> Little Ponies Lost
>  by Al-1701
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: "Where Am I?"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Nothingness!  For what was only the most miniscule fraction of a second to the rest of existence—but an eternity to Wind Whistler—she felt the sensation of no sensation.  She was nothing but consciousness.  No sense of physical presence, not even anything telling her she existed.  Perhaps this was the sensation of death, to be separate from your hold on the physical world.

          Then her senses started to return slowly.  Her vestibular sense was first, telling her the location of parts of her body in relation to each other.  Her four legs ended in hooves that were all parallel as the legs themselves crossed over.  She must be laying on something.  Her sense of pressure confirmed it as one side was against something flat and firm; and gravity was pulling her towards that side.  It was cool, smooth, and hard as well: a floor.  There was also that irritating feeling of her wing having fallen asleep under her.  Along with the slightest pressure on her head from the metal of the headband she wore, something seemed to be tied around the dock of her tail.

          Some smaller muscles answered her.  She pivoted her ears, but heard nothing.  There was no smell of note entering her nostrils either.  She could hear her heart slowly beating, confirming she was in fact alive.  Why she felt like she had ceased to physically exist and was coming back slowly like this still escaped her.

          Opening her eyelids was forcing open lead doors on rusty hinges as they fought every millimeter.  Her eyes were out of focus, everything was just blurry masses of light and color.  It took a second or so for things to come into focus.  The masses of color gained definition as ponies lying on a tile floor like her.

          She finally had enough control to roll over on her belly to bring her legs under her.  Thousands of tiny, sharp needles jabbed into her wing repeated as blood and feeling returned to it.  She flexed it a few times to quicken the process.  A pink haze also covered much of her left field of vision as her forelock took its usual place partially covering her left eye.  She craned her neck to the right to look back at her tail.  What she was feeling was a white ribbon tied in a large, perfectly even bow around its dock.  She was not sure how that got there or how she got here for that matter.

          She got her hooves squarely under her and stood up.  That turned out to be a mistake as her head emptied.  The edges of her vision darkened and the ground was tipping under her.  She threw her legs out to brace herself before she toppled over.  She waited for the flow of blood to return to her head and feel confident enough in her sense of balance before she brought them back under her.

          She took in her surroundings, taking note of every detail.  It was a large ballroom with a massive, crystal chandelier arranged like an inverted layer cake hanging down from the pinnacle of its domed ceiling high above her.  It cast yellowish-white light throughout the room.  Marble columns as thick as mature oaks supported the ceiling, and there was a large pool filled with water in the middle of the floor.  A red carpet led from a platform with an oddly-shaped, upholstered chair on it around the pool and up a grand staircase to a balcony.

          Wind Whistler tried to think of how she got here.  However, trying to remember what she was doing at the exact moment she lost consciousness was like trying to remember what she was doing just before falling asleep.  It was a blur with no definite cutoff.  She might have returned from lunch, but she was not sure.  Though, she knew she was not here—wherever here was.

          Canterlot?  Canterlot’s palace was known for its grand ballrooms.  However, those ballrooms had huge windows, and there was not a window to be seen here.  The decorations and details were also too ornate for the ballroom of a hotel, even in larger cities like Manehattan.

          There were also the other ponies who were still unconscious on the floor.  She made a quick count, coming to thirty-one including her.  Twelve were earth ponies, ten were unicorns with fluted horns protruding her their foreheads and streaks of different colored hair running through their manes and tails, and the remaining nine were pegasi like her with wings covered in rich plumage of feathers.  They were all mares, most around her age, the one exception being one of the white unicorns with a streak of silvery-white in her otherwise light blue mane and tail appearing to be much older.  They all had a ribbon tied around their tail like the one around Wind Whistler’s but different colors.  One of the earth ponies—white with her dark pink mane tied in a bun—wore the blue dress, white apron, and cap of a nurse.  A yellow pegasus with her mane—streaked red, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta—also tied in a tight bun was dressed in a white leotard, tutu, ballet slippers, and crown.  Some of the others had accessories in their manes like more ribbons, sunglasses, hairpins, and fake flowers.  They were all strangers, ponies Wind Whistler had never seen before.

          She was going to have to take note of their coat and mane colors as well as the various accessories they wore until she got their names down.  Something told her they were going to be together for quite a while until they figured this out.

          Some began to stir, groaning softly and twitching pasterns.  They rolled over and some stood up quickly only to stagger as they suffered from similar vertigo Wind Whistler had.  Others were more cautious in standing.  One by one, the ponies rose to their hooves and looked around in bewilderment.

          “Where am I?” the nurse asked in a pronounced but refined Mustangian drawl.

          That question and others were echoed throughout the ballroom.  Ponies asked who each other were, some fretted about appointments they were going to miss because of this, and more than a few panicked about how they were going to be fired for missing work.

          “Everyone, please remain calm,” Wind Whistler said loudly over the din.

          The conversations stopped and several ponies looked to her.  Wind Whistler felt the hairs on her back stand on end as she realized how much attention she had just garnered.  “I mean, we will accomplish nothing if we succumb to blind panic.”

          “The young pegasus is right.”  The older unicorn leapt onto the platform, tossing back her mane.  She was indeed much older than the young mares making up the rest of the group.  She was not to the point where age had emaciated her body; rather the creases at the corners of her eyes and mouth gave her a distinguished air.  “We need to keep our heads about us.”  She grinned.  “We kind of need them.”

          “But where are we?” the nurse asked again.  “I was just heading back to the hospital.”  She scratched at the back of her head.  “At least I think I was.  I might have still been on lunch.”

          “I was preparing for a rehearsal,” the ballerina added.  “I’m not sure how I got here either.”

          “I can tell you exactly what happened.”  A white pegasus with a curly mess of orange hair for a mane straightened the green, cat’s eye glasses perched on her nose and smirked.  “We’ve been abducted by aliens?”

          Several ponies gasped.

          A medium blue earth pony with yellow ribbons in the sides of her long, curly, dark pink mane and white freckles on her cheeks stepped forward.  “Don’t be absurd.”

          The pegasus gave her quick glance but turned away.  “I’ve read all about it in sci-fi magazines.  This isn’t really a ballroom.  We’re on the mothership of little green ponies—”

          “Hey!” the lone green pegasus interrupted.

          “—little green ponies from another world,” the white pegasus continued.

          She turned to a group, including the nurse, huddled together.  She crept towards them.  “They brought us on board”—she lowered herself into the stance of a spider creeping across a wall—“so”—another step made the ponies huddle closer together—“they—can—subject us—to their horrific EXPERIMENTS!”  She reared up and kicked her front hooves over the group who cowered and whimpered in her shadow.

          “Knock it off! There’s no such thing as aliens!”  The blue earth pony stamped her hoof as if it would give more emphasis to her statement.  “Sci-fi stands for science fiction.  As in not real.”

          The white pegasus sauntered up to the blue earth pony, fixing her eyes on her from under half closed lids.  “Then how do you explain us being here?”

          “While I believe there is extraterrestrial life somewhere out there,” Wind Whistler interjected, “I highly doubt they are culpable for our current predicament.”

          The two ponies turned to her.  “Thank you!” they shouted at said at once.

          “Why don’t we actually go outside and see where we are?” the ballerina suggested.

          “That sounds like a great idea.”  The blue earth pony turned away from the white pegasus.

          Everyone filed up the grand staircase to the balcony.  Wind Whistler took her usual position in a crowd: its fringe.

          “Good to know someone else believes”—the white pegasus walked beside Wind Whistler—“in aliens at least.”  Wind Whistler noted that her eyeglasses had straight arms to rest gently against the sides of her head and were connected by a pearl chain.

          “I figure it is a matter of simple statistics,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Given the sheer number of stars out there, at least some have to illuminate worlds capable of supporting life.”

          The pegasus frowned, apparently expecting a more definitive answer than Wind Whistler was able to provide.  “I’ll take it.  I’m Paradise.”

          “Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler replied as they started ascending the stairs.  “A reader of speculative fiction?”

          “A reader of everything,” Paradise answered.  “Sci-fi, fantasy, romance.”  She heaved a sigh.  “Real life can be so boring I wish I could live all the stories I read.”

          “So, being abducted and experimented on by alien ponies is a case of wish fulfillment?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Paradise grinned sheepishly.  “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”  The grin broadened, and she raised her posture.  “Of course; we make our daring escape, arm ourselves with their advanced weapons, and fight our way to the hangar to steal a shuttle”—she glided her front hoof in front of her—“escaping just before the whole thing goes up like a Summer Sun fireworks display.”

          Wind Whistler allowed herself a grin.  “Why stop at alien ponies then?  Why not go for broke and make our space-travelling captors giant robots that can transform into vehicles while we’re at it?”

          Paradise chuckled.  “Let’s not be silly.”

          They came to the top of the stairs and onto the balcony, and Wind Whistler looked to either side.  To the left was a dead end, but to the right was a pair of large doors made of stained and ornately carved oak.  The ponies gathered around it.

          “So…who wants to open it?” a pony whimpered.

          “I’ll do it.”  A pink pegasus with a short, electric blue mane pushed her way to the front.  She hooked her pastern on the elongated handle and pushed down.  The door popped open slightly, and she pushed it open with a loud creak enough to crane her head out.  “In Celestia’s name!” she shouted.

          Several gasps came from the crowd.

          “What is it?” a vibrant pink earth pony with light blue sunglasses—like those of her symbol—sitting in her curly, equally vibrant yellow mane yelped.

          The pegasus pulled her head back in with a lopsided grin on her face.  “It’s a hallway.”

          Exasperated groans came from the other ponies.  The two doors were pushed open for everyone to make their way out.  A white unicorn glared at the pink pegasus as she approached.  With so many unicorns of that color, Wind Whistler noted she had a bright red streak running through her otherwise dark green mane and tail and a purple, maple leaf barrette—also matching her symbol—held her short mane back on one side.  In one fluid motion she smacked the pink pegasus upside the head as she walked by and glared her down before turning and walking away.

          “Yow!” the pink pegasus yelped and rubbed the back of her head.  “What was that for?”

          The mint green pegasus with a long, curly, green mane and a black choker holding an amber jewel around her neck stopped next to her.  “That joke was uncalled for,” she said in her soft voice.

          Beyond the door was a hallway extending straight out.  The tall ceiling was peaked with chandeliers hanging down from its central beam and sconces on every column set in the walls.  Both the chandeliers and sconces appeared to have glowing crystals where light bulbs or candles would be.  A number of doors were also set into the walls.

          Wind Whistler hooked her pastern on the handle of the nearest door to her left.  The door popped out slightly so she could pull it open and look in.  The room beyond had walls of books on shelves.  Several chairs and sofas were arranged around a fireplace, and a desk was off to one side.  “I think I found a study.”

          There was a large, tan globe in a wooden frame.  The landmass facing her seemed wrong for Equestria, even more wrong than the antiquated maps and globes of before reliable geography had been established.  It did not go nearly far enough north and much too far south.  It was also too big in general and there was no sign of the nearby landmasses of any significance around it.  The labeling was also strange, the letters being collections of straight lines instead of the curving and looping glyphs of the Equestrian alphabet or even Old Ponish.  She took a step towards the globe.  Perhaps she was just facing the wrong side.  She took another step, but she felt a gentle yet definite yank on her tail.

          A yellow pegasus with a curly, yellow mane had her tail in her mouth.  She spat it out.  “We can check things out later.  We’re looking for a way out.”

          “Oh, right.”  Wind Whistler turned back to the door.  She stopped to glance at the odd globe before following the yellow pony out.

          “This is a sitting room,” a particularly tall and slender, white unicorn with a bright blue streak in her dark purple mane said from a door further down the hall.

          A pink pegasus with a curly, dark pink mane and a pearl necklace around her neck walked out of an alcove between Wind Whistler and the unicorn.  She had her face scrunched up with disgust.  “Of course I would find the lavatories,” she said in an overly dramatic tone.  “Granted, they’re in impeccable condition, albeit looking clumsy to use, but still.”

          A pinkish-purple earth pony with a curly, pale pink mane stepped out of a double doorway in the opposite wall.  “This is a dining hall.”

          A white earth pony with a curly, aqua mane stepped out of a doorway further down.  “I found a scullery with a door into a kitchen.  It’s positively huge with everything you could want,” she swooned as she leaned against the doorway.

          “This is great and all, but how do we get out of here?” the pinkish-purple pony asked.

          “Head down the hall, of course, my little pony,” the old unicorn said as she trotted past.

          The hall ended at a “T” intersection with another.  It was the same with more doors in its walls and doors at the ends.  Wind Whistler was more aware of her internal compass and could sense the magnetic flow from south to north.  This first hallway went from the ballroom at its north end south to this intersection.  That meant left was east and right was west.

          “Which way?” a pony asked.

          A yellow earth pony with a pink, star-shaped hairpin in her green mane stepped to the head of the crowd.  “Let’s split up and check both ends.  I’ll lead the group going left.”

          Wind Whistler decided to join her.  Paradise was right behind her, but stopped to open a door.  Wind Whistler stopped when she heard Paradise gasp.  “What is it?”

          Wind Whistler looked inside and saw the doorway led into a huge, two-story library with shelves crammed full of books.  Desks with lamps were arranged neatly in one area and sofas around tables were in another.  A balcony went around the perimeter with a number of spiral staircases connecting it to the ground level.  Heavy drapes covered the large windows, but bright light was making it through narrow gaps between them.

          “I’ve died and gone to heaven,” Paradise swooned.

          Wind Whistler instinctively felt her chest to confirm her heart was still beating.  “Please utilize more caution when conveying metaphors considering the present conundrum before us.”

          Paradise looked to Wind Whistler with a furrowed brow.  “Did you eat a thesaurus for breakfast?”

          “Sorry,” Wind Whistler apologized.  “I have accumulated an extensive vocabulary, and it can get away from me sometimes.”

          Paradise shrugged.  “Okay.”  She turned back to the library and looked on longingly.  “Look at all these books.  Imagine all the stories in them.”

          “Imagine all the information they hold,” Wind Whistler added.

          A door further down opened and the white unicorn with the red and green mane stuck her head in.  “Anytime you two want to join us.”

          “Oh!  Right!”  Paradise backed out of the doorway.

          Opposite to the library was a large but empty ward room.  Hangars clung to metal bars waiting to support clothing.  Though, their shape would seem to support clothing structured vertically rather than laterally like most Equestrian clothing.

          At the end of the hall was a pair of large doors much like the ones leading out of the ballroom.  There were also doors in either wall designed to blend into them.  They led into plain-looking hallways lit by very simple light fixtures in the square ceilings.

          Two ponies pushed open the main doors and they all stepped into a foyer.  Stairs led up to a balcony and another set of doors above them.  There were some tables and sofas off to the sides, and light poured in through tall, narrow, stained glass windows on either side of an even larger set of doors.

          “I think we’ve found the way out,” Paradise said.

          “Then let us go forth,” A pink pegasus with a light purple mane said in a thick Trottingham accent.

          She pivoted down the handle and pushed the door open.  The widening gap was to a blast furnace as hot, humid air rushed in from outside along with glaring sunlight.  Wind Whistler had to squint to give her eyes a chance to adjust to the blinding light and stinging heat.  She could also swear there was a slight scent of salt to the air.

          Outside was a courtyard.  A flagstone path led from the stoop the doors opened out onto to an opening in a tall wall made of pink stone.  To either side were what had to have been a lawn once but were now wild with yellowish-green grasses and wild flowers.  The opening was blocked by a blue wall of boards with a pair winches to the sides.

          Wind Whistler stepped out and immediately felt the sunlight beating down on her.  Even her light blue coat and pale pink mane heated up under the brilliant light.  She tried to look up at the hazy sky, but it hurt her eyes even when not looking near the sun.  The milky sky spread to the glare in all directions.

          The courtyard was trapezoid-shaped.  The castle made the short parallel side, and the perimeter wall made the long side.  The two other sides were the long buildings that lead from the corners of the castle to cylindrical towers with conical, blue, slate roofs on the perimeter wall.  They had three stories of evenly spaced windows and a large, box extension in the center with banks of windows set a little higher.

          The lawns had a few patches of milkweed, an isolated great mullein here and there where they were well removed from the larger plants, and a few aspen saplings had made the overgrown grounds their home.  Some artificial features also came out of the ground along either edge of the walkway.  They were metal painted midnight blue with a cone-shaped top and had a narrow opening under it.  They looked almost like modern chimneys or oven vents on a building, only coming out of the ground.  Wind Whistler passed them off as strange art for the moment but compartmentalized their presence.  Perhaps they would make sense in the future.

          She looked to the perimeter wall which had battlements at its top.  She spread her wings and leapt into the air to fly to the top.  The wall had a walkway, and she landed after what was only a short flutter.  She gazed out and could only gasp.

          Beyond the wall was a huge valley: specifically a fjord.  Steep cliffs rose up to either side with the inlet stretching towards the hazy horizon and quickly pinching off in front of the castle.  That explained the smell of salt to the air.

          The walls reduced in steepness just above the water, especially on the north side of the inlet with lush, green meadows speckled by colorful wild flowers and clusters of trees stopping only at the water’s edge.  The trees were mixtures of various conifers as well as deciduous trees, and she recognized some more orderly patches were cherry and apple.

          A waterfall cascaded down a nearby cliff into a large pond that fed a wide stream.  The stream passed in front of the wall—that blue wall being a drawbridge that would span the stream when lowered—and joined a more substantial river coming from the opposite direction to spill over a small waterfall into the start of the inlet.

          Wind Whistler turned back to the structure they had emerged from.  It was a large castle with towers at all of the corners of the square perimeter wall.  The wall enclosed an area of at least a hectare.  She flew up for a better view, seeing two more identical long buildings connecting the two back towers to the keep like the front ones.  The north trapezoid was also mostly taken up by a square extension attached to the keep at one side and the perimeter wall at the other.  It had a dome roof, and given the relative position of what they traveled through, Wind Whistler figured it was the ballroom they first woke up in.

          The keep was several stories tall with the foyer protruding out slightly and large windows above where the long buildings connected.  The highest story had a balcony with doors and windows leading into what were no doubt the royal bedchambers.  The top of the keep was a steeply sloped roof cover in blue slate shingles, and the long buildings also had roofs with steep slopes likely to reduce snow accumulation.

          Behind the castle, the valley continued up and curved to the right.  The river ran through the broad valley floor of more meadows and clusters of trees on rolling hills until it disappeared behind the ridge.  This again suggested a glacial origin.  She could picture the mammoth ice sheet turning to follow the path of least resistance as it carved out this valley untold millennia ago.  The slight ridge the castle sat on and the fact the valley widened further up suggested a second glacial advanced reached this point before being stymied and retreating.  It was a geologist’s dream, but gave her no further clues as to where they were.

          “This is gorgeous.”  A voice brought Wind Whistler back to the present.  It was the yellow pegasus with the yellow mane.  She furrowed her brow.  “But I’ve never heard of a castle in the middle of nowhere like this.  Well, aside from the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

          It could not be that castle.  The Castle of the Two Sisters was still a ruin in the middle of the Everfree Forest of central Equestria which this was not.  The lightest smell of salt from the inlet suggested the coast.  However, the valley seemed untouched except for this one castle.  They had also not run across another soul—pony or otherwise—since they awoke.  Yet, the castle was well maintained.

          A low rumble caught Wind Whistler’s attention.  She looked west and saw a massive wall of dark gray emerging over the mountains.  It was clouds, but more massive than any she had ever seen and moving quickly towards them.  It towered kilometers in the air and extended past her ability to see either direction.  Another, louder rumble came from it.

          “I don’t like the look of that,” the pegasus said.

          “Neither do I,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I suggest we seek shelter immediately.”

          The cloud passed over the mountains and Wind Whistler could see the rain shafts draping over the western border of the valley.  That was all she needed to see.  She spiraled down to the courtyard and the other ponies standing there.

          “What’s going on?” the yellow earth pony asked.

          “A storm is approaching,” Wind Whistler said.  “Everyone needs to head inside right now!”

          The earth pony turned to the others.  “You heard her, inside!”

          The ponies ran back inside the castle.  The high clouds thickened and Wind Whistler could watch them moving quickly from west to east.

          This storm was strange, its size, its speed, nothing like the rainstorms Cloudsdale put out.  She would know as she tracked them for a living.  She considered the amount of work it would take to assemble such a storm—a team of a hundred would take days to put such a monster together—and how many wind machines would be needed to move such a mass at the speed of this system.  That was not even considering the resources of water and lightning going into it.  Surely she would have been informed of such monumental expenditures going to such a remote location.

          There was a flash followed a few seconds later by a loud crack into a rumble that resonated in Wind Whistler’s chest.  Despite its unbelievable scale and velocity, the storm system was undeniably real.

          “Are you going to follow your own advice?” the yellow earth pony asked from the door.

          Wind Whistler ran up the stoop and inside.  The earth pony pulled the door closed.  A heavy click signified the door was closed, and Wind Whistler allowed her muscles to unwind.  The light from the windows faded away until light from the chandelier in the ceiling reflected off their textured surfaces.

          Another flash came from outside followed by loud thunder.  There was also the sound of wind whistling and moaning around the castle.  Everyone was silent with their ears straight up.  This all had the feelings of being in a cage with a predator lurking outside.  There was a sense they were safe for now, but were also trapped.

          Finally, the first sounds of rain hitting the roof came.  It was gentle patter for maybe a split second before it became a thunderous bombardment like a herd of buffalo were stampeding across the roof.  More flashes and thunder came from outside.

          Then came a sound completely unexpected.  It was a dull thud as if something solid had hit the roof.  Everyone flinched at it.

          “What was that?!” the earth pony with the sunglasses shrieked.

          More sounds like it joined in with the rain.  Wind Whistler tried to look outside, but it was too dark and the stained glass was not exactly designed for viewing the outside.

          The pegasus with the Trottingham accent hooked her pastern on the door.  “No!” the yellow earth pony shouted, but it was too late.  The pegasus pushed down the handle, and the door flew open.

          The air that rushed in was not as hot as before, but still warm as well as soggy.  Outside, it was as twilight dim and the grass and weeds whipped in the wind.  The aspen saplings swayed, their leaves quivering as the hung on for dear life.  The sheets of rain were practically sideways along with chunks of something white plummeting through them.

          The chunks bounced off the ground as they hit and many that struck the walkway shattered.  Most were two or three centimeters across, but some were four or even five centimeters in diameter.  Thunder roared, its full volume rattling the chandelier and booming in Wind Whistler's ears.

          “Well, since it’s open anyway, we might as well grab one to see,” the yellow earth pony shouted over the deafening storm.

          “A larger specimen that has been broken would be ideal to examine its interior structure and composition,” Wind Whistler added.

          A purple unicorn with a red streak in her white hair summoned a purple aura around her horn.  A similar aura surrounded the fragment of a larger chunk and levitated it inside.  Once it was inside, three ponies grabbed the door and strained to get it closed.  Everyone relaxed once they heard the click.

          The unicorn held the fragment to her nose and quickly pulled it back.  “It’s ice!”

          “Ice?” the yellow earth pony asked.  “It was just a million centagrades out there.  How could there be ice?”

          “I bet some punk on the local weather team did it as a joke,” the white unicorn with the red and dark green mane grumbled.  Wind Whistler found her choice of words ironic since she was the very image of a ‘punk’.

          Wind Whistler examined the fragment hanging in the air.  The exterior was a section of a rough sphere covered in bumps.  It had roughly concentric circles to it.  They were layers suggesting several stages of water accumulating and freezing went into its formation all while suspended to get its nearly regular shape.  It would be an awfully involved process for a simple joke, especially with so many out there.

          “A strange castle in the middle of nowhere.  Ice falling out of summer thunderstorms.”  A boom of thunder sent the earth pony with the sunglasses backing into a space under the stairs.  “Where are we?”


* * *


          Sparkler strolled through one of the hallways, admiring the glowing crystals.  She had seen and collected many lovely gems of different colors, shapes, sizes, and even unusual properties—but none that could be used like a light source like these.  They could go for a handsome price in Canterlot or Manehattan, after she added the best specimens to her private collection of course.

          She rounded a corner onto an odd spur to the sight of a white pegasus with a curly, vibrant yellow mane hanging off one of the sconces and appearing to yank on it.  She threw her entire weight back with her pasterns wrapped tightly around the fixture and her hind hooves braced on the walls.  Sparkler was going to leave the strange pony alone—not wanting to get involved with whatever strange thoughts were compelling her to do this.  However, when she realized she could damage the crystals in the sconce, she had to intervene for their sake.

          “We haven’t been in this castle for an hour, and you’re already trying to break it?”

          The pegasus stopped and looked at her with an expression that was probably meant to be stern but came off as more pouty and fitting a filly rather than a full-grown mare.  “I am not!”

          “Well it sure looks like it to me,” Sparkler replied.

          “I’m looking for secret passages.”  The Pegasus braced her hind hooves on the wall again and threw herself back like before.  “Castles and mansions always have secret passages.”

          Sparkler rolled her eyes.  “Are you that glasses-wearing wackjob going on about aliens in the ballroom in a wig or something?  You’re certainly as loopy as she is.”

          The pegasus ignored her, jumping to the next sconce and pulling down.  This one pulled away from the wall with a piece of metal keeping it attached.  The panel next to it pulled into the wall and slid away to reveal a set of metal doors.  A chime went off, and the doors parted to reveal a good-sized elevator.

          “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sparkler let out before she could think better of it.

          The pegasus leapt down from the sconce.  “Told you.  I’m Surprise, by the way.”

          “Sparkler,” Sparkler replied.

          “What do you think it is?” Surprise asked.

          “A servant’s elevator,” Sparkler answered with barely a thought.  “Those supposed secret passages were halls and stairs servants used so they could move through the mansion or castle without being seen.”

          “Let’s see where it goes!”  Surprise skipped into the elevator.

          Sparkler heaved a sigh.  She might as well go too since she had nothing better to do.  She also did not trust this pegasus moving through the walls.  She stepped in and took in the small space.  The ceiling was an opalescent glass picture of a lavender bush with some kind of light above it.  She looked to the control panel, but there was just one button labeled with up and down arrows.

          “That’s odd,” Sparkler mused aloud.  “How do you select floors?”

          “Let’s go!”  Surprise pushed the button.  The chime rang and the doors closed.

          Sparkler expected to be carried up higher into the castle, so it was a shock when the elevator began descending and quite rapidly. “We were on the ground floor.  What could be below us?”

          “Maybe it’s the dungeon where they have a torture chamber.”  The broad grin on Surprise’s face made her suggestion all the more macabre.

          Sparkler let that sink in for a second before she found words.  “You’re warped.  Has anyone told you that lately?”

          Surprise shrugged.  “Not lately.”

          The elevator slowed eventually and came to a stop.  The chime sounded again and the doors opened.  Whatever was out there was shrouded in darkness so thick and inky Sparkler thought she could reach out and touch it.  The light from the elevator barely penetrated into the gloom, seeming to be consumed.

          Surprise bounded out, and even her white coat disappeared into the darkness only a few meters in.  Sparkler was more cautious stepping outside the elevator.  The floor was covered in a thick layer of fine dust, cushioning her hooves with every step.  The air was also stale, but not musty.  It was just stagnant with no motion and that unique smell—with nothing to really compare it to as it was a true lack of smell—saying it had been so for a very long time.

          A chime sounded and the doors closed, shutting out the light completely.  Sparkler jumped and her heart pounded in her chest.  She took a deep breath and summoned her magic to form a spark on the tip of her horn.  It did not light much, but it was something.

          “Get a hold of yourself, Sparkler,” she said quietly.  “The doors just closed automatically.  There’s nothing to be worried about down here.”

          She turned to Surprise almost nose to nose with her.  The harsh shadows caused by the spark made her look unearthly.  “SURPRISE!” the pegasus shrieked.

          Sparkler jumped a good half meter into the air and a full meter back.  Her heart bashed against her ribcage in a desperate attempt to escape its bony prison.  “What possessed you to do that?!”  She heaved a breath.  “Trying to give me a heart attack?!”

          “I’m sorry.  You seemed really high strung so I figured a good surprise would break the tension,” Surprise replied.  “You know, get it out of your system all at once.”

          Sparkler glared at the grinning pony.  “I was wrong before.  You’re not warped.  You’re deranged!”

          “Okay.  No one has ever called me that.”  Surprise turned away and again disappeared into the darkness.  “There’s a power switch next to the elevator, by the way.”

          Sparkler looked to the wall and large “Y” switch marked by a lightning bolt and some of those angular letters they had been seeing.  She shot a glare in the general direction Surprise had disappeared in.  “Then why didn’t you throw it, you flying short circuit?” she grumbled under her breath.

          Sparkler took the handle in her magic and threw it up.  Dull clunks resounded around them and she could feel a slight breeze begin blowing through the air.  The stale scent subsided, but she sneezed as dust seemed to be replacing it.  A section of the ceiling lit up like a slice from a pie.  Sections lit up in sequence until the entire, circular ceiling cast light from behind metal grating.

          The ceiling of light lit up everything with barely a shadow to be seen and Sparkler could finally see what they had stepped into it.  It was huge, round camber with massive columns supporting the ceiling.  She and Surprise were standing on a raised platform with the main level below and accessed by stairs to the sides.  The walls—or rather wall since it was a cylinder—and columns appeared to be made of dark gray metal with absolutely no luster to it.  The columns were tapered, narrowest at the top and fattest close to the bottom.  Where the columns were their thickest, there was a black band with silver crescent moons and gold ray-casting suns in relief on them.  However, there were two moons for every sun, each bending towards the adjacent sun and away from the adjacent moon.

          At the end of the platform was another one of those strange chairs in front of several panes of glass and a table or counter of some kind.  Surprise jumped into the chair—sending up a cloud of gray dust—and pushing off to make it spin.

          After a few times around, she stopped to face Sparkler.  “Isn’t this castle awesome?  It’s full of surprises.”

          “Speak for yourself,” Sparkler grumbled.  She never liked surprises unless it was running across a stray jewel.  Ironically, it would drive her curiosity as she wanted to find something before it found her.

          She looked through the glass panes at the main floor which was at its widest in front of them.  There was a large, circular hole bored into the wall with large, metal rings built into its rim.  A ramp also led up into it, but it all just suddenly stopped a few dozen meters in at a wall.

          “Why go to the trouble of making a tunnel like that only for it to stop at a dead end?” Sparkler asked aloud.

          Surprise shrugged.  “Made sense to someone.”

          Sparkler looked at the counter in front of Surprise.  It was lopsided to the right, like a part of it had been removed or otherwise left out.  It was so covered in dust it was hard to tell anything about it.  She used her magic to brush it aside, but pushed over something else.  It was a cover of some kind and underneath it was a set of controls.  She pulled off more covers which revealed a keyboard, sets of sliders, dials, levers, and other controls.  However, all of the labels were symbols made of straight lines like everything else.

          “Cool!  It’s some kind of machine.”  Surprise reached for the largest button which happened to be red.  “Let’s turn it on and see what it does.”

          “Don’t!” Sparkler shouted.

          It was too late as Surprise’s hoof smacked the button.  Sparkler winced waiting for something to happen.  However, she was met by silence.  She cautiously opened her eyes and saw that nothing had changed.

          “What gives?”  Surprise smashed the button a couple times until Sparkler caught her hoof in her magic.

          “Why don’t we go back up and tell the others,” Sparkler suggested.

          Surprise pulled her leg back and crossed it with the other over her chest.  “Fine.”

          Sparkler looked down at the controls with the odd symbols.  “This castle just took on a whole new dimension of weird.”


* * *


          “Magic Star is not a name I expected for an earth pony,” Wind Whistler said to the yellow earth pony as they stepped into the elevator.  Her symbol of a magic wand was also something more expected of unicorns.

          “My father was a Canterlot unicorn,” Magic Star replied.  “He said he could sense I had a close connection to magic even if I wasn’t born with a horn.  I might not have unicorn magic, but I seem to have a sixth sense about it.

          “Besides—” the star-shaped hairpin flew out of her mane and hovered in front of her.  The star grew larger and the pin widened and lengthened into the shaft of a wand.  “This magic wand I made is as good as any unicorn’s horn.”  It shrank back into a hairpin and returned to its place in her mane.  “Stores better too.”

          “I see.”

          They began to descend and Wind Whistler tried to picture the strata they must have been passing beyond the walls of the car and shaft.

          “What about you, Wind Whistler?” Magic Star asked.  “What do you do for a living?”

          “I’m a collector and archivist of meteorological information in Cloudsdale,” Wind Whistler answered.  In fact, she would have to make a note about the ice chunks and other peculiarities of the storm system still passing over head once she returned home.

          “Ah, a cloud clerk,” Magic Star replied.

          Wind Whistler had no affection for that colloquialism for her position.  Granted, it was not treated with much importance, but was what put food on her table and gave her a table to put food on.  She buried her disdain behind a neutral expression.

          “Not happy with your place in life?” Magic Star asked.  She checked Wind Whistler’s symbol which was a collection of pink and baby blue whistles.  “Doesn’t even seem to fit you.”

          Apparently she did not bury it deep enough.  “The job provides, and I am quite proficient in its required duties.  It is also one of the few positions in Cloudsdale’s workings that have a work environment in solitude, and one of the more intellectually stimulating.  Though, I believe it still does not make full use of my skills.  As for my special talent, it is not the best to turn into a profession.”

          “I hear you,” Magic Star said.  “I figure if I wasn’t born into the family I was, the ‘way things are’ would have seen me shoved onto a farm or something like any other earth pony.”  She shook her head.  “No thank you.

