like Starlight and Trixie!" She said as she joined in with Twilight.

"Then we can't waste any time!" She replied, using her magic to thrust open each door as they passed.

They soon came upon Phie's room, the sight of which caused the ponies to freeze up in fear. There was a creature, it seemed to be made of black smoke wearing a poncho. Its arms and hands were long, incredibly thin, and ending in sharp claws. There weren't any legs to support it as it seemed to float in place. The head though, it seemed to be in the form of a pumpkin. Its mouth was wide and curved into a smile filled with teeth. The eyes were burning brightly, their sharp angles giving it a menacing appearance.

Behind it they could see both Starlight and Trixie, bound in living vines and unable to move. They tried to blast the vines away with magic but they were quickly replaced with even more vines. Beyond them was Phie's open chest, and at the base of it was a pair of journals.

Phie sighed and released her magic, calmly approaching the creature. "That's enough, Jack. They aren't hostile."

Jack, as she called it, seemed indifferent. "They shouldn't be snooping through your things, My Lady. What if they tried to use one of the spell tomes, or got their filthy paws on an artifact?"

Phie rolled her eyes and stepped around him, "I have no such things in my possession at the moment, I was sure to transfer anything dangerous into the vault at the coven. The spellbooks are low to intermediate level and the rest is history related." She picked up her discarded journals and looked at the pages they were opened to. "2054..." she whispered mournfully.

Jack shrugged, "Still, shall I dispose of these pests?"

Phie returned her journals and closed the chest, "Not at the moment, you may release them." The captured ponies were released, dropping them on their haunches. "Since you're here anyway, do you have anything to report?"

"Nothing in particular, it's been rather quiet save for some rumors." Jack replied as he floated to a dark corner of the room. "They are interesting rumors though. They speak of a group of shadow people using the dead to toy with the living. Another is a warning, 'Beware the Smiling Man.' What are my orders, or do you finally wish to release me?"

Phie sighed, "You know my response to that. I want you to investigate into these rumors for anything substantial and let me know if they are true and any details surrounding them."

"Understood." Jack replied as he started to encase himself in a black cloud. "Also, one more thing you should be aware of. The gate you opened, the path still exists. Caution to the wise," he said ominously as he vanished completely.

Phie sighed and sat on her chest, finally turning to the confused ponies and changelings still standing in the doorway. "If you have any questions please, just ask me directly instead of snooping through my things. You were lucky it was Jack that discovered you and not something else."

"What the HAY was that... thing?!" Trixie blurted out.

"That was Jack. He got into some trouble and was set to be executed, but I was able to have him do 'community service' for me as a spy and information gatherer. He's very good at his job and has become an essential asset." She said, "When he asked for me to release him, he was asking that I kill him. He's got a guilty conscious, you see, however he also wishes to redeem himself. He's pretty conflicted."

The others finally entered the room and sat before her, Twilight made sure both Starlight and Trixie were fine before sitting as well. "Ooo this is like a Q&A panel! QUICK!! WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?!" Pinkie yelled excitedly.

"Blue hues." Phie responded.

"Yes!" Pinkie declared before zipping out the door.

Twilight looked to the others before asking her own question, "I suppose I'd like to know more about what Jack said."

"You heard what I did, although I would assume necromancy is involved in some way." Phie commented. "About the Smiling Man, I haven't the faintest idea. As for the last thing he said, about the path, I would assume that my coming here left a trail of some kind that others may be able to find and follow, which would explain how he was able to come here as well." She pondered.

Trixie raised her hoof slowly. Phie motioned for her to speak, "I just wanted to apologize, I didn't think we'd bring something here."

Phie raised a skeptical brow that would make Applejack proud. "Okay! So maybe we shouldn't have broke into the box!" Trixie relented, throwing her hooves into the air dramatically.

"But really though," she continued, "what was the list of all the names and dates?"

Phie was silent for a while, staring at each of them and studying their faces. They stared back, the ponies' eyes sparkling with curiosity and innocence while the changelings seemed to recall what was said during their first encounter. Phie broke eye contact with a sigh, "I will not give you all the details, but that is a list of the dead. Those are the ones I have vowed to keep in my memory. I will not speak on it further until I deem you are ready."

The ponies were taken aback, being the first time they heard about it. Trixie looked devastated, she had seen the thickness and weight of the journal, now seeming much heavier of a burden knowing the significance behind it.

"Ah, perhaps even that knowledge places a burden on you." Phie commented sadly. "Do not fret, it is my burden to bear, and I do so willingly." She hopped off the chest and gave the ponies a pat on the head, "Pat pat. Come now, there is a party to plan, remember?"

Twilight shook her head and forced a smile, "Yeah, we've got a lot of work to do. Come on Spike, let's find Pinkie and get started." She said as she stood, then departed with Spike in tow.

Trixie and Starlight muttered their own apologies as well as they followed behind. Phie watched them go for a moment, then closed the door behind them. She walked past the changelings back to her chest and opened it, sorting through the items and making sure everything was accounted for.

Chrysalis watched her curiously, "So, what happened on that date?"

"Do you believe in gods?" Phie asked instead.

Chrysalis was confused by the sudden question, "How do you mean? Like Celestia?"

Phie sighed and closed her trunk, checking the enchantments and discovering how they were bypassed. "No, I mean deities from another plane of reality, beings with powers and consciousness beyond comprehension. Beings of great compassion, and ones of pure evil and malice."

Chrysalis through about it for a moment, "Well, there are legends about how the world was created that involved powerful beings, but most speculate they are Celestia and Luna's parents."

Phie focused her mana into one of the crystals, quickly charging it and reactivating the enchantments. "I see. What happened on that day was truly terrible..."





We were searching for ancient ruins deep within an area called 'Death's Bridge.' It was called such because it was a narrow strip of land connecting the two continents, only about two hundred miles wide and about a thousand long. The place was a wasteland, nothing grew here and the air smelled of death and decay. It was considered the most dangerous place on the planet, monsters of all sizes made their home here. To venture through it would be suicide, but I had my companions with me and together we felt we could face anything.

I traveled with Grace, a young mage who aspired to be a white necromancer. It was a concept I had never heard of until she told me, and I hope one day she accomplishes that dream. The other mage with me was Astrid, she wasn't expecting the heat and was making it snow around her to keep cool while complaining about melted ice cream. There was also Arashi, a shaman with great skill but terrible luck. Morgan, a combat android with a soul and passion, and a strange tribal warrior called Nefere.