          “Hey.  When we get back, maybe I can hook you up with some friends of mine in Canterlot.  You sound like the kind of brain they’re always looking to recruit.”

          Wind Whistler’s mood brightened a little.  “That’s awfully generous.  Thank you.”

          Magic Star shrugged.  “Equestria seems to love pigeonholing ponies, and isn’t kind to those of us who don’t fit neatly.  We misfits need to stick together.”

          The elevator slowed and came to a stop with a slight shudder.  The chime sounded and the doors opened.  Wind Whistler stepped out into the chamber and opened her senses to it as she walked forward.  Stepping into the chamber was like not just stepping into a whole other building from the castle above but a whole other civilization all together.  The tapered columns—as opposed to straight—and dark gray walls of metal were nothing like the warm colors and delicate decorations of the castle.  There was the ceiling of light instead of any particular light fixtures like the castle had in abundance, and the only decorations here were the suns and moons on the columns.  The suns and more plentiful moons were what really made it seem like someone other than the builders of the castle made this because there was no reference to celestial objects in the castle’s décor at all.

          Beyond the jarring change of architecture and ornamentation, the most notable thing was the very slight breeze and the air only being faintly stale.  Fresh air had to be coming in from the surface somehow since Sparkler brought the power back on line.  She saw that between the columns were louvered vents in the walls.  They were the most likely entrance and exit points for the air, but there had to be something at the surface where the air could enter and leave.  She then remembered the metal objects which looked like they could be vents.  She marveled at the system for being both practical and inconspicuous.  Those not thinking would consider them just lawn decorations without realizing their true purpose.

          The older, white unicorn—Blueflower—stood next to the chair Surprise was sitting in.  She looked up to them.  “Good of you two to join us.  Care to try your hoof at our mystery machine?”

          Wind Whistler looked at the control panel.  The controls were rather generic with a double slider being the largest control of them all.  There was the lopsidedness of the setup, but there could be a hundred explanations for it.  She looked more closely at the labels.  It was more of those angular letters like above.

          The keyboard took her attention the most.  Unlike the Equestrian binary keyboard where a sequence of left and right keys and hitting the confirm bar to print the intended letter or other symbol, this one hand a small key for apparently every symbol.  The keys and buttons were shaped like mushroom caps made of metal with a glass dome over the engraving indicating its function.

          There was what appeared to be a base-ten numeric system using a pole with bars coming off it to indicate increments of one and a triangle once it reached five so it could start the sequence again.  The rightmost key was a diamond with a dot in the middle Wind Whistler figured represented zero.  Wind Whistler had never seen a numbering system like it—Equestria’s using different letters to represent 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000.

          In terms of actual letters, there were 24 made of straight lines.  To the side of the letters were symbols more familiar, basic marks for punctuation and bracketing similar to those used in Equestrian prose.  The rest of the keys had a combination of number and letter glyphs that meant something to those who knew the meanings of the strange characters.

          “I think I know these glyphs,” Magic Star said.  “They’re runes.”

          “Runes?” Surprise asked.  “What are runes?”

          “Letters, but made of straight lines so they could be carved into wood or stone easily,” Magic Star explained.  “Starswirl the Bearded used them as charms in some of his very first spells.”

          “Oh,” Surprise said.  “Cool.”

          “However, it looks like they’re being used as an actual language here,” Magic mused aloud.  She tapped her hoof to her chin as she stared at them.  “Starswirl never said where he learned these markings from or their exact meaning beyond their use in his spells.”

          “And what does that tell us?” Blueflower asked.

          “That maybe wherever here is, Starswirl had been in the distant past,” Magic Star said.  “But, he’d been all over.  That doesn’t really narrow things down for us.”

          Wind Whistler stared at the control panel intently as she considered everything else.  Nothing seemed right about this place.  There was the strange weather and ice falling out of the sky.  A castle sat in a fjord almost completely untouched and matching nothing in Equestria or the other known territories.  This keyboard and the chair were designed for a creature unlike anything ponies had encountered.  Even the odd overabundance of moons compared to suns on the pillars in here was out of place.  However, there was milkweed, great mullein, and aspen trees like any wilds of Equestria.  There was also the question of how it could possibly happen.  They conflicted with each other, so she was not sure.

          “What about you?”  Blueflower drew in close.  “Something seems to be on your mind.”

          “There is a logical explanation, but it is highly improbable,” Wind Whistler replied, still mulling over things in her mind.  “Really, it should be impossible.”

          “As they say, when you eliminate the absolutely impossible, what should be impossible must be the truth,” Blueflower said.

          That was not the exact wording of the saying, but a logical argument.  It did not help Wind Whistler’s confidence in her conclusion, though.  For one thing, it might send these already frightened and confused ponies into a panic—an unneeded and unproductive response, especially if it turned out she was wrong.

          The chime went off again and the doors opened to let Paradise leap out.  “The storm’s over and the sky’s cleared out,” she got out between heavy breaths.

          “That’s what usually happens after a storm,” Blueflower said sternly.  “What has you all worked up?”

          “It’s what’s in the sky,” Paradise said, breathing more evenly.  “You need to come up and see.”


* * *


          Wind Whistler stepped outside onto the stoop.  The air was much more pleasant, the heat and humidity were gone and the air smelled fresh after the rain.  A few chunks of ice were still scattered across the walkway and in the grass but they were little more than lumps and would soon be completely melted.

          Several ponies were standing on the south perimeter wall and gazing to the south.  Wind Whistler flew up to them and Blueflower and Magic Star with her wand in her mouth appeared in showers of sparkles.  They joined the others in gazing up at the now brilliant blue sky with the last of the gray stratoform marking the back of the storm retreating behind the ridge to the east.

          With the sky cleared of haze, Wind Whistler could see a massive, ghostly arch spanning the southern sky.  It reminded Wind Whistler of a vinyl record with a dozen or so tiny gaps and finer groves between them.  Just above that was a thread thin arch running parallel to the wider one.

          “What is that?” Magic Star asked.

          The pony with the sunglasses turned to her.  “That’s what we were hoping you could tell us.”

          “Look at the moon, too!”  Paradise pointed towards the east.

          Wind Whistler looked to just south of east at a moon almost halfway past its first quarter several degrees above the horizon.  Even with the partial moon visible and having to contend with daylight, Wind Whistler could make out dark patches on it that seemed to be the wrong shape and in the wrong places.  Though, there was the more obvious problem with it.  “What’s the moon doing out during the day?”

          “If you think that’s something, look right of the sun a bit over the southwestern horizon,” Paradise said.

          Wind Whistler spread her wings to hover to see better.  The sun was almost halfway between its noontime zenith and setting.  Wind Whistler held out her hoof to block it out and looked just to its right.  About forty-five degrees of arc from it, almost ready to disappear behind the mountains was a sliver like a waning crescent moon.  She looked back to the waxing gibbous moon to the east and then to the sliver.  Picturing the discs they would form, she figured the sliver would be two thirds the apparent size of the gibbous.

          “Do you see it?” Paradise asked.

          “Yes.”  Wind Whistler descended and set her hooves on the ground.  “It appears to be a second moon.”

          “But, there’s only one moon,” the pony with the sunglasses said.  She shuddered.  “Imagine if Princess Luna had a twin.”

          “Equestria has one moon,” Wind Whistler said.  That was all she needed to confirm her suspicions.  It also explained those pillars’ more numerous moons.  Really thinking about it, the gravity was ever so slightly less and the magnetic field was slightly stronger here.  The sun was also slightly brighter despite being slightly smaller in apparent size.  “As improbable as it sounds, we’re not in Equestria anymore—or even on our world.”

          “What?” the pony with sunglasses squeaked.  All eyes fell on Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler nodded her head.  “There are two moons in the sky, and I believe the arch is in fact a ring system circling this world around its equator.  I have no explanation of how or why, but the evidence is overwhelming that it is indeed the truth.  We have been somehow been removed from our world and brought to another.”

          Gasps came from the others followed by hushed conversation.

          Wind Whistler felt some sense of relief for getting that out and knowing it was true.  The mystery of where they were had been solved, but it led into countless other mysteries.  Thinking of an entire world unknown to them out there everywhere and Equestria and its relative safety impossibly far from them, Wind Whistler felt both elated and absolutely terrified at the thought of it.
> Chapter 2: Strange New World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          The dining hall was more rustic in its design than the rest  of the castle with the stone exposed and iron rings suspended by chains  served as chandeliers.  However, the actual light was still produced by  those glowing crystals.  The eleven wood tables were long, almost  fifteen meters, with benches along their long sides and chairs at either  end.

          Cupcake set down trays on the wide sill of  the windows between the hall and the kitchen.  Wind Whistler picked up a  tray with a plate heaped with grasses and flowers and a clear glass  filled with water.

          The other ponies were sitting  at the center table with Blueflower at its head.  Wind Whistler went to  an adjacent table and set down her tray on the opposite side.

          “Excuse me, Wind Whistler, isn’t it?” Blueflower asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Would you come and join the rest of us,” Majesty said a gentle voice.

           “The dining hall has the ability to seat more than ten times our  number,” Wind Whistler said.  “There is no reason to cram ourselves onto  one table.”

          “Yes.  We can also all sit  comfortably at a single table,” Blueflower replied.  She pointed her  hoof at the copious amount of open space on the benches.  “Please, sit  with the rest of us.”

          “But—” Wind Whistler started to say.

          “I insist!” Blueflower boomed.

           Wind Whistler swallowed and felt her heart beat quicken.  She picked  her tray up and quickly made her way to the table.  She thought for a  second of taking the chair at the far end, but sat down next to  Paradise.

          Cupcake came out with a tray in her  mouth.  She sat down on the opposite bench next to the Mustangian  nurse—named Truly.  “All right, everyone, dig in.”

           “Wait!” the pony with sunglasses in her mane, Shady, shouted.  “If this  is another world, how do we know these plants aren’t poisonous to us?”

           “They look, smell, and taste just like the edible grasses and flowers  in Equestria.  I even made sure these were true dandelions,” Cupacke  said.  “Besides, starving is certainly fatal.”

           “They look like it to me, too,” Posey, the yellow earth pony wearing  artificial white flower in her pale pink mane, added.  “Every plant  species I’ve seen looks identical to a species found in Equestria.   Though, I would like to study them more closely to be sure.”

           “Applejack and I also checked the nearby orchards,” Cherries Jubilee, a  peach-coated earth pony with a heavy curl in her coral mane and tail,  said.  “They’re cherries and apple trees exactly like what we raise back  in Equestria.  The cherry trees are mostly Ulster and I mean identical  to the Ulster cherries my family grows up north.  There are some other  varieties too but they’re mostly for pollination.”

           The orange earth pony, who looked like an almost exact double of the  Element of Honesty from a hundred years ago, sat next to Cherries  Jubilee.  “My family would be jealous beyond belief.  We have a real,  honest to goodness Baldwin orchard here.  They’re paired with Akane and  Calville Blanc.”  Along with having longer, curlier hair than her  namesake; this Applejack lacked the rural accent of the original element  bearer.

          She licked her lips and stared off into  space.  “There’ll be ripe, juicy apples for munching and baking and  sweet cider from late summer ‘til the first snow.”

          “Focus, Applejack,” Cherries Jubilee scolded, startling Applejack and making her back away.

           “How can another world have the exact same plants as Equestria?”  Firefly, the pink pegasus with the electric blue mane, asked.

           “Perhaps specimens of these plant species were brought here like we  were at some point in the past and they took hold,” Wind Whistler  suggested.  She pondered.  “Or, the opposite might be true.  These plant  species are endemic to this world and were imported to Equestria at  some point.  Even the domestic breeds of cherry and apple trees date  back centuries, and the explanations for their origins have been  obscure.”

          “So, my family has been raising alien  apple trees all this time?” Applejack asked rhetorically.  She rested  her chin on her hoof.  “Bet they’d love to hear that.”

           “How did they weather the storm?” Bow-Tie, the blue earth pony with the  yellow ribbons in her mane, asked.  “I’m surprised anything is still  standing after all that.”

          “The trees took it  fairly well, actually” Cherries Jubilee answered.  “There were a lot of  leaves and some fruit down.  A bunch of twigs and some small branches  broke off as well.  I only saw one decent-sized branch that snapped.   Fortunately, Ulster cherries are resistant to splitting so close to  harvest.”

          “The castle also really took it well,”  Bubbles, the yellow earth pony with a blue mane and white diamond on  the bridge of her muzzle, added.  “I’m a bit fearful of the winter if  the slopes of the roofs are any indication.”

           Blueflower levitated a fork and tapped it against her water glass.  The  conversations died down, and everyone turned their attention to her.

           “While this discussion of botany and architecture is riveting, we need  to discuss our plans,” Blueflower said in a calm tone that carried the  air of authority.  “Let’s start with three realities facing us.  First,  although the ponies back in Equestria probably know we’re missing, it’s  doubtful they know we’re here.  That makes rescue unlikely which leads  into the second reality.  If we are to return to Equestria, it will be  by our own efforts.  That takes us into the third reality before us  which is we need to be prepared for being here for the duration.  It’s  possible we will never make it home.  Reliable shelter and food and  water should be our top priorities.”

          “We have shelter in this castle,” Bubble said.

          “We also have plenty of food and water in the valley,” Cupcake said.

           “Yeah.”  Lickety-Split, the purplish-pink earth pony, glared at the  pile of grass in front of her.  “If you don’t mind eating grass and  flowers for every meal every day for the rest of your life.”

          “We’ll have cherries in a week or so!” Cherries Jubilee declared.

          “And apples come the fall!” Applejack added.

          “There’s also the rest of the world out there.”  Shady trembled.  “Who knows what’s out there?”

           “Which is why we need to work some things out here and now,” Blueflower  said.  “First of which is how we are going to govern our little group.”

           “I suggest a direct democracy,” Wind Whistler said.  “This group is  small enough we can decide everything with an up or down vote of  everyone involved.”

          Blueflower pointed to Wind  Whistler.  “That is an excellent idea.  Ironically we will decide  whether or not to be a democracy democratically.  Raise you hoof we you  think we should decide things by vote.”  She raised her hoof.

           Wind Whistler raised her hoof and twenty-six other hooves went up.   Applejack, Firefly, and Truly were the only objectors.

          “Democracy it is then.”  Blueflower lowered her hoof.

           “Though, even a democracy needs a leader,” Magic Star said.  “I  nominate Blueflower.  You’re the oldest and already seem to be in the  role.”

          “I don’t need to be reminded of my age,”  Blueflower said.  She bent her mouth into that lopsided grin.  “However,  I’m glad it comes with some perks.  I will be leader if that is the  will of everyone.”

          Some ponies whispered in the ear of those adjacent to them.  However, all hooves went up.

          “All right,” Blueflower said.  “As my first act as leader, I ask for suggestions regarding our next move.”

           North Star, the pink pegasus with the Trottingham accent, stood up.  “I  say we go out there and explore.  The pegasi can fly out there for the  day and see what we can find.”

          Paradise raised her hoof. “I second.”

          “What about the rest of you?” Blueflower asked.

          Wind Whistler raised her hoof.  She definitely wanted to know what was out there for herself.

           Lofty, the yellow pegasus with the yellow mane and tail, raised her  hoof.  Surprise shot hers up.  Firefly raised her hoof and Medley, the  green pegasus, immediately followed.  Heart Throb, the pink pegasus with  the curly pink hair, and Skydancer, the still costumed ballerina,  raised theirs.  “No reason to be the odd pony out,” Skydancer said.

           Blueflower nodded.  “Then the pegasi will be on exploration duty  tomorrow.  The rest of us can explore this castle and valley further as  well.  We should know what all we have at our disposal.”

          She looked to Cupcake.  “Make sure pegasi eat well tonight.”

          Cupcake nodded in response.


* * *


           Wind Whistler’s heavy stomach sloshed with water and grass.  She  understood why they called it being as ‘full as a tick’ now as she  imagined she looked like a gorged tick with her belly bulging out.

           However, it was a tried and true pegasi strategy for major flights.   ‘Well fed before bed, light for the flight.’  Her energy reserves would  be full for the flight, and she would not be weighed down by recently  eaten food when she had to actually take to the air.

           She pulled open the door to the long building extending northwest from  the keep.  While some other ponies went directly for the luxurious  bedchambers on the keep’s upper floors, Wind Whistler was perfectly  content with one of the simple servants’ quarters in these buildings.

           The building had an open hall with stairs connecting the balconies of  the three floors.  There were doors leading into the keep at the first  floor where Wind Whistler entered and the third floor since the peaked  ceilings of the keep made its levels twice as tall.

           Wind Whistler ascended the nearest staircase to the second story on the  southeast side.  The doors were arranged to be in groups of four on  either side of a door in the center well removed.  Wind Whistler  remembered there was an extension in the building in the center  corresponding with the door.

          She opened it and  entered a gang bathroom.  There were shower stalls along the opposite  wall with the windows almost two meters off the floor.  The walls to  either side had stalls that with the tanks of toilets peeking out from  above them.  The sinks with mirrors above them were along the wall with  the door.  The clicks of her hooves on the tile floor echoed around her  off the tile walls and ceiling.

          She gave a  nonverbal thank you to whoever built this castle with internal  plumbing—even if utilizing the toilets not design with a pony in mind  would take some getting use to—and decided to not think of where the  wastewater and its contents ended up at the moment.  That was something  for when she was less tired and not nursing a full belly.

           She went to the nearest door towards the castle side.  That seemed to  be the most ideal location to make her quarters.  She knocked on the  stained oak, and after hearing nothing pushed down on the handle.

           The interior was dark, but there was a handle next to the door pointing  down.  Wind Whistler pushed it up and light from a simple light fixture  in the center of the room’s ceiling.

          The  servants’ quarters were small, but comfortably so.  There were the  standard fixtures of a bedroom: a bed with a footlocker at the foot,  dresser, wardrobe, desk with a lamp, and vanity with a small mirror.  A  nightstand with another lamp and clock sat next to the bed under the  window with curtains drawn over it.  It was simple but functional: all  Wind Whistler asked out of a bedroom.

          She looked  back at the ribbon around her tail.  She had forgotten it was there  after everything that had happened.  She was still unsure how it got  there.  They had seen no one, so it was unlikely that they were tied  onto them while they were unconscious.  It might have been a result of  whatever took them from Equestria and brought them here.

           Whatever the case, it had been completely harmless for the entire  afternoon and evening.  If anything, it had come to feel natural to have  it in.  It was also white: her favorite color.

           It looked like it was made of silk or satin.  Either fabric would  wrinkle if she slept in it, so it would have to come out for the night.   She grabbed the tail of the ribbon in her mouth and easily pulled it  out of its bow.  Her tail lay flatter now that it was free.

           Wind Whistler actually liked the look of the bow in her tail.  Along  with being aesthetically pleasing, it kept her tail more in control.   Though, now that it was out, she did not know how to put it back in.

           She brought the ribbon closer to try to picture how she could tie it  when it flew out of her mouth and tied itself into a perfect bow again.   “Well, I guess that answers that,” Wind Whistler said to the ribbon  even though it would not answer.  At least, she hoped it would not  answer.  It was enchanted, but what it could do besides tie itself could  wait until later.

          She turned back to a lever in  a panel on the wall next to the door with a rope connecting it to the  light fixture on the ceiling.  She pushed it down and watched how it  worked this time.  Metal strips with mirrored surfaces closed over the  glowing crystal inside the light fixture to shut out its light.  She  pushed the lever back up, and the strips opened to let it cast its light  again.  “Interesting.”  She pushed the lever down to once again to  conceal the crystal.

          She pulled the switch to  provide light again for removing the ribbon from her tail.  She laid it  down neatly on the table of the vanity.  She also took her headband—a  metal arch covered in white felt—off her head and laid it down next to  the ribbon.  She pushed the lever on the wall down to put the room in  darkness once again and plopped down on the bed, letting her body settle  on the moderately firm mattress.  Between the food in her stomach and  all the excitement, her body was exhausted.

          With  the room in darkness, she could see a green glow coming from the  outside.  She pulled herself off the bed and pulled the curtain away to  look out.  Her window gave her the view of the ballroom’s north wall and  a small wedge of open space with stone tables and chairs.  A green glow  covered everything.

          She looked up at the sky.   Faint, curtains of light rippled in front of the plentiful stars.  They  were mostly green but their faint tops were purple.  The phenomenon  looked like the aurora that would come from the Crystal Empire, but it  seemed much higher in the atmosphere and bigger.

           “Will this world ever cease with its wonders.”  Wind Whistler let the  curtain drop and returned to the bed.  She worked her way under the  covers and rested her head on the pillow.

           Although her body was ready for sleep, her mind was still active.  There  were so many things to consider and ponder. However, fatigue ultimately  won out, and Wind Whistler fell asleep.


* * *


           Truly stretched as she walked out of the bedchambers she had claimed.   It was a good thing she was quick to take a room in the upper keep  rather than be forced to take one of those Spartan servants’ quarters.

           She stopped at a mirror to give herself one more check.  Her mane bun  was tight and her dress, apron, cap, and that dark aqua ribbon she  somehow picked up yesterday were neat and even.  As not just a nurse,  but a young mare of Mustangian high society, she had been drilled  thoroughly in the importance of keeping a proper appearance.

           That tail ribbon caught her particular attention.  It was a bit of a  shock to her yesterday, but it felt natural to have it in after wearing  it for several hours yesterday.  Being her favorite color had also  buttered her up to the cute, little strip of silk.

           In the mirror, she saw another of the tall doors open and Skydancer  walk out.  Truly turned to the ballerina, seeing her without her costume  for the first time.  With her rainbow mane loose, Truly could see just  how long it was as it cascaded to her knees.

          “Good morning, dear,” Truly said.  “Hope you slept well.”

           Skydancer spread her wings as far as they would go and arched her  back.  “I haven’t slept that well in years.  My bed’s so comfy.”

           “My, you look like a completely different pony when not in that ballet  getup,” Truly said.  “I do declare you could wear your mane like a  rainbow cloak.”

          Skydancer held her mane in the  crook of her front leg.  “I thought of putting it up, but figured it was  too much trouble for just flying around and looking at things.”  She  looked to Truly.  “I see you got your mane back in a bun.”

           Truly stood tall and held out her chest.  “It’s a lot of work, but a  proper nurse always wears her mane up when on duty.”

           “You do realize we’re not in Equestria anymore,” Skydancer said.  “No  one is here to tell you to follow the sillier rules.  Will a pony die if  you look after them with your mane down?”

          “The  rules are all I have here besides my uniform and training,” Truly  replied.  “I will not throw them away just because I’m in a different  world.”

          Skydancer shrugged.  “Suit yourself.”


* * *


           Breakfast was light for the pegasi, just enough to get the metabolism  going.  Once all the dishes were in the scullery to be washed, everyone  stepped out into the front courtyard.

          The sun  was warm on Wind Whistler’s coat, but there was more of a breeze out of  the north this morning.  The air was dry and much cooler than yesterday,  perfect for long distance flying.  The lack of clouds also suggested  little turbulence in the atmosphere, even better.

           “Coming through!” Paradise shouted from behind Wind Whistler.  She flew  out of the castle with several rolled up sheets of paper in her front  legs.  Buttons and Ribbon followed holding up a small table in their  magic.  They set the table down in front of Blueflower, and Paradise  stacked the papers.

          “I went through every map I  could find,” Paradise said as she unrolled one.  “I figure we’re here  since most of the maps are of it.”

          The map  depicted a landmass longer than it was broad jutting what seemed to be  northwest from a larger landmas.  Wind Whistler remembered the globe  slowed a protruding landmass from the northwestern corner of the  supercontinent.  The map showed the southern coast was cut deeply by  many fjords which had branches feeding into them.  Lines of mountains  ran the length of the middle and divided the fjords from one another.   Larger symbols for mountains formed a solid line where the landmass met  the main land.  Everything was marked with those runes, so it was  impossible to know what they were representing.

          “How big do you think it is?” Lofty asked.

           “It’s hard to tell,” Paradise answered.  She unrolled another map of  one of the fjord systems in particular.  “However, we’re at the foot of a  huge mountain just north of us, and I think I found where we are  specifically.”

          On this map, there was a symbol  for a large, snow-capped mountain.  A small fjord was immediately south  of it, emptying into the main trunk east of it at about its middle.  “I  believe we’re here,” Paradise pointed to it.

           Wind Whistler looked at the other features of the map.  There was a  region northwest of them.  A few symbols in it were what looked like  crystals.  Paradise pointed to them, “This was the most peculiar feature  I found.  I don’t know what to make of it.”

           “Then that looks like a perfect target to explore,” Blueflower said.  “I  was planning on teams of three.  Two we explore our fjord system and  the one west of us.  The third will go there.

          She turned to Posey.  “Do you have our lots ready?”

           “I got them right here.”  Posey placed a vase with flower stems  sticking out of it.  “There are three of each color—orange, yellow, and  blue.”

          “Excellent,” Blueflower replied.

           “Okay, listen up,” Blueflower said clearly to the crowd.  “The pegasi  are going to draw lots to see who goes with who and where.  Since there  are nine of you, I figured three teams of three.”  She motioned to the  jar.  “If you pick yellow, you’re heading northwest to this place with  the crystals.  If you pick blue, you’re going explore the main fjord  we’re attached to.  Orange will send you west across the mountains to  the next fjord.”

          “This is just a simple  exploration mission.  Fly out and see what’s out there and then start  heading back by noon so you return before dark.”  Blueflower looked up  at the castle.  “It’s safe to assume there is sapient life of some kind  somewhere out there.  Someone built this castle.  If you do see anything  intelligent, avoid contact.  We’ll deal with that later.  Just explore  and report back, got it?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said along with the others giving their statements of agreement.

           “Line up alphabetically,” Blueflower said.  “Firefly, Heart Throb,  Lofty, Medley, North Star, Paradise, Skydancer, Surprise, and Wind  Whistler; and, please, no trading.”

          Wind  Whistler stood there as the others formed the line in front of her.  She  was not going to have any say in where she would go.  She was hoping  for where the crystals were as that seemed to be the most unusual target  and had her curiosity.

          Firefly picked up a stem  in her mouth and pulled out a blue flower.  Heart Throb followed,  pulling out an identical flower except yellow.  Lofty got yellow.   Medley got blue.  North Star was the first to draw orange, and Paradise  was the second.  Skydancer drew the final blue flower, and Surprise got  the last yellow.

          Wind Whistler was disappointed  to see the last yellow flower drawn, especially right before her.   However, she dared not show it.  No matter where she was going, she was  going to see something new.

          Wind Whistler  stepped up to the jar with one stem left.  “It is technically a  formality, but…”  She took out the last orange flower.  She would be  going west with North Star and Paradise.

          “You leave presently,” Blueflower said.  “Good luck and stay safe, my little ponies.”

          Wind Whistler joined North Star and Paradise still holding their orange flowers.

           North Star spat out hers.  “Come on.  Let’s not dally any further.”   She pointed to the west.  “We are about to go boldly where no pony has  gone before.”

          “The castle?” Paradise asked since North Star was pointing right at the front door.

          North Star lowered her brow and slid her eyes to Paradise.  “You know what I mean.  Let’s go.”

           They spread their wings and leapt into the air.  With several flaps  they were airborne and rising over the perimeter wall.  Wind Whistler  looked back at the two other teams taking off and flying to the north  and east.  She turned back to Paradise and North Star as they banked  around in front of the waterfall.

          “See you at sundown,” Lofty said as her and her team headed northwest.

          Wind Whistler and her team headed towards the row of rocky peaks forming the western border of the valley.

          Wind Whistler felt her heart quicken.  They were  about to go where no pony had gone before.  She might not be  investigating what those odd crystal symbols meant, but she was going to  see something ponies had never seen.  That mixed feeling of elation of  discovering something new and terror of facing the unknown was back with  a vengeance.  Come what may, they were heading straight for it.


* * *


           Lofty had spent much of her life flying high above Equestria.  Whether  towing her hot air balloon with passengers or just getting from point A  to point B, she was well accustomed to the view of the ground far below  her.  She knew how the terrain progressed from one climate to another,  and this world seemed to follow the same logic.

           The mountains gave way to foothills which then led to broader plains.   That made sense considering the sense of flatness she got from the  region with the crystal symbols.  The vegetation quickly went from trees  and grass between the mountains and on the hills to scrub on the plains  to gravelly desert.  Mountains always made transporting clouds  difficult, so the lands in their lees were left as a desert only getting  rain with the largest orders.  The same was true here.

           There was some sign that the storms that hit them yesterday stretched  this far with some moisture.  There were isolated puddles wherever the  land dipped, and the shallower depressions were simply darkened.  A  fraction of rain fell here compared to the storm that got in the valley.

          “I spy with my little eye something starting with ‘B’,” Surprise said as she continued the spontaneous game of I Spy she had roped Lofty and Heart Throb into.

          “Butte,” Heart Throb replied halfheartedly.

          “You’re good at this,” Surprise chirped.  “Now it’s your turn.”

           Buttes rose out of the gravel like ships run aground in a calm sea.   There was no trace of green or even brown vegetation.  However, the  desert floor seemed to twinkle in the sunlight as they flew over it.

          “I wonder what’s causing that,” Lofty thought out loud.

          “Hey!” Surprise blurted.  “It’s Heart Throb’s turn, and you’re supposed to start with ‘I spy with my little eye’.”

           “I don’t know, darling, but it might have something to do with those  weird symbols on Paradise’s map.”  Heart Throb flew closer to Lofty.   “Let’s go down for a closer look?”

          “We’re supposed to just fly over,” Lofty said.

           “Let me put it another way.”  Heart Throb flew close enough to whisper  into Lofty’s ear, “Would you rather Surprise continues her game of I Spy?”

          “Point taken,” Lofty replied.  She pointed down.  “We’re going to land and take a closer look.”

          “Fine by me.”  Surprise folded her wings and spiraled down.

           Lofty spiraled down towards the desert floor.  She spread her wings and  flapped to slow herself.  Clay dust rose up as she gently planted each  hoof on the floor.  She could already feel heat radiating off the ground  and smell the scent of baking clay.  The sun was nowhere near its noon  pinnacle, and she could already tell it was going to be oppressively hot  before too long.

          Large crystal formations came  out of the ground and glistened in the sunlight.  Some were just small  mounds barely coming out of the ground while others rose several meters  into the air with branches coming off the main trunk.  These had to be  what the map was depicting.

          Heart Throb landed and gasped.  “Darlings, this is absolutely gorgeous.”

           Surprise tapped a big, fat crystal looked like a giant barrel cactus.   “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say were plants.”

          “How do you know better?”  Lofty pointed to the south and the rings arcing across the sky.  “Another world, remember?”

           In fact, some of the formations looked even more plant-like with leaves  of crystals.  Along with resembling various forms of cacti, some  formations reminded Lofty of aloe and yucca palms.

           “So, our valley has normal plants, but this desert just a stone’s throw  away has crystal plants?” Heart Throb asked.  She heaved a sigh.  “This  world seems to exist to confuse us.”

          “We can  tell Posey when we get back,” Lofty said.  She could feel her body  prickle as sweat seeped into her coat.  “Let’s get back in the air.   This desert’s already baking.”

          “What’s that?” Surprise pointed to the south.

           Lofty turned around to twinkling along the ground a few kilometers  away.  They were definitely twinkling like they were moving, unlike the  glistening crystals.  A faint cloud of dust was rising behind them.  She  could make out six distinct twinkling objects, and they were moving  closer.

          “I don’t know, but we were told to avoid contact,” Lofty said.  “Get airborne.”

          Heart Throb spread her wings.  “You don’t need to tell me twice!”

           They had to run a bit to get enough speed to take off in the hotter  air.  Lofty turned back as they gained altitude.  Two of the twinkling  objects left the ground, and one of them shot towards them like it had  been shot from a cannon.

          The object blasted past  Lofty, a twinkling streak of pink, green, aqua, blue, and purple.  It  slowed and looped around—a pegasus like them.  Almost like them.  Her  body glistened in the sun like crystal and light glinted off polygons in  her sapphire eyes.  Her mane and tail were a mess of green, aqua, blue,  and purple locks.  She was a Crystal pony.

          “I  knew you were ponies,” the pegasus said so quickly Lofty had a hard time  keeping up.  “Galaxy was not sure because we hadn’t seen any other  ponies all day yesterday, but I could tell you were ponies when you  landed.  I’m Whizzer, it’s really great to meet you.  Where did you come  from?  Are you from this world, or did you end up here like us?”

          “Wait, wait, wait!” Lofty interjected.  “Can you speak more clearly?”

           “Sorry, I’m just really fast at everything,” the pegasus continued at  basically the same breakneck speed.  “I fly fast.  I talk fast.  I’m the  fastest flier in the Crystal Empire.  That’s why I’m the royal  messenger.  I can get a message anywhere in the empire before you can  blink.  It’s like you blink and I’m back.  At least I was until I showed  up here.  I mean, I still that fast, but I’m not in the Crystal Empire  anymore.”

          Lofty stared at her blankly.

           “You should meet Galaxy.  She’s about as much of a leader as we have.   Come on, quick, quick, quick.”  The pegasus dashed down.

          “And ponies say I’m hyper,” Surprise commented to Heart Throb out of the corner of her mouth.

          “Come on.”  Lofty descended.  “Hopefully this Galaxy is easier to follow.”

           The pegasus landed next to the other five ponies.  They were all  Crystal ponies with crystalline eyes and manes and tails banded in four  colors.  They also had ribbons tied around their tails like Lofty and  the other ponies from the valley.

          The pink  unicorn with red, pink, white, and orange hair and ruby-like eyes walked  up.  She had a headband like Wind Whistler’s only blue with a  star-shaped ornament on one end and the arch crafted like a tail.  “It’s  good to see other ponies.”

          Lofty landed.  “Same here.”

           “I’m Galaxy,” the unicorn said.  She motioned to the other  unicorn—green with a big, pink bow in her pink, white, darker pink, and  dark green mane and ruby eyes.  “This is Fizzy.”  She then motioned to  the pink pegasus.  “You already met Whizzer.”  The yellow pegasus with  aqua, green, lime, and vibrant yellow hair and emerald eyes behind a  pink masquerade mask.  “Masquerade.”  The white earth pony with blue,  dark purple, pale pink, and lavender hair and sapphire eyes.   “Gingerbread.”  The remaining earth pony—pale blue with purple, pink,  paler pink, and white hair and eyes like amethyst—backed up behind the  others.  “And Sweet Stuff.”

          “Everyone calls me ‘Sweetie’,” the earth pony said in a soft voice.

          “Well, I’m Lofty and they’re Heart Throb and Surprise,” Lofty said.

          “How’s it going?” Surprise asked.

          “Crystal Empire?” Lofty asked.

          Galaxy answered with a nod.  “You?”

          “We’re from all over Equestria,” Lofty answered.

          “So, you woke up in this world yesterday afternoon too?” Galaxy said.

          “Yup,” Surprise answered before Lofty could.  “We’re in a castle about a hundred kilometers south southeast of here.”

          “There’s thirty of us or so,” Lofty added.

          “A castle?” Fizzy asked rhetorically.  “Lucky.  We had to sleep in some creepy, old ruins.”

          “We also haven’t had anything to eat since we got here,” Gingerbread added.

           “You poor dears,” Heart Throb swooned.  “Please, come back with us.  We  have more than enough room.  In fact, let’s head back now.”

           Lofty heaved a sigh.  She looked to the crystal plants.  It was still  early morning, and there was more to explore about this strange desert  and beyond.  However, we four ground bound ponies and mountains between  them, they would be lucky to reach the fjord before nightfall if they  started now.  “Okay.”

          She licked the roof of her mouth, feeling the dryness.  “We should have brought water along.”

          “You need water?” Galaxy asked and then smiled.  “It’s all around you.”

          “There is?”  Surprise swung her head from side to side.  “Where?”

           Galaxy walked up to the nearest crystal and plunged her horn into it.   “Right here.”  She strained a little before her horn popped out of the  crystal’s hull and water poured from the hole she made.

           Surprise put her muzzle in the stream and loudly sucked it in.  She  pulled her head away and exhaled.  “That feels so good.”

           “It was a shot in the dark, but we poked holes in these crystal cacti  and found out they’re full of water,” Galaxy said.  “Unfortunately,  they’re inedible.”

          “Well our valley is full of  lush grasses and flowers and even some fruit trees,” Heart Throb said.   “You can eat to your heart’s content there.”

           Lofty sucked in enough water to wet her throat.  The water was fresh but  a little warm.  She turned to Galaxy.  “Did you see the two moons?”

           Galaxy nodded.  “When we woke up, they and the rings were the first  things we saw, and I knew we had been taken to another world.  I’ve  already dubbed the larger moon Luna Major and the smaller Luna Minor.”

          “Dubbed?” Heart Throb asked.

          “Galaxy is the Imperial Stargazer,” Fizzy answered.  “She watches celestial objects for the royal family.”

           “Yes,” Galaxy said.  “I made other astronomical observations last  night, but they can wait until we reach your castle.”

           “Then let’s get going!”  Surprise spread her wings and took off.  “I  bet we already made the biggest discovery of the day!”


* * *


           The mountains rose to the west to a point.  Then they began to slowly  drop off when they were across the divide between their fjord system and  the next.  The mixed forests in the valley became all conifers in the  mountains with a sharp line where all plant life just stopped growing  altogether.  Some of the highest peaks even had snow at their summits  even though the longest day of the year was only a couple of weeks away.

           Wind Whistler then realized there was no telling if the seasons of this  world matched up.  The night had been very short, and the weather was  similar to that of late spring or early summer.  They would have to  track the behavior of the day cycle to see which side of the solstice  they were on.

          After they crossed the divide, the  rivers went from flowing east to west.  The conifer forests also began  to climb higher on the mountains as well.  While a field day for a  hydrologist and geologist, there was still no sign of sapient life, not  even paths of travel.  Likely, whatever dwelled in the fjords would  travel by water to each other than trek through the mountains.

           Wind Whistler flicked her ears to the sound of wheezing.  She looked  back at Paradise falling even further behind.  She flapped her wings  slowly and held her head low.  Wind Whistler also felt the burn of  lactic acid in her wings and her throat was dry.

          “Can we take a break?” Paradise wheezed.

          “Fine,” North Star exhaled.  She pointed down.  “We can rest and get a drink there.”

           She banked and spiraled down towards a river rushing over the rocks  below.  Wind Whistler landed and dipped her muzzle into the water.  They  water was clear and cool, soothing her throat.  Paradise landed as  quickly as possible to do safely, skipping before coming to a rest.  She  flicked her glasses down from her muzzle to hang by their chain before  plunging her entire head in the water.

          After a few seconds, she pulled her head out and gasped for air.

          “Don’t drink too much,” North Star said.  “You don’t want to weigh yourself down.”

          “Are you all right?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Paradise took in another deep breath and exhaled.  “I haven’t flown  very far in my life.  And definitely not this far up.  The air’s too  thin.”

          “We’re on the downside of these  mountains,” North Star said.  “We’ll probably be over the next fjord  after a few more kilometers.  Though, we will have to ascend them again  to return.”

          Paradise sat down and breathed heavily.

           Wind Whistler took the rest to survey the area.  The mountainside was  rocky with some boulders bigger than a pony.  The pine trees were tall,  thin, and clumped closely together.  Their scent made the thin air  refreshing, and Wind Whistler was already feeling her wings recover.

           Inside the woods, several old logs lay on the ground or against the  living pine trees.  The fallen logs were anything from still having  green needles to nothing but gray trunks completely stripped of their  bark.  Most were skeletal remains with stubs of old branches.

          “What a pit,” North Star said.  “It looks like no one has been out here to clean up in years.”

           Wind Whistler looked up at the sky.  Something she noticed was the  smaller moon was both noticeably thinner and closer to the sun than it  was yesterday.  In fact, it was almost invisible in the glare.  The  change in distance was by less than ten degrees.  It was like they were  moving independently of each other, very much unlike the sun and moon in  Equestria which Princess Celestia and Princess Luna kept moving at the  same speed.

          “Maybe no one or anything else comes  to clean things up,” Wind Whistler said.  “This is another world.  Who  is to say it has to follow our rules?  Maybe the environment has no  caretakers, instead left to its own processes.”

          “You realize you’re saying this is essentially Everfree…World,” Paradise said.

           “A strange new world,” North Star said.  “You were the one saying real  life is so boring.  Well, here’s your chance for excitement.”

          “So far, we’ve just found a good way to turn our lungs inside out,” Paradise said.

          “Still a lot of out there to explore,” North Star said.  “We haven’t even reached the next fjord yet.”

           A shadow passed over them.  Wind Whistler looked up, and saw a massive  silhouette banking slowly from heading roughly northwest to west.  It  looked like a bird with the primaries apparent in its broad wings in the  formation one would see on a soaring raptor, but the body was long and  slender with a flare from the midpoint to the three-quarters point.

          “What’s that?” Paradise asked.

           “Looks like some kind of bird,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, I’ve  never seen anything avian that large or that shaped.”

          “Let’s follow it.”  North Star spread her wings.  “It’s heading the general direction we were anyway.”

          “We should still hold back so we won’t be noticed,” Wind Whistler suggested.


* * *


           They followed the creature far enough back it was a speck ahead of them  but still visible.  The mountains below become lower and gentler in  their slopes as trees finally covered their summits.  The small mountain  streams collected in rivers and the valleys around them broadened to  kilometers wide.

          Also, the first signs of  civilization finally appeared.  Dirt paths crossed each other in a grid  pattern with areas of pasture divided by fencing.  Buildings ranging  from small sheds to farmhouses and barns sat on the sea of green grass,  and animals loitered and ran through the areas fenced in.  Where the  paths had to cross the river, there were bridges with mechanisms to  raise the center of their spans.

          Wind Whistler  stopped when she saw the distinct shape of equines in one of the  pastures.  Paradise stopped with her, and North Star eventually looped  around.

          “What’s going on?” North Star asked.

          Wind Whistler pointed down.  “There are ponies down there.”

          “This is great,” Paradise said.  “We can ask them about this place.”

          “We’re not supposed to initiate contact with the local population,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “What if they’re other ponies from Equestria?” Paradise suggested.  “We should go down and see.”

          “I agree,” North Star said.

           Wind Whistler thought about it for a second, and had to give a nod.   “You’re right.  However, we should still be cautious.”

           They circled down and landed towards a corner of the pasture.  The  grass ranged from barely coming out of the ground to clumps so tall they  would reach their underbellies.  There were also random weeds and even  bare spots.  The moist air carried the smell of sweet grass as well as  equine body odor among other things.

          From the  ground, Wind Whistler could see these equines varied wildly in size and  build.  Some were only as tall as a young colt with short, stocky legs.   A few, particularly those with feathering around their hooves like pony  stallions, were absolutely gigantic, even compared to their fellows,  with thick, muscular legs.  The equines that appeared to be average for  this group were still bigger than an alicorn, Saddle Arabian, or even  giant ponies with long, spindly legs.

          All of  their muzzles were longer than those of ponies with looser lips.  Their  coloration was less vibrant than ponies too: white, gray, black,  rust-colored red, and shades of brown, tan, and blond.  Some had  markings or mottling across their bodies, but there was nothing that  could be called a symbol on any of them.

          “I think it’s safe to say they’re not from Equestria,” North Star said.

           Paradise walked up to the nearest equine, a mare with a chestnut coat  and blond mane.  “Hello there.  Could you tell us where we are?”

          The equine pivoted her ears and grunted before biting off some grass.

          Paradise tapped her hoof.  “Well?  Do you even understand me?”

           Wind Whistler hovered to the large equine and looked at her more  intently.  Her brown eyes were more widely spaced than those of ponies,  and the pupil was rectangular, not round like a pony’s.  Her stare also  seemed blank, not really focusing on them.  It was more like how an  animal would stare at her.

          “You know,” Wind Whistler said, “I don’t think these equines are sapient.”

          Paradise hovered up.  “Doesn’t seem like it.”

          “I wonder why,” North Star said.

           “Different world, different evolutionary path?” Wind Whistler  suggested.  “We know there were smaller-brained mega-equines once in our  world, but they died out.  I guess this world’s counterparts flourished  and became the prominent equine species.”

          “That’s a shame.”  The mare nuzzled Paradise, and she giggled.  “They seem friendly enough, though.”

           A stallion come up and nuzzled Wind Whistler.  He puffed from his  nostrils and snorted, probably getting her scent.  She resisted the urge  to laugh and squirm as it tickled.  “They’re probably more docile with  us because we’re mares.  Our pheromones must be similar enough they  think we’re new females entering their herd.”

          More of the equines gathered around them and seemed to be intent on getting their scent as well.

           After being snorted and sniffed by several of them and almost  dissolving into a laughing fit from the tickling, Wind Whistler rose out  of the equines’ reach.  It also gave her a chance to survey the rest of  the pasture and beyond.  A wooden, split-rail fence contained a hectare  or so of land around them.  A farm house with white siding and pink  shingles sat outside of the fence with a barn nearby.  The equines might  not be sapient, but something intelligent lived here.

           The screen door leading onto the porch of the farmhouse flew open and a  creature practically leapt clear across the porch to the ground below.   It broke into a run on its hind legs for the fence.

          She turned to back of North Star and Paradise.  “Something’s coming!  Hide!”

          She looked around the area for something to hide behind.  The closest thing was a metal water trough.  “Over there.”

           She dove behind the trough and North Star and Paradise joined her.   They peeked out over the rim as the creature ran towards the group of  equines.

          As it got closer, Wind Whistler could  make out more about the creature.  She already knew it was a biped with  long hind legs.  It held its upper limbs bent and pumped them backward  and forward as it ran.  Given its boxy frame and concentration of mass  in the upper torso and limbs, she figured it—or rather he—was a male.

           His head and neck were mostly hairless with his light pink skin exposed  except for a short, rust-colored mane and patch of hair on his upper  lip.  He looked like he came from the primate branch, great ape to be  exact with no sign of a tail and his upper limbs ending hands with four  long fingers and a well developed opposable thumb.  His nose and chin  were more prominent than those of apes Wind Whistler had seen, and his  mouth was more solidly placed in the main structure of his head.

           He wore clothing that covered everything but from his neck up and his  hands.  A tan coat with a tall collar went from his shoulders to almost  the ground, unbuttoned in the front to show the brown shirt underneath  and a blue garment that covered each hind leg separately.  A tan,  wide-brimmed hat sat on his head and he wore reddish-brown boots made of  leather on his feet.  He clenched a mesh of leather straps in one of  his fists.

          They ducked down as he drew close enough he might see them.

          “What is that?” North Star asked in whisper.

           “I remember reading Princess Twilight Sparkle’s journals about her  journeys to a parallel world populated by advanced, bipedal apes called  humans,” Paradise whispered.  “Her descriptions and drawings of them  look a lot like him.”

          “Then perhaps we are in that world,” North Star suggested.

           “Except she never mentioned that world having two moons and rings,”  Paradise said.  “Also, when she traveled to that world, she was  transformed into a human herself.” She held up her hooves.  “We’re still  ponies.”

          “Polaris!” a gravelly voice called out.

          Wind Whistler peeked over the trough.  The equines were scattering as the human stood there.

          “What are you doing all together like this?” he asked.  “Come, on you have an entire pasture to run around in.”

          “Well, at least they speak our language,” North Star whispered.

           “Or we somehow understand their language as ours,” Paradise suggested.   “Princess Twilight Sparkle described understanding the language of the  other world as if it was Equestrian.”

          He turned  to a mare that was completely black except for a white, diamond-shaped  spot on her forehead like Bubbles and Seashell had only much smaller.   “There you are, girl.”

          He held up the straps and  slipped them over her head.  The smaller circle went around her muzzle  just behind her mouth and he buckled the larger circle behind her eye.   She reared her head and grunted, but he held the strap and gently patted  the side of her neck.  “That’s right, girl.  We’re going riding.  I’m  sorry I can’t put your tack on, but we have to go now.”

          He climbed on top of the equine’s back and swung one leg over so he was sitting on her.  The horse whinnied.

           “I know, I know.”  The human picked up a loop connected to the straps.   “Those blasted feather dusters are early.  Just remember this is for  Megan.”  He flicked the loop.  “Go!”

          The equine  reared and whinnied before vaulting forward.  She accelerated into a  full gallop towards the fence running along a path and jumped over it.   She barely broke her stride turning to follow the road of pulverized  earth and stone.  Dust kicked up in her wake as she galloped away.

           Wind Whistler then remembered the bird creature they had been  following.  It had to have disappeared by now, but she could see it  circling in the distance.  The human and the equine appeared to be  headed right for it.

          “Humans ride these equines,” Paradise mused aloud.  “That’s something to report.”

          “I say we follow them,” North Star said.  “We still have plenty of time before noon, so let’s see what they’re up to.”

          “Sounds like a plan,” Paradise said.  “What about you, Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t see any logical reason to object,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Then let’s go.”  North Star took off and flew in the same direction of the dust cloud.


* * *


           The human and equine stopped where the path terminated at an  intersection with another.  There was a clump of trees nearby with thick  undergrowth.  Wind Whistler followed North Star and Paradise in the  tangled mess of bushes and vines.  Her heart quickened as she feared  they would be found.  Every snap of a twig and rustling of a branch was  an explosion in her ears sure to alert everything in the area to their  presence.  However, by the time they got into a position where they  could see the intersection from cover, they seemed to have gone  unnoticed.

          The human climbed down from the  equine and gave her a pat.  The equine bit at the grass as he walked  away from her and towards the bird creature as she landed and folded her  wings behind her.

          The sight of her—Wind  Whistler assumed female because the slender build, curved features, and  black leather dress—made Wind Whistler’s blood run cold.  The human was  already tall by pony standards, but this thing was head, shoulders, and  breast taller than him.

          Her dress was open in  the back to accommodate her large wings, a buckled collar holding the  front up over her prominent chest.  Her head and neck were similar to a  human’s, even having a long and rich mane of blond hair, but the tops of  her earlobes came to a sharp point and her skin was a few shades darker  blue than Wind Whistler’s coat.  Her eye brows went up at an angle to  shot far from her eye sockets to curl down and in, combining with her  sharp nose to give her face a raptor-like appearance while remaining  remotely human-like.  Below her collar bone, she was clearly avian.  A  thick plumage of soot gray feathers covered her body except the bottom  halves of her limbs which were covered in yellow scales.  Her feet split  into three toes pointed forward and one back.  Her hands were similar  with three fingers and an opposable thumb.  All the fingers and toes  ended in long, sharp claws like those of a bird of prey.  The only thing  human-like about her body was her posture as she stood straight up and  her knees bent forward.

          A strap slung across her  chest held a canvas cylinder to her back between her wings.  A couple  dozen arrows with feathered ends stuck out from the cylinder as well as a  long linen cloth likely holding a bow of some kind.  A canvas belt  around her waist held a number pouches too.  The chest of her dress also  had a large, gray pattern embroidered into it that looked like a  stylized hoof guard (Ω).

          Wind Whistler shrank  back, hoping this thing did not detect her.  Every fiber of her being  told her this was a predator.  From head to feet, she was equipped to  capture, kill, and eviscerate prey.  As a prey species, even one as  advanced as a pony, she felt the instinctual fear of every pony from the  very first on down in the presence of this creature.

           It was not like this with predatory species in Equestria.  Griffons  were common visitors to Cloudsdale, but familiarity with them and the  knowledge they did not eat ponies squelched her instincts.  However, she  was on an unknown world with an unknown predator that looked like she  could rip even the biggest griffon Wind Whistler had ever seen in half  with little effort.

          Her heart pounded, sending a  generous supply of blood through her body.  She senses became more  vivid.  Every muscle in her body was tense to the point of aching for  action.  However, she was still a sapient being, able to use her  intelligence to keep herself from flying into fight or flight.  She knew  she was hidden and that she had a mission to investigate.  Besides,  vaulting out of the thicket would give them away.  Better to hunker down  and watch for now.

          “I hope I never meet one of  those in a dark alley,” Paradise whispered, but it sounded too loud to  Wind Whistler’s ears.

          “I wouldn’t want to meet  one in a busy street in front of a police station in broad daylight,”  North Star replied.  “But keep it down.  We don’t want them to hear.”

          The human walked up to the bird creature and glared up at her.  She held out her hand.  “Did you bring it?”

           The human reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a red,  heart-shaped locket on a leather necklace.  “Here it is.  Now, where’s  my daughter?”

          “She’ll be returned once we know  it’s real,” the bird creature said in a cold and dispassionate tone.   “Now, hand it over.”

          The human clinched his fist  over the locket and pulled it back.  “No!  I give you the locket.  You  give me back my daughter.  That’s the deal!”

          The  bird creature’s mouth dropped into a scowl.  “Give me the locket!”  She  grabbed at the locket’s necklace and tried to pull it away, but the  human tightened his grip.

          The human braced his feet and pulled back.  “Not until you return Megan!”

           “Stupid ape,” the bird creature snarled through her clenched teeth and  raised her right hand with its sharp talons ready to strike.
> Chapter 3: Harpies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “She’ll cut the poor chap to ribbons!”  North Star’s  exclamation almost caused Wind Whistler vault out of her hiding place  like a compressed spring let loose.  Before Wind Whistler could think,  the pink pegasus had jumped from the underbrush and galloped straight at  the bird creature.  She threw her body right into her midsection and  knocked her away.  The human fell back, grazing a small stone with the  back of his head and lay there motionless.

          Wind Whistler slapped her pastern over her forehead.  “So much for avoiding contact.  What was she thinking?”

          “Sometimes you need to follow your heart,” Paradise said.

           “Her cardiovascular muscle group won’t be of much benefit if that thing  tears it out of her chest,” Wind Whistler replied.  “But, if we’re  going in, I guess should we should go all in.  Come on.”  She jumped  from the underbrush.

          The bird creature had been  stunned by North Star ramming her.  She braced herself on her hands and  glared down at the pegasus across her lap.  “He was supposed to come  alone.”

          North Star looked up just in time to get backhanded in the face and thrown back.

          “North Star!”  Paradise ran to North Star.

           Wind Whistler ran to the human to investigate his condition.  She put  her ear to his nose and mouth and thankfully heard and felt breath.   There also seemed to be no bleeding from where he struck the stone.   Though, there was no way to tell if he suffered a closed head injury.

           She turned her attention to the locket lying in his open palm.  It  looked like an ordinary trinket that would be in the bit bin of any  jewelry store, nothing that should justify this kind of a struggle  over.  Yet, both seemed desperate to have it.

          “Little horses with wings?” the bird creature snarled.  “Is this some kind of sick joke?”

           Wind Whistler turned back to the bird creature looming over North Star  and Paradise, flexing her talons.  “I don’t know how he conjured you  freaks, but you’ll pay for interfering.”

          Wind  Whistler thought fast for a way to get her away from them.  Her thoughts  quickly fell on the locket.  She took it and dropped it around her  neck.  “Looking for something?”  She held up the locket so it was in  plain view.

          The bird creature turned back and bared her sharp teeth.  “Give that to me.”

           Wind Whistler felt her heart quicken at the sight of those  flesh-tearing fangs, but suppressed her fear.  “North Star, Paradise,  take to the air!”  She followed her own advice and leapt into the air.   She flapped her wings as fast as her muscles could to gain altitude.   She looked back and saw North Star and Paradise were right behind her.

           The bird creature was also airborne, but her massive wings required  slower and more sweeping strokes, and she was falling behind.  She was  designed for soaring, riding air currents over long distances.

          Wind Whistler slowed enough to allow North Star and Paradise to come abreast to her.

          “What do we do?” Paradise asked.

          “I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” North Star said.

           “We need to take assessment of our advantages and disadvantages against  our current adversary,” Wind Whistler said.  “Then we can develop and  execute an effective strategy of defeating her or driving her off.”

          “I don’t think we’re beating that thing,” Paradise said.  “Maybe if she gets the locket, she’ll leave.”

           “Absolutely not!” North Star insisted.  “We can’t let such a ruffian  just make off with the goods.  Besides, who’s to say she wouldn’t come  after us once she had it out of spite?”

          “Just  give me a chance to think.  There has to be a way to defeat her.”  Wind  Whistler looked back the bird creature far below them.  “She obviously  has size and strength on her side.  However, we seem have superior climb  and probably speed and maneuverability.  Also, if she is like most  birds of prey, she is more capable of attacking from above than below.”

          “So, we just have to stay above her,” North Star said.  “Sounds easy enough.”

           Wind Whistler glanced down again and noticed something had changed  about the bird creature.  She was hovering as best as she could with a  line straight up and down.  Wind Whistler quickly realized what it was.   “Uh oh.  I had neglected one advantage she has.”

          “What’s that?” Paradise asked.

          “She carries a ranged weapon,” Wind Whistler answered.

          An arrow shot up towards them.  They split off as the arrow, as big as a javelin, shot past them.

          Paradise straightened out her flight and watched the arrow arc back down.  “You were saying, North Star?”

           “I seem to remember there being an old pegasus trick for defeating  archers,” North Star mused aloud.  “I just can’t remember what it is  exactly.”

          Wind Whistler looked down at the bird  creature.  She was reaching back into her quiver and took a while to  pull out an arrow, and she also seemed to take unusually long time  placing it on the bow and raise it.  She appears to be unskilled with the bow, Wind Whistler thought.

          The arrow went for Paradise, who had to roll away to avoid it.  “Think faster, North Star!  We don’t have all day!”

           “That’s it!” North Star exclaimed.  “They would fly into the sun and  then dive straight out of it to keep the archer blinded.  Come on!”

           She shot up towards glaring sun, and Wind Whistler followed.  She shut  her eyes, but the light from the sun still passed through her eyelids,  making her vision a field of bright blue.  Its warmth bathed over her  face and chest, feeling soothing amongst the chaos of the situation.

          “All right, I’ll get her bow,” North Star said.  “You knock her out of the sky, Wind Whistler.”

          “I will try,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Either you do or we’re dead!” North Star shouted.  “Now dive.”

           Wind Whistler turned back and could open her eyes.  North Star was  diving forward, right on a line from the sun to the bird creature who  was trying to shield her eyes from the glare.  Wind Whistler’s brain was  swimming in blood and adrenaline.  Time seemed to slow as her body and  mind were operating faster to make snap decisions.

           She followed North Star several meters back and worked out her  options.  She did not know how an adrenaline rush affected other ponies,  but for her, it sent her brain into overdrive.  Everything was analyzed  and weighed; all possibilities considered and thoroughly thought out in  the blink of an eye.  North Star will grab her bow, and the bird creature will try to hold on out of impulse.  The momentum will turn her back to me.   That limited her options.  A slash of one of a pegasus’ wings to the  lower body could do significant damage—assuming she could avoid the  talons—but her back turned meant she would have to contend with the bird  creature’s huge wings that could easily knock her senseless and falling  to her death without even a deliberate strike.

           She would need to rely on her hooves and momentum to do something.   However, that was a weakness of the pegasi.  She was five percent  lighter than a unicorn or earth pony of a similar volume due to her  lightweight skeleton.  Her hooves were also softer with more spongy  tissue and thinner hulls to absorb the shock of landing on them as well  as further reduce her mass.  That meant some of the energy she could use  would be lost.  She needed to be precise and make just the right blow  in the right place.

          I have to disable her with my first strike.  If I don’t, she could turn back and use those claws at close range.  Wind Whistler tried to push the image of those claws slashing across her throat from her mind.   The spine would be too hard to hit with the precision needed at this  speed.  It has to be the base of the wings where the supercoradecoideus  connects to the avial humerus.  A well placed hit to them will pinch the  nerves going into the wings, and she won’t be able to control them for a  few seconds.  Given the pull of gravity, even four seconds of paralysis  and free fall would send her almost a hundred meters down.  You have to  put all your momentum right there, Wind Whistler.  One hoof on each to  either side of the quiver.  It’s your only chance.

           North Star veered slightly to the left and grabbed the end of the  longbow.  The bird creature grabbed it with both hands and was turned  around.  Wind Whistler saw her targets, the point where bones of the  wings disappeared into her back on either side of the quiver.  The  flight muscles just emerged to connect to the bone by tendons.  There  were also nerves that communicated to the muscles of the wings  themselves.  She put her front hooves in front of her and adjusted her  speed to approach while those massive wings were spread.

           She collided hooves first right at the base of the wings.  She let her  knees buckle so more energy was built into her muscles, she then locked  her knees straight again to send it all into the bird creature’s back.   Wind Whistler was sent upward slightly and the bird creature tumbled  towards the earth.

          The shock made her let go of  the longbow, and North Star wrenched it from her grasp.  She fell  several dozen meters, her wings flailing fruitlessly.  After perhaps  three seconds, she spread her wings out straight and glided to level  off.  She flapped to gain height and turned back to them.

          She clinched her fist.  “Give that back!”

          “Take it back if you can!” North Star shouted back as she slung the huge bow over her chest and back.

           That would be almost impossible.  Without an ability to attack at  range, they could always remain above her and out of reach.

           The bird creature hovered there for a second, probably realizing what  Wind Whistler had.  She pointed at them.  “Don’t think this is over,”  her tone had lost its coldness and lack of passion, sounding more forced  and rough like a pouting foal.  “I’m not alone, and when my friends  about hear this, you’ll be sorry.”

          She glided  under them towards the south southeast.  Wind Whistler waited until she  was so far away she could not be seen before she allowed herself to  relax.

          “That was a top notch hit.”  North Star hovered up to Wind Whistler.  “We showed her.”

           “We did.”  However, Wind Whistler could not chase a feeling of dread.   There were more of those things, and the bad archery skills and immature  outburst suggested the one they had to trick just to chase off was one  of the younger and weaker ones.  She did not want to think of stronger  and more skilled ones being out there.

          “That’s a nice souvenir.”  Paradise pointed to the longbow.

           North Star adjusted it was she could see.  “A fine piece of  craftsmanship.  Or, whatever they are.  I think this is genuine yew.”   She flexed it.

          The longbow lived up to its name,  being at least three meters long while strung.  Wind Whistler estimated  it was about a third longer than the bird creature was tall when she  was wielding it, so she estimated her at standing between two and  quarter and two and half meters with a wingspan double that.  Again the  thought her ‘friends’ could be even bigger and stronger made Wind  Whistler’s stomach turn.

          She then remembered the  locket around her neck.  She had taken it to lure the bird creature  into the air, but it still belonged to the human.  “Let’s return this  locket to its rightful owner and make a hasty departure.”

          She spiraled down and landed next to the still unconscious human.  North Star and Paradise landed.

          Paradise looked down at him.  “Do you think he’s all right?”

          “He is still breathing, and there was no external damage,” Wind Whistler said.

          Paradise tapped his cheek gently.  His eyes winced and his flexed his fingers.

           “Don’t rouse him!”  Wind Whistler swiped frantically at the locket’s  necklace to get it off.  “At least let me get the locket off and put it  in his hand first!”

          His eyes opened and he  slowly sat up.  He looked around blearily until his sight fell on Wind  Whistler.  He immediately gained focus and his mouth bent into a frown.   “Give that back!  It’s mine!”  He reached for it.

          “You can take it!  You can take it!”  Wind Whistler ducked her head so he could pull it off with little effort.

           He pushed himself back with his eyes wide with shock.  “Talking  ponies?!”  He winced and rubbed the part of his head that hit the  stone.  “I must have hit my head harder than I thought.”

          “I can assure you we’re real,” Paradise said.  “I’m Paradise, and the others are North Star and Wind Whistler.”

           “Daniel.  Daniel Williams.”  Daniel stood up, rubbing his head.   “Nothing feels broken, but by Epona, I’m in for a nasty bump.”

          He looked around.  “Where’s the harpy?”

           “Harpy?” North Star asked.  “If you mean that incredibly rude bird  monster, we chased the feathered hooligan off.”  She puffed out her  chest.

          “No!”  Daniel winced.  “Oh no, no, no, Epona, no!  Now they’ll never return Megan alive.”

          “Megan?” Paradise asked.

           “My daughter!” Daniel answered, holding his head in his hands.  “They  kidnapped her yesterday and demanded my wife’s locket for her safe  return.”

          “Considering the harpy’s actions  immediately prior to North Star’s intervention,” Wind Whistler said, “I  don’t think they intended to return her anyway.”

           “I guess you’re right.”  Daniel sulked to the equine which had stood  there through all the excitement.  “I’m just a simple horse rancher.   What did I do to deserve this?”

          “Horse?” North Star asked.

           “What you are and what she is.”  He patted the equine’s side.  “Well,  at your size, it would be more accurate to call you ponies.”

          “You know of ponies like us?” Paradise said.

           “That can talk and fly?  No.” Daniel said.  “But there are breeds  almost as small as you, mostly from the steppe and other cold and  inhospitable would be hard to raise larger horses in.  Those are what we  call ponies here.”

          He turned to the horse.  “Good girl, Polaris, staying by me despite all that happened.  There are  some carrots in the future for you.”

          The horse  craned her neck back and nuzzled him.  He gently took her muzzle in his  hand and petted her.  “This is Polaris, my boss mare.”  He held up her  head.  “When you neigh, the others listen.  Isn’t that right?”

          Polaris snorted and pivoted her ears in response.  Daniel let her head go.

          He puffed out his cheeks and slowly exhaled.  “I don’t know what do now.”

          “Perhaps we could discuss this at your home,” Paradise suggested.

           “That sounds like a good idea.”  Daniel climbed onto Polaris’ back.  “I  need to tell my other kids what happened.”  He rubbed his head.  “And  get something cold for my head.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler stared at the farmhouse now that she was up close to it.   It was two stories tall with small windows in the peak of the roof  suggesting an attic and more close to the ground suggesting a basement.   It was quaint in its construction and design, much like houses in the  more rural areas of Equestria.  Though, the roof had proper shingles  instead of hay and pine thatch.

          The porch had a  wicker couch and cushioned swing seat hanging from a beam.  A wind chime  waved in the breeze, making a pleasant sound as its narrow pipes  bounced off each other.  A lamp was attached to the wall next to the  door However, instead of a prism of metal strips it was glass tube open  at the top and leading into a bulge at the bottom.

           Daniel opened the gate in the pasture’s fence and undid the bridle from  Polaris.  She whinnied and ran through the gate towards the other  horses.

          “You did a good job, Polaris.”  Daniel  shut the gate and slid the bolt into place.  “I just wish we had more to  show for it.”

          He made his way to the farmhouse  and stepped up onto the porch.  He stopped and turned back.  “I’m not in  the habit of letting horses into the house, but I’ve never met talking  ponies before.  Why don’t you come in and have a cold drink of lemonade  and meet my other two kids.”

          “We’d be delighted.”  Paradise fluttered up to the porch.

           North Star and Wind Whistler looked to each other.  “We’ve been  invited,” North Star said.  “It would be rude to refuse his  hospitality.”

          “Blueflower is not going to be  happy when she hears about this,” Wind Whistler mumbled under her breath  as she climbed the stairs onto the porch.