We had been traveling for two days, riding a trio of horses as fast as they could run. We outran most dangers but others we were forced to stop and fight or be eaten ourselves. About midday I was blasted off my steed by an unknown force, rolling to a stop a bit roughed up but fine. The others halted their advance and returned to make sure I was alright, Nefere was the first to arrive. I do not know what her tribe teaches, but she is able to outrun most machines let alone horses.

She spotted it before I did, pointing out the figure approaching our position. We got ready for combat when it got close, it was a human. He was equipped with weapons and armor and looked half dead as it was.

"Phie, of the coven, we meet for the first time, and the last." He said.

The others caught up and prepared for combat, I took the diplomatic approach, "Why must this be the last? We have just met, and I don't even know your name."

"My name doesn't matter!" He yelled angrily, "I'm going to kill you, and save my village!"

I was confused at this point, I had no intention of destroying a village, and nobody knew I would be at this location. "I believe you have the wrong mage."

"I HAVE THE RIGHT MAGE!" He roared as he drew his sword, "We are to duel to the death! Nobody interferes or you lose!"

I stepped out in front of my comrades to face him. "You know I can just rip him to pieces, right? You don't have to do what this crazy asshole says." Morgan commented as her mechanical parts clicked and whirred in preparation for combat.

"No, stand down, there's something else going on." I replied as I looked around, opening my magical senses to the world around me. However, try as I might, I wasn't sensing anything. I addressed the man, "Who arranged this duel, and for what purpose?"

"It doesn't matter, I am to kill you, and when I win, my people will be spared!" He yelled as he fixed his combat stance. He must have been waiting out here for several days, he was sweating and panting heavily.

"You are exhausted, I refuse to duel someone with one foot in the grave." I said simply. I pulled out my waterskin and tossed it to his feet, "Here, have a drink."

He kicked it aside, "We will fight, and we will fight now!"

"No." I said sternly.

He was taken aback, "W-what?"

"I said no. I will not duel you, I will not kill you. I don't care what kind of self righteous mission you think you're a part of, but I will not execute a man who's barely able to stand." I crossed my arms with finality.

"But we have to!" He was getting desperate, looking around frantically.

"Says who, exactly?" I asked.

The world around us grew dark, the air went from hot to incredibly cold, much to Astrid's delight. The man cowered and covered his head as a disembodied voice boomed out, "Says I. You will duel. The loser is determined by death. Any outside help will be a loss. If you win, you get to live. If you lose, you, everyone you love, everyone in your home, will die as I claim their souls as my own."

A chill went down my spine as a pit formed in my stomach, "And if I refuse?"

"Then you will lose." It responded dispassionately.

"You can't just pit two people against each other." I tried to reason, looking for a way out of the situation.

"I can. I did. Now duel, or you both lose." It said. The darkness receded as the heat and the sun returned.

The man stood on shaky knees, "Th-there you have it! Now fight me!"

"... There has to be another way. Don't you think I have an unfair advantage? I am not nearly as tired as you!" I called out, more to the mysterious watcher than the man before me. "I don't call that a duel!"

I got a response, but not the one I was expecting. The man screamed, his blood seemed to glow white hot as it shown through his veins. In a moment it was gone, the man howled in rage and leapt forward with renewed energy, the duel was on.

I thought quickly, summoning a dense fog between us. I took off to the left through the fog, running as lightly and silently as I could. To buy some time I summoned my unseen servant and sent it to the right, making as much noise as possible. I could hear my comrades arguing weather to join the fight or not. Thankfully Arashi got them to settle down with a few coarse words.

I appreciated the thought, but I am never alone. I burned a good portion of my mana to summon my battle gryphons, managing six in total. Their piercing cries rang out over the wastes as the man burst from the fog. He yelled and ran forward, I commanded my allies to attack.

He didn't stand a chance. He managed to injure two of them bad enough that they returned home, but he was quickly brought low. The gryphons held him down and disarmed him at my command. I called up to the sky, "I have won the duel, as winner I decide to spare his life and his village!"

I thought I could negotiate. The man's heart exploded out of his chest, showering me in gore. There would be no negotiation.





"It took weeks to locate the man's village. Eighty-three men, women, and children, all dead. Because of me, because of a god, because of a demon, a bet, a fight, a duel." Phie wiped her eyes, "There is no victory in combat. Only death."

"You can't blame yourself because some powerful being forced you to do something." One of the changelings spoke up, the others nodded.

"Yea! The invasion was her fault!" another said, pointing a hoof at his queen, who growled and bit at his hoof. "I don't feel bad about it at all."

Phie knelt solemnly before her chest, "I'd like to be alone for a while."

Chrysalis sampled the emotions she was giving off, cringing at the sudden bitterness of self loathing and despair. "Fine, we will antagonize Twilight without end. Come, we have a party to crash." She said, commanding her changelings to follow her out.

Phie sighed and hung her head, mournfully recalling the recent tragedy. The silence of the room, however, was punctuated with faint sobs that weren't her own. She stood and wiped her eyes, picking up her staff in case it was needed. She followed the sounds to her closet, where she placed a hand on the handle and quickly opening the door.

Sitting on the floor with her mane straight and eyes wet, Pinkie sobbed quietly, unaware of her discovery. Next to her was a triple decker cake decorated in blue frosting and what Phie assumed to be a few words, possibly of the welcome variety.

Phie sighed and stepped into the closet, closing the door behind her and sitting next to Pinkie. She reached over and gently pulled her onto her side so Pinkie’s head rested in her lap, where she was held and comforted.

They sat in the darkness of the closet, one sobbing while the other whispered comforting words. Pinkie slowly calmed down, wiping her eyes and snuggling closer to Phie. “Shh, it’s alright. There there. Why all these tears, little one?”

Pinkie sniffed back further tears, “It’s just… I heard the story… It made me so sad, that something was… Just, why?”

Phie pet her head, “My world is cruel, little one. For too many, each day is a fight for the next. Too many know that when they bed for the night, they might never awaken. The evils of man are wide and rampant, giving power to gods that embody those ideals. Humans are capable of such cruelty, such unspeakable horrors, that at times even I feel they should be eradicated.

“But, just as there are those who would do evil, there are ten times as many who are capable of great kindness. They are the ones putting their lives on the front line to protect their families, bonding together to pull themselves out of the darkness. It's hard to see at times, but they are a balance.