          The  interior was as quaint and rural as the exterior.  Much of the furniture  was made of wicker or solid wood with cushions attached to the seats  and backs of chairs.  The large windows allowed in ample light from the  outside, and the light-colored walls carried it well into the house.   Lamps and light fixtures had glass pipes like the porch lamp.  Where  Wind Whistler could see the interior, she saw they had strips of thick  and fuzzy cloth coming out their necks with bottoms lying in reservoirs  of a brown liquid.  It seemed more primitive than the castle’s glowing  crystals and mechanics that allowed them to be closed off.  Probably  just the difference between the commoners living in the countryside and  the royalty or nobility that had owned the castle, Wind Whistler thought.  A stairway leading straight to the door divided the living room from the dining room.

          “Bad feng shui,” Paradise whispered to North Star only to get a forceful shush from her.

          “Danny, Molly,” Daniel called up the stairs.  “Dad’s home with some visitors.”

           After a couple seconds, two smaller humans appeared at the stares.  The  older-looking one was a male with a rust-colored mane like Daniel’s.   The younger was female with a thick, curly mane of pale yellow hair held  in clumps on the sides of her head.  The male wore a blue shirt and  blue lower garment similar to Daniel’s.  The girl’s lower garment was  pink and came up to cover her chest with straps going over her  shoulders.  The white blouse under it had a wide, lacy collar and short,  puffy sleeves.

          Wind Whistler noted that their  skin color was a pale pinkish like pony skin under their coats.  “Not  much color variance,” Paradise whispered to her.  “These are definitely  not like the humans Princess Twilight Sparkle described.”

          “Did they give back Megan?” the male juvenile asked as they came down the stairs.

           “No.”  Daniel rubbed the back of his head.  “It was nothing but a  trick, but my new friends got me out of it in one piece.”  He winced.   “Mostly.  Can you get a small ice block and wrap a towel around it for  my head.”

          “Sure thing, Dad.”  The male went into the kitchen past the dining room and opened a large box.

           “Ponies!”  The female jumped from the third step up and wrapped her  arms around North Star’s neck.  “They’re so pretty.”

           North Star wrapped her front leg around her.  “The feeling is mutual,  love.  You’re an adorable little thing, aren’t you?”

           The female looked up at North Star.  “And you talk!”  She then turned  her attention to her wings.  “You have wings too!  Can you fly?”

          North Star grinned.  “Is water wet?”

          “Can you do it carrying me?” the female asked.

          “That’s enough, Molly,” Daniel said.

          The male handed Daniel a towel wrapped around something the size of his hand.  “Here you go, Dad.”

           “Thanks, Danny.”  Daniel gently touched the cloth to his wound a couple  times before easing it onto it.  He heaved a relaxing sigh.

           “They’re not like our horses, Molly?” Daniel said as he sat in a wooden  chair at a round table.  “They’re smart like people.  You can’t just  hop on and ride them.”

          “It’s quite alright, Mr.  Williams.  She asked permission,” North Star said.  She turned back to  Molly.  “I doubt you weigh too much, so I think I could fly with you on  my back.”  She nuzzled her chest.  “You’d just have to hold on real  tight.”

          Molly buried her face in North Star’s mane.  “You’re the greatest thing ever.”

           “The greatest thing ever would be getting Megan back,” Danny grumbled.   “You should have gone to Birch Loch to have the knights take care of  those overgrown feather dusters.”

          “I thought I  could take them at their word,” Daniel replied.  He took the soaking wet  towel from the side of his head.  “I’m sorry, Danny.  I learned my  lesson the hard way.”

          He looked to Molly still hugging North Star.  “Can you get our guests some lemonade and sugar cookies?”

           “Sure.”  Molly skipped into the kitchen and grabbed a large pitcher  filled with a cloudy, yellow liquid and several slices of lemon in it.   She dropped two fistfuls of ice cubes into the pitcher and set out six  glasses.

          “It’s heavy, so I’ll pour it.”  Danny  took the pitcher before Molly could and poured the lemonade and ice into  the glasses.  He turned back to them.  “Do we need to hold the glass or  something?”

          “No, we’re fine.”  Paradise picked up a glass in her pastern and put it to her lips.

          “Now that is a neat trick,” Danny said, picking up a glass himself.

          Paradise finished downing the drink.  “And that is some refreshing lemonade.”

           “I’ll get cookies too.”  Molly got a plate and jar.  She pulled out  several pale tan cookies and dropped them onto the plate, but kept one  to bite into.

          “We probably won’t have many cookies,” North Star said.  “We have a long flight back to the others ahead of us.”

          Paradise heaved a sigh.  “Don’t remind me.”

           Wind Whistler took up a cold, sweating glass and took a sip.  The  lemonade was sweetened, but still had enough tart to it.  After all that  flying, it felt good as its coolness spread from her throat.  It was  also more satisfying than water.

          She examined  the dining room more as she nursed her drink.  There was a picture  hanging on the wall.  It was of five humans, three of which were Daniel,  Danny, and Molly.  The other two were a juvenile female older than the  other two and an adult female.  Although the picture was monochromatic,  she could tell the two had light colored manes, but not as light as  Molly’s.  The adult let her long mane hang loose with a distinct wave to  it while the juvenile had hers held in the back by a ribbon tied into a  large bow.  Both wore garments similar to Molly’s only the sleeves came  past their elbows and the bottoms of the legs and the straps of the  lower garment had frills.

          “Is this your entire family?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Daniel looked at the picture, and his mouth sank into a frown.  He  seemed to be staring off into space more than at the picture.  “Yes, my  wife and kids at least.  That’s me and my wife, Margret, and our three  kids.  Megan is the oldest.”

          “Where’s your wife?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Daniel’s lip quivered slightly.  “Dead.  She was taken from us by pneumonia this past winter.”

          Wind Whistler felt a pit in her stomach.  “I apologize if I’ve opened any wounds.”

           Daniel touched the ice to his head, and heaved a sigh.  “It’s just she  was a real light in my life, and she was taken from us far too soon.   She didn’t even get to see her eldest daughter come of age which is was  so looking forward to.”

          “And now Megan’s been taken,” Danny said.  “Why did the harpies come back and kidnap her?  We’re just horse farmers.”

           Daniel sighed.  “I don’t know, Danny.  I just don’t know.  I don’t  think they need a reason, to tell the truth.  They do what they do  because they can, and know no one can stop them.  We were just unlucky  enough to be noticed.”

          “These harpy things have  been here before?” North Star asked.  “Forgive our questions, but we’re  very new here.  In fact, we don’t even know what here is.”

           “You’re in the land of Boreas,” Daniel answered as he held the now  thoroughly wet cloth to his head and took a drink of lemonade.  “It’s as  north as you can get on Tellus without getting your feet wet.  Well,  the northern coast is.”

The world is called Tellus and this landmass is called Boreas, Wind  Whistler registered in the back of her mind.  All information had a use  whether now or in the future.  Also, since they had made contact  anyway, they might as well gather whatever information they could.  “We  are currently based in a fjord due east of here and came west to  investigate.”  She drained the last of her lemonade and set down her  glass.  “We believe it is attached to the fjord system adjacent to  yours.”

          Daniel nodded.  “That would be the Grand Trunk Fjord, the largest.  You’re now in the Choked Fjord System.”

          North Star furrowed her brow.  “Why would you call it that?”

           “The fjord is choked off by a moraine just a few kilometers in.”   Daniel closed his free hand.  “The rest of it and its branches are lakes  and rivers rather than deep inlets like the other fjords on the  southern coast.  The benefit is there is plenty of rich farmland, but  things are transported over land here which is perfect for my people.”

          “Your people?” Paradise asked.

          “We’re called Horse People.”  He managed a smile.  “You might know where we get the name from.

           “We’re not native to Boreas.  We come from east of the Barrier  Mountains, but traders from this fjord brought many families and herds  here with—” his smile disappeared as he must have been searching for  words—“promises of work.  This was around two millennia ago.”  Daniel’s  smile returned.  “Boreans are better seamen than horsemen, and we serve  an important niche here.”

          He pointed to his  head.  “You’ll know horse people by our red hair, freckles and more  greenish eyes.  Native Boreans are all fair, blond, and perfectly blue  eyed.”

          Wind Whistler looked to Molly with her  pale blond hair.  While Daniel had a pair of emeralds, Molly and Danny  also had baby blue eyes.  Although there was no color, Marget and Megan  had hair too light to be the rust color of the males.  “What about the  females of your family.”

          “Oh,” Daniel said.  “My  wife is…was a native Borean.  My family was incensed because we usually  keep to our own kind, but Cupid’s arrow had struck.  Besides, my wife  gladly accepted our culture.”

          “Are the strange  clothes your wife and daughters are wearing a part of your culture?”  North Star asked, looking at the picture.

          “They’re not strange,” Molly insisted.  “They’re functional.”

          “I don’t doubt it, but don’t female humans wear dresses?” North Star asked.

           “We only wear them for special things,” Molly said.  “The other girls  around here wear them all the time, but they’re hard to ride horses in.”

           Wind Whistler noticed another picture.  In this one, Daniel and Danny  were wearing dark coats over white shirts, and Margret and the girls  wore light colored dresses.  The background was a town or village  decorated for some kind of festival.

          “How many  kinds of humans are there?” Wind Whistler asked.  “There are three kinds  of land-dwelling ponies from where we come from.”

           Daniel leaned back.  “There seems to be a kind of human for every kind  of weather and land.”  He shrugged.  “We’re also not the only smart  people, but most of the others stick to their own little corners of the  world for the most part.”

          “Where is this Boreas’s unified government?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Daniel leaned back and exhaled a laugh.  “Unified government?  If  only.”  He collected himself.  “No.  There’s not central government  here.  Each fjord system is ruled by a fjord earl who controls their  fjord, its branches, and the adjacent highlands.  They see each other as  economic rivals, and you would sooner stack marbles in a corner than  get them to work together on anything.  Be careful of the Grand Trunk  Fjord’s earl.  He’s a shrewd business man, and will make sure he gets  the most silver from you as possible while parting with as little of his  as he can.”

          “Mom told Megan and me Boreans use to work together when the Valkyrie Queens ruled,” Molly said.

           “That’s just what mothers tell their daughters to make them feel  superior,” Danny said mockingly.  “They could supposedly go anywhere  walking on a rainbow too.”

          “It’s true!” Molly insisted.

           “It’s what the Boreans say,” Daniel interjected.  “But even if it was  true, that was a thousand years ago, and the harpies put an end to  that.”

          “Which brings us back to them being here before,” Paradise said.  “What happened a thousand years ago?”

           Daniel sat up in his chair.  “I guess, since you’re new here, you  probably haven’t heard the history of Boreas, or at least what they  claim is history.

          “According the stories the  Boreans tell, the first Valkyrie Queen was sent by their gods to unite  their war-torn land under rule.  She brought with her the Bifröst, the  burning rainbow bridge that they used to travel from their celestial  realm to the world of mortals.  With it, she could travel anywhere in  the world instantly.  Awestruck by this display of power, the earls bent  the knee to her.

          “She united the landmass and  gave it its name, taken from a southern language for north.  For  centuries, she and her descendents ruled over a prosperous empire the  envy of the world.”

          “Sounds like our Equestria,” Paradise said.  “What happened?”

           “One day, for reasons we still don’t understand, Sol dimmed and the  skies looked as if spoiled milk had been spilled across them,” Daniel  continued.  “The weather turned colder.  Snow fell during the summer,  and the winters became even harsher.  Crops failed, and the mighty  empire was starving.

          “Seeing the plight of her  people, the queen at that time decided to send envoys further south to  see if they could purchase more food from milder climates.  However,  those envoys were met given a savage welcome by the harpies who attacked  without provocation and forced them back to the north.”

          “I see rudeness must be hereditary for those beasts,” North Star said.

           “After years of the long winter, the skies returned to normal and Sol  regained her natural brightness.  Summers became warm again and crops  began to grow.  It looked as if Boreas had survived the disaster, but  that was when the harpies came north.

          They came  to Boreas looking for the Bifröst, envious of the Valkyrie Queen’s power  and wishing to take it for themselves.  The people of Broeas were  weakened from the famine, and there was no defense from this airborne  foe.

          Seeing her empire being ravaged with no  resistance, the Queen challenged the leader of the harpies to the duel  with the Bifröst as the prize.  They fought to the death, and the queen  emerged the victor.  However, she was also mortally wounded, and the  harpies declared it a draw and continued their campaign of terror.

           “The empire was lost, but the queen had plans.  Her infant daughter  disappeared shortly before her death as well as all the secrets to their  family’s dynasty.  The harpies were driven back south eventually by the  coming winter, but by that point the damage had been done.  With the  Valkyrie Queen dead and her powers lost, Boreas reverted back to a  patchwork of earldoms.

          “What happened to her  daughter is anyone’s guess.  Some say she was killed by a harpy raiding  party.  Others say she was taken to some far off land to live in  exile.”  Daniel shrugged.  “However, it’s all idle speculation.”

           “I didn’t even believe in harpies until yesterday.  They came out of  nowhere and snatched Megan while we were running back home before a  storm hit.”  Danny clenched his fist.  “They said they’d give her back  if they got Mom’s locket.”

          Wind Whistler was  puzzled.  “If they came to attack your whole country a thousand years  ago, why come back for some commoner’s mundane-looking locket now?  It  seems like a significant step down in priorities.”

          “Well, when Mom was sick, I heard her telling Megan that the locket is magic,” Molly said.

          “Magic,” Danny scoffed.

          “Have you opened it to see?” North Star asked.

           “No one can open it.  Believe me, I’ve tried,” Daniel said.  “Megan is  supposed to receive it on the night she turns thirteen: a family  tradition according to my wife.”  He scratched at the hair on his upper  lip.  “I guess we’re lucky, because she turns thirteen on the night Mani  the Younger is new which is in a few days.  I don't know what else they  would have wanted in exchange if they already got it.”  He dropped his  hand from his face.  “I don’t know if it’s magic, but it has been passed  from mother to daughter for generations, and my wife always kept it  close.”

          “When Megan was taken, I found it and prayed for it to save her,” Molly said.

           Wind Whistler had a thought enter her conscious thinking.  It was  completely illogical, but she remembered what Blueflower had said.  They  were dealing with the completely unknown here, and what seemed  illogical could in fact be perfectly logical in this world’s paradigm.   “When exactly was Megan taken?”

          “Around noon,” Danny said.  “They came in right before some really nasty storms hit and dropped hail and stuff.”

           That must have been the same storm system that affected their valley.   “And you immediately made your ‘prayer’ to the locket when this  happened?” Wind Whistler asked Molly.

          Molly nodded.

          “What are you getting at, Wind Whistler?” North Star asked.

           Wind Whistler motioned for them to talk away from the humans.  They  turned around and Wind Whistler got close.  “I know this sounds absurd,  but it is possible that locket has something to do with our appearance  here,” she whispered.  “Her plea to it would roughly align with our  arrival in this world.”

          “At this point I’ll buy anything.”  Paradise joined the conversation.  “Maybe if we save Megan, we’ll be sent home.”

           “I wouldn’t hang too much hope on it, but it is a strong coincidence  that deserves some investigation,” Wind Whistler said.  “It is also our  only lead right now.”

          “So, what do we do?” North Star asked.

           “We need to know more about the locket,” Wind Whistler answered.  She  turned back to Daniel.  “Mr. Williams, can we borrow your wife’s locket  for the night.  We have experts who study magical artifacts, and could  possibly ascertain the presence and nature of any magical properties it  contains.”

          “Huh?” Daniel grunted.

           “We might be able to figure out what magic it has, which might explain  why the harpies want it and abducted your daughter,” Wind Whistler  clarified.

          “Oh,” Daniel replied.  “Go ahead and take it.”

          “But, Dad, what about Megan?” Danny asked.

           “They’re not going to give her back without a fight,” Daniel said.  He  winced and rubbed his head.  “The locket is probably safer with them  anyway.”

          “We’ll treat it as precious as life  itself,” North Star declared.  “We’ll also do everything we can to save  your daughter.”

          Molly jumped up.  “Then my prayers were answered.”

          “And hopefully ours will be too,” Paradise whispered to Wind Whistler.

           “That’s assuming we can actually get her back from those things,” Wind  Whistler whispered back, feeling that sense of dread coming back.   Forget the harpies coming for them; they would be going to the harpies.


* * *


           Alecta sat on her simple throne of rock overlooking the old great  hall.  Iron torches held flickering flames that sent orange light  dancing across the stone walls.  The stronghold was little more than a  network of rough tunnels carved into the volcanic rock, an artifact of  the time and haste in which it was constructed.  Even the great hall’s  ceiling and walls were rough and the entrances irregular.

           A thousand years ago, it was the staging area for the harpies’  ill-fated invasion of Boreas.  She imagined the armies of harpies that  had to be sharpening their primitive spears and polishing shields and  leather armor and helmets in this very hall in preparation of invading  Boreas.  What a sight that had to have been especially when riled up by a  final speech before battle.  Even if they did not find what come for,  the mighty dynasty of the Valkyrie Queens still fell to their might—a  testament to harpy supremacy over the ground-bound races.

           Harpies once again occupied the old fortress, though it was only her  small band of fifteen now.  Instead of spears and shields, they carried  longbows and quivers loaded with arrows.  Alecta typically felt powerful  sitting on the throne her ancestor and namesake did so long ago, but  she was instead waiting and felt like everything was out of her talons.

           She ran the back of her finger down the back of Thanatos perched on a  stand next to her.  The condor chirred and stretched out under her  gentle stroke.

          “This is the worst part, my pet,”  Alecta said.  “Victory is within reach, but we must wait and trust in  Omega Desdemona.  Hopefully she will feel the thirst for glory and rise  above her lowly station.”

          The smell of cooked  beef wafted into the room, tickling Alecta’s nostrils with its savory  aroma.  It was soon followed by four harpies carrying a full, cooked cow  on a massive platter.  They set the platter down on a table and joined  the others in digging their talons into the brown flesh and pull chunks  of it out to drop on plates.  Juices flowed where the bovine was pierced  and the scent became stronger.

          Bernice placed a  few large chunks on a plate and carried it with both hands up to the  throne.  She held up the plate and knelt to bring one knee to the  ground.  “For you, Alecta: our Glorious Alpha.”

          Alecta took the plate.  “Thank you.  You may rise and join your sisters.”

          Bernice stood up and gave a final bow of the head before turning away and taking up a plate to fill it.

           Alecta picked up a chunk of beef and bit into the juicy flesh.  Cow was  a succulent but rare treat.  They were easy enough to take down with  arrows or even talons, but dragging such a large animal away was too  much work for every meal.  Only special occasions warranted the trouble,  and accomplishing what their ancestors had not a millennium ago seemed  as special as they came.

          She held up a small  piece to Thanatos and he snapped it up and swallowed it down.  “You need  to learn to enjoy a meal as rare and savory as this,” she said.   “Though, we might be able to have beef and other luxuries more often  very soon.”

          Her Beta, Frona, filled a plate and  set it next to Gergo sitting on his stone.  The wingless male had his  legs crossed in front of him and his featherless arms folded against his  chest.  His normal eyes were closed as his third eye stared forward  blankly.  Alecta had never fully understood the mental powers of the  males beyond basic descriptions of the abilities they used.  His mind  was not with them, but out beyond these walls monitoring the local area.

           He closed his eye and opened his normal eyes.  “Omega Desdemona is  approaching,” he said without a hint of passion and stared forward  blankly.  “She does not have the locket.”

          “What?!”  Alecta bolted up in her chair.  She threw her plate down and clenched her talons into fists.

          “This is what we get for trusting this to the Omega,” Frona murmured but loud enough to be heard.

          “Still your tongue, Beta Frona, or I do it will for you!” Alecta snarled.

           Desdemona sulked in, holding herself in a slouch.  Her quiver was still  loaded with arrows, but her longbow was missing.  She was also  unmarked.

          Alecta felt her body tighten as her  rage built.  If Desdemona had been seriously injured or fought to  exhaustion, she could accept failure.  However, coming back  empty-taloned and still healthy and loaded was an act of intolerable  cowardice.  Her anger seethed, but she was able to tamp it down and put  on a grin.

          “Omega Desdemona,” she said clearly,  causing the young harpy to jump, “I see you’ve returned.  Do you have  the locket?”

          Desdemona shot a glance to Gergo, knowing everyone already knew.  “No, Glorious Alpha.”

           Alecta forced a sigh.  “Desdemona, Desdemona, Desdemona.  You were sent  on a simple but vital mission to take a locket from one farmer, and you  failed.  Not only that, but your longbow is gone and it looks like you  barely got an arrow off.”  She held the gold ‘α’ hanging from her  choker, the sign of her leadership, so its glint hit Desdemona.  “This  was not only your chance to finally bring your position as Omega into  question, but be a hero to harpykind and a part of historic glory.  Yet,  you only succeeded in cementing that letter’s place on your chest.”

           Desdemona gripped the top of her dress, the embroidered ‘Ω’ remaining  stiff.  “It wasn’t my fault, Glorious Alpha,” she pleaded.  “He didn’t  come alone.  There were these flying ponies that—”

           “Quiet!” Alecta boomed and sat down in her throne.  “Your simpering is  upsetting Thanatos.”  She stroked his throat.  She puckered her lips to  him.  “We don’t like whining, do we?”

          He lifted his head to better expose his throat and chirred.

           “Flying ponies?” Melinda asked before dissolving into a laughing fit.   “That’s the best one I heard yet.”  Others chuckled and laughed.

           “It true!”  Desdemona stamped her foot.  “There were three of them, and  they took my longbow by coming at me from the sun.”

           Alecta held up her talon, and the laughing stopped.  “Even if it is  true,” Alecta said sternly, glaring at Desdemona, “you are a harpy, the  most highly evolved predator on Gaia.  We do not lose to diminutive  grass-eaters, whether they fly or not!”

          “They’re very smart,” Desdemona said.

          “Clever prey is still prey,” Alecta stated.  “Never forget that, Omega.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” Desdemona whimpered.

           “I think we should take this as a sign that it’s time to just give up  on this folly and just kill the girl now,” Frona said.  “Then we can  sack to our hearts’ content until the rings dim with the equinox.”

          Some murmurs came from the others.

           Alecta stood up and sauntered down to where Frona was sitting.  Frona  was her Beta and second in command.  Her choker held a silver “β” to  show that, and had personally put it around her neck.  She was a capable  warrior and team leader, something Alecta needed in the harpy directly  below her.  It was the only reason she tolerated her occasional quips  and questioning of her orders.  However, even she was not allowed this  level of open insubordination.

          Alecta threw as  much force as she could into backhanding Frona square in the cheek.  She  was knocked clear off her seat and sat on the ground stunned.

           Before she could recover, Alecta grabbed her by her dress and pulled  her up to face.  “We didn’t come up to this icy tumor of a landmass to  rob and pillage.”  She threw Frona to the ground.

           She turned to the others.  “My family spent centuries uncovering the  Valkyrie Queen’s ruse and hunting down her bloodline.  We’ve waited  generations for this opportunity.  The mother is dead and the daughter  is not yet of age.  We have a window to use her to find the Bifröst.   That is what our ancestors came to this frigid, godsforsaken latitude  for, and we can finally finish what they started.”

          Frona climbed back into her seat.  “She’ll come of age soon, and then her and the locket together would be trouble.”

           “She doesn’t come of age until the night Selene Micro is new.”  She  pointed the clock on the wall.  Along with hands and numerals for  minutes and hours, it had two hands representing the two moons and moon  phases with the new moon over ‘ιβ’.  The hand for the smaller moon,  emblazoned with ‘σ’, has not yet reached ‘ια’.  “That’s four nights from  now.  If we still don’t have the locket by then, I’ll tear her throat  out myself.”  She presented her talons which would go through that  tender, human flesh as easily as air.  “However, I will not throw all  this away just because you’re impatient.”

          She  slapped Melinda and Bernice’s shoulders.  “If we were just going to rob  and pillage, there are much fatter prizes to be had back home.”  She  pushed off them.  “This is not just about this summer’s exploits.  This  is about harnessing the ultimate power in the world.”

           She turned to her band.  “The Bifröst lets you go anywhere on the  planet instantly.”  She ripped a large chunk out of the cow and squeezed  it so its hot juices ran down her fingers and wrist.  “Taking a cow  won’t mean dragging its carcass for kilometers and up to our  strongholds.  We can appear right in the treasure vaults of the most  heavily guarded castles.”  She licked a trail of juice running down her  wrist.  It was a taste that all too rarely reached even her tongue.  “If  some stories are to be believed, we could even travel to other worlds  besides ours and reap their riches.  With that kind of power, nothing  will be out of our reach.”

          Several of the others  nodded.  Alecta glanced to Frona holding her head down and smirked.   “Since one Omega can’t take the locket, I’m sending three of you out at  first light.”  She returned to her chair and dropped the beef on her  plate.  “We tried to trick it away from that farmer, but this time the  gloves are off.  We’re taking it and our destiny—” she clenched her  juice-covered fist “—by force.”

          The others  erupted into squawks and cheers, pounding the stone table with their  fists.  Alecta leaned back in her throne, soaking in the moment.  She  turned to Thanatos and patted his head.  He chirred as she stroked his  back.  “That’s right, my pet.  And if Desdemona’s little, flying ponies  try to interfere this time—well—they’ll be the ones decorating tomorrow’s dinner table.”
> Chapter 4: "Home" Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Magic Star looked to the northwest and the orange sun  hanging just above the mountains.  She expected it to just suddenly dip  out of view like in Equestria when Celestia lowered their sun to end the  day, plunging them immediately into a starry night.  However, this  sun just slowly but steadily sank towards the horizon.  She began to  think no one had governance over its movements or the movements of the  two moons for that matter.  Both of them were later compared to the sun  today than they were yesterday, and while the smaller was even slimmer  today, the larger was finally appearing in the sky and seemed fatter.

           She was getting worried as the last minutes of daylight ticked away and  there was still no sign of any of the pegasus teams.  There was no  telling what was out there, and that gnawing feeling they could have  sent those young mares to their deaths grew stronger as the sun got  closer to disappearing.

          “You don’t wear worry well,” Blueflower said in a calm voice.

          “I don’t know how you can’t be worried,” Magic Star said.  “They were supposed to return before dark.”

          “It’s not dark yet,” Blueflower replied.  “You need to have a little faith in them.”

           “It’s not them that have me worried,” Magic Star said.  “It’s this  world.  It feels odd, like nothing works as it should.”

           Magic Star had a sense for magic, something that proved useful for  finding and studying the magical artifacts she was so fond of.  They  were much like a large boulder in the bed of a swift flowing river,  disrupting the natural flow of magic.  She was so sensitive to magic,  that she did not realize she was constantly sensing it until she found  herself here.

          Equestria was rich in magic, every  living being from ponies to rabbits to trees were overflowing with it.   That was why ponies needed to take care of everything, because nature’s  magic needed to be constantly kept tame.  However, the plants of this  valley seemed devoid of magic, and if they found any animals she  suspected the same would be true of them.  If fact, while they were  finding plants exactly like those in Equestria, there were none of the  plants defined by their magical properties.

           There was magic in this world—this particular fjord seeming to have a  strong magical signal—but it was different.  If she could touch them and  describe how they felt, Equestria’s magic was like a sheet of fine silk  laid out neatly over the land while this world’s was like an uneven  bed of needles coming from deep under its surface.

           The world itself seemed untrustworthy, familiar in some ways and  completely alien in others.  Just a peaceful valley was enough to send a  chill down her spine, and the pegasi had gone past that to possibly  even more hostile terrain.

          “You’re assuming  Equestria is how things should work,” Majesty said.  “We’re in a  different world, and it’s arrogant presumption to assume it must follow  the same rules.”

          “We have incoming!” Bow-Tie  yelled from the east perimeter wall before Magic Star could respond.   “It’s Firefly’s group from the northeast.”

          “Thank Celestia,” Magic Star sighed in relief.  At least some of them made it back.

          “We’re far beyond her providence,” Blueflower commented.

           Blueflower disappeared in a shower of blue sparkles and reappeared in  the front courtyard in a similar fashion.  Magic Star mentally  instructed her wand to transform and took it in her mouth.  She thought  of being down in the courtyard, and the world dissolved away in a shower  of purple sparkles to emerge again with her standing next to  Blueflower.  She let go of her wand and it returned to a hairpin before  taking its normal place.

          The three pegasi  spiraled down and landed in the thick grass.  Firefly stepped forward.   “Well, the main fi-yord is big.  It’s kilometers wide and goes at least  two hundred inland.  Many of the branches are pretty big too.”

          “Anything else?” Blueflower asked.

           “We saw several communities along the shores, some of them pretty  respectable cities,” Skydancer answered.  “Nothing Manehattan-sized but  the largest might be home to a million.”

          “I also  think we know why this fjord is uninhabited,” Medley added.  “When we  reached the mouth, it’s lined with rocks.  Some of them poke up through  the water, but most lie just below the surface.”

          “Making it almost impossible for a boat to get through,” Magic Star finished the train of thought.

          Medley nodded.

          “And yet someone built a huge castle here,” Magic Star thought out loud.

           “Castles were originally built to protect things,” Blueflower said.   “This would be the perfect place hide something of value”—she paused—“or  perhaps what was being protected dictated the castle’s location.”

          “That underground chamber?” Magic Star asked.

          “I doubt the entrance being hidden was done for aesthetics,” Blueflower said.

          “What about the cloud?” Medley asked.

          “Cloud?” Magic Star asked.  “What kind of cloud?”

           “Just your ordinary fair weather cumulus cloud,” Firefly said. “Or at  least we thought.  We were getting kind of tired and were looking to  rest out of sight.  I saw a comfy-looking cloud and thought it would be a  nice spot to sit and look around.  Well, it ended up being a lot higher  and a lot bigger than I thought, and when I went to rest on it, I fell  right through like it wasn’t even there.  I just got wet for my  troubles.”

          “But pegasi live on clouds,” Magic Star said.

           “In Equestria,” Medley said.  “The clouds we make have magical  properties woven into them to make them solid for winged creatures.   Apparently, the clouds here don’t have that.”

           Moondancer appeared in a shower of blue sparkles.  “Heart Throb’s team  is coming!  Only it looks like it’s tripled in size.”

          “How would they get three times as big?” Magic Star asked.

          Moondancer stared at Magic Star like pure idiocy had just escaped her lips.  “I mean there are nine  ponies approaching.”  Magic Star realized her assumption was pure  idiocy.  “The new ones look like crystal ponies if the shimmer off them  is any indication.”

          “So, more ponies showed up here?” Magic Star asked Blueflower.

           “It would appear so,” Blueflower replied.  “Would you lower the draw  bridge for our returning pegasi and their new companions?”

           Magic Star walked up to the motorized winch and pulled the lever down.   The winch let out chain along with the other on the opposite side of  the walkway to keep them balanced.  The drawbridge slowly lowered and  reached the opposite bank of the stream.

          “They’re coming up the south side of the castle,” Moondancer said.

           Heart Throb, Lofty, and Surprise flew in with two new pegasi.  Two  earth ponies and two unicorns galloped across the drawbridge shortly  afterward.  Even in the low light, their crystal coats and manes  shimmered and sparkled.

          “I said we would make it back before dark,” Lofty said to the pink, crystal unicorn.

          “I must admit, I had my doubt in that last mountain pass,” the unicorn replied, catching her breath with the others.

          “Look who we brought home!” Surprise cheered.

          “I see,” Blueflower said.  “Who might you be?”

           “I’m Galaxy,” the pink unicorn said, getting her breathing back to  normal.  “Your scouting team invited us to stay in your castle.”

          “You’re certainly welcome to stay,” Blueflower replied.

           “Awesome, I’m going to find a bedroom and lay down until dinner’s  ready.  I hope you have something good planned because I’m really  hungry.  Though, I’m so hungry I’ll eat just about anything as long as  it’s edible of course,” the pink Pegasus said so fast the words almost  muddled together.

          “Sweetie and I can help in  your kitchen,” the white earth pony said, drawing the pale blue earth  pony into an embrace before she knew what was happening.

           “Cupcake could use the extra hooves,” Blueflower said.  She motioned to  the doors into the foyer.  “Please, make yourselves at home.”

          “This castle is beautiful,” the green unicorn said as they walked passed.

          “I wonder why it’s in the middle of nowhere,” the yellow pegasus commented.

           Magic Star watched as the crystal ponies and the six pegasi disappeared  into the castle.  “That just leaves North Star’s group.”

          “Then we’re all present and accounted for because here they come!”  Bow-Tie pointed west.

           The three pegasi looped in and landed.  North Star had what looked like  a giant longbow slung over her body so it wouldn’t interfere with her  wings, and Wind Whistler had a red, heart-shaped charm on a strap around  her neck.

          “You can go in, you two!”  Blueflower  summoned her magic and pulled the lever on the winch up.  The motor of  the winch came to life, whirring as it drew in the chain and pulled the  drawbridge back up against the opening.  Bow-Tie disappeared into the  southeast tower and Moondancer trotted into the foyer.

          “Those are some interesting trinkets,” Blueflower said.  “How did you come about them by just observing?”

           “Please forgive us, but we violated your orders to avoid contact,” Wind  Whistler said.  “However, we did encounter two sapient races and  learned much about this world.”

          “Then come inside and we can discuss this in my office after some dinner.”  Blueflower turned to the door.

          Magic Star stopped and looked to the walls around them.

          “What’s on your mind now?” Blue flower asked at the threshold.

           “I was just thinking of one time I went shark diving,” Magic Star  answered.  “They put you in a cage of metal mesh so you can watch the  sharks while being protected.  Being in this castle reminds me of that  cage.”


* * *


          The  upper floors of the keep were where the castle was at its most  luxurious.  The bedchambers would easily hold eight of the servants’  quarters, but that included the high ceilings in that calculation.  The  second to top floor—where Blueflower had turned one of general purpose  rooms into an office—had floor to ceiling windows facing east.   Blueflower took Galaxy in first, likely wanting to know more about these  new ponies and what they had discovered since arriving.  Wind Whistler  sat there and waited with North Star and Paradise, taking in the view  from through the windows.

          Wind Whistler watched  as the light gradually faded, and the last orange glow off the tops of  the mountains lifted up until everything was in shadow.  The sun never  accelerated to dip below the horizon, instead just maintaining a steady  speed as it disappeared.  There was still a glow to the sky as light  blue became salmon.  A deep pink band followed by a deep bluish-purple  band rose up from the eastern horizon, something she had never seen when  Celestia lowered the sun.  Perhaps because she lowered the sun so  quickly the processes she was witnessing went by faster than anyone  could tell.

          It had been at least a half hour  before Galaxy and Blueflower emerged.  They were apparently finishing a  conversation about astronomy as Blueflower said she would join her in  watching the stars come out.

          North Star and  Paradise’s times with her were shorter and they simply left, but North  Star hung her head lower when she finally emerged and without the  longbow.  No doubt she had to answer for making contact against their  instructions.

          “Come in, Wind Whistler,” Blueflower said as Paradise stepped out.

           Wind Whistler entered the room which had two sofas around a long table  in the center and a large, oak desk near the opposite wall.  Blueflower  sat in a large chair behind the desk.  The longbow leaned against the  wall next to the door, almost reaching the top of the jam even on an  angle.  The chandelier above and the lamp on the desk provided the only  light as the windows to the outside had gone dark with just the black  outlines of the castle’s towers the distant mountains under a  purplish-blue sky.

          “Please have a seat, Wind Whistler.”  Blueflower motioned to a much simpler chair in front of the desk.

           Wind Whistler sat on the chair which was designed more for bipeds like  the humans.  However, she managed to get into a position where her body  was comfortable.

          Blueflower leaned forward.  “Now, tell me, what did you find to the west?”

          “North Star and Paradise have probably told you everything already,” Wind Whistler replied.

           Blueflower nodded.  “They have, but the two seem to have a pension for  embellishment.  You, however, strike me as a pony more interested in the  facts.  So, give me the facts.”

          Wind Whistler  gave her debriefing.  She described the non-sapient horses, the humans  including what Daniel had told them, and the harpy.  Blueflower nodded,  not asking much as Wind Whistler was as thorough as she could be.  She  showed her the locket and explained how it was at the center of whatever  conflict there was here.

          “Why did you bring the locket back here?” Blueflower asked to interrupt Wind Whistler for the first time.

           “Magic Star knows magical artifacts,” Wind Whistler answered.  “I  thought she could divine what if any magical properties this locket  might have.  Knowing that, we could perhaps determine the motivation for  the harpies abducting his daughter.”

          Blueflower leaned back in her chair.  “What concern do we have if it does?”

           “It could be the reason we are here,” Wind Whistler said.  “The  youngest child said she prayed for it to save her sister at  approximately the same time we appeared here.  That is a very strong  correlation, stronger than any other lead we have at the moment.  Saving  the eldest child might be the key to returning to Equestria.”

          Blueflower lowered her brow.  “So, you think we should help this Daniel Williams and his family out of self-interest?”

           Wind Whistler was taken aback at Blueflower’s summary of her plans.  “I  did not mean to sound so cold.  While I do feel for them, I—”

           She needed to stop and think of how she wanted word this.  “We’ve only  seen this world through a pinprick.  We don’t know everything about this  situation, and while I side with the humans more than the harpies on an  emotional level, I cannot completely justify that preference  logically.”

          “Not every judgment needs to be  completely logical.”  Blueflower leaned forward.  “Logic doesn’t  necessarily inform moral decisions.”

          “I know,”  Wind Whistler replied.  “But, how do we know what is objectively moral  in this situation?  We have no understanding of the context.”

           “Allow me to worry about that.”  Blueflower threw herself back in her  chart to make it lean and support her body more.  “I’m the leader, not  you.  Though, I believe you’re over-thinking everything.”

          Wind Whistler rubbed her front leg with the inside of her other.  “I have been accused of that frequently.”

          “I can imagine,” Blueflower said.  “Can I ask you about something, Wind Whistler?”

          “I suppose,” Wind Whistler said meekly.

           “Are you the kind of pony who doesn’t socialize with others?”   Blueflower asked.  “I picture you keeping to yourself in the lunch room  like you were going to do at dinner last night.  You go straight from  home to work to home or wherever you absolutely have to go without  diversion.  That’s assuming you have a job, because you have a hard time  holding one down despite your intelligence and ability.  You have very  few friends if any.  Ponies fear you because you seem cold and  unapproachable.  We might even catch a murmur about your asocial  tendencies, and how you don’t understand the ‘magic of friendship’.”

           Wind Whistler felt her skin prickle as Blueflower had basically written  her biography.  “Yes.  I’m…not normal.  That’s how the counselors put  it.  I’m very intelligent and can absorb facts readily, but interacting  with others is very hard.  It’s like everyone else can read minds and  they expect me to as well.  There is some context that escapes me, and  others make the wrong assumptions from me even if I did not mean it.   Coworkers are scared of me, thinking I’m dangerous for some reason.”   She frowned.  “Ponies can just be so illogical for reasons I don’t  understand, and they get mad at me for not understanding.”

          “It must be hard,” Blueflower said.

           Wind Whistler frowned.  “I don’t understand why socializing is so  important.  I’m smart and capable.  So what if I don’t feel like being  social if I’m getting the job done?”

           “Socializing has been an important tool of our kind since the earliest  protoponies galloped across the plains,” Blueflower said.  “‘Strength in  numbers’ is the credo of our race.  A pony who doesn’t want to be a  part of the crowd is seen as odd, and odd might be dangerous and  therefore feared.”

          “That is an irrational line  of thinking,” Wind Whistler said.  “Think of the talent that is turned  away because of it.”

          “Well, it’s not a concern  of ours now.  Equestria is impossibly far away for the moment,”  Blueflower replied.  “However, if you think your life was hard in  Equestria, it’s going to be even harder here.  It’s possible to be alone  in a crowd of a thousand, but we’re now thirty-seven ponies living in  one castle.  You cannot even attempt to live anonymously here.  Some of  the ponies are already building friendships, and—for the sake of your  sanity—I suggest you follow suit.”

          “I feel like you’re asking me to learn to breathe water,” Wind Whistler said.

           “Then you might as well start growing gills now.”  Bleuflower glanced  at a clock.  “It’s getting late.  We can discuss this more tomorrow when  our minds are fresh.  You’re dismissed, Wind Whistler.”

          Wind Whistler bowed her head.  “Yes, Blueflower.”

           She opened the door and stepped out.  “Watch out?” a voice screamed,  but it was too late.  Something large struck her from the side and  knocked her clear off her hooves.”

          After the  initial shock wore off, Wind Whistler looked to the mass now laying on  her.  It was a unicorn with a green, shimmering coat and a large, pink  bow in her curly mane of white, a couple shades of pink, and green.  The  pony looked down to her with eyes like cut rubies.

           She leapt off Wind Whistler.  “Oh!  I’m so sorry!  I wasn’t looking  where I was going, and you suddenly stepped out!  Oh!  Please don’t be  mad!”

          Wind Whistler got her hooves under her and  slowly rose to stand.  “It was an accident with no malicious intent  behind it.  I am shocked, but not enraged.”

           “That’s good,” the unicorn said.  “When I mess up like this, ponies get  mad and call me Airhead and Bubble Brain a lot of them time.”

          “That is not very nice or called for,” Wind Whistler replied.

          The unicorn bent her mouth up in a big grin Wind Whistler figured some would call sunny.  “You’re really nice.”

           ‘Nice’ was not an adjective Wind Whistler had been called often.   Though she always tried to be courteous, ponies seemed to ignore her  gestures.  “Well, I just don’t let my emotions get the best of me.”   Typically, it was her lack of emotional expression that turned ponies  off her.  Though, not being shown anger was probably welcome in this  particular case.

          “You sound really smart,” the  unicorn said.  “I wish I was smart.  Then I wouldn’t screw up and ponies  wouldn’t be mad at me.”

          “It’s not the silver bullet you think it is,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Well, I’m Fizzy,” the unicorn said.  “Who are you?”

          “Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler answered.

          Fizzy giggled.  “That’s a cute name.  Do you want to be friends?”

           Wind Whistler—because of some impulse that only made sense in the most  primitive recesses of her brain with no logical explanation—turned to  Bluelfower sitting at the desk.  She balanced her chin on the outside of  her pasterns and stared on with a knowing expression.  She set this up, Wind Whistler thought.  I don’t know how, but she did.

          A sudden pain shot through Wind Whistler’s body.

          “Are you all right?” Fizzy asked.

           Wind Whistler drew in a breath as every muscle related to flight  screamed at the same time.  “I’ve just been on my wings all day, and  it’s caught up with me.”

          “How about I give you a massage?” Fizzy asked.  “It’s the least I can do for running into you.”

           “I’ll manage.”  Wind Whistler tried to open her wing, but it sent an  intense wave of pain through her.  “Do you even know how to massage a  pegasus?  Our musculature is radically different than those of other  pony subspecies”

          “I had a pegasus roommate, and we would massage each other,” Fizzy said.  “Please, let me help you.”

           Wind Whistler tried to open her other wing, but it protested just as  much.  “It seems I could use assistance in recovering from today’s  exertion.”

          “Then let’s go.  There’s a place  right over here that’s perfect.”  Fizzy pranced towards the staircase at  the other end of the hall.


* * *


           Grooming and massage was an important facet of pony society.  Even the  smallest towns had a fully functional grooming parlor or spa, where  ponies would have their manes and coats trimmed and conditioned, their  hoofs trimmed and buffed, and their muscles massaged.  Pony bodies were  too powerful for their own good, and heavy exertion led to muscle  fatigue and pain that had to be massaged away.

          A  new trend was also to go back to the traditional method of mutual  grooming.  Ponies would groom each other as a sign of companionship  whether familial, platonic, or some more intimate.  Granted, Wind  Whistler had never asked such a private question, but Fizzy was the  first pony she had met who had practiced mutual grooming.

           Fizzy led Wind Whistler to a room that connected the floor with  Majesty’s off to the floor below.  It had a sloped floor with benches  facing a platform in front of large blackboards.  As far as Wind  Whistler could tell, it was some kind of briefing room.  An odd choice,  but it was doubtful anyone would intrude on them here.

           Fizzy took her down to the lower floor entrance so they could stand on  the platform and have plenty of room.  Wind Whistler inhaled and  exhaled.  She did not like being touched by others, even squirming out  of a hug from a loved one.  A strange pony making intense physical  contact with some of the most sensitive areas of her body needed some  mental preparation.

          “Are you okay?” Fizzy asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “I am as ready as I will ever be for you to begin.”

           “Okay.  Let’s start with your wings.”  Fizzy grabbed Wind Whistler’s  right wing and pulled on it.  Wind Whistler winced at the pain but  braced herself so Fizzy could pull.  She opened her wing, and Wind  Whistler suddenly felt a rush of euphoria.

           Spending so much time flying—especially the frantic climb to get away  from the harpy—had torn her flight muscles slightly.  It was the case of  any exercise and how muscles grow.  By stretching, the muscles rebuilt  tissue length-wise, remaining thin and not bulking up.  Also, by  stretching and massaging, the aches from it could be soothed with gentle  stimulation.  However, her muscles needed to be opened up to maximize  their exposure.

          Fizzy moved to the other wing.  Again, it was painful until the wing was fully opened and then felt good.

          “How does that feel?” Fizzy asked.

          “A slight improvement,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Great!”

           Fizzy inspected the primaries of Wind Whistler’s open wing, wiggling a  couple.  Before wings were massaged, they had to be preened and any  damaged or loose feathers needed to be removed.  However, both wings  were in perfect shape, Wind Whistler having preened them in the morning  in preparation for the flight.  Fortunately, no others had become loose  or broken despite the entire day on the wing.

           Fizzy moved to the massage, spreading a cloth over the right wing and  mouthing the outer most muscles.  She applied just enough pressure to  gently rub her teeth on the muscle to massage it.  Wind Whistler  suppressed the urge to shudder in disgust.  She found the use of the  mouth to be a particularly unbecoming attribute of mutual grooming.  It  was mostly for pegasus wings which were too delicate for hooves—and they  did not have the preferred tools like texture balls—so she just sat  there and bore it.  At least Fizzy had grabbed a cloth so she was not  bringing her mouth into direct contact with her wing.  This was more out  of concern for Fizzy because her wings had been touched by those horses  among other particulates and her own perspiration.  Hopefully she did  not intend to mouth groom her coat too.

          Although  disgusting, the mouth massage was effective as her tight muscles  loosened from the stimulation.  She started with the muscles outside the  elbow joint and then moved to the biceps and triceps.  Once one wing  was done, Fizzy pulled on her wing, bracing herself on Wind Whistler’s  side for more leverage.  With the muscles loosened, her wing could  stretch out more.  Fizzy pulled a few times to the full extent, each  time feeling euphoric.

          Fizzy then spread the  cloth on the other wing and copied the process.  Once she released after  the final pull, Wind Whistler let the wing go and it spread out to lie  from her side.

          “How’s that?” Fizzy asked.

           Wind Whistler raised her wings and flexed them.  The wings themselves  felt wonderful, but her core muscles still complained.  “Better.”

           Wind Whistler held her wings up to give Fizzy access to the joints  where they merged with her barrel.  She was a tad nervous about this  part, because that part of her body was particularly ticklish.  Sure  enough, Fizzy touching her hoof to her side caused her to close her wing  and back away from the odd nervous response.  She managed to stifle a  giggle.

          Fizzy giggled instead.  “Are you ticklish under there?”

          Wind Whistler cleared her throat.  “Please do not tell anyone else.”

          Fizzy gave her a sincere grin.  “Don’t worry.  You’re secret’s safe with me.”

           Fizzy tried again, and Wind Whistler braced herself.  A few giggles  managed to make it out as Fizzy massaged where her supracoracoideus and  avial pectorialis emerged and connected to her avial humerus.  These  sections of her core flight muscles bore the lion’s share of the strain,  so they needed a deep massage.  She paid special attention to the  second set of shoulder blades the supracoracoideus were slung over like a  rope over a pulley.

          Fizzy finally finished on  both sides and could move to the bulk of the flight muscles in Wind  Whistler’s prominent chest.  Her chest in fact held three layers of  muscles over her powerful heart and large lungs.  Her traditional  pectorialis major, avial pectorialis major, and supracoracoideus were  layered one on top of another and attached to her large and heavy  sternum.  Fizzy pushed into her chest hard to make sure the pressure  reached all the way in.  She kneaded outward, not missing a square  millimeter and going over the muscle group multiple times.

           Being this close to Fizzy, Wind Whistler realized she was noticeably  younger than the other ponies.  She was just past that vague threshold  between filly and mare.  Such a young pony working on her flight muscles  should have concerned Wind Whistler, but Fizzy seemed well-rehearsed on  how to treat each muscle.  And ponies call her an airhead and bubble brain? she thought.  They just don’t give her enough of a chance.  Ironically what she felt about how she was treated with her social skills and lack of emotional expression.

           Wind Whistler had also picked up her scent.  Ponies’ ability to detect  pheromones was a vestigial sense, their cavity for the organ that  processed them being much smaller than in fossils of their evolutionary  ancestors.  They identified more by sight with eyes geared towards  discerning colors on the detection end and the vibrant spectrum of their  coats and manes as well as the symbol—still called a ‘cutie mark’ by  some traditionalists—decorating her haunches on the display end.  A pony  would be hard pressed to notice the pheromones of others in passing.   However, being this close to a pony for this long allowed her to pick up  Fizzy’s pheromones which reminded her of a root beer float.  Fitting  since her symbol was a collection of pink float glasses with large heads  of white foam and pink straws.

          Fizzy finally finished and stepped back.  She exhaled and wiped some sweat from her brow.  “How does it feel now?”

           Wind Whistler raised and lowered her wings and folded them and unfolded  them.  Not only was there no pain, but her wings had not felt this  relaxed and refreshed in years.  She tended to avoid even grooming  parlors and would stretch her wings and core muscles herself with  weights.  However, it never made her wings feel this good.

          “They’re in excellent condition,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Thank you.”

          “What are friends for?” Fizzy asked.

           Wind Whistler paused at that thought.  Fizzy stood there with a wide,  sincere grin.  She must have honestly thought of Wind Whistler as a  friend or potential friend.  Wind Whistler felt the odd sensation that  it was right.  It was hard to explain, but she liked Fizzy and looked  forward to spending more time with her.  Maybe it was out of curiosity  regarding her more optimistic attitude or something else.  Perhaps, just  going with it, this was what it felt to meet someone you wanted to form  a genuine friendship with.

          “What are friends  for?” Wind Whistler repeated.  “I am not nearly as well trained as you  in mutual grooming, so I’m afraid I cannot return the favor.”

           Fizzy flicked her hoof.  “That’s no problem.  I can teach you if you  want.  Just consider this making up for running into you.”

           Wind Whistler gave her wings one more flex before folding them against  her sides.  “This has more than made up for that.”

          “So, what’s next?” Fizzy asked.  “Maybe we could do something with your mane covering your eye.”

           Wind Whistler thought of that field of pink haze.  Her forelock had  always falling over her eyes, and attempts to wear it shorter had never  looked good on her.  The headband she wore was to keep the body of her  mane back, the times she tried to hold her forelock back with it felt  like it was being constantly pulled and more of a distraction than it  falling over her eye.  “My mane is not a significant obstruction.”  She  then added.  “But the suggestion is appreciated.”

          “Okay,” Fizzy said.  “To tell you the truth, I think it makes you look beautiful.”

           Wind Whistler felt her cheeks flush.  That was not a compliment she had  been given very often either, especially by another mare.

           She suddenly felt an urge to yawn and gave into it to draw in more  oxygen.  Now that her body did not feel like it was tied up in knots,  the general fatigue from exertion was letting itself be known.

           They exited through the door leading onto the upper floor with its  large windows facing east.  Wind Whistler had spent the previous evening  looking for a room to sleep in and subsequently sleeping in it, so she  had not watched the evolution of the evening sky.  After all the  excitement, sitting there and watching things unfold would be a good way  to calm her nerves and help her sleep more soundly.

           The sun was long gone, and the sky was the black of pine tar, not deep  purple like the night sky of Equestria.  The rings were a ghostly gray,  and larger of the moons was rising high in the sky and noticeably fatter  than when she first saw it the previous afternoon.

           The fatigue was pushed back by curiosity at this unusual sky.  She ran  over and pulled down the switches to close off the crystals and plunge  the hallway into darkness.  Her eyes adjusted after a couple seconds,  and she could see many more stars, especially away from the rings in the  northern side of the sky.

          “Taking in the night sky?” a voice asked.

           Wind Whistler turned back and saw Galaxy step into the moonlight, her  coat shimmering in the silver light coming in from the window.  “Did you  see the blue band just after the sun went down?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said.

           “That was the shadow of this world,” Galaxy said.  “Night here is being  in its shadow, and it and day constantly move around it.”

          “Tell her about how the stars spin,” Fizzy said.

           Galaxy nodded and stepped up to the windows.  “I periodically looked at  the stars over the course of last night.  The stars rotated around a  focal point.  The larger moon, Luna Major, followed them.  While stars  towards the focal point spun around it, most rose towards the east and  set towards the west just like the sun.”  She turned back to them.  “I  think the sun of this world is fixed, and it is it spinning that causes  the cycle of day and night.”

          “The moons seem to  move independently from the sun,” Wind Whistler said.  “Their phases  seem to be changing, waning as they approach the same region of the sky  as the sun and waxing as they depart.”

          “The  moons appear to be moving around this world, and their light is actually  light reflected from the sun like the rings which are still  illuminated.  Though, I expected the world’s shadow to fall on them but  they somehow escape it,” Galaxy said.  “The change in Luna Major also  seems to be more dramatic than Luna Minor, though I will have to observe  an entire cycle of both to determine the length of their phases.  I  also think this world is traveling around the sun, but I need to watch  the stars more to be sure.”

          “Did you see green auroras last night?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Galaxy nodded.  “I did see them.  They are much different from the  auroras of the Crystal Empire, much higher in the atmosphere and far  larger.”

          Wind Whistler looked outside.  There was no sign of the aurora tonight.  “I wonder what caused it.”

           “Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for that,” Galaxy said.  “What  I’m concerned about at the moment are the constellations.”

          “Constellations?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Galaxy nodded.  “The stars are the exact same as Equestria except the  rotation brought more stars into view over the course of the night.  I  identified many constellations visible during the mid-spring early in  the evening and ones that would not be out until the cusp of autumn were  rising just before the sun rose.  I even used the edge of the plow to  find the North Star which was at the center of the rotation.”

           Wind Whistler lowered her brow.  “How is that possible?” she asked.   “Constellations are a two-dimensional interpretation of a  three-dimensional star field.  They should be unique to a particular  coordinate.  If we’re circling a star somewhere else, how could the  constellations be the same?”

          “I don’t know,”  Galaxy said.  “I will continue my observations over how long we are here  to see if the later fall, winter, and early spring constellations  appear.  That could confirm our world is circling.

           “Then there are the bright stars that are not a part of Equestria’s  sky,” Galaxy said.  “They also seem to move independent of the other  stars as the one that appeared this even was out of place slightly.  I  will have to monitor them as well.”

          Wind Whistler felt the return of fatigue.  “We can think about it more tomorrow.  It’s been a long day.”

          “You said it,” Fizzy said.  “All this stars and spinning stuff is making my head spin.  At least you’re going to be busy, Galaxy.”

          Galaxy nodded.  “Good night.”  She stepped away, back into the darkness.

* * *

           Wind Whistler and Fizzy made their way to the ground floor and towards  the servants’ quarters Wind Whistler had claimed.  Fizzy had yet to find  a room and there were plenty still vacant in the northwest building.   Just as they reached the spur, Magic Star called out from behind them,  “Hey!”

          Wind Whistler turned back to her.  “Beg your pardon?”

           “You’re still up, good,” Magic Star said.  “Could you go down into the  underground chamber real quick?  Twilight Mist went down there after  lunch to investigate it, but hasn’t come back up.”

          “We were just headed for bed, but I suppose we can take a momentary diversion,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “Thanks,” Magic Star said.  “I suggest you be careful, though.  Twilight Mist seems a bit…off.”

          “We’ll take that under advisement.”  Wind Whistler turned down the spur and stopped in front of the fake panel.

           She pointed to the sconce in the column.  “That fixture is the switch  to a secret panel.  Pull it down.”  She then remembered. “Please.”

           “Ooh, a secret panel.”  Fizzy summoned a pink aura around her horn and a  similar one surrounded the sconce and pulled it away.  The panel pulled  back and slid away.

          It took almost a minute,  but the doors opened with the sound of a chime.  Wind Whistler stepped  into the elevator, followed by Fizzy.

          “What’s below us?” Fizzy asked as she stepped in.

          “A chamber with a defunct machine of some kind,” Wind Whistler said.  She struck the button and the doors closed.

          They started to descend.

          “That’s a pretty locket,” Fizzy said.  “Where did you get it?”

           “We barrowed it from a farmer on the other side of the mountains,” Wind  Whistler answered.  “It belonged to his late wife, and it was what the  harpy was after.”  She looked down at the locket.  “They claimed it was  magic.”

          She then remembered she wanted to give  it to Magic Star to study.  That could wait until morning when her mind  was fresh.

          “Magic lockets and secret chambers,”  Fizzy said, staring off into space.  “It sounds like the stuff of a  great adventure.”

          The elevator slowed and  eventually stopped.  As the doors opened, a cloud of pinkish-purple mist  rolled in and hung around their legs.

          “What’s this?”  Fizzy picked up her legs and flicked at the mist.

           “I don’t know,” Wind Whistler said.  The mist seemed to have no feeling  of temperature change or moisture to it.  “It wasn’t here the last time  I visited.”

          The stepped outside into an even  thicker cloud of mist.  There was a slight current to it, moving from  the center to the edges where it circled as swirled as the walls kept it  from spreading further.  Wind Whistler looked to the vents wondering if  it was coming from the surface but the vents were neither emitting nor  extracting the mist.

          The source of the mist was  the chair in front of the panes of glass.  It cascaded down from behind  its tall back to join the rest.  As Wind Whistler cautiously approached,  she noticed it was a pony sitting there.  However, she was translucent,  objects being visible through her.

          She was a  lean unicorn with a light pink coat and a streak of dark purple running  through her otherwise white mane and tail.  Wind Whistler took a second  to remember her name was Twilight Mist, which seemed rather apt given  the present situation.  Her eyes were closed and her lips were ever so  slightly parted.

          This was the pony Magic Star  had mentioned, but Wind Whistler was not exactly sure how to get her  attention politely.  She settled for clearing her throat and saying  softly, “Twilight Mist?”

          Twilight Mist’s purple  eyes opened, but she merely slid them to the side to focus on Wind  Whistler without turning her head.

          “Not to intrude,” Wind Whistler said, “but is this mist your doing?”

           “Sorry,” Twilight Mist said, her voice sounding ethereal and like it  came from all around them.  The mist quickly drew back towards her, and  her form became solid.  Now solid, Wind Whistler could see how lean she  was.  She was not malnourished or emaciated, but she could just make out  of the outline of her ribcage in her barrel.

          Twilight Mist swiveled the chair to face Wind Whistler.  “I have a tendency to spread out when  I’m deep in thought,” she said with her voice no longer ethereal and  definitely coming from her mouth, but still cold and distant.

I hope that’s not how I sound to other ponies, Wind Whistler thought.

          “You mean that mist was you?!” Fizzy yelped.  “Ew!  I think I breathed some of it in!”

           Twilight Mist swung the chair to face Fizzy.  Fizzy instantly shrank  back, making herself appear as small as possible.  “Why are you two down  here?” Twilight Mist snapped.  She swiveled back around to Wind  Whistler, giving her soul-piercing glare.  “I came down here because I  wanted to get away from the rest of you ponies.”

           Wind Whistler tightened her brow.  “We were sent down here to retrieve  you.  You were supposed to be investigating this machine somehow, not  ducking away.”

          She noticed a thin mattress,  pillow, sheet and blanket neatly folded in the corner.  “You were  planning to stay down here.”

          Twilight Mist clapped mockingly.  “Give the filly a prize.”

          “But the castle has so many bedrooms,” Fizzy said.  “You can have your privacy up there.”

          “Because it’s not just privacy,” Twilight Mist said, “it’s distance.”

           She leaned back. “Back in Equestria, I was drifter, traveling the land  with no destination in particular.  I liked the solitude and feeling of  being removed from everyone else.  My magical powers make me acutely  aware of…things that can be like a flash flood around so many ponies.   However, in the empty places, I can find peace and detect things most  ponies never notice.”

          “Then why don’t you leave?” Wind Whistler asked.  “No one is compelling you to remain here.”

           “I stay because I face a problematic reality,” Twilight Mist replied.   She sat forward.  “Whether I like you ponies or not, staying with you is  my best chance of surviving in this world.  Back in Equestria, I still  had the benefit of its civilization and infrastructure even when  avoiding the towns as much as possible.  Here, it’s just this castle  with everything else completely unknown.  As much as I hate to admit it,  I’m stuck with you.”

          She turned back to Fizzy, but she was gone.  Wind Whistler looked down and saw Fizzy was looking at a column.

           “Hey, those ruins we stayed in had columns just like these,” Fizzy  said.  “They even had same suns and moons.  It’s just they were made of  stone—” she tapped the column “—and these are metal.”

          “I was trying to sense the history of this place,” Twilight Mist grumbled.

          “You can’t sense history,” Wind Whistler said.

           Twilight Mist’s mouth bent up into a smirk.  “Not the history per say,  but there are psychic imprints left on things by those who use them.   Their thoughts, hopes, and dreams leave an image of them.  Wishes are  perhaps the strongest, when our minds are at their powerful.  We imbue  them onto where we live, what we use, and even who we meet.  They are  the proverbial footprints we all leave, and a very few can sense them  like me.”

          “Are you saying wishes have power?” Wind Whistler asked.  Then she thought of the girl’s wish on the locket.

          “A penny for your thoughts,” Twilight Mist said, balancing her chin on her hoof.

          “A wish might be what brought us here,” Wind Whistler said.

           She turned to the machine.  The locket suddenly pulled at her neck and  pointed to the panel.  An oddly bare area of the panel lifted up to  reveal a lens.

          Fizzy appeared in a shower of pink.  “What’s wrong, Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t know.”  Wind Whistler strained against the locket.  “It’s like it’s come to life.”

           The locket pulled harder and light pulsed through the seam.  It  suddenly burst open and a beam of light and color so brilliant it bathed  the entire chamber in its blinding glow blasted from it.  It streamed  into the lens for a second or two before retreating into the locket.

           The locket slammed shut, hanging from Wind Whistler’s neck like any  ordinary trinket.  It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the  dimmer light again.  The lens collapsed back into the panel and the  controls began to glow from blue backlighting.  The panels of glass also  filled with diagrams and text in that runic language.  The tunnel in  the wall also changed as lamps built into the rings illuminated.

           The two most striking diagrams was a series of concentric circles  divided into wedges by spokes superimposed over a map and one of a tube  that flared at either end.  The display with the map and circles also  had blank boxes near it with a straight line blinking on and off near  the left side of the first one.

          “What was that?” Fizzy asked.

           “I don’t know.”  Twilight Mist looked at the panel, “but, it turned  this infernal machine on.”  She leaned back and bent her mouth into a  frown.  “So much for this place being a sanctuary from ponies.  You’ll  be poking and prodding around to figure out what this thing is.”

           Wind Whistler looked at the diagrams.  The text was the same runes as  those labeling the controls.  It was absolute gibberish to her, a bunch  of symbols with no meaning.  However, the diagrams were more telling.   They reminded her of diagrams in books about theoretical physics and  testimonials on unicorn magic with regards to teleportation.

           She looked into the tunnel that suddenly terminated.  Its construction  made more sense if it was meant to be one side of a teleportation tube  of some kind.

          “What do you think it does?” Fizzy asked.

           “This is just an assumption based on a very limited understanding,”  Wind Whistler said, “but I believe this world just became more open to  us.”
> Chapter 5: The Bifrost
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Wind Whistler opened her eyes and picked up her head from  the pillow.  She was expecting her bedroom to greet her, but it was  instead the ceiling of light in the underground chamber.  She remembered  she was too tired to go back up to the surface, so she used Twilight’s  bedding instead.

          She sat up and looked to Twilight Mist sitting in the chair and staring at the screens.

          “How did you sleep?” Twilight Mist asked, not bothering to turn around to face her.

           Wind Whistler pushed off the covers and rolled from the mattress to the  floor.  “Well enough.  Thank you for letting me use your bedding.”

          “Don’t mention it,” Twilight Mist said.

          “Did you sleep at all last night?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Twilight Mist shrugged.  “I’m a night owl.  Another one of the reasons I  wanted to be well removed from all of you.  I don’t disturb you, you  don’t disturb me.”

          Wind Whistler paid little mind to the  comment.  Ponies were typically diurnal, but some preferred to be  active night.  It was no concern of hers.

          Their look into the machine was more important anyway.  “Did you find out anything?”

           “Still can’t make heads or tails of the language,” Twilight Mist said.   “Fortunately, the numbering system is simple enough.”

           Wind Whistler remembered that row of keys.  The vertical line had  smaller branches coming off the side each representing a value of one  and a triangle representing five.  There were no keys for ten, 50, 100,  500, or 1,000 like the Equestrian numbering system.

          “The  numbering system seems to be a composite between a positional digit  system and a tally system like ours,” Twilight Mist said. “The rightmost  symbol is zero and used to represent positions with no value.”

          “That’s what I figured,” Wind Whistler said at the same time she had to yawn.

          “This means they can deal with numbers far larger than our numbering system with ease,” Twilight Mist said.

          “That makes some things fall into place,” Wind Whistler said.  She stretched.

           “They were the only keys that could type something into those boxes  next to the map and they seemed to change at random sometimes,” Twilight  Mist said.

          “Since we’ve confirmed the keys are  numbers, perhaps they will make sense.”  Wind Whistler said.  “Type  ‘nine hundred’ in the first box.”

          Twilight Mist summoned  two clouds of mist around her horn, and they took a shape similar to  the claws of a dragon with fingers and a thumb.  The hands of mist  descended onto the keyboard and tapped the nine key once before the zero  twice.  The symbols appeared in the box, pushing the flashing line to  the right.

          “I also discovered what a couple of the other  keys do.”  Twilight Mist tapped another key on the left side of the  keyboard.  The flashing line went to the box to the right of the first,  and the value in the left box went from ‘900’ to ‘180’.  The line going  from the center of the map straight down became brighter.

          “Now, try ninety-nine in this box,” Wind Whistler said.

           Twilight Mist did so and the value changed to ‘39’ when she moved the  flashing line to the box underneath them.  The line on the map split  with the brighter line slight to the right by a little more than half a  degree.

          Knowing those symbols were digits, Wind Whistler  better understood the diagram.  The labels around the outside of the  outermost circle were angles in 45 degree increments and the labels  running along the line going from the center straight up had to be  distances.  There were four circles, and each was labeled in increments  of 500 that stopped at ‘2000’.