“It is what gives me hope. Hope that if I help face the evil, innocents won’t have to.” She gave Pinkie a light hug, “If I have to face the demons of hell themselves, I can hold my head high that the thousands behind me won't have to, and in doing so I know that I stand alongside thousands of others.”

Phie wiped Pinkie’s face with her dress, staining it. “So no more tears for me, not while others are more deserving. Keep them in your heart, they will give you the strength and perseverance to succeed.”

Pinkie straightened up, wiping her face with a hoof while her main regained some of it's curls. “Okay… It's still so sad, but I’ll try. You think they would like a party?”

Phie smiled her small smile, “I am sure of it.”

Pinkie smiled sadly and nodded, “I’ll plan something for those poor pon-I mean, people then.”

“I’m sure a party in their memory would be honored. But perhaps after the event just around the corner.” She said, patting her head and tousling her mane.

Pinkie turned and gathered up the cake, “I’ll get something planned for your official welcome too, you can count on me!” Pinkie’s smile was growing, the prospect of not one, but two big parties cheering her up.

Phie smirked, “Then show us all what you are capable of.”

“You got it!” Pinkie saluted before darting out of the closet.

Phie remained seated in the darkness, a frown on her lips. ‘A party for the departed…’ she thought to herself, ‘Perhaps, it is long overdue.’ 
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a quick change, the morning after breakfast was busy and fast paced. The rest of Twilight’s friends arrived and focussed all their energy in preparing for the coming celebration. Applejack and Pinkie took over the extensive kitchen, working up a sweat to produce as many baked goods as possible. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy busied themselves with hanging decorations throughout the castle, strictly overseen by Rarity. Starlight and Trixie assisted with setting up the tables and chairs as well as a number of other small tasks. Twilight and Spike ran around with a large list, making sure everything is being completed properly and making sure there were plenty of supplies.

"Twilight, I know you asked for my assistance but I'm afraid you have everything taken care of." Phie commented to Twilight, watching her pace back and forth while Spike notated items on the list. "I am not a chef, I cannot fly to assist with decorations, I am not familiar enough with the castle let alone the town to assist with supplies or setup. What shall I do? What shall the changelings do?"

Twilight continued to mutter to herself before she suddenly jumped with a grin, "I got it!" She yelled, rounding on Phie, "You can be the entertainment!"

Phie was silent for a moment, as though waiting for her to continue or admit she was joking. No follow up was forthcoming. "I am not an entertainer."

Twilight scoffed, "No, not that kind of entertainment. I mean this is a chance you can show ponies what you can do and what you plan on teaching, this event is very high profile so I expect there to be a multitude of very influential ponies who might take an interest in your talents."

Phie thought quickly, if she was able to impress these ponies, essentially commoners who likely didn't know the first thing of magical theory, they would provide funding and possibly a position as an actual professor! A plan formed as she looked to the changelings for a moment, certain they would lend assistance if she asked. "Alright, I am interested. However, do not refer to my magic as mere entertainment. Do you have a presentation area?"

Twilight nodded, "Right, sorry. There's an auditorium a floor down, we never really use it, so it's all yours for now."

"That sounds perfect, I have just the thing in mind." Phie let Twilight show her the way, going down a wide set of steps that curved around and ended at a large set of double doors. Phie pushed the doors open easily. Once through, she took in the sight of the benches descending down to a large stage framed in red curtains.

"Yes, I like this. Think the place will be filled?" Phie asked as she mentally tallied approximately how many ponies can be shoved into the seats.

"Not that many outside of a few interested parties and the princesses." Twilight advised. "Do you need anything?"

Phie shook her head, "Thanks, but I have my own supplies." Twilight nodded and returned to her station. Phie addressed the changelings, "Ready to see some advanced magic?"

Chrysalis tilted her head, "How advanced?"

Phie chuckled, "Well, I'm going to be modifying a basic Familiar summoning spell to reach beyond the adjacent realms and search out an individual who would compliment the temperament of the summoner. Usually when forming a bond to a familiar one needs to establish a common goal that the familiar is willing to team up with the mage for a time to achieve. I figure that since the culture of ponies is mostly friendly I plan on playing to their weakness and summon a friend. A creature with which we compliment each other in various ways."

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, "Friendship as a weakness? I used to think the same, but was never able to play it to my advantage."

"Used to?" Phie asked.

She sighed, "After having plan after plan ruined 'because of friendship,' I suppose I'm doubting myself. Suppose there is some power in friendship, something that is not so easily corrupted or turned around. I had those fools bickering and blaming and yelling at each other over alleged wrongdoing thanks to my changelings, but they quickly managed to overcome it and defeat me." Chrysalis explained.

Phie pondered a moment, "Honestly, if there is power in friendship in this plane, it would be foolish to attempt to thwart it. Mind you this is all hypothetical, but the key to great power would be to make friends, and to make a lot of them. Well, depending on the properties of this power, it could be that the stronger the friendship between the individuals makes the power stronger or it could be the number of individuals that respect or consider themselves friends with one that would grant the individual power. But based on your story and Princess Luna's, I would say that the stronger the bonds between a small group of individuals would be the key to this power. If that's the case, then this summon, which is to be a good friend where we would compliment each other, may unlock a great power within us."

Chrysalis' jaw dropped, "You can't be serious!?"

Phie raised an eyebrow, "I know I went on a tangent but what part of 'hypothetical' didn't you understand? That was all just wild speculation with no proof other than a pair of coincidences. Could you imagine if that were the case? It would be chaos. Groups of friends would rule the world in small pockets around the globe. Society of this level would collapse into tribes."

"Then don't talk about it so seriously!" Chrysalis yelled in frustration.

"I'm always serious." Phie replied, raising a finger to her muzzle. "Boop."

Phie twirled away with a jingle of her staff and headed down towards the stage as Chrysalis muttered in frustration. "Come on, let's get started." Phie called up to her.

"Fine!" Chrysalis stomped her way down the steps, "But only because I'm going to steal your secrets!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Phie replied as she hoisted herself onto the stage. She made her way to the back left corner and just like that morning, she held up the miniature of her chest and focused. A moment later the larger version appeared at her feet with a dull thud. She opened it with expert ease and searched through it.

The changelings made their way onto the stage with a short buzz of their wings, "So what exactly are we doing?"

Phie pulled back from the chest with a few books held to her chest and a bag. "Are you able to draw steadily and accurately?"

A smaller changeling raised its hoof, "I can... I replaced an artist for several years. He died of natural causes..."

"Perfect, what's your name?" Phie asked as she approached.