          Wind Whistler thought she had this figured out.  “Type in some number bigger than two thousand in the last box.”

           Twilight Mist typed in ‘3125’.  This time, she struck a key on the  right side.  The flashing line went back to the right of ‘180’ and the  value in the last box became ‘2000’.  The bright line became a bright  dot right on the edge of the outermost circle.  Lights on the large  slider came on as well.

          “I think we just figured out how  to use this thing,” Wind Whistler said.  She pointed to the slider.   “My guess is the large slider will activate it”—she then pointed to the  dot on the map—“and the machine will create a connection to that point.”

          She looked away and noticed they were alone.  “Where’s Fizzy?”

           “She woke up a little before you did and went up to the get the  others,” Twilight Mist said, not even trying to feign interest.

          “You seem even more standoffish this morning,” Wind Whistler said.  “Something wrong?”

           “While you two slept, I was able to work my magic on this thing a bit  further,” Twilight Mist said.  “I don’t like it.  We should brick off  the elevator and pretend we never found it.”

          “How could  you think of bricking up such a discovery?” Wind Whistler asked.  “This  could mean we have the ability to move freely anywhere within two  thousand kilometers.  Earthbound ponies could travel to other locations  and use their expertise to explore this world and make contact with its  civilizations.  We could even find our way home thanks to it.”

           “Because of what was thought here,” Twilight Mist said.  “Conquerors  walked here, and their dreams of glory were swiftly snuffed out.  This  was a machine of war, and it brought ruin to those who wielded it.”

           That comment gave Wind Whistler pause.  The ability to travel anywhere  instantly could be used as a weapon.  You could send an army right past  the defenses of another kingdom and strike at its heart.  Why send an  army even?  A large bomb or a canister of poison gas would do just as  well.  However, this machine was simply a tool and the good or ill  consequences of its use were completely up to the user.

          “We’re not conquerors,” Wind Whistler replied.  “We’re just curious.”

           “For now,” Twilight Mist said.  “Who’s to say how long we are here.  We  could end up building a new civilization, and new civilizations looking  to expand tend to look past their borders with ravenous eyes no matter  how virtuous their original founders were.”

          “Aren’t we  getting ahead of ourselves?” Wind Whistler asked rhetorically.  “We’re  all mares here, so it’s not like we would last past the current  generation.”

          Twilight Mist shrugged.  “Lofty found those  ponies from the Crystal Empire.  Who knows how many ponies actually  came here and if there are stallions among them.”

          Wind  Whistler had to give Twilight Mist that one.  She turned her attention  the screen.  “But even if we do build a new pony civilization here, I  remember my history teacher once told us, ‘Never let fear of the future  keep you from it.’”

          “And ‘those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,’” Twilight Mist added.

          “Which is why we learn,” Wind Whistler said.  “Aren’t we supposed to be better than those who came before us?”

          Twilight Mist remained silent for a second.  “Supposedly.”

          “You’re awfully well spoken for a simple drifter,” Wind Whistler said.

           “I’m also a consumer of information,” Twilight Mist said.  “In my  travels I’ve accumulated the knowledge of the different tribes and  nationalities of ponies as well as griffons, dragons, you name it.”

           Wind Whistler felt a little jealous.  She had spent hours at the  library reading about Equestria and its neighbor’s culture and academia,  Twilight Mist was able to get it from the source.

           “Something all too common in both myth and history is how power  corrupts.  We cannot deny is this machine gives the user incredible  power over those within its reach,” Twilight Mist said.  “Even if we don’t use it for evil, there are plenty out there who would.”

           Wind Whistler instantly thought to the harpies.  They must have known  of the locket’s connection to this machine.  That is why they would want  it so badly.

          The chime of the elevator sounded and its  doors opened for Fizzy to trot out of it with Blueflower, Magic Star,  and Galaxy following her.

          Magic Star yawned.  “Is there any reason you had to wake us up so early?”

          “I’m sorry,” Fizzy said.  “I didn’t know it was that early, and I was just so excited.”

          “It’s perfectly fine, my little pony,” Blueflower said.  “It sounds like you’ve made quite the discovery.”

          “We think the machine is used to instantly access other geographical points,” Wind Whistler said.

          “You mean like how unicorns can wink out one place and back in another?” Magic Star asked.

           As a limited form of teleportation became a common unicorn magic, it  came to be known as ‘winking’ rather to differentiate it from the more  complicated teleportation spells used by experts.  Winking had a limited  range and could not be done through any object a pony could not pass  through normally—whether solid or even mesh—but let them cross gaps too  far to jump or just move more quickly than on hoof.  That little factoid  help Wind Whistler wake up her mind.

          Galaxy looked at  the diagram of the tube with flared ends.  “Though, it appears to be a  sustained tube of folded space rather than an instantaneous pocket like  winking.  And obviously it isn’t as short ranged or stopped by solid  objects.”

          “Then anyone can travel outside the valley,” Magic Star said, suddenly more alert upon hearing this.

          “Have you tested this?” Bueflower asked.

          “No,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We wanted to wait until morning so we can have ponies at the other end.”

          “Well, it’s getting light now,” Fizzy said.  “I can go find more ponies to go outside.”

           “Have them go east about a kilometer from the castle,” Twilight Mist  said, not bothering to turn to Fizzy.  “If something appears, we want  them to take some nearby object and throw it in.”

          “You got it!”  Fizzy ran back to the elevator and got in just before the doors closed.

          “Sounds like a rather primitive way to test it,” Magic Star commented.

          “Would you rather use a pony?” Twilight Mist asked, again not bothering to turn around.

          “Point taken,” Magic Star replied.

          “So, how does this thing work?” Blueflower asked as she looked at the readouts spread over the panes.

           “That circular thing is a map with us in the middle.”  Twilight Mist  pointed to the display of circles.  She typed in a set of coordinates.   “We type in an angle, which in this case will be ninety degrees and zero  minutes, and distance, which will be one kilometer.”

           The dot hopped around as she made the changes until it was just right of  center.  “That little dot is our target.  We’ll give them a few minutes  to get their act together and out there.”

          “I bet a lot  of ponies would like to get out of this valley,” Magic Star mused  aloud.  “Cupcake wants some real ingredients other than grass and  flowers, Buttons found some sewing equipment and wants fabric and  thread, and Truly has been nagging for medical supplies.”

           “Looks like we’ll be using this mechanism often if it is functional and  safe,” Wind Whistler whispered to Twilight Mist.

          “I’ve  become accustom to disappointment,” Twilight Mist replied.  “Just  remember, if this all comes back to bite us in the tails, it was I who warned you first.”

          “I’m sure you will make certain we never forget,” Wind Whistler said.  “Think we’ve given them enough time?”

          “Probably.”  Twilight gripped the slider with her mist hand.  “So, we just pull back, and let her rip?”

          “Seems like it.”

          “Then here goes nothing.”  Twilight Mist pulled back on the slider.

           Whirring came from the tunnel and the inside of the rings started  glowing from the end of the tunnel to the mouth.  A flash brought a  swirling vortex of light and color into existence, contained by the  rings.  It was just red of yellow, but the red was diminishing and the  green was increasing with time.  The harsh light from it filled the  chamber, easily drowning out the soft light of the ceiling above.

          A small object appeared from the end of the tunnel and bounced a couple times on the ramp before coming to rest on it.

          Magic Star broke the silence beyond the gentle purr of the machine.  “That was anti-climatic.”

          “At least it works,” Blueflower said.  “Now, did it come out safely?”

           Wind Whistler glided down and landed at the mouth of the tunnel.  The  vortex was now transitioning between green and cyan, apparently cycling  through the spectrum like a rainbow in time instead of space.  She  thought of what Daniel had said about the Valkyrie Queens traveling  anywhere instantly on a rainbow bridge.  This machine fit that  description.

          As she stepped onto the ramp, she could  feel a charge building in her mane and coat.  The stinging smell of  ozone surrounded her, suggesting electromagnetism was at least a  component of forming this.

          She reached the object which  was a piece of dead bark.  It felt normal to the touch—no signs of heat  or cold—with no signs of singeing or recent damage.  From the looks of  it, the transition had no side effect on it.

          “How does it look?” Blueflower shouted.

           “It looks like it suffered no ill effects during passage.”  Wind  Whistler tossed it back at the end of the bridge where the vortex  appeared to suddenly come to a point and it disappeared.

           She noted that the vortex was once again past red and going back to  yellow.  It cycled through the color wheel in about a minute as best as  she could tell.  Her observations were cut short as something pink and  electric blue appearing from the end of the vortex and flew past her.

          Firefly flew out of the tunnel and did a loop before landing.  “Now that was a rush.”

          “That was  extremely dangerous,” Wind Whistler corrected as she stepped out of the  tunnel.  “What if the vortex was a vacuum between the exit points, or  the buildup of static electricity caused a fatal discharge, or—”

           “Danger?” Firefly scoffed, cutting Wind Whistler off.  “Danger is my  life!”  She did a back flip.  “Besides, now you know it’s safe for  ponies.”

          “She has you there, Wind Whistler,” Blueflower said.  “Now, go get whoever went out with you and bring them through.”

          Firefly saluted.  “You got it, boss.”  She flew into the tunnel and disappeared.

           Wind Whistler fluttered back up to the control panel.  She noticed a  new box had appeared with two numerical values separated by a ‘:’  decreasing in value.  “When did that count down appear?”

          “When we activated the thing,” Twilight Mist said.  “Apparently, it will only remain open for five minutes.”

           Firefly came out of the tunnel with Medley and Fizzy.  “It’s great Wind  Whistler!”  Fizzy skipped from the mouth.  “It’s like walking through a  tunnel of rainbow!”

          “Does it have to remain open for five minutes?” Blueflower asked.

          “I don’t think so.”  Twilight Mist pushed the slider forward.

           The purr of the machine wound down the vortex faded.  The displays and  backlighting of the panel turned red, and a large box appeared on the  pane with the map displaying a countdown starting at ‘30:00’.  Twilight  tapped at the number keys, but nothing happened.

          “What happened?” Magic Star asked.  “Did you break it?”

           “No.  Looks like it has to recharge for a half hour after it’s been  used.”  Twilight Mist tried pulling on the slider, but it stayed in  place.  “We just have to wait until then.”

          “Still,  ponies can use it to travel,” Blueflower said.  She turned to Wind  Whistler.  “I think we’ve discovered the secret to your farmer’s locket,  and you may return it.  In fact, you can use our new device, and I  think several ponies are chomping at the proverbial bit for a chance to  see your humans as well.”

          “Perhaps we should wait until  an hour or so after sunrise,” Galaxy said.  “Dawn and dusk come later  the further west you are in this world.”

          “Then I guess  we should go up and see who wants to go.”  Blueflower walked towards the  elevator.  “Come along, everyone.”


* * *


           Fizzy watched Cupcake’s face open into beaming smile as she told her  about the tunnel thing under them.  “That’s perfect!” Cupcake cheered.

          “It is pretty great,” Fizzy agreed.

           “I mean, I can finally go out and get real ingredients for cooking and  baking.”  Cupcake glanced at the piles of grass and flowers and bent her  mouth into an exaggerated frown.  “No more weed salads and twisted  grass pasta.  I could even get fresh produce, dairy, and eggs.  I  thought I would never see those again.”

          “So, are you coming?” Fizzy asked.

           “Most definitely.”  Cupcake turned back to Sweetie and Gingerbread  trying to make grass and flowers look presentable on plates.  “Can you  two cover morning scullery and lunch on your own?”

          “You can count on us!” Gingerbread chirped.

          “Well, they’ll be leaving after breakfast,” Fizzy said.

          “Save a seat for me,” Cupcake said, and then paused to think.  “Does this thing even have seats?”

          “Uh…I didn’t see any,” Fizzy replied.

          “Well, I’ll be going, that’s all that matters.”

           Fizzy left the kitchen and headed to where Truly had made a makeshift  infirmary.  She noticed something out of the corner of her eye that was  quite vibrant.  She turned and the vibrant pink earth pony—Shady was  what popped in her head—was looking at her from around the corner.

          Fizzy turned around.  “Hi there!  I’m Fizzy!”

          Shady flinched and disappeared from view.

          “Wait!” Fizzy shouted after her.  “Don’t run away!”

          She ran to the corner, but Shady was gone.  “Was it something I said?”


* * *


           The doors slid open and Wind Whistler gazed in the room directly under  the control panel.  Although much of the chambers dimensions were  exaggerated, this was quite an efficient use of space.  It was a storage  area of some kind with wires and cables of different sizes and colors  hanging in loops, parabolic dishes held in trays like flatware in a  dishwasher, other things, and a row of black lockers against one wall.

           Wind Whistler opened the locker and pulled out the canvas bag hanging  inside it.  The bag was bulging and heavy with something hard in it, and  a cord led from it to a headset consisting of a black band with a  microphone on an arm and two earpieces on cords.

          It was  surprising to see fabric like this in such good condition despite it  being unattended for however long it had been down here.  Though, if the  environment had been kept sterile until they entered it, there would be  no microbes to breakdown the threads and the temperature and moisture  levels would have been constant at this depth.

          She slung the bag over her back and left the room, the doors sliding shut behind her.

           “It’s a storage compartment for what looks like communication  equipment.”  Wind Whistler held up the bag.  “I think this is a personal  radio set.”

          “That’s nice,” Twilight Mist replied from the control panel, but clearly not paying as much attention.

          Wind Whistler came to the top of the stairs to see North Star standing over Twilight Mist sitting in the chair.

           “That’s where the horse ranch is,” North Star said, pointing at the map  and practically inserting Twilight Mist’s muzzle in her leg pit.  Wind  Whistler suppressed an urge to grin at the twisted look of absolute  disgust on her face.

          “Bearing two seven five mark eighteen, distance forty-seven kilometers.”

          Twilight Mist pushed North Star back so she had to stand on all four hooves.  “Are you sure?”

           “Am I sure?” North Star asked loudly.  “I have the best sense of  direction of any pony you’ll meet.  It’s so precise they use me to make sure compasses are right.”

           “Right.”  Twilight Mist leaned back.  “Just know the farther out you  go, the less accurate the destination point is.  So, don’t be surprised  if you come out in the next farm.”

          She looked to Wind Whistler.  “What were you saying?”

           Wind Whistler turned to show the radio.  “I believe I found a personal  radio set in the compartment below us.  It might communicate with the  machine.”

          Wind Whistler looked at the bag someway to  activate the radio.  There was a relatively small, metal lever sticking  out of a metal-lined hole beside some knobs.  She carefully flicked it  up with the tip of her hoof and looked to the panes.  One of them  changed to display a bar, a traditional longitudinal and latitudinal  map, and some numerical values.  The side of the large button on the  panel also glowed blue as well as smaller key.

          Wind  Whistler slid the headset onto her head and said, “Does it work?” into  the microphone.  There was no reaction from the machine.  She then  remembered the microphone of a radio had to be switched on to work to  prevent feedback.  She felt where the microphone’s arm connected to the  headset and it depressed.  She held it down and said, “How about this?”   This time it came from speakers in the panel, the line in the uppermost  bar became wavy for the time she was speaking.

          She put in the earpieces as best she could.  “Try it on you end.”

           Twilight Mist glanced to the larger and smaller buttons that  illuminated.  She held down the smaller.  “Can you hear this?”  Her  voice came through the earpieces.

          “Well, it looks like, or should I say sounds like, we can communicate,” Wind Whistler said.

           “The machine also appears to track the radio’s location,” North Star  said.  She looked to the larger button.  “I wonder what that one does.   It lit up when Wind Whistler turned on the radio.”

           Twilight Mist turned back to the ponies down there.  Paradise, Bow-Tie  and Posey had already come down.  They were still waiting on Cupcake,  Truly, Buttons, and Sparkler.  “Since we have time, I guess we can try.   I doubt it will blow us up.”

          Twilight Mist pressed the  button and the circular display and three boxes where the target  coordinates went changed to the grid and displayed three rows of boxes,  the first two rows having three boxes and the third having one.  A dot  appeared right at the center.

          “What just happened?” North Star asked.

           “I think it just went to longitude and latitude down the tenth of a  second as well as gained elevation,” Twilight Mist said.  “So, we’re  about a hundred meters below sea level down here.”

          “What  would cause that?” North Star said.  “Wait!”  She looked to the display  that came up with the radio.  “I think it locked onto the radio.”

          The numbers of both displays matched perfectly.

           “Then hitting the button again would—” Twilight Mist pressed the large  button and the old circular display returned with the angle and distance  she had typed in.

          “Odd that it has the ability to  understand longitude and latitude, but uses such a crude targeting  system normally,” North Star mused.

          “About as odd as building your control panel with an empty space to the side?” Twilight Mist replied.

          The chime sounded and the last four ponies walked out of the elevator.  “Are we ready to go?” Buttons asked.

          “We’ve been ready,” Twilight Mist said.  “Go down to the tunnel and be ready for the light show.”

           The nine gathered at the mouth of the tunnel.  The machine whirred up  and the lights of the rings came on.  The vortex formed only it started  from deep blue.

          “So, we just walk up the ramp and pop out somewhere else?” Cupcake asked.

          “Basically,” Wind Whistler said.  “I could give the theoretical explanation, but I think we should just utilize it.”

           They ran up the ramp towards the wall.  As they reached it, the light  and colors enveloped them, a tube of pure energy that somehow had form  for them to gallop on.  A second later, the colors peeled away to reveal  a dirt road, and Wind Whistler leapt from the vortex onto it.  She  turned back and watched as the others emerged and leapt from it.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button for her microphone.  “We’re all through.”  She pulled her hoof away from the button.

          Twilight Mist said nothing, but the vortex collapsed in on itself until it disappeared completely.

          “So, this is it?” Truly asked.

          “This is it,” North Star answered.

           They were in the broad valley they had visited the day prior.  There  were pastures and farmsteads with dirt roads dividing them.  There was a  gray, dingy deck of stratus clouds on the western horizon, and the sun  was low on the eastern horizon.  It was lower than would be expected for  an hour after rising meaning Galaxy was right about the sun coming up  later in the west.  Or rather, the world was constantly rotating and  its surface was moving into and out of its shadow.

          Wind  Whistler needed some time to get her bearings.  Suddenly appearing in a  completely different location was a tad disorienting, especially since  this was a different view of everything.  However, white farm house and  barn were nearby.  She did not recognize it at first because of the view  from the back, but there they were and the hodgepodge herd of horses  was milling about in a nearby pasture.

          “The Williams’ home is over there.”  She pointed to it.

           They made their way around the perimeter of the pasture.  Polaris  noticed them and ran to the edge of the fence.  She whinnied and nodded  her head.

          “Top of the morning to you, Polaris,” North Star said.  “Though, I do wonder what that name means.”

          Polaris snorted.

           They went around the house to the front porch.  The windows of the  house were dark, but there was light coming from the windows of the  barn.  Daniel stepped out of the main doorway.  “Good morning.  I didn’t  expect you back this soon.”

          “Good morning, Mr. Williams,” Wind Whistler replied.  “How’s your cranial injury?”

           Daniel had a bandage tied around his head.  “I got a nasty bump, but I  woke up remembering who I was.  I would say I’m fine.”

          “Well, we said we would return the locket when discovered its properties,” Wind Whistler said.

          Danny popped his head out from the barn’s doorway.  “So you know what it does?”

          Wind Whistler nodded.

          “We’re also here to learn more about your culture,” Cupcake said.  “Like your local delicacies.”

          “Umm…” Posey trailed off.  “What are those?”

           Wind Whistler and the others spun around to Posey pointing to the south  southeast.  Three long and narrow objects where just above the horizon  and coming towards them.  They occasionally bent, suggesting large  wings.  She felt her heart step up its pace and a chill go down her  spine.  “Trouble.”

          “It’s the harpies!” Paradise shrieked.  “They’re back too!”

          Wind Whistler pushed the button on her microphone.  “Twilight Mist, are you still there?”

“Where else would I be?” Twilight Mist’s voice came from the earpieces.

           “The machine takes a half hour to recharge, right?” Wind Whistler said,  trying to keep the panic from her voice as the objects drew closer.   “Any way to speed that up?”

“I can’t tell without knowing the language,” Twilight Mist answered.  “Why?”

           “Because our adversary from yesterday is approaching with a couple of  friends and very quickly.  I estimate maybe five minutes before their  arrival,” Wind Whistler said.

“Unfortunately I can’t help you with that,” Twilight Mist said.  “Try to avoid them for the next twenty-eight minutes.  I’ll get you back as soon as this thing is ready.”

           “Easier said than done.  Wind Whistler out.”  Wind Whistler watched as  the objects grew nearer and their silhouettes gained the familiar  features of harpies.

          “Maybe we can run from them,” Paradise suggested.  “They’re so far out, they might not see us.”

           “If they’re like birds of prey, they have extremely keen senses of  eyesight especially when it comes to distance,” Wind Whistler said.   “They already know we’re here.”

          “Then we’ll hide,” Daniel said.  “Everyone into the storm cellar!”

           They clambered to a pair of wooden, cellar doors behind the house.   Daniel pulled them open and they filed down the stairs into the basement  under the house.  Daniel came in last, closed the door, and slid a  heavy beam of wood into holders.

          Daniel pointed to a set of stairs.  “Lock the door into the house too.”

          Danny ran up the stairs and turned a deadbolt on the door.  “We should be safe now.”

           They waited, remaining silent.  Wind Whistler’s heart pounded and her  mind raced.  Hiding was an unnatural state for ponies.  They were built  to run and use quickness or foot or wing to escape or turn and fight if  escape was made impossible.  However, neither would work against harpies  with the advantages of flight and weapons.  If it had just been the  pegasi, they could have used their maneuverability to evade them until  the machine was ready.  However, they had earthbound ponies as well as  the humans to worry about as well.  They would be easy targets for the  harpies, and they were sure to use that against them.

           Their options were limited now, basically they could only wait and hope  the heavy, wooden doors and beam were enough to thwart the harpies until  the machine could recharge and they could make their escape.

          “How long?” she asked quietly into the microphone.

“A little less than twenty-four minutes,” Twilight Mist answered.

           Everyone jumped that three thumps outside.  Wind Whistler walked around  to see out one of the small windows.  The feet of a harpy stood  outside.  Even through the grunge on the glass, she could make out the  long claw coming harp point as one of the talons flexed.

           She was once again reminded how far they were from Equestria.  There  were no royal guards, alicorn princesses, Elements of Harmony, or  Pillars of Light.  There was just them—a ragtag group of regular  ponies—thrust into this unknown world with nothing but the contents of  that castle and facing a species more dangerous than anything their  kinds had ever faced.

          “I don’t see them.”  The voice was of the harpy they had met yesterday.

          “Use your eyes, Desdemona,” a more forceful voice said.  “They went down into the cellar.  Break it in.”

           The doors suddenly shuttered.  A loud bang came at them followed by  another and another.  After the sixth impact, a plank cracked.

          Molly hid behind Daniel.  “They’re not going to hold!”

          “All we’ve done is trap ourselves,” Sparkler grumbled.

          “What do we do now, Wind Whistler?” Paradise asked.

           Wind Whistler went through their options.  She was almost scared out of  mind as a trapped animal, but not completely.  She had to remain  rational in this situation, and think of a way out.  Suppress the  emotional reaction so that logic could lead her to the answer.

           There was that problem of being tied to the ground.  If only they could  force the harpies into the same constraint.  “Is there any area of  extensive cover near here?”  Her mind was drawing a blank of their  general vicinity.

          “There’s some woods a kilometer or two northeast of here,” Daniel answered.  “Why?”

          “We need to vacate this cellar,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Are you crazy?” Paradise’s outburst was punctuated by a slam on the doors and the sound of wood cracking.

           “We stand a better chance against them where we have a chance to  maneuver,” Wind Whistler explained.  “We just need to evade them until  the machine is charged.”

          “They don’t seem to be in the  house,” Daniel said.  “Hopefully their concentrating on the cellar door,  so we can slip out the front.”

          Danny ran up and unlocked the door.  He pushed it open enough to look out.  “The coast is clear.”

           He stood aside as Wind Whistler climbed the stairs and into the kitchen  of the house.  The basement door was under the stairway leading to the  second floor, facing the back of the house.  Through the window, Wind  Whistler could see the harpies pounding at the cellar doors.  The one  with the symbol on her chest stood aside while the other two—with flame  red and bright orange hair—slammed their balled fists into the wood.   While still unmistakably feminine, they were noticeably larger and more  muscular than her.

          “You were right,” North Star whispered.  “They’re too focused on the cellar door.”

           “They might not even realize the cellar has an exit into the house  proper,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Go to the front door quickly, but be  quiet.”

          They quickly but quietly went around the  stairway to the front door and pulled it open.  The harpies, in their  assault on the cellar door, were oblivious to them slipping away.  The  horses were whinnying and huddled in the far corner of the pasture as  they made their way around the house.

          Wind Whistler  peaked around the side at them still punching and kicking at the doors.   She retreated back to the porch.  “They’re still attacking the cellar.”

           “The woods are over there.”  Daniel pointed to a mass of trees on the  other side of a pasture.  Their canopies were dense and their trunks  were spaced well for ponies while being constricting to a creature the  size of a harpy.

          “That should do nicely,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Hop aboard, love.”  North Star presented her side to Molly so she could climb on.  “Remember, hold on tight.”

          “I can carry you, Danny,” Wind Whistler said.

           She then looked to Daniel.  He was large and looked heavy.  He was  definitely too heavy for a pegasus to carry, and she even doubted an  earth pony could without being significantly encumbered.

          “I can carry him just fine,” Bow-Tie said.

          “You sure?” Daniel asked.

           “Don’t let the bows deceive you.”  Bow-Tie smirked.  “I hold the  jumping records for my home town.  When I say I can carry you, I can  carry you.”

          “All right.”  Daniel sat on her back  gingerly.  Although she tried to hide it, Bow-Tie had to strain a bit to  take on his weight.

          Danny got on Wind Whistler’s back.  Looking at those woods, she truly understood the phrase ‘so close yet so far’.”

           She walked and built into a trot, spreading her wings.  She was going  to need more lift to get airborne with Danny on her back.  She  accelerated to a gallop, flapping her wings.  The process of taking off  was in slow motion, so she could feel herself getting lighter until  finally her hooves left the ground.


* * *


           Frona slammed her foot into the door and finally shattered into a storm  of splinters.  She looked to Desdemona who ducked into the small  opening.

          After maybe a minute, she poked her head up.  “They’re gone.  There was a door into the farmhouse.”

           “What?”  Frona leapt to the roof of the house, crushing the shingles in  her talons as it dug into the central beam.  Nine colorful ponies were  headed towards woods nearby.  Three of them were airborne on feathered  wings, two of which had the other juveniles on their backs.  The  remaining six were on the ground, the one carrying the father falling  behind.  Her body tensed, the beam popping and cracking in her  tightening grip.

          She turned to Desdemona and Melinda.  “We’ve been tricked!  They’re headed for the woods!”


* * *


           Wind Whistler beat her wings as fast as they could, but it still seemed  too slow.  Even more than yesterday, she felt hunted.  They couldn’t  get under the cover of those trees soon enough.

          She pushed the button the headset.  “Time update.”

“Eighteen minutes,” Twilight Mist answered.

          “We’ve been spotted!” Paradise screamed.

          “What makes you say that?”  North Star was answered by a giant arrow streaking past her.  “Oh, that.”

           Wind Whistler looked back at the three harpies in a broad formation  with their longbows in talon.  She turned back to the woods.  They just  had a few dozen meters to go.

          She looked down to Bow-Tie  several meters behind the others.  Despite her claims, she was being  taxed by carrying Daniel.  The harpies seemed to notice as well as they  aimed their neck volley downward.

          Wind Whistler spun  around, forgetting she was carrying Danny and got him wrapping around  her neck to keep from falling off.  “Bow-Tie, WATCH OUT!”

           The arrows rained down on her and Daniel.  The two larger harpies were  also more accomplished archers than the smaller one.  There was not a  wasted motion in taking an arrow from their quiver, placing it on the  string, drawing back, and releasing.  Bow-Tie jumped every which way to  avoid the deadly hail.

          Wind Whistler felt powerless.   Any advantage of maneuverability was gone with Danny on her back.  Even  if she avoided the barrage of arrows that would answer her approach, she  would have no chance in close combat.

          Sparkler suddenly  appeared, and immediately released an explosion of brilliant sparks.   They surrounded the harpies and flashed, causing them to stop and shield  their eyes.

          “I’ll hold them off!” Sparkler shouted.  “Get to the woods!”

           Wind Whistler turned back to the woods.  Finally, she glided under its  branches and landed between its trunks.  North Star and Paradise landed  and bled off their speed by galloping deeper into the woods.  Bow-Tie  followed the others in, gasping for air.

          Daniel dismounted and placed his ear to her chest.  He then felt her chest and leg joints.  “How do you feel?”

          “Like I’ve been turned inside out,” Bow-Tie wheezed.

          “I don’t feel any permanent damage,” Daniel said.  “You’re just exhausted and should recover with some rest.”

          “That’s good to know.”  Bow-Tie turned to Wind Whistler.  “The next time I say I can do something, talk me out of it.”

          Sparkler appeared in a shower of sparkles.  “Now what?”

           “Split up and hide,” Wind Whistler said.  “We have about fifteen  minutes before the machine will be ready.  The harpies can’t fly in  here, and they’ll have a hard time working around the trees.”

          “Let’s just hope they don’t set the woods on fire,” Truly said.

          “You just had to mention that,” Cupcake replied.

           “Here they come.”  North Star pointed to the harpies approaching the  perimeter on foot.  While they were frighteningly graceful on the wing,  the harpies seemed unnatural walking.  At least pegasi were able to  gallop across the land with little trouble.

          “Let’s go.”   Wind Whistler bounded deeper into the woods.  The others disappeared  into the shadows.  Wind Whistler made a wide loop so she could keep an  eye on the harpies as they entered the forest and shimmied between the  trunks.

          Those stratus clouds spread across the sky above  the canopy, muting the light even further.  A light rain began,  pattering against the leaves and falling through the tiny gaps in the  canopy.

          “I can’t really talk too much,” Wind Whistler said in a hushed voice.

           The harpy with the red hair stopped and slashed deep gouges in a trunk  with no sign of difficulty.  “Tell me something, ponies,” she said in no  particular direction.  “Where do you come from?  I’ve been across  Pangaea, and never even heard of something remotely like you.”

          Wind Whistler stopped and hid behind a trunk.

          “And why are you helping these humans?” the harpy asked.

          “Time?” Wind Whistler whispered into her microphone.

“Ten minutes,” Twilight Mist answered.  “What’s going on over there?”

           Wind Whistler thought about their predicament.  If they completely  frustrated the harpies, they might try to light the woods on fire to  smoke them out.  They needed to be given a lead.  “We’re helping Mr.  Williams because you kidnapped his daughter.”

          She darted away several meters.  She hid behind another trunk, eyeing the harpy.

          “Maybe you can answer this  question,” Wind Whistler said before going up two meters.  “Why did you  return to this land?  You already shattered it a thousand years ago  after it had suffered for years.  Why menace a simple farmer and his  family?”

          She darted to another hiding location.

           “They didn’t tell you the whole story,” the harpy said to where Wind  Whistler had just been.  “The long winter when the sky was a sickly  green and the sun was dim hit everywhere.  A massive volcano erupted,  sending its ash and gases into the upper atmosphere.  They blocked out  the sun, robbing the world of its light and warmth.

          “It  was the Boreans who invaded us first.  They used their Bifröst to send  their armies into the heart of our homeland and behind our defenses.”   She stalked through the woods as best as she could, but having to  collapse her wings against her back and forcing herself through the  narrower gaps.  “They stole crops and killed the farmers if they were so  inclined.  They believed they had to right to leave us starving to end  the famine in their empire.”

          Wind Whistler paused.  She  remembered her conversation with Twilight Mist.  She had thought of just  that strategy offhand.

          “I figured they would forget  to tell you that part of history,” the harpy said, slipping around Wind  Whistler.  “The Boreans are a warrior people who fight amongst  themselves in this frigid land.  The rust haired one, his people were  originally brought to this valley as slaves.  I bet he neglected to  mention that as well.”

          He had paused when he was explaining how his people came to live here.

          “He seems to be a free man,” Wind Whistler said.  “Cultures can evolve and grow beyond their past mistakes.”

           “Not the Boreans,” the harpy said as she made a wide circle.  “The  Valkyrie Queens convinced them to unite, but they only turned their  aggression outward for their personal benefit.”

          Wind  Whistler backed out of the circle she felt was being made around her.   “I have no way to test the veracity of your statements.”  Wind Whistler  then remembered her original question.  “However, if your original  incursion was in retaliation, why come back now?”

          “You ask too many for your own good, pony,” the harpy snarled.

           Wind Whistler realized she had not moved from her spot, and the harpy  was facing her.  She backed away to keep herself hidden by the trunk  before weaving through more to a place of safety.

          “Why  do you care anyway?” the harpy said.  “You’re kind wasn’t involved, and  you shouldn’t be involved now.  Give us the locket, and we’ll leave you  in peace.”

          “Like you would return the daughter for it?” Wind Whistler asked.  “Even if the Boreans are as terrible as you say, you’ve done nothing to win our trust.”

           She weaved away from the harpy, but kept her eyes shifting from side to  side for any sign of the other two or her companions.  What the harpy  said invaded her thoughts.  Yes, there was no proof of what the harpy  had said was true.  However, it all sounded logical.  Daniel’s  explanations also seemed whitewashed in retrospect.