The changeling looked nervous, being the center of attention, "Um, Rhene..."

"She's the short, shy one." Chrysalis advised her.

Phie nodded as she flipped through a thick book settling on one page in particular. "Well met Rhene. Think you can draw this?" Phie showed her the book, open to a page detailing a moderately complex summoning circle. Rhene looked it over thoughtfully, examining each minute detail.

"Yes... I should be able to duplicate it fairly easily." She confirmed.

"Perfect." Phie let her take the book in her magic and opened up the bag to show its contents, inside was a large number of sticks of chalk that seemed to faintly glow blue. "Use this chalk to draw it out, try not to waste it. The lines must be solid for the mana to flow through the lines properly. I want the circle drawn center stage, seven feet in diameter, exactly like it's shown here, understood?"

Rhene nodded and grabbed a few chalk sticks in her own magic. "Oh right, one moment." Phie ran to her chest and ran back a moment later, yardstick in hand. "Here you go, don't eye the measurements." Rhene took the measuring tool and set to work.

"Now, the rest of you..." Phie hummed in thought for a moment, "We need to get the word out. Make posters or fliers advertising the demonstration of conjuration magic and post them around town. I also need some help setting up the stage and some decorations."

Chrysalis nodded and appointed her followers to the appropriate tasks while she directly assisted Phie with the stage. The teams worked diligently through the day, breaking only for sandwiches and drinks during lunch, provided by Pinkie. Once night had fallen, the atrium was decorated and the center of the stage displayed a large, beautifully drawn magic circle. Phie looked it over, comparing it to her own personal set of notes and making minor corrections or additions here and there to tweak it to her desired specifications.

"There, that should do it for the circle. How's everything else looking?" Phie asked as she deposited the remaining chalk back into the bag.

"I finished setting up the stage for the presentation, the others are out hanging the posters, and the decorations have been set up." Chrysalis informed her.

Phie looked at the decorations, there was a banner over the stage that simply read 'World of Conjuration!' and a single streamer along the wall on either side. "Perfect, looks great! Good job everyone, let's get some food."

"Well if you say so." Chrysalis stated as they all filed out, heading back up to the main rooms of the castle. "Then again, I'm no decorator."

"It's professional. There's enough to show there's an event of some kind but not too much to be distracting." Phie reasoned.

They opened the door into the Great Hall, pausing in their steps to take in the sudden change the castle has undergone. Almost every surface was covered in flowers, streamers, balloons, glitter, and the exposed parts were polished to a shine. However, what stood out more than the decorations was a crowd of moth-like creatures fluttering around. They were all incredibly fuzzy and brightly colored much like the ponies.

"I assume these are your former changelings?" Phie asked the empty space behind her. She took a moment to glance around, unable to immediately locate the changelings. "Ah, not quite ready yet it seems."

Phie stepped forward, allowing the doors to close behind her as she studied the final form of the changelings. They seemed much more animated and happy than their counterparts, presumably due to the change in leadership. Unlike the ponies though, many supported multiple swirls of color randomly all around their bodies, no two were identical. Looking out over the room gave the illusion of a swirling mass of color that left anyone slightly dizzy. It wasn't long before she was spotted by the new arrivals, hushed whispers soon overtook the rabble of conversation.

Noticing the change of atmosphere, Twilight turned from her conversation to see Phie becoming the center of attention. She waved her over, "Phie! Come here, I want you to meet someone!"

The creatures murmured as Phie made her way to Twilight. "I noticed some guests arrived." She stated.

"Really? What gave you that impression?" Twilight asked sarcastically.

"Just a hunch." Phie smirked. She looked to the tallest moth-pony-changeling, roughly the size of Luna. "You must be the leader of this merry band."

"Phie, this is Thorax. He's the leader of the reformed changelings. Thorax, this is Phie, a guest from another world. She's the archmage of conjuration I was telling you about." Twilight introduced them.

"Oh! It's nice to finally meet you!" He said happily, putting out his hoof.

Phie reached out and placed her hand on his head. "Pat pat."

Thorax blinked in confusion, "Uh, right."

Phie backed up after a moment, "Well met. So how are you adjusting to being a ruler? I heard the shift in power was rather sudden."

Thorax rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, yeah. It was a bit rough at first, but I think we've come a long way. It was a lot of work but we're really pulling though."

Phie gave a small smile, "Glad to hear it. Most new rulers when suddenly in a position of power tend to let it go to their heads, it seems this is not the case. Well done." She gave him another pat. "However, what is your plan for the remaining changelings who did not join you?"

"You mean Queen-er, I guess she's not really a queen anymore... but you mean Chrysalis?" He asked, tapping a hoof against his chin in thought, "Well, we're open to discussions and meetings, but beyond that we haven't put much thought into it."

He put his hoof back down and gave her a quizzical look, "Why do you ask?"

"What does it matter?" Phie responded.

"Well, she is a war criminal, so there's that." Thorax said matter-of-factly.

Phie raised an eyebrow, "A war criminal? I was aware of the Canterlot invasion having its negative effects. I suppose it's in the realm of possibility, but it wasn't mentioned to me." She slowly turned to stare at Twilight.

Twilight nervously looked away with an embarrassed chuckle, "Must have... slipped my mind."

Phie poked her on the forehead, "You silly. No matter, it doesn't change much anyway. She's already a PR nightmare."

Thorax looked confused, "Wait... do you know her?"

"Let's just say I have an interest in her well-being." She said simply, "Will you and yours be attending my presentation?"

Thorax blinked at the sudden change of topic, "Presen-? Oh! That summoning demonstration, right? A few of the others mentioned it to me when they saw the flier. It sounds interesting to say the least."

"Wonderful, I look forward to demonstrating for you all." Phie nodded in a slight bow.

The great doors of the great hall opened with a boom, silencing the buzz of conversation. An escort of guards soon entered, their coats seeming to gleam and reflect the light of the castle as they moved into formation on either side of the doors. A brown unicorn played a flugelhorn for a moment before unrolling a scroll.

"Announcing the arrival of the rulers of the Crystal Empire, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, her husband Prince Shining Armor, and their daughter Princess Flurry Heart. Accompanying them is Sunburst, the Royal Crystaller." The unicorn rolled up the scroll and stood aside, revealing the rulers as announced.

Phie turned to Twilight, "There's an empire?"

Phie's inquiry went ignored as Twilight shot past her, running to greet the royals. Phie sighed and followed at a more sedate pace. She was soon joined by Thorax, "So, exactly how many kingdoms or nations exist on this plane?" she asked him.

"Plane?" He asked in confusion, but shook his head and continued, "Well other than Equestria and the Crystal Empire, there's the Buffalo Tribes, the Breezies, the Dragon lands and their Emperor, the Yaks of Yak-Yakistan, the Gryphons, though they don't really have a leader, we haven't thought of a name for ourselves yet, and you can't forget about the Minotaurs and their king, and let’s not forget the zebra tribes. Those are the more prominent ones, not to mention there's a lot of unexplored areas that might have their own people too, but that's about all that I can remember at the top of my head."

Phie nodded along as he spoke, absorbing the information like a sponge. "There's still unexplored parts of the world?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of places that are simply too dangerous for ponies to explore. There are a few adventurers out there seeking to uncover the mysteries, but it's not for the light hearted." He replied. They stopped short of Twilight and the royals, watching with bemusement as Twilight was making silly faces at the baby pony, much to her delight.

"That's certainly an odd way to greet a princess." Phie quipped.

Twilight shot up, face flushed as she realized that about thirty guests and guards were watching her, each one with various levels of amusement. They chuckled good naturedly before soon dispersing. She rounded on the prince, "Shiny! Why didn't you tell me I was making a scene?!"

He grinned in reply, "And ruin the moment between my daughter and her aunt? Never. I'll let you embarrass yourself in front of the world if it means you two are bonding."

It clicked for Phie, they were siblings. Suddenly other small facts and assessments clicked into place. The pink princess was the one replaced by Chrysalis for the changeling invasion, it was Shining Armor who she had sapped, and nearly destroyed their future together. Twilight was caught up in the events due to her relationship with her brother and noticed something was wrong which caused the invasion's plans to unravel at the seams. Phie smiled a bit as the information was coming together for her, though many more questions remained unanswered.

Phie stepped closer to get their attention and bowed slightly in respect, "Greetings, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Prince Shining Armor, and Princess Flurry Heart. I am Archmage Phie of the Hidden Coven. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

They bowed back in acknowledgement, "It's a pleasure, but please, you can just call me Cadence."

"And you can just call me Shining." They both replied. Shining continued, "We've heard a bit about you in Twli's letters, and I'm glad we made the trip a day early so we could see you for ourselves, Archmage. I trust she's being a wonderful host?"

Phie nodded, "She is doing all she can to ensure at least a minimal level of comfort." She smirked teasingly, "You may simply call me Phie as well. And I assume you just like being the center of attention." She leaned to the side to peer at Flurry Heart in her harness saddle. She gazed up at Phie in curiosity, suckling on a drool-soaked hoof. "Had I known a little one was arriving I would have prepared a gift."

"Thank you, but it's fine." Cadence said understandably.

"Well, I can do something for her at the moment. It's not permanent but I'm sure she'll enjoy it anyway." Phie stood and stepped back. "I suppose it could be considered a sneak peek at what to expect downstairs tomorrow."

Phie focussed a small portion of her power, and with little fanfare, a flash and a jingle of her staff, a large white dog with fur that appeared to be as soft and fluffy as the clouds themselves was standing between Phie and Cadence. His tail waved around erratically in excitement.

"This is a Celestial Dog, a loyal and faithful companion." Phie told them before addressing the dog directly, "I want you to guard and protect the little princess, but more importantly, make sure she has a fun time."

"Woof!" The dog barked with acknowledgement, spun on the spot and immediately began assaulting Flurry with puppy kisses. She seemed freaked out at first, but quickly succumbed to a fit of giggles and hugged the fluffy dog. The assembled ponies let out an appropriate level of 'daww' at the scene.

Cadence chuckled, "Well I think she likes your little gift. So that was Conjuration then? It seems rather complicated."

Phie chuckled at their innocence, "It can be, what I have planned for the full demonstration is much more complicated and impressive."

"Speaking of," Twilight interjected, "you're all set up? Got your notes and everything already? Or did you need some time to rehearse? Maybe set up some flashcards?" She grinned, holding up a stack of several thousand crisp, new flashcards that may or may not have been sniffed and hugged by Twilight already.

Phie raised an eyebrow, "I have reviewed the spell to ensure accuracy. As far as the speech, I am comfortable enough with the subject to speak freely and coherently without prompts or cards."

Shining chuckled and elbowed Twilight, "Looks like she'll give you a run for your money, eh?"

Twilight roller her eyes, "Giving a lecture isn't a competition."

"I believe what you are referencing is a debate." Phie supplied.

"Right." Twilight agreed.

Shining looked slightly embarrassed as his cheeks reddened, "Ah, right, I-I knew that."

"Yes, we know dear." Cadence chuckled as she joined them. Phie was able to spot that she had left Flurry in the care of Sunburst, who stood by while Flurry and the celestial dog played.

"She is absolutly in love with that dog," She continued, "Shiny, think we should get her a puppy?"

Shining was smiling fondly at his daughter’s interactions, “I think that would be a great idea, but let’s wait until she’s a bit older and more in control of her magic.”

Cadence nodded in agreement, “You’re right, I hate to admit it but infants and toddlers can be… mean to animals. Once she knows how to play nice with them I don't think it would be a problem.”

“In comparison, human children need an incredible amount of care, they also tend to have very sharp nails and will oftentimes scratch their own faces hard enough to bleed.” Phie added, “Even while trimmed its a constant issue until they learn not to do that. Although looking at her now she seems more akin to a two-year old human, based on her cognitive functions and general reactions.”

“Ponies are able to crawl and fly on their own and even use basic magic within a few days of birth.” Twilight informed her. “Unicorn foals do tend to have magical outbursts which can even be dangerous if they have the mana capacity.”

“Yes, I can see that. Even among humans when their magic begins to take form it can lead to accidents, especially among a community that is unaware of magic and it's potential dangers.” Phie replied. “Most communities view magic as mere superstition while a few outright fear it.”

“That must be hard, I can't imagine something as natural as magic being feared.” Cadence glanced around, noticing everypony else had distributed to other parts of the hall. “Twilight, do you have any tea?”

“Oh gosh! You guys must be tired from your trip!” She replied.

She quickly ushered Phie, Cadence, and Shining into a study near the hall, offering various cushions and chairs. At the front of the room was a fireplace, above which was a large picture of Twilight and her friends in front of an odd house-tree. Lining the walls were bookshelves filled with books and scrolls, neatly organized by color. Phie felt her eye twitch, everybody knows books are sorted by topic in alphabetical order.