          She  pushed the thoughts from her mind.  She needed to concentrate on the  here and now, not what happened a thousand years ago.  The machine had  to have recharged by now, or at least be close.

          “Are you ready, Twilight Mist?” Wind Whistler asked.

“We have about another minute to go,” Twilight Mist answered.

          “Then I need to collect the others,” Wind Whistler said.

           As cover, the woods were quite effective.  However, now that she had  gone from being a hider to a seeker, they were as confounding to her as  the harpies.  She dared not call out as the harpies would hear as well.

“We’re ready to go here,” Twilight Mist reported.

          “I have to find the others,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Wait for my signal.”

           Wind Whistler slowly collected the others.  Bow-Tie had recovered to  some degree, just a bit sore from her overexertion.  They had to scurry  for cover whenever they saw a harpy prowling through the woods.  Posey  was the last, and they weaved towards the perimeter of the woods.

           “You said when you’re locked on my radio, you can target to within a  tenth of a second of a degree, right?” Wind Whistler asked Twilight  Mist.

“It looks like it,” Twilight Mist answered.  “That means I can put the portal within a few meters of you.”

           “Good,” Wind Whistler said.  “Once we’re in the clear, I want to escape  through it quickly so the harpies don’t have a chance to notice.”

           The tangle of trees began to show gaps as they approached the  perimeter.  Wind Whistler allowed herself to relax as they were almost  to safety.  A snap of a twig caught her attention.  She turned to see  the harpy with the orange hair looming over them.  All of the tenseness  and alert returned to the point it hurt.

          She could see  just how large this one was, standing at two and half meters at least.   She swiped at them, and snagged Danny by his shirt.  She exhaled a  cackle as she held him.

          “I’ve found all of them!” she  shouted back into the woods.  She then eyed Wind Whistler with yellow  eyes that ripped straight through you.  “They have the locket with them  too!”

          Wind Whistler’s mind went to the speed of light.   She processed the entire world in a blink of an eye.  The harpy threw  Danny to the ground, and she realized what the primary target was.

          “Get to the edge!” Wind Whistler shouted.  “She wants me!”

          “We aren’t leaving you,” Buttons insisted.

          Wind Whistler jumped to avoid a swipe by the harpy.  “Go, NOW!”

          “Come on.”  Daniel herded them away.

          “Give me the locket,” the harpy snarled.  She swiped at Wind Whistler again, tearing down a branch.

           Wind Whistler jumped from trunk to trunk to avoid the harpy.  The  trunks slowed her, but not enough.  If Wind Whistler tried to get to the  edge, she would be followed for sure.  She needed something defeat the  harpy or at least stun her long enough to put some distance between  them.

          A branch suddenly hit her in the underbelly and  threw her back.  She saw the harpy preparing her talons to strike.  She  twisted her body to leap from a branch to avoid her reach.  The branches  of these trees were able to absorb and release tension easily.

           The harpy turned and leapt for her.  Wind Whistler grabbed a branch at  the right height, and let it absorb her momentum.  The harpy was off the  ground, unable to do anything but continue forward.  As the branch took  the last of Wind Whistler’s kinetic energy into its potential energy,  she let it go.

          The branch snapped back and struck the  harpy right at the level of the eyes.  She flew back against a nearby  trunk, striking it head first.  The tree shuddered, dropping a shower of  rain-soaked leaves.  The harpy slumped against the trunk, apparently  knocked unconscious.  Wind Whistler was not about to approach to confirm  this.

          Wind Whistler weaved through the trees back to  the edge of the woods.  “What happened?” Paradise asked as she came  under the shower of rain.

          “I stunned her,” Wind Whistler  answered.  She pushed the button on her headset.  “Open the portal at  our present location.”

          A colorful vortex swirled into existence a few meters from them.

          “Well I’ll be—”  Wind Whistler interrupted Daniel by shoving him towards the vortex.

          “You can marvel at it later.”  Wind Whistler gave him on last shove.  “Just get in.”

           Wind Whistler looked back at the woods for any sign of movement.  There  was none, at least none within view.  She waited until everyone else  was through and gave one last glance towards the woods.  She then leapt  into the tunnel of light and galloped until she was galloping out of the  mouth into the underground chamber.

          “Close it!” she shouted.

           The machinery whirred down and the vortex collapsed to nothing.  After  the last color faded, and the chamber returned to the soft light of the  ceiling above, she finally allowed the tension in her muscles to  release.

          “Where are we?” Daniel asked.

          “You’re under our castle, almost fifty kilometers from where we were,” North Star answered.

          Daniel spun on his heels back to the tunnel.  “Fifty kilometers?”

          “I told you the rainbow bridge was real,” Molly teased Danny.

           That reminded Wind Whistler of the comments the red-haired harpy had  made while she was avoiding her.  “Mr. Williams, while we were in the  forest, one of the harpies conversed with me.”

          Daniel turned to her.  “What did she say?”

           “She told us the Boreans did not send envoys of diplomacy to their  land, but an invading army,” Wind Whistler said.  “She claimed Boreas is  a land of violence, including your kind originally being imported as  slaves.  Is this true?”

          Daniel removed his hat.  “The  term was thrall, but the meaning was the same.  However, when the Borean  Empire was formed, slavery was outlawed and all the thralls were made  freedmen.”

          “What about the first encounter with the harpies?” Wind Whistler asked, her skin prickling at her nervousness.

           Daniel paused for a second.  “You have to understand how desperate it  was here in Boreas.  Snow fell in the middle of the summer, crops were  constantly failing.  Even the fishing was poor.  They needed food.”

          “Did they invade?” Wind Whistler insisted.

          “Relax, Wind Whistler,” Paradise said.

           “No!” Wind Whistler snapped before she thought better of it.  She took a  second to regain her composure.  “We were almost killed out there.  If  we’re going to involve ourselves in this, we need to know the truth: the  whole truth.”

          Daniel drew in a breath and slowly  released it as a sigh.  “It was a military invasion.  It is something  that the Boreans look back on in shame.  Raiding was something they were  supposed to have put behind them when the Empire was formed.”

           “Are you happy now, Wind Whistler?” Truly asked.  “This poor man has  been through more trauma than should be asked of anyone, and you’re  demanding a history lesson from him.”

          Wind Whistler paused as her mind wound down.  “I—I’m sorry.  It’s just, I need to know.”

           “I think you’re going too much with your head and not with your heart,”  Truly said.  “It’s those monsters who care about what happened a  thousand years ago, we should care more about the here and now.  They’ve  kidnapped and girl and assaulted her father, they’re the bad guys now  regardless of the past.”


* * *


           Frona squeezed between a pair of trunks to Melinda slumped against a  tree.  Burgundy lines of dried blood led down from her nostrils.  She  took her cheeks in her talons and pealed back her eyelid to see her eye  shift towards her.

          Melinda opened her other eye and slowly got to her feet with the tree as a brace.

          “Where are they?” Frona asked.

          “I don’t know.”  Melinda winced and rubbed her head.  “The one with the locket split from the others.”

          “The ponies have the locket?!” Frona exclaimed.

          “Yeah.”  Melinda felt her nose.  “I think she got me with a branch, and the next thing I knew you were here.”

           “No,” Frona hissed.  She climbed a trunk, slashing branches away as she  erupted from the canopy into the rainy gloom.  She rose up until the  woods were in full review around her.  She spun around, looking for any  flecks of color.  However, it was just green and brown under a blanket  of gray.

          Desdemona and Melinda climbed through the hole  she had made in the canopy and rose to her.  Desdemona spun around like  she had.  “Where did they go?  It couldn’t have been more than an hour.”

          Frona balled her talons into fists, their claws digging into their scaly palms.

          “I say we burn their home and kill their horses,” Melinda snarled.

           Frona loosened her fists and thought it through for a moment.  “No.   Humans are creatures of place.  They’ll be tempted to return to their  home at some point.  If they find it burned out and their animals  slaughtered, they’ll run away and never return.”

          “So what do we do?” Desdemona asked.

           “Melinda, stay near the farmhouse and wait for any sign of them,” Frona  answered.  “Desdemona, we’re going back to the stronghold.  The  Glorious Alpha will have to know of the change in possession of the  locket”—a chill crept up her spine—“and our failure.”
> Chapter 6:  The Wizard Wantall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Wind Whistler felt a pang of guilt when Daniel said he  would be taking Danny and Molly to look for his extended family.  His  explanation for the decision was perfectly logical.  The ponies were  unable to provide for their omnivorous dietary needs, and being with  family in a time of crisis was more comforting.  Still, Wind Whistler  could not excise a nagging feeling she scared him off with her outburst.

           The others were more thrilled to be visiting a Horse People trading  post, able to do the shopping and investigating they could not because  of the harpies.  Arriving at the trading town also chased away Wind  Whistler’s concerns with growing curiosity.

          The Horse  People were as Daniel had described.  They had manes of varying shades  of reddish-orange, green eyes, and pink skin with splotches.  The women  and girls wore frilled overalls over blouses and slippers on their feet  they could easily get into leather boots for riding.

           However, there were other kinds of humans as well.  Along with the fair  and blond Boreans, there were people of varying shades of darker skin  with black hair and dark brown eyes.  They traded in spices, citrus and  other tropical fruits, and fine fabrics for local furs, temperate  fruits, and ores.

          “It’s certainly active,” Truly commented.

           “During the late spring and summer, peoples from the southern lands  will come to these port towns to trade with the northerners.  During  winter, the opposite is true as Boreans will travel south for trading,”  Daniel said.  “I see there are some dragons and diamond dogs here too.”

           “Dragons, diamond dogs, where?”  Sparkler looked around.  There were no  massive reptiles in the skies or knuckle walking canines in the  outpost.

          “There.”  Daniel pointed.

          There  were a few members of a reptilian species in workshops.  One of them  lifted up a metal blade with tongs and exhaled a stream of blue flame on  it until it was red hot and held it to an anvil.  They picked up a  hammer and began striking the blade, sending sparks from it.

           Some canines occupied stalls selling jewelry but weren’t the hunched  over, top heavy brutes Equestria called diamond dogs.  They had an  upright posture and more balanced proportions with boxy muzzles, long  tails, and long ears hanging down the sides of their heads.  The males  wore gray coveralls with jeweled buttons and helmets with lamps built  into the front and females wore colorful dresses with jeweled broaches  on their chests.  A group of them were standing around a table examining  one’s collection of raw rubies, sapphires, and other precious gems.

           “Will wonders never cease,” Buttons said.  “I can see the resemblance,  but they’re nothing like what we called dragons and diamond dogs.”

           “Anyway”—Daniel turned to the three-story building in the center of the  outpost—“I’m going to talk to the local record keeper to see where my  sister’s family is living.  She moved higher in one of the branches  since I saw her last.”  He turned to Danny and Molly.  “Stay with the  ponies and don’t get into trouble.”

          “We won’t,” the two said together.

          Daniel disappeared into the building.

          “So, where to first?” Cupcake asked.  “I saw a vendor for dry goods.”

          “I actually want to talk to those ‘diamond dogs’ about their gem mining,” Sparkler said.

           “Just be careful.”  Truly eyed the canines suspiciously.  “If they’re  anything like the ones in Equestria, they’re nasty things.”

           “Equestrian diamond dogs would never think of selling their jewels,”  Sparkler said.  “That’s something different right there.”

           The others dispersed into the town.  That left Wind Whistler alone, and  she took in her surroundings.  The town was built on a moraine, a ridge  of debris left at the bottom of a glacier.  As Daniel had described, it  choked the fjord off with a river feeding into it from higher into the  valley.  The fjord was so short she could see where it reached the open  ocean.

          Boats bobbed next to the wooden docks.  Many were  the long, shallow boats built by the Boreans, but there were ships of  other designs as well.

          There was so much to take in, but  Wind Whistler decided to go watch these ‘dragons’.  They were certainly  smaller than Equestria’s dragons, averaging around two meters in  stature not including their tails.  They were wingless and lacked other  flourishes of the dragons she was familiar with.  They did not have fins  at their ears and their tails came to a simple point.  Their nose and  mouth were also boxier and less beak-like.

          Aside from  breathing fire and standing on their two hind legs, they had more  similarities with the lizard family.  The shape of their head and claws  were indicative or monitor lizards, but the spines running from the top  of their forehead to the tip of their tail was a hallmark of iguanas—the  spines being much smaller and more rounded than those of Equestrian  dragons as well.  There were the ears too which were almost mammalian in  their shape.

          “I haven’t seen a dragon make a sword.”   Danny ran up to join a group watching the dragon blacksmith pounding on  the blade.

          “I want to watch that one making glass.”   Molly pointed to a female dragon behind a booth with several glass  sculptures on it.  The dragon was the color of wood ash with bright  orange spines that almost seemed to glow compared to her dull scales.

           She was breathing a gentle flame on a chunk of glass in her gloved hand  and using tongs to pull it into leaves.  Wind Whistler noticed her  flame ignited only halfway up her mouth and never touched any part of  her.  She had a few onlookers including seven juvenile dragons that  could make their own rainbow if they stood side by side in the correct  order.

          She stopped the flame and the orange glow of the  glass faded to reveal the vanes of red glass inside the clear exterior.   She stuck out her forked tongue at the glass several times in quick  succession, probably gauging its temperature.  “Now, the more opaque  glass cools slower than the clear.”  She picked up a small tube.  “That  means we can insert air channels.”

          She stuck the tube into the center of the leaves and blew, causing the vanes of bulge slightly.

           “Now for some dew drops.”  She pulled out the tube and picked up  another with one end flared.  She stuck the narrow end in the glass and  breathed fire into the flared end.  The vanes started to glow from the  heat.

          She picked up a small pin and pricked a vane.  A  glowing, orange bubble of glass expanded into a tiny sphere.  She did  more on the leaves and it crated the appearance dewdrops were sitting on  the leaves.  Deeper or shallower pricks made for different sizes of  bubbles.  It must have been a craft that took years to master.  She  finished and showed the work to the onlookers who clapped.

          “Way to go, Mom!” one of the juvenile dragons, purple with green spines, cheered.

          “Thank you, Spike,” the female dragon replied.

            She placed the newly made sculpture down on the table with other  beautiful crafts made of colorful glass inside clear outer coatings.

          Wind Whistler motioned to the blacksmith workshop where Danny had gone.  “We should retrieve your brother.”

          “All right,” Molly grumbled.  She turned back to the dragon.  “That’s really beautiful.”

          The dragon and her sons waved.  “Thank you, little girl.”

           The blacksmith shop several meters away was far noisier as the smith  pounded on glowing metal.  He was working on a long sword, and had a  crowd of his own watching.

          He turned it more into a show  as he pounded on the sword so hard the hammer would bounce up and he  let it land on the anvil to absorb the remaining momentum.  When he had  to turn it, he would spin it.  However, it was probably also to check  the balance.  He would also use his tongue to check the blade after the  blade had lost its glow.

          Applause came when he would  hold up the blade and bathe it in his blue flames.  The blade became red  hot and he would start pounding it again.  When he was finally  finished, he attached its hilt and dipped it in a bucket of water that  hissed and steamed from the heat.

          “Enjoy the demonstration?” Wind Whistler asked as they approached Danny.

           “That was awesome!” Danny declared.  “When I’m older, I want a  dragon-forged sword.  Maybe even one made of their light steel.”  He  mimed swinging.  “I’d like to see the harpies try anything if I had one  of those.”

          “As a flying creature myself,” Wind Whistler  said, “I can tell you melee weapons have limited effect on an airborne  enemy no matter how well crafted or refined the materials composing it.”

          “Besides, the dragon over there was putting dew drops on a plant,” Molly added.  “That’s way cooler.”

          “Whatever,” Danny scoffed.

          “There you two are.”  Daniel walked up to them with a piece of paper clenched in his hand.

          “That was quick,” Danny said.

           “The record keeper had little to do,” Daniel replied.  “I found where  your aunt is, and we can take a boat there right now.”

          “Do we really have to go?” Molly asked despairingly.  “I know we can’t go home, but we could stay with the ponies.”

           “If you are leaving because of my prior behavior,” Wind Whistler said,  “I deeply apologize and wish you would not leave us believing there is  any animosity.”

          “It’s not that,” Daniel said.  “We can’t impose on you, and I should let my sister know anyway.”

          Wind Whistler bowed her head so Daniel could take the locket.  “I guess I should return the locket.”

          Daniel held out his hand.  “Keep it.  You’ve done more with it than we could.”

           Wind Whistler picked up her head, than pang of guilt returned.  “Then I  guess this is goodbye.  We will continue our efforts to rescue your  daughter.”

          “Thanks.”  Daniel ushered Daniel and Molly  towards some small boats on the valley side of the moraine parked by a  distant building.  “Come along, you two.”

          Molly turned back to Wind Whistler and waved.  Wind Whistler waved back.

           No sooner had they climbed into a boat that was pulled away by two  horses on the shore, than the others came up to her with a cart hitched  to Bow-Tie and Posey loaded with goods.  There were sacks of flour,  sugar, salt, jars of some basic species, several bolts of fabric, boxes  of colorful ribbons, bandages, iodine, basic medicines like penicillin,  and one tiny crystal cactus in a pot.

          Paradise flew in  and showed Wind Whistler a book displaying a title in runes, but  including some that were not from the keyboard.  “This is a translation  dictionary from Old Borean to modern Common.”

          “I assume Common is the name of the language being spoken here,” Wind Whistler replied.

           Paradise nodded.  “It’s convenient it mirrors Equestrian so well.”  She  held up the book.  “And with this, I can translate the books in the  library and the labels on the machine as well.”

          She  showed took out a piece of paper she had folded in the book.  “I also  made a chart of the sound value for each rune.”  She had drawn thirty  runes and under it was a symbol for the sound in Equestrian, including  the phonetic letters not used in normal text.  “Both are purely phonetic  alphabets, so every rune represents a specific sound.”

           “Glad you found something to do.”  Wind Whistler was more of a  mathematics pony than linguistics.  On the subject of math, she looked  at the pile of goods and tried guess how much all of it cost.  “Did you  spend all twenty kilograms of silver?”

          Cupcake shrugged.  “Only a little more than five.  Though, Sparkler didn’t buy any jewelry.”

          “This world’s diamond dogs are nice enough, but their prices are insane,” Sparkler said.

          “So, they left?” Cupcake asked.

          Wind Whistler nodded and felt a pit in her stomach.  “They’re going to stay with Daniel’s sister.”

          Cupcake sighed.  “That’s too bad.  Molly is such a cute little girl.”

           “They say it’s for the best,” Wind Whistler said wistfully.  Which was  true, but that nagging feeling she had done something wrong was still  gnawing at her.


* * *


          Returning to  the castle and not having anything in particular to do left Wind  Whistler alone with her thoughts which centered on Daniel and if she was  out of line.  It would not be the first time she ruined a relationship  before she realized what she had done.  Friendships were fleeting and  fragile for her, shattered before she even picked up on there being a  problem.  It would also not be the first time someone told her it was  not her fault to her face only to later discover it had been because she  had said something or not said something or done something that did not  register as significant to her but offended them.

          How  could she absorb academic facts readily, but have so much trouble  reading others?  It was like she had told Blueflower the previous  night.  The social setting was such an irrational minefield just looking  to blow up in her face, ponies expecting her to always behave perfectly  even if they seem to freely display their fault with an expectation of  them being ignored.  This was why Wind Whistler did her best to avoid  it.  It could not harm her if you are not in it.

          She  also had the problem of the harpies and the captured girl.  Twice they  had encountered the harpies, and it was a tenuous victory against one of  their weaker members and a hasty withdraw from just three of them.  If  they were going to save her, they would need to confront the harpies  directly.  They did not even know where they were based, so they had  literally nothing to even start on.

          There was also not  much to take her mind off of these concerns.  With the mystery of the  machine solved, there was not much about the castle that required too  much scientific or logical thought.  They were making themselves at home  in this castle.  Powder had finished making ice blocks for the  refrigerator room, and Cupcake wasted no time storing the milk and eggs  she had bought.

          A possible mystery was how a castle  could be so well maintained and furnished and yet completely devoid of  any foodstuffs.  The refrigerator room was room temperature and  completely dry when they found it, suggesting ice was never put in it  during the winter.  There was not even a block of salt in the kitchen,  but it had every appliance, container, and utensil you could think of in  immaculate condition.  The whole castle seemed like a museum piece  meant to be seen rather than lived in.

          “You look worried,” a voice said.

           Wind Whistler turned around and saw Shady step out of an alcove and  push her sunglasses from over her eyes to their usual place in her  mane.  She thought she had hid her expression of her concern, but  apparently not well enough.  “How can you tell?”

          “I’ve  seen that face too often in the mirror,” Shady replied.  “I worry a  lot.  I had actually gotten better about it.  I had a steady job, a  circle of friends I could trust.  It wasn’t the best, but it was  stable.  Now I’m on an alien world with a bunch of strangers and killer  bird creatures, and that worried face is back.  Are the harpies as bad  as I’ve heard?”

          “They’re two and half meters tall, have sharp talons for hands and feet, and carry longbows that loose arrows longer than you are tall,” Wind Whistler replied.

           Shady swallowed and slouched to make herself appear as small as  possible.  “We’re all gonna die.  I just know it.”  She shifted her eyes  from side to side and trembled.  “They’ll find us and slit all our  throats.  And that’s if they’re generous enough to make it quick.  I  don’t blame you for being worried.”

          “It’s actually not  them I’m worried about,” Wind Whistler said.  Well, they were one thing  that worried her, but she had more immediate concerns.  “I fear I have  destroyed a relationship through my actions.”

          “You faced down those terrible creatures, and you’re worried about a ruined friendship?” Shady asked.

          “Call me strange,” Wind Whistler sighed.  “Other ponies typically will.”

           Shady shook her head.  “Oh!  I’m didn’t mean it that way.  I actually  admire being able to face danger without fear.  I wish I could.”

           Wind Whistler was going to respond, but realized it would be rather odd  and uncomfortable to carry on a conversation in the middle of a hall.   “Do you want to have lunch together?” she asked.  “It would be more  comfortable to converse in the dining hall.”

          “Sure,” Shady replied.


* * *


           Wind Whistler picked up the tray of grass and flowers.  She could hear  cheerful singing coming from deeper within the kitchen.

           “So many fishes left in the sea,” Cupcake sang.  “So many fishes, but no  one for me.  I’m thinking, I’m thinking of cooking a love, soon after  supper is done.”

          Wind Whistler put the tray down.  “She seems particularly jovial since we returned,” she commented to Sweetie.

           “She was over the moon—both moons—once she put flour and sugar in a  bowl,” Sweetie replied.  “She started baking cookies immediately, and  said they’ll be a treat for dinner.”

          Wind Whistler  sniffed the sweet scent wafting from the kitchen, and her mouth started  watering.  “Do you know what kind?”

          “Just simple sugar cookies,” Sweetie said.  “Still, it’s something other than grass.”

          Wind Whistler sniffed the air again.  “And they smell delicious.”

           She picked up her tray and took it to where Shady was sitting and set  it down opposite to her.  She sat down and looked to the  vibrantly-colored earth pony.

          Wind Whistler paused as  she tried to think of a good way to break the ice.  “What part of  Equestria did you come from?”  Hometown was probably a good start.

          “Mareami,” Shady answered.  “You?”

          “Cloudsdale,” Wind Whistler said.  “What did you do for a living there?”

           Shady motioned up with her eyes to her sunglasses.  “I sold  sunglasses.  The sun is really intense down there, so you need  sunglasses to protect your eyes.  I had a vendor’s booth in the  visitor’s center.”  She slouched.  “Though, it’s probably been taken by  now.”

          Wind Whistler paused as she tried to think of what to say next.

          “What friendship do you think you ruined?” Shady asked.

           That worked.  “I fear I was too hostile towards Mr. Williams because he  didn’t tell us the full story of Boreans and the harpies.  He’s taking  his children to find his extended family.  He said it’s because he can’t  stay with ponies, but I have this fear he is mad at me for it despite  his claims otherwise.

          “It’s happened in the past.”  Wind  Whistler showed Shady her symbol of pink and baby blue whistles.  “I  was rather late getting my symbol.  I pursued various academic fields  believing my intelligence was my special talent, but when I succeeded I  did not have a symbol to show for it.  It didn’t appear until one of my  friends was in an extended feud with another pony.  My friend was  clearly in the wrong, and when I sided with the other pony, I realized  my special talent was using logic to remain impartial and not give into  to personal or emotional bias.  However, what good is gaining a symbol  when you lose one of your few friends.  She never spoke to me again, and  made her other friends purposefully ignore me.”

          She  gave a shrug.  “I knew I was right, but how they treated me still hurt.   Since then, I’ve avoided becoming too attached to other ponies and try  to keep my opinions to myself.  It seems like no one cares what I have  to say anyway, so there is no reason to waste my breath.”

           “She doesn’t sound like a friend,” Shady said.  “She sounds like  someone who just wants to be around ponies who agree with her.  If she  was a real friend, she would have appreciated you pointing out she was  wrong.”

          “Now that you mention it, that did seem to be the state of her little group,” Wind Whistler replied.

           “And Daniel is going to stay with his family now that he can’t go  home,” Shady said.  “It’s what I would do in his position.”

           “Which is the logical reason,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I had tried to  explain that to myself, but you helped me get over apprehensions of  fully embracing it.  I mean, he left his late wife’s prized heirloom  with me.  I doubt someone not intending to see us again would do that.   Thank you.”

          “Glad I could help,” Shady said.  “I can actually relate with not getting my symbol for so long.”

           She showed the glasses with dark blue rims and white lenses decorating  her haunch.  “I didn’t get it until a morning when my dad forgot his  sunglasses.  I was worried his eyes would be damaged, so I rushed them  to him before the sun came up.  I felt like it was what I was meant to  do, so I now I sell sunglasses.”

          She sighed.  “Though, I  have no sunglasses to sell, and there are only few ponies even if I  did.  I’m completely useless here.”

          “Don’t say that,”  Wind Whistler replied, hoping she was coming off as comforting as she  intended.  “You just helped me gain a new perspective on a negative  event in my life that had impeded my development of relationships and  stating my opinions.  Perhaps your talent is broader than you believe.”

          Shady looked to her and mouth bent up in the smallest grin.  “Would you be willing to help me?”

          “You helped me,” Wind Whistler said.  “It only seems fair.”

           “And I don’t care if you think I’m wrong and say it,” Shady added.  “If  anything, I prefer someone who’s honest and I can trust to tell me like  it is.”

          “You will certainly have it with me,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “And maybe you can help me be fearless,” Shady said.

           “I wasn’t without fear when I faced the harpies,” Wind Whistler  replied.  “I was actually very afraid of them.  I just didn’t let my  fear lead into blind panic and thought my way through the problem.”

          “Still better than I would have done,” Shady said.

           “Hey, Wind Whistler!”  Fizzy trotted up to the table.  “Who’s your  friend?!”  She turned to Shady who was leaning away.  “Hey!  You’re that  pony I saw earlier this morning!”

          Shady looked to Wind Whistler.  “Do you know her?”

          “Fizzy and I met last night,” Wind Whistler answered.  “She’s energetic but harmless.”

          Fizzy nodded.  “I hope I didn’t scare you,” she said in a softer voice.

          “I’m just jumpy being around strangers,” Shady replied.  “I’m not sure who I can trust.”

          “You can trust us,” Fizzy said.  She extended her hoof.  “I’m Fizzy as you could have already guessed.”

          “Shady.”  Shady hooked her pastern cautiously with Fizzy’s and take a shook.

          “I hope we can be friends,” Fizzy said.

          Shady smiled.  “I would actually like that.”

           “Too it’s bad they didn’t bring me along this morning,” a voice stated  proudly.  The white unicorn with a red streak in her dark green mane  stepped up onto a table with several ponies watching.  The purple maple  leafs of her symbol were striking against her pale coat.  “If I had been  there, I would have blown those harpies into next Tuesday.”

           An aqua aura surrounded her horn and the energy started to spin around  it like a small tornado.  The chandelier directly above her twisted and  swung in the wind she created.  “They might have scared some pegasi, but  they’ll rue the day they come against Gusty!”

          “Leave it to a unicorn with wind magic to be such a blowhard,” Wind Whistler commented.

          Fizzy snickered.  “That’s a good one.”

          Wind Whistler grinned.  “It was, wasn’t it?”

          “I wish I was like her,” Shady said.  “She’s not afraid of anything.”

           “Everyone is afraid of something,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Either  that, or they’re a fool.  Regardless, she hasn’t faced the harpies  directly, so she really doesn’t know what it’s like to be in the sights  of their longbows.  It’s easy to be brave when the danger is only  conceptual.”

          Gusty must have overheard as she hopped off  the table and trotted up to them, glowering at Wind Whistler  specifically.  “Do you doubt my abilities?”  She got almost nose to nose  with Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler had never been much  for physical confrontation and avoided it when she could.  “No,” she  replied.  “I just believe you are underestimating our adversary which is  dangerous.”

          Gusty turned away from her.  “When I meet them, you’ll see who’s dangerous.”

           A dull, electronic chime came from several points in the dining hall at  one.  Everyone flinched and looked up towards the ceiling and walls.   “What was that?” Shady asked.

“HEY EVERYBODY!  WE’VE GOT AN INTERCOM!”  Surprise’s voice shrieked around them.  Wind Whistler joined with  everyone else in ducking her head and pinning her ears back at the  piercing scream.

“Don’t yell into the microphone, Surprise!” Magic Star’s voice scolded but sounded farther away.  “Do you want to make everyone deaf?”

“Sorry about that,” Surprises voice replied sheepishly.  “I just got a bit excited over getting it to work.”

           “You have to wonder how we’ve managed to survive this long,” Cherries  Jubilee commented to Sundance next to her, but loud enough to be heard  by others.

“Assuming you can all still hear, yes this castle has an intercom system,” Magic Star’s voice came from speakers hidden among the beams and stone.  “That  means we can broadcast regular announcements and other information.   Any white panels you see also access the intercom in case of an  emergency."

          “We’re certainly making ourselves at  home,” Shady said.  “All the supplies you brought back were paid for  with silver out of the castle’s vault.”

          “It was rather  shocking there wasn’t even evidence of food being in that kitchen for  months, but the vault was practically bursting at the seams with real  treasure,” Wind Whistler said.  “Silver coins, gold bars, precious  stones—it must be the equivalent of a few milliards of bits in there.”

          “That’s convenient,” Fizzy said.

           “It’s also worrisome,” Shady replied.  “What if someone owns this  castle and they come back for it?  What if they throw us out or accuse  us of stealing when they find out we used their money?”

          “For the love of—” Gusty grumbled.  “Do you do anything but predict doom and gloom?”

          “I’d sell sunglasses if I had them,” Shady answered.

          Gusty grit her teeth and exhaled a groan.

           “I am inclined to believe this castle was recently abandoned,” Wind  Whistler said.  “We’ve been here for three days with absolutely no sign  of the previous inhabitants.  There would be at least some evidence of  them.”

          “Why is everything is such good condition then?”  Shady asked.  “And who would leave that much money just lying in the  vault?”

          Wind Whistler shrugged.  “Who is to say the  money has not gone unnoticed for an extended period of time and multiple  owners.  We only learned of it because Surprise gets into everything  and Sparkler is good at defeating locks.  The underground chamber had  definitely not seen a soul for centuries if the dust down there is any  indication.

          “As for the castle’s condition, preservation  magic might have been used,” she continued.  “Maintaining a castle this  size would require substantial resources and personnel otherwise.  It  might have ceased being a dwelling and is instead an exhibit which would  explain the lack of food stores.”

          “In the middle of nowhere?” Shady asked.

          “Or an item in a collection,” Wind Whistler answered.

           “And if someone owns the castle, they could be nice and glad we’re  staying in it,” Fizzy said.  “There’s plenty of room, and we’re taking  good care of it.”

          “You can beat your gums about  theories”—Gusty walked away from them—“I’m going to go practice my  magic.  Beating those harpies is at the top of the list, not throwing  around ideas about this castle’s past.”

          “That wasn’t very nice,” Fizzy commented once Gusty had left the dining hall.  “So what if we were just talking?”

          “Some ponies don’t care about talking,” Shady said.  “They just want to do.”

           “Taking the time to discuss the matter is better than jumping into the  incorrect action without consideration,” Wind Whistler said.  “Let’s  hope she’ll at least look before she leaps on that day she does come face to face with the harpies.”


* * *


           Gusty winked from the courtyard to outside the castle’s perimeter.  The  world regained form as the shore of the fjord.  The air was already  getting hot and sticky with hazy sunshine beating down, which meant it  was less dense than normal.  That was just fine since she could practice  maximizing the force she could put behind the thinner air.

           The valley was definitely beautiful, even the castle seeming natural  amongst the otherwise untouched landscape.  She tried to imagine what it  will look like in autumn when the leaves begin to change.  Along with  the apple and cherry trees there were oaks, poplars, ashes, elms,  hickories, and her personal favorite: sugar maples.  They would be  absolutely ablaze with color and dropping them into piles to jump in  when the weather started to turn in four months or so.

Four months,  she thought.  This was only the third day they had been here, and she  was already thinking about them being here for months.  That was giving  up on them getting home too easily.  They got here somehow, so there had  to be a way home.

          “Enough thinking,” she said to  herself.  “You’re starting to act like those weirdoes in the dining  hall.  We need action if we’re going to get anywhere.”