Twilight dashed away, only to return a moment later with a tea set on a trolley. Everyone waited patiently as she moved everything to the small table between them. Judging by the amount of steam, the tea had been recently heated but was left to slightly cool.

"I must say, you are all rather calm and accepting of the idea that I am a being from another world." Phie commented as Twilight distributed tea between them. She took a sip and nodded in approval, not too hot after all.

"It's not that foreign of a concept, really." Cadence said as she motioned to Twilight, "Twilight's been through a mirror portal to another world a few times before."

Twilight dropped her tea, thankfully Shining caught it in his own aura. "Oh my gosh!" Twilight grabbed her cheeks with both hooves as she proceeded to have a small breakdown. "That's right! I thought you looked familiar! And with the event planning I've just been so busy I can't believe I forgot to ask you all about your home!"

"Twilight, breath." Cadence instructed. Twilight immediately went to work taking deep breaths and rhythmically slapping her chest with a hoof. She continued for a few moments until she had apparently calmed down.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you Cadence." Twilight sighed and turned her attention to Phie, "Would it be alright if we could sit down and discuss your world in the next few days?"

Phie finished her tea, then handed the cup and saucer to the empty air. The ponies watched as it floated to the kettle, which lifted and poured into the cup. It was set back down as the tea cup returned to Phie. She nodded to the unseen servant before taking a sip.

She leaned back in her chair, "I don't see the harm. This will allow you to organize your questions so you don't forget them or think of them after the fact."

"Yay!" Twilight cheered. She grabbed a scroll and inkwell and got to work immediately. "There's so much I need to ask!"

"Not at all." Phie turned her attention to Cadence and Shining Armor, "So, what is this Crystal Empire then?"

"Well, as the name suggests, it's the home of the crystal ponies." Cadence advised her, "Their magic has re-shaped the land and almost every aspect of the city. The buildings, roads, carriages, and even the food has taken on a crystal appearance."

"Plus the citizens themselves power the Crystal Heart, which protects the city against the constant winter." Shining armor added.

"It sounds beautiful, though I imagine the sun glinting off of every conceivable surface must be maddening." Phie commented.

"Yeah, definitely takes some getting used to. I don't quite get it myself but there's some kind of magic that diffuses the light, making the city seem to shine while reducing the reflected light. Or that's what Sunburst said." Shining said as he finished his own tea. Phie had the servant treat him as well. "Oh! Uh, thank you?" He said to the empty air as his tea was refilled.

"Sounds like an interesting place, must get a lot of tourism." The ponies nodded in confirmation, "Though I do have one question, forgive me if this is rude to ask."

Cadence motioned for her to continue, "We'll understand if it's a cultural difference or something silly like that."

Phie nodded in thanks, "Your guards appeared to have those crystal properties, yet you do not. And you, Shining, are Twilight's brother, obviously with no connection to the crystal pony bloodline. This means that for you to be the prince of the crystal ponies you must have married into the ruling family. However, your wife is also not a crystal pony. Normally such a thing is easily overlooked when the people, or ponies in this case, elect their leaders. However, when it comes to kingdoms or empires with princes and princesses, it's usually passed down by the bloodline. For that to not be the case here, as it seems, then I can only assume the previous ruling class was killed and the ponies had no choice but to choose an outsider as their leader.

"But why choose an outsider over one of their own? If the ruling family was killed, then the killer would have likely assumed the throne for themselves. It is possible that such an individual would be driven with power and would oppress the citizens of the empire, taking advantage of their shock to the situation. This could be stricter laws, militarization, or even enslavement. The other kingdoms likely noticed the power shift and intervened, dethroning the subjugator, then upon learning the demise of the previous ruling class Celestia likely suggested Cadence to be their new leader, likely as a temporary measurement until a proper leader was elected. It's most likely that she did a good enough job getting them back on their feet, hooves, that they fell in love with her and chose her to lead them.

"It is also likely that Celestia thought along those same lines and planned to have someone who would agree with her in charge of the empire, meaning that while on paper they would be allies but in reality Celestia has indirect control of the empire. I doubt she would abuse that position but it does allow her reach and influence to be extended, however benevolent." Phie set her empty teacup on the on the saucer with a sense of finality. She looked at each of them in turn, Twilight had stopped her writing to stare in shock with her brother and Cadence.

"I assume that my assessment is mostly correct?" Phie asked as her tea was refilled. "I feel I should apologize, my initial inquiry was supposed to be 'Why aren't you both sparkling like your crystal guards?' but I got ahead of myself."

Cadence was the first to recover, she looked slightly upset but repeated the breathing exercise Twilight demonstrated earlier, "While I don't appreciate the near accusation that I am under my aunt's hoof, I have to say you were very close to the facts. A pony known as Sombra named himself the king, the royal family is still declared missing until we have proof otherwise. He did enslave the crystal ponies in chains to work the Crystal Mines, and was defeated by Celestia and Luna over a thousand years ago."

Phie raised an eyebrow but remained quiet as she continued, "When he was defeated and sealed in the ice, he placed a curse on the empire, causing it and all the ponies to vanish into thin air. It was only recently it returned, I was already married to Shining at the time when we were sent to help them recover and hold back the evil that was trying to creep back into the kingdom. Twilight and her friends were the ones to recover the Crystal Heart, and when it was powered by the love of the crystal ponies the evil was destroyed for good, and with it any way for Sombra to return."

Shining chuckled, "In fact it was Spike who dove out of a window from the top of the castle, clutching the Crystal Heart as Sombra failed to capture him. He's seen as a hero to the crystal ponies now."

"And to answer your question," Twilight added, "The effects of the Crystal Heart can affect Equestrian ponies for a short time after it's charged with love, but only crystal ponies maintain their crystal appearance when outside the heart's affects."

"I see, thank you." Phie replied as she set her tea down. "The empire sounds like a wonderful place to visit."

"We'd be happy to show you around." Cadence said with a smile.

Phie smiled back for a moment, but it quickly formed into a frown, "If I may ask, what are your thoughts on the changelings?"

The others frowned as well, a silence filled the room broken only by the soft crackling of the fire. Shining Armor shifted, the first to speak up. "To be honest, that's the real reason we arrived a day early." Cadence nodded, "When we heard about the deal you struck with Princess Celestia and how Twilight and her friends were almost captured again, we had to see for ourselves that she was alright and see just what kind of... person, you are. Honestly, by the sounds of things, you left quite an impression on Princess Celestia."

"I'll take it as a compliment." Phie replied easily.

"We just wanted to make sure this wasn't some sort of revenge plot." Cadence added, "I just don't feel comfortable with her being so close to Twilight."

"My apologies for the stress, I understand why you would hold resentment for the queen after what she had done to you and yours." Phie looked between them, "You have my word, Chrysalis speaks from the heart about her intent to find a better way. I do not know what she may decide, but we should respect her wishes. She asked for help, this is the least we could do."

Cadence looked conflicted, but soon relented. "I have to agree... We did offer her a hoof in friendship and redemption, it would be hypocritical to turn back on that now when she's trying to reach out in her own way."

Phie nodded, "Thank you for your input. If you feel she is deserving of a second chance then I feel this won't be as difficult as I first imagined."

"Well, now that that's out of the way, can we hear a bit about yourself?" Shining asked. "I'm sure at the very least you have some interesting stories."

Phie sat back and thought for a moment, "Well, there are several that come to mind, although most of them I wouldn't consider appropriate for casual conversation."

The ponies glanced to each other briefly as she continued, "I suppose I could tell you about my companions in our merry little band."

Twilight prepared a blank scroll and a fresh quil, a wide grin on her face. Phie stared at her for a moment before mentally shrugging. "I suppose I should start with Morgan, as she is the one that most confuses and surprises me. She's about a head taller than myself, silver hair and magenta eyes, almost elf-like in appearance. While I may be old and wise, the technology of the world has recently exploded at a rate that I simply cannot keep up with anymore. So imagine my surprise when I learned the young woman I had just met was actually a machine, called an android.

"Don't ask me the specifics, I have no idea what most of the technical jargon means. Something about a personality core and a matrix of some kind." Phie waved a hand in exasperation, "Anyway, she was built for combat and when it came to combat she was... aggressive. To say the least. But outside of that, she was a kind and loving soul. She cared for those around her and was able to form bonds and friendships, she even fell in love."

Cadence raised an eyebrow at that, "A machine that can love?"

Phie nodded, "It's as real of a love as I've ever seen, and I'm not getting into specifics, this is an E-rated story after all."

They nodded for a moment before twilight perked up, "Wait, what was that about an E story?"

"What?" Phie asked.

Twilight sighed, "Nevermind..."

"Besides, that's not my story to tell anyway." Phie continued, "Then there's Arashi. He can be best described as a homeless freeloader with a sword. He's taller than Mogan, gaunt, dirty, and wearing tattered samurai clothing. He's a shaman with some control over wind and weather, but his sword is cursed. It has the soul of a demon sealed inside and he's the only one able to wield it and withstand its influence. He also says the sword hates him, and from I've seen it's true. I've never seen anyone throw their sword at the enemy or miss completely and get it stuck in a wall as often as him. Also every time we see him he's covered in his own blood."

"That doesn't sound... healthy." Cadence remarked with a look of disgust.

"He sounds... incompetent." Cadence shot her husband a look. "What? I tried putting it gently but I just can't."

"I would actually agree with that statement and he is often the butt of ridicule at times." Phie replied, "But for all his flaws, when the cards are down, he's there and doing everything in his power to save his friends or win the fight. Every other time he's getting into trouble. One time we were walking through a desert and he somehow managed to spring a trap. Spears shot up from the sand, which he dodged by moving to another trap. Again, spears. He dodged a third set, and there was a sound of a rope snapping. Nothing happened at first, but then we saw the shadow. We looked up in time to see a large whale falling from the sky. Arash managed to not get killed, somehow, but he was pinned under a whale. A live whale. In the middle of a desert. Miles and miles away from the nearest ocean, let alone any body of water."

The ponies stared blankly for a moment before Twilight spoke up, "... How?"

Phie shrugged outwardly with a chuckle, "That's the question, even I don't know how that happened. If that wasn't odd enough, that same whale was launched three more times and three more times he was merely pinned beneath it. We decided to just stop and rest for the day because we were concerned for the whale."

Phie massaged her forehead to ward off the incoming headache. "I still have no idea how it survived."

"Maybe it was a magical creature or a sand whale?" Twilight offered.

"I thought the same, but there was no trace of magic and it was a common, everyday oceanic whale." She shook the thought from her mind, "The last of our core group was Nefere, a tribal warrior of some kind. She runs around with barely any clothing on, or any protection for that matter. She says she can’t ‘move as good’ in cloths. She's really dark skinned with green eyes and short cut hair. She's easily excitable and completely addicted to candy and sweets. We encountered her in the middle of the desert and convinced her to be our guide. She just kept following us after that."

"A tribal warrior without a tribe?" Shining suggested.

"That was my thought too, but whenever it was brought up she would dodge the question or get distracted by something and run off. Personally, I think she's hiding something and playing dumb. Her ignorance is... too convenient." Phie trailed off in thought. "Her combat prowess must have taken years of dedication to master, she's far above and beyond 'tribal' in terms of combat."

"Maybe she's shy and doesn't like talking about herself like that?" Twilight offered.

"Maybe, but she's essentially our version of Pinkie Pie. I wouldn't attribute her silence to being shy." Phie pondered a bit longer and shook her head, "Probably best to not dwell on it too much at present."

Cadence nodded, "It's starting to get a bit late, perhaps we can continue this another time?"

Phie nodded and stood, her tea cup returned itself to the trolley. "Of course. I should turn in as well, I need to be at peak performance for my demonstration tomorrow. It won't do to pass out from mana deprivation in front of an audience."

Phie slightly bowed to them, "It was a pleasure meeting you both. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, see you tomorrow!" Twilight waved as Phie departed.

Phie meandered back to the hall, there she found that many more of the guests had dispersed, leaving only a few to be entertained by Flurry Heart and the celestial dog. They appeared to be doing some kind of rodeo show with Flurry riding atop the dog while holding what appeared to be a cardboard lance. Across from her was Sunburst with a teddybear on his back, a lance of it's own held in place with some tape.

They each let out a low growl and charged forward at a moderate pace, the tape failed and the bear lost its lance. Flurry managed to maintain a grip on her own as the dog closed the gap. Sunburst lowered his body, bringing the bear level with Flurry's lance. What followed could only be described as the most tragic turn of events.

Flurry knocked the bear to the floor. One of the guards exchanged some gold coins with his comrade.

"Hooray for Flurry!" Some of the onlookers cheered as she was pranced around. She was giggling and waving at them all. The festivities at such a complete victory came to a halt when the foal let out a large yawn.

"Well I think it's about time for someone to get to bed." Sunburst said as he made his way over and scooped her up. "Say bye bye to the puppy!"

Flurry looked to the dog with teary eyes, "Bhwy bhwy, pwuppy..." She gave a little wave.

"Woof!" The dog replied, giving her face some goodnight kisses.

Flurry giggled as Sunburst took her to their room.

Phie waited for the remaining ponies to disperse as well before approaching the dog. "You did wonderfully. Have fun?"

"Woof!" He responded, tail wagging happily.

"Go get some rest, I may need your services again tomorrow." The dog nodded, a moment later he faded into a pair of sparks which rose to the ceiling and vanished as well.

Phie moved to stand over the fallen bear. It landed with one of its arms over its face. "Weep not, mighty warrior. Thy wounds will heal as thy pride. Learn from this day, and rise again." The arm fell away, revealing a pair of button eyes that burned with determination. "I know you won't fail again, but failure is a part of life. Learn from it and grow stronger."

Phie bowed to it and moved to her own room for the night.
> A friend in need
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life isn’t fair. Life is hard. I learned this harsh reality early on in my life. I was born an Eevee, like so many of my kind. I was impressionable, innocent, and just a happy and excited thing. I was with my brothers and sisters in a large pen, an adoption center of some kind in a city I forgot the name of. The humans would come in and play with us, some would even take my brothers and sisters with them. They looked so happy to have made new friends.

I wanted to go with a human too and have a lot of fun playing with them all day. Every time my brother or sister was chosen I was more and more excited, ‘I was going to be chosen next!’ I would think. Well one day it did happen, a young human boy had chosen me! My heart pounded in my chest as I pressed against his, wishing to only show him how much joy I had felt at finally being chosen that it felt it would burst from my chest!

And then something changed. In like what seemed like an instant I was no longer an Eevee, I had changed. I looked over myself in shock, I was now a shade of purple and less fluffy, and an odd power seemed to thrum through my body. I felt like I had completed something I wasn't even sure I was even aware of. I looked up into the human’s face with tears of joy, only to see eyes of disappointment and hatred.

“What the hell?!” He said. “I wanted an Eevee, not an Espeon!” He tossed me aside, I landed lightly on my paws but could only watch as the boy grabbed my sister and walked out of the store.

I stood there, puzzled, but I waited for them to come back. The rest of my brothers and sisters had found new friends, but I was overlooked. I waited until my happiness grew sour, bitterly waiting to be picked by some snobby human. In my time of idle waiting, I had learned to focus some of my power. I could lift a few small objects of my choosing and toss them around. I could also make small barriers not far from me, I found out what they were when someone tripped over it. I spent my days practicing my powers out of boredom and entertainment.

“Athena!” The old owners would shout, “Stop pestering the customers!” I would then strut away, my business done, and return to the cushion that was both my bed and thinking place. Athena. The old owners called me that a lot these days. Was it a name? A curse? I didn’t care, if it's a name then so be it, if it's a curse then I will make it mine. I curled up and went to sleep.

I was woken up to some young lady petting my head. I glared at her and forced her hand away with a paw. She thought it was cute. After some paperwork and being shoved into a box, I was taken from the only home I knew. I felt a slight sadness as I watched my old home vanish from sight, but perhaps this new life wouldn't be so bad.

I was wrong, of course. It just so happened that she was one of those ‘battle trainer’ types and was using me for my potential abilities rather than wanting to take me in and pamper me like no doubt my brothers and sisters enjoyed. I hated every bit of it. Especially those weird ball things. I managed to force my way out of the first one, but after that I would just catch them in my power and throw them back at her face. She soon stopped throwing things at me but I was forced to sit in her bag she carried all over.

We eventually got into a routine where she would wander into these grasses and would get attacked by a random pokemon. What’s a pokemon and why haven't I mentioned it until now? Because I don't care to explain so deal with it. Anyway, she would let me get a good look at it then bring out some other pokemon, a weird fire monkey thing, and have it blast the wild one away.

I was so confused by this ‘training’ process as we repeated this process hundreds of times a day, while my owner kept trying to teach me new tricks that she wants me to use. ‘No!’ I shook my head each time, instead focusing on making my two abilities even stronger just to spite her. I refused to be some tool for battle.

This continued for a few days, until one time the monkey was never called out to help and I was left standing there before the wild pokemon. It was just a large rat so I paid it no mind. “Espeon, use Psychic!” the lady had shouted. It clicked for me, this was my fight. The first true mark of a trainer’s skill in battle.

This is what it was all working towards, growing my strength to where I would prove my effectiveness in combat. I let my power flow through me, then summoned a barrier between myself and the rat instead.

“No! I said Psychic!” my so-called trainer yelled in frustration. She wanted Psychic? Fine, I'll show her Psychic. I picked up an old spoon that was discarded on the ground and threw it at her head. It made a satisfying thunk as it bounced off the spot between her eyes.

She, I never memorized her name, started with a P and had way too many syllables for me to care and she never called me by my name anyway so whatever, backed off in shock. I focused my attention to the rat and meowed that it should just go. It responded by attacking my barrier. I retaliated by dropping a boulder on it.

After that she had taken me to some weird facility to try and fix me. I don't know what she meant but it sounded bad. I looked around while she spoke to some taller humans and wound up in a weird lab of some kind. I looked back at the lady and she wasn’t paying me any attention. I grinned to myself as I hid around the corner and out of sight.

I pulled out the old spoon I had found during my first ‘battle’ and tossed it into the room randomly. I chuckled to myself at the expected bafflement of the humans. Instead there were shouts of panic as loud, ear piercing alarms and flashing lights started going off. The humans ran out of the room, the door sliding shut behind them leaving me and the flashing lights to ourselves.

With my paws covering my ears I looked around the room I found myself trapped in, soon noticing a weird thing in the middle of the room. It had what looked like a thick claw like a crab has, but in the small space between the claws was my old spoon. It appeared to be floating and jerking around wildly. Honestly it looked funny as it did so. The machine sparked, and there was a punch to my chest as a shock wave burst out.

I felt myself get thrown off my paws into the air, but in a sense of slow motion as I suddenly got pulled back forward. The spoon and the machine were engulfed in a strange swirling white vortex, and everything that wasn’t bolted down, including myself, was being pulled into it. As I came to the realization that my prank may not have been as harmless as I thought it was, I had just one thing I wished I could say.

“Oh.”