           She pointed her horn at the surface of the lake.  Air against water was  always a good exercise, especially salt water which was heavier.  She  summoned her magic and took charge of the surrounding air and twisting  it into a vortex to gain speed.  As she got it as fast as it could go,  she threw it forward.  The air continued to spin like the bit of a drill  and slammed into the water.  The water was denser, but the wind had  more energy behind it as she sent more forward.  That was all the  science stuff she needed to know.  The water gave, splitting away like a  zipper being unzipped and the waves rolled aside in either direction.

           Gusty relinquished her magic, and the air returned to its calm state.   The air had torn across the water for several dozen meters, and the  waves were several centimeters high.  “Not bad for a warm up,” Gust said  to herself.  “Let’s see if I can get those waves to a quarter meter.”

           She loosened up and prepared to summon her magic when something caught  the corner of her eye.  At first she thought it could have been those  harpies, but it was approaching from the ground.  It was a cart with a  canopy over it, but there was nothing pulling it.  It puttered along,  climbing a rolling hill slowly before descending it and coming up the  next.

          Gusty gave a second’s thought to confronting it,  but decided to let the others know.  She winked back within the confines  of the perimeter wall and ran into the cool air inside of the castle.   She ran into Skyflier almost immediately after exiting the foyer.

           “There’s something coming at us,” Gusty said, making sure not to sound  panicked.  “Do you know where the intercom thing is?”

          Skyflier pointed at a white panel on the wall.  “There’s one right there.”

          “Thanks.”  Gusty ran to the panel and smacked the button.  An electronic chime sounded.

          “Wait!” Skyflier called after her.  “What’s coming at us?”


* * *


           Wind Whistler shook the cup, the dice inside rattling against its  interior and her hoof.  After enough times that she figured the sides  facing up would have no correlation to their starting place, she smacked  the cup on the table.  “Even or odd, Fizzy?”

          “Sometimes  I wonder if it’s really a fifty/fifty chance of them either being even  or odd.”  Shady flicked one of the spare dice with her hoof.

           “Including repeats, there are thirty-six possible combinations of rolls  with two six-sided dice,” Wind Whistler said.  “Eighteen are odd and  eighteen are even.”

          “What about the others?” Fizzy asked.  “Or if we added more?”

           The die set they found had seven each of four, six, eight, twelve, and  twenty-sided dice as well as seven pairs of percentage dice.  Each group  was a different color—black, white, red, yellow, green, blue, and  purple—with digits indented into them that were slithering symbols.  The  lighter colored dice highlighted them with black paint and darker  colors used white.

          They were a beautiful set made of a  hardened ceramic.  “They all have an even number of sides, so half of  the possible results being odd and half being even would still hold  true.”

          The digits had caught Wind Whistler’s attention.   They were similar to Saddle Arabian digits with each one distinct.   Though, they were different from those.  Fortunately one of the books in  the library had a page showing each one corresponding to the staff and  bar system used by the machine so they could tell the value of each.

          “Speaking of even and odd,” Shady said, “we could use a fourth pony.  So many games need two or four players.”

          “I would wonder who make a good fourth member,” Fizzy mused.

          “That is something to consider later,” Wind Whistler said.  “For now, it is still your turn.”

          “Oh!  Right,” Fizzy said.  “I pick even.”

          Wind Whistler picked up the cup to show the two dice showing three and five, totaling an even eight.

           Fizzy cheered and levitated a cookie off the plate as her prize.  She  took a bite and chewed it with a grin.  “These cookies are so good.  It  was really nice of Cupcake to let us taste test the first batch.”

          Wind Whistler placed the cup back over the dice.  “It’s your turn to roll, Fizzy.”  She pushed them to Fizzy.

          Fizzy pushed the dice into the cup and covered the opening with her hoof.

          “How are you doing today?” Paradise asked, clutching a book on her front hooves as she hovered in.

          “I’m doing well considering the excitement of this morning,” Wind Whistler replied.

           Paradise shuddered.  “Don’t remind me of that.”  She set down the  book.  “Now that I know what I’m reading, I’ve started going into the  books.  The evolution this is alphabet is fascinating.”

          “Do tell!” Fizzy chirped.

           Paradise grinned, apparently all too pleased to do so.  “The  twenty-four runes on the machine below us are for the old Borean  language before the fall of their Empire.  There were six vowels and  eighteen consonants.”  She laid out her ‘cheat sheet’ with the runes and  their sounds.  “After the fall, the alphabet was condensed to  twenty-one as they decided the voiced and voiceless sounds could be  represented by a single rune like the non-sibilant fricatives were, but  they kept the g-rune for the sound at the end of loch.”  She pronounced  the word in its traditional way instead of ending it in the ‘k’ sound.

          “What’s a non-sibilant fricative?” Fizzy asked.

          “Oh, sorry,” Paradise said.  “I should probably not get too deep into the jargon.”

           She adjusted the glasses on her nose.  “Then came Common which is the  language spoken today.  It’s a constructed language agreed upon by all  of the peoples as the language of international diplomacy of commerce so  anyone from anywhere to speak to anyone else from anywhere else.”

          “That sure is convenient,” Fizzy said.

           “For the writing system, they took the old Borean alphabet—since it was  the best known thanks to the influence of the Empire and added to it,”  Paradise continued.  “They added the ‘sh’, ‘zh’, ‘ch’, and ‘j’, sounds  due to their widespread use as well as breaking ‘v’ from ‘f’ and (the  voiced) ‘th’ from (the voiceless) ‘th’.  The sound the post-empire  alphabet adopted is considered too rare and regional to be included as  well as that voiceless ‘w’ sound Truly uses in her drawl.  They just put  their h-rune behind k and w respectively for them.”

          Even if linguistics were not her forte Wind Whistler was intrigued.  “What about vowels?”

           “Vowels are a muddier subject,” Paradise said.  “There are six of them,  and they seem to be sections of articulation rather than distinct  sounds: closed-front, closed-back, mid-front, mid-central, mid-back, and  open.  There is a long and short sound in each, the former being  represented by doubling the runes.  There also three diphthongs for  ‘ai’, ‘oi’, and ‘au’.”

          “Interesting, that almost  perfectly aligns with the Equestria sound inventory,” Wind Whistler  said, she knew at least that much about language.

          “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?” Fizzy asked Shady who only shook her head in response.

          “How can their language be exactly like ours?” Shady asked.

           “Perhaps they are like the plants,” Wind Whistler suggested.  “The  language has same point of origin and were either imported or exported  at some point in the past.”

          “But languages change all  the time,” Shady said.  “Think of the words that have been added,  dropped, or changed in just the last century.”  She pointed to the  sunglasses decorating her haunch.  "This is a symbol rather than a cutie  mark to most now."

          “It’s also possible our minds were  altered to recognize Common as Equestrian.”  Ribbon stepped up to them.   “There you are, Paradise.  I heard you picked up a book on the Common  language.”

          Paradise closed the book on her sheet and held it out.  “Do you want to see?”

           Ribbon held out her hoof and shook her head.  “No thank you for now.   Language has just been on my mind, and I’ve done some surface scans of  my mind and those of others.  There are changes to our language  centers.  Whatever brought us here must have done something to make it  so we recognize the local language and speak it as if it was our own.   Notice how we’ve replaced ‘pony’ with ‘one’ in terms like ‘everyone’ and  ‘anyone’?”

          Wind Whistler thought about that and  realized she even used those terms in her thinking.  They still called  themselves ponies as individuals and their kind in general, and they  used their particular terms for age and gender for themselves and parts  of themselves.  However, those particular words had changed.  In fact,  they seemed more natural and “everypony” and “somepony” seemed alien to  think let alone speak.

          Shady swallowed.  “Then we don’t even speak Equestrian anymore?”

          “You can read minds?” Fizzy asked excitedly.

          Ribbon smiled and gave a nod.  “It’s my—”

          An electronic chime came from speakers.

“Hey, I need everyone’s attention!” Gusty’s voice came over the speakers.  “There’s a weird land vehicle coming at the castle from the east.  Everyone head to the east wall.”

          Shady made herself small and trembled.  “The harpies found us.”

           “They would be approaching from the air if they did,” Wind Whistler  said.  “I don’t know what would be approaching on land.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler landed on the east wall where most everyone else had  already gathered.  The last remaining pegasi landed, unicorns winked in,  and earth ponies came out of doors in the towers.  Blueflower took  position in the center of the crowd.

          The self-propelled  land vehicle puttered towards them with no hurry.  It followed the shore  of the fjord and came to a stop in front of the castle.  The blue and  white canopy blocked her view of the interior and who or what was  driving it.  It lurched to the side as its passenger got out of it  before it fell back onto its four wheels.

          From what Wind  Whistler could tell, he was human.  However, he was so fat he was  almost shaped like a ball with a round head on top and thick limbs  coming out of the practically spherical body.  His head was mostly  hairless with only a spiky mane of reddish-brown hair around the back  and a thin line up the middle that curled over his forehead.  His attire  was bright with a yellow shirt, red pants, and a cape with a tall  collar.

          He looked up with a smug grin which immediately fell into a bewildered stare.  “What are horses doing here?”

          “We’re ponies,” Bleuflower responded sharply.  “There’s a difference.”

          “Who are you?” Magic Star asked.

           The man took hold of his cape bowed.  “I am the Wizard Wantall of Mount  Avarice.”  That smirk returned as he looked up to them.  “And this  castle belongs to me.”

          Gasps came from the crowd.  “I knew it!” Shady shouted.

           “He’s lying,” Ribbon stated.  “The previous owner died recently, and  he’s been looking to claim it for himself.  However, we got here first.”

           Wantall’s smirked sank into a frown as he glared at Ribbon.  “And why,  my dear…lady, would you make such a scandalous accusation of me?”

          “Because I’m a telepath,” Ribbon answered.  “I picked it up from your thoughts.”

          “You dare intrude my mind??” Wantall blustered.  “How dare you?”

           “I didn’t have to go that far in since you were shouting, ‘I’ll just  dupe these candy-colored horses out of the castle,’ at the top of your  mind,” Ribbon said.

          “We could share the castle,” Fizzy suggested.  “There’s plenty of room.”

          Wantall clapped his hands together.  “Bless your heart, young lady.  That is a brilliant idea.”

          “And now he’s thinking of how he can get rid of us once he gets inside,” Ribbon said.

          Wantall glared up at them.

           “If the castle was up for grabs, we claimed it three days ago,”  Blueflower said.  “Go back to your Mount Avarice and leave us in peace.”

           “I warn you, ponies,” Wantall snarled, his voice becoming blunter.  “If  diplomacy will not compel you to leave, then I have no other option  than to resort to violence.”  He pushed up his sleeves.  “I am a  powerful wizard, and my magic is not to be trifled with.”

          “Uh huh,” Blueflower replied casually.  “Well, I’m a powerful unicorn.  Care to put your magic where your mouth is?”

           She twirled her horn to build up magic and shot it towards the wheels  of Wantall’s vehicle.  The rubber tires suddenly became square.  Wantall  jumped back at this.  He swung back to stare up to Blueflower.

           “How about I put it this way,” Blueflower said.  She balanced her chin  on the outside of her pastern and stared down with a sly grin.  “Leave our castle and fjord if you don’t want to become the world’s largest die.”

           Wantall turned between Blueflower and the tires of his vehicle.  He  stopped and pointed at her.  “Just feel lucky I wasn’t prepared for a  fight today.”  He bowed.  “I’ll leave you for now.”  He climbed into his  vehicle which almost fell over as it took on his weight.  “But you  haven’t heard the last of the Wizard Wantall!”

          He drove  off, his vehicle bouncing along on its square wheels.  Wind Whistler  could feel her back start to hurt just thinking of the bumpy ride.

          Others in the crowd hooted, cheered, and bid Wantall sarcastic goodbyes.

           Blueflower turned to North Star and Lofty.  “Follow well behind him to  make sure he leaves the valley, but don’t get too close.”

          “Sure thing,” Lofty said as she and North Star spread their wings and took to the air.

           Shady slumped and trembled.  “Bird creatures, evil wizards—we’re up to  our eyeballs in powerful enemies.  Will we ever find powerful friends?”


* * *


           Lofty held well back from Wantall as his vehicle bounced along.   Fortunately, her sight was good, so even hanging well back let her he  his vehicle clearly.  She was not sure where he got a device that  propelled itself when they had not seen any evidence of this technology  before and wondered if it was powered by his magic.

           Wantall stopped at the mouth of the fjord where the terrain would become  even more unlevel.  He rubbed what had to be very achy hind end and  grimaced at the tires.  Lofty and North Star hid and watched him to see  if he would try anything.  However, all he did was cast a spell to make  his tires round again.  Undoing a spell that Blueflower did not have  break a sweat to cast seemed take a lot out of him.  He wavered before  toppling backwards and laid there, breathing heavily for several  minutes.

          “Obviously this ‘powerful’ wizard was no match for a seasoned unicorn like Blueflower,” North Star commented.

           He finally got up and climbed back into his vehicle.  He traveled along  a winding and wavy path of crushed gravel cut into the wall of the  valley and took the corner to parallel the main fjord.

          Lofty waited until the sound of his motor faded entirely before she allowed herself to relax.

          “Good riddens to bad rubbish.”  North Star wiped her hooves against each other like she was casting off dirt.

          “You said it,” Lofty replied.

          “Fortunately he was easier to dispatch than the harpies,” North Star said.  “I dearly hope they never find our fjord.”


* * *


          Alecta paced behind the firing line.  “Knock!”

          The others pulled arrows from their quivers and placed the ends on their bowstrings.

          “Draw!”

          They pulled back the arrows to bend the bows and aimed down.

          “LOOSE!”

           They let go of the arrows and they shot down towards targets on the  ground far below them.  Several of them found their mark while the few  misses shattered on the rocks.

          “Once again!”  Alecta turned and paced the other way.

          “Knock!”

          Pull out arrows and place them on the bowstring.

          “Draw!”

          Pull back and aim.

          “LOOSE!”

          Let the arrows fly.

          Alecta turned.  “Once again!”

          “Beta Frona is approaching!”  Bernice announced.  “However, only Omega Desdemona is with her.”

           “Hold.”  Alecta stepped in front of the firing line and watched as the  two harpies glided towards them.  They landed in front of her and  kneeled on one knee.

          “Where is Melinda?” Alecta asked.

           “She remained behind to lie in wait for the humans and their pony  allies in case they return, Glorious Alpha,” Frona answered, keeping her  head low.

          “Then you failed me as well, Beta?” Alecta snarled.

           “If you would spare me your wrath, Glorious Alpha, these ponies are  particularly clever prey,” Frona said, her voice even and devoid of  emotion.  “They will require more strategy to subdue.”

           Alecta flexed her talons.  “I don’t want to hear your excuses.”  She  turned her back to her Beta to display her displeasure.  “An Omega being  bested by prey I will tolerate to a degree, but not from my second in  command.”

          “The ponies have the locket,” Frona said.

          Alecta swung around.  “What?”

          “Melinda said the pony who assaulted her had it,” Frona reported.

           “After generations hunting down that family and the locket, and they  hand it over to a bunch of undersized grass-eaters!” Alecta roared, her  anger rising above any level of restraint.  “How dare they insult us  like this?!”

          She spun around to the other harpies who flinched before straightening to attention.

           Alecta fumed, but she eventually got herself back under control.  She  corrected her posture and exhaled a cleansing breath.  “Get fresh  bowstrings and fill your quivers,” she said in a controlled voice.   “Split into teams of two and search that malformed valley for any sign  of these…ponies.”  The very word was acrid in her mouth.  “I want to  know where they live"—she displayed one of her talons, sharp as any  artificial blade—“so I can personally tear open their necks one by one  until they give up the locket.”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” the others said at once.

          They ran into the entrance of the stronghold.

          “Glorious Alpha.”  Frona stood up.  “Shall I retrieve Melinda?”

           “No, Beta,” Alecta replied, thinking about her strategies.  “You were  right to have her lie in wait at their house.  However, you two will  join the others.”

          The others filed out with quivers full of arrows and their bows unstrung.

           “Search every corner of that valley and then the adjacent fjords,”  Alecta commanded.  “I don’t care about the apes anymore.  Those ponies  are somewhere with the locket, and when you find them report back here.   Now, go, my harpies.  Fly!”

          One by one, her  subordinates spread their wings and dove over the cliff.  They let their  wings fill with air and glided away from the mountain.  Alecta watched  as they paired off and few towards the north and west.

           Thanatos flew out of the stronghold’s entrance and landed on her  shoulder.  She stroked his feathers, soothing her rage somewhat.

           “Horses are very good at running away, my pet,” Alecta said to him,  regaining her composure.  “They’re swift and can outlast most  predators.  However, when you corner them and cut off their avenues of  escape—” she clenched her fist in front of him “—they’re just big  targets.

          “The ponies might think they can hide from us,  but we’ll find them.  We’ll attack where they’re holed up with the  locket, and this time they’ll have nowhere to run and know the sharpness  of our talons on their throats.  The locket and the Bifröst will  finally be ours.”  She allowed herself a cruel chuckle as the others  became indiscernible specks against the sky.
> Chapter 7: Welcome to Dream Castle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Paradise loved the concept of language.  It was the  foundation of her favorite pastime: reading.  It was really a trick of  the mind when boiled down to its most basic mechanics.  On the spoken  side, grunts had been assigned meaning and putting them in certain  sequences conveyed an idea.  On the written side, squiggles on the page  had become letters which were also put into sequences to convey ideas.   In their brains, meanings had been assigned to what are otherwise  meaningless.

          She thought about this as she looked at the  sheet of old Borean text Twilight Mist had provided her.  It was some  kind of message left in the machine below them, but it was gibberish to  her.  The straight lines and sharp angles were just squiggles.  Even if  they were not, the sequences they were arranged in had no meaning in her  mind.

          Looking to her cheat sheet with thirty runes and  their meanings in Old and New Borean as well as Common, she thought back  to what Ribbon had told her and Wind Whistler.  When they were brought  here, something was changed in their brains so they understood spoken  Common as if it was the Equestrian they had spoken their entire lives.   Yet, text was different.

          She figured whatever change  that happened to their brains required a foundation.  As Wind Whistler  pointed out, Common and Equestrian had the exact same sound  inventories.  This made sense because both were composite languages.   Proto-Ponish was developed from the languages of the three tribes,  actually predating Equestria by several centuries as a language of  commerce and diplomacy much like Common.  Sounds were added, dropped,  combined, and split.  Both these languages seemed to keep the consonants  as distinct-sounding as possible so any speaker could pick it up.

           That was a foundation for understanding the spoken language.  Ponies  knew the sounds, so only how the sequences were interpreted needed to be  changed.   The written language was a different matter.  Ponies had  never used runes like these.  There was no foundation to build upon, so  they were nothing but unrecognizable squiggles in their minds.  They  would need to be learned.  At least the language was phonetic so words  were literally spelled as they were said.

          Though, now  that she had the chance to scrutinize these runes, she seemed to  remember some of the oldest charms created by Starswirl the Bearded  resembled the Old Borean runes.  Perhaps, in his travels across worlds,  he had come to this place.  Unfortunately, that would be no help to  them.  Time had finally caught up with him decades ago, and she doubted  he ever spoke of this world if it never made it to the page.

          “How’s it going?” Blueflower’s voice asked.

          Paradise spun around with a start, realizing just far she had fallen into her thoughts.  “Oh, Blueflower, hello.”

           She organized the books and papers on the desk.  “I’m still getting use  to reading things in these runes.  I should probably sit down with some  of the more basic stories and read through them get my brain to  recognize them naturally.”

          She sat back.  “Then I have  the old language to go back and translate.”  She picked up the  translation book she had bought.  “At least I have a reference for the  words.  Hopefully the syntax will be similar enough to Old Ponish that I  can put them together in proper sentences.”

          “You should  probably concentrate more on learning the current language before  trying to translate another,” Blueflower said.  “You shouldn’t jump into  the deep end before you even know how to swim.”

          “You’re  probably right,” Paradise said.  Blueflower was certainly right, but  Paradise felt a rather embarrassed starting over from almost square one  in her profession of language.  She typically would just jump into  translating old texts, but this was not Equestria.  Whether they liked  it or not, as long as they were here, these runes were the alphabet.

          “What has you so interested in the old language anyway?” Blueflower asked.

           “Oh, Twilight Mist found a message in the databanks of the machine down  there,” Paradise answered.  “We’re wondering if it’s the instruction  manual, and if it might tell us more about how to use it.”

          “Well, I’ll leave you to your work,” Blueflower said.

          Blueflower turned to leave the library, but a thought came to Paradise.  “Blueflower—”

          Blueflower stopped and turned to her.

           “Do you think it’s right for us to simply claim this castle?” Paradise  asked.  “I know the previous owner died, but it feels odd to just  declare it ours.”

          Blueflower grinned.  “There’s an old  saying that possession is nine tenths of the law.  We were brought to  this castle in the first place, and it’s the only shelter we’ve found  with no living owner.  Would you rather be out there in the wilds,  especially knowing what’s out there?”

          Paradise’s veins  became icy rivers at the thought of the harpies.  Forget the  uncontrolled weather and any possible beasts out there.  Those things  lurking in this world made Paradise grateful to be encased on stone in  some obscure fjord.  “I see your point.”

          Blueflower  again turned away to leave, and Paradise went back to her reading.  If  anything it would get the harpies out of her mind.


* * *


           Blueflower had lived her entire century and a half in Canterlot as a  lady of the court.  She was actually there for the events surrounding  the Elements of Harmony and the Princess of Friendship.  In fact, she  was quite a vocal critic of Princess Celestia’s methods in facing the  seemingly endless crises of that period.  She stopped at a mirror and  looked at the face staring back at her.  It was a much older one she  shoved into the Alacorn Princess of the Sun’s.


* * *


           It was just after Tirac—or Tirek, or however he spelled it—was  recaptured and sent back to Tartarus.  Equestria was recovering from the  damage he and Discord had caused.  Blueflower watched from the balcony  as storefronts replaced their windows or just nailing boards to them  because the damage was too severe to reopen.

          There was a  change in the atmosphere of Canterlot even more so than after the  Changeling attack the previous year.  Ponies avoided the shadows, and  almost never went anywhere alone after dark.  The fear was almost  tangible.

          “You’re spending a lot of time watching from up here, my little pony,” a warm and gentle voice said.

           It was meant to be comforting, but it brought Blueflower’s blood to a  boil.  “I’m more than fifty years old and a lady of the court, not a  wide eyed student in your school.  Please don’t refer to me that way.”

           Princess Celestia came to stand beside her.  “Sorry, Lady Blueflower.”   She turned her attention to the streets below.  “What are you  watching?”

          “Your folly,” Blueflower said plainly.  “None  of this would have happened if you confronted Tirek yourself when he  was still weak.”  She turned to Celestia.  The alacorn towered over her,  her coat the palest pink and her dawn grated hair wafting despite no  breeze.  Her horn stood tall on her forehead and her wings could envelop  Blueflower.  The sun gleamed on her gold chest place and jeweled crown.

           However, all Blueflower saw at the moment was a gilded fool.  “Please  tell me you’re going to kill that thing this time.  There’s no reason to  keep him alive.”

          “And here I thought you were a  bleeding heart liberal,” Celestia said.  “I seem to remember the speech  you gave about how execution was one of the last vestiges of barbarism.”

           “He’s an enemy at war with us, not a common criminal,” Blueflower  stated.  “It’s not like you tried him in court the first time you  imprisoned him or this time.  You just threw him into Tartarus on  nothing but your own judgment.

          “And look at the damage he did after you became aware of him.”  She pointed to the streets.  “Lives have been destroyed.”

           She turned to the streets again.  One of the boarded up business  speared her heart.  “Tailor Tape made my cutinera dress, and now he’s  lost the boutique he put decades of hard work and sacrifice into.

           “If Tirac escapes again, we’ll go through all of this again.  More  lives will be torn apart.”  She thought of other communities out there,  appearing like nothing but patches of brown and gray in the plain of  green from Canterlot’s mountainside perch.  Tirac’s rampage had to have  been even more devastating to the ponies living there.  “He’s down there  plotting his next escape, you know.  Even if it takes a thousand more  years, he’ll find a weakness.”  She glared up at Princess Celestia.   “He’s an undeniable threat to all of us and shouldn’t be allowed to  continue.”

          After a pause, Celestia asked, “Did he get you?”

          “What does that have to do with anything?” Blueflower asked in response.

          “Please humor me, Lady Blueflower,” Celestia said in a gentle but stern tone.

          “No,” Blueflower said.  The next sentence made her twist inside.  “I hid.”

          “That’s all you could have done,” Princess Celestia said.

           “Because you let him get that powerful,” Blueflower stated.  “Why did  you send Discord after him in the first place instead handling it  personally?  And what did you think sending Princess Twilight Sparkle  into hiding with your collective powers would do?  You have had several  critical lapses in judgment this past year and half, but your blunders  almost cost us everything this time.  Do you even think things through  anymore?”

          Blueflower stopped when she remembered she was  speaking to the highest of the princesses and a powerful being more  than twenty times her age.  She could find herself in a cell next to  Tirac for this.

          Celestia looked down to her and smiled.   “You need to have faith, Lady Blueflower.  We’re all alive and have our  magic again.  We will rebuild.  Tailor Tape’s boutique will be reopened  under a pony of good reputation; I have made assurances of that.  As  for him, he will make dresses again in another community.  Things have a  way to work their way out.”

          Blueflower shook her head as she watched the streets.  “No.  We work things out.”


* * *


           As much as she hated Princess Celestia’s methods, Blueflower found  herself becoming more and more like her as the decades past and she  entered the second half and now third quarter of her life.  She picked  up her sense of humor and even tendency to call those under her little  ponies.  However, one thing she would never accept is just having faith.

           Things never simply work themselves out.  Problems required effort and  direction to be solved.  Though, she knew she could never do it all.   Along with honing magic on par with even the alacorns, she had become a  very good judge of character over the past century.

          Yet,  she found herself thinking of what the Alacorn Princess of the Sun  would do in this situation.  Her resources were limited, only  thirty-seven ponies and the contents of this castle at their disposal.   That seemed to be right up Princess Celestia’s alley.  Only they were  it.  No reinforcements waiting should they fail, no royal guards to  protect them, no massive country rich in resources to call upon, and no  magical items to summon friendship-powered death beams.  Though, the  Elements of Harmony were designed to vanquish abominations, and were  most likely powerless against this vicious yet mortal foe.

           That was the wrinkle to all this.  The harpies were not  friendship-hating abominations but a race like ponies.  This would not  be a battle of ideas as a war of material gains and losses.  Their  objective was the save the girl the harpies held captive, and the  harpies’ objective was to claim the locket they had in their  possession.  At some point, they had to clash—pitting their resources  against one another—with one side claiming their prize and the other  being destroyed.

          Ponies, despite the multiple calamities  they faced in those few years, had not fought a conventional war in  millennia.  Not even the hostile encounters with the changelings or the  Storm King could be called anything close to a war, and Equestria lost  the main battles only for Princess Twilight Sparkle to pull victory out  of nowhere.

          Much of what ponies knew of war came from  speculative fiction which was based more the imagination of the authors  than any fact.  They created tales about weaponized spells that could  level of a city, even though no such spells had ever existed and would  kill dozen of magic-users casting it.  They would also be impractical as  it would destroy the spoils as well as the population.  Really, it was  just wish-fulfillment for crazed survivalists rather than trying to  capture the real facts of war.

          What she and this  collection of ponies faced here was more primeval.  The harpies were  using technology rather than magic.  They might not even have magic.   Yet, those longbows were deadly, she could tell just by looking at the  long shaft of yew wood and feeling the tension build in the string when  it was drawn.  The arrows loosed from them would skewer a pony like a  kabob.  Not even the armor the royal guards wore would protect them from  what were practically spears.  That was the reality they faced.

           She again focused on the face in the mirror.  These tangents of thought  were not going to get her anywhere.  “What would you do in my position,  Princess Celestia?  Or did you send us here to make some kind of  point?”

          A kind of answer came in the lights above her  dimming.  The glowing crystals in the chandeliers were fading.     Bow-Tie ran down the hall as more of the chandeliers as well as the  sconces lost their glow.

          “It’s happening here too,” Bow-Tie mused aloud.

          “What’s happening?” Blueflower asked.

          “Half the lights in the common areas are fading,” Bow-Tie answered.  “These crystals just started giving out.”

           Blueflower looked to the almost dark chandelier.  She had seen  Paradise’s expression when she suggested where they would be without  this castle.  “What about the other mechanisms of the castle?”

           Bow-Tie shrugged.  “They seem perfectly fine.  Magic Star sent Wind  Whistler, Sparkler, and Moondancer into the mechanical room to  investigate the heat pump and other machinery just to be sure.”

           “I should see what they’ve found,” Blueflower said.  She looked to the  chandelier again.  “Try to figure out what’s up with these crystals.”


* * *


           Heart Throb flew around the darkened chandelier in the foyer.  It was  the second most beautiful fixture in the castle after the one in the  ballroom.  Without it casting the light, the sunlight coming through the  stained glass made splotches of different colors on the walls.

           She pushed back the refractive crystals to the ones that should be  glowing, only they were simply milky and looked rather dull.  “Come on,  darlings.  Why have you given up?  You make such a beautiful chandelier  that welcomes all who visit the castle.”  She looked around at the harsh  patches of light and shadow and cringed at the garish sight.  “Now it  looks like its straight out of a horror movie.”

          A series  of knocks came on the main doors.  Heart Throb sank to the floor and  approached them.  More knocks came at the door.

          A face,  or something roughly shaped like a face, tilted into view in one of the  windows.  “Hello,” a gentle voice said, muffled by the glass.  “Anyone  home?”

          Heart Throb gave it a second’s thought, but  decided to answer the door.  She pushed it open just enough to crane her  head out.  “Yes, darling?”

          A wrinkled, human man with a  long white beard and mustache stood on the stoop.  A yellow robe with  borders of red triangles around the edges covered most of his body and a  red hat covered his wiry, white hair.  His eyes, behind a sphere of a  nose, were wide with shock.  “You did show up!”

          “Excuse me?” Heart Throb asked, taken aback by the outburst.

           The man quickly regained his composure and looked to Heart Throb with  gentle eyes.  “Sorry.  Where are my manners?  Greetings.”

          Heart Throb glanced to the drawbridge which was still up.  “Hello.  How did you get in here?”

           The man stepped aside to reveal an ornate rug that was floating several  centimeters above the ground.  “A flying carpet.”  He stepped in front  of it.  “I apologize for bypassing the perimeter wall, but I saw your  drawbridge was up and I have urgent business.”

          “Business with whom?” Heart Throb asked.  “There are only ponies here.”

           The man nodded.  “I know.”  He bowed.  “I am the Wonderful Wizard,  known as Whizz for short.  I must speak with an older, white pony with a  horn coming out of her forehead and a silver streak in her blue mane.”

           Whizz held up his hands to form a circle with his fingers and an image  of Blueflower appeared between them.  “This is the pony I want to talk  to.  Is she here?”

          “Oh, well come in.”  Heart Throb  backed up and opened the door more.  “Forgive the bat cave.  We suddenly  have a light issue.”

          Whizz stepped in and looked around him.  “I see that?”


* * *


           One of the many fields Wind Whistler had studied was mechanics and in  particular alternative technologies.  Refrigerators and air conditioners  in Equestria used easily compressible refrigerants that could absorb  and release significant quantities of heat quickly.  However, this world  seemed to not have such chemicals.  Instead the refrigerator room  needed ice to maintain its colder temperature and the interior  temperature of the castle as a whole was regulated by this heat pump.

           The concept was simple.  At a certain depth, the temperature of the  ground was constant at roughly ten centigrades above freezing.  By  pumping air from the castle through tubes running that deep, its heat is  dispersed and the air returning is much cooler.

          The  machine hummed along, the pumps running on whatever was powering them.   With the lights going out, it was logical to be concerned with the other  equipment.  However, fortunately, they seemed unaffected.

           The mechanical room was one of the areas afflicted with the sudden loss  of light.  Light from Sparkler and Moondancer’s horn provided harsh  illumination, but it was enough for them to survey the large machine  sending pipes in every which direction.  With the stark and intertwining  shadows, it looked like some monstrous creature frozen in place.  Even  Blueflower was taken aback when she first saw it, but Wind Whistler  immediately recognized it as just a lifeless machine that was there to  help them.

          Sparkler opened a bulkhead on the side of the  machine to reveal some dials indicating flux of air through the system,  temperature, and electrical current used.  They were all right in the  middle of their green areas signifying they were all at optimal levels.

           “Doesn’t seem to be any problem here.”  Sparkler closed the bulkhead.   “It’s just that those crystals are losing their glow.”

          “But why?” Moondancer asked, not bothering to hide her fear.  “What do we do to get it back?”

          “Generating light expends energy,” Wind Whistler said.  “The crystals must have exhausted whatever stores they had.”

          “Why so many at once?” Sparkler asked.

           Wind Whistler shrugged.  “If they were all installed at once, they  would reach the point of exhaustion at roughly the same time.”

           “That might explain why the lights in the private rooms haven’t gone  dim,” Sparkler said.  “We’ve been closing them off at night, and those  mirrored strips probably conserve the light.”

          “The  question is if their energy is permanently drained meaning they must be  replaced, or if they can be somehow recharged,” Wind Whistler said.

          “What about the chamber under us?” Blueflower asked.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button her headset.  “You still have light down there?”

“Yes,” Twilight Mist answered.  “Whatever  lights the ceiling isn’t like the crystals you have up there.  I also  believe I have an answer for how the machines up there get power.   Whatever supplies electricity for this thing also supplies it to the  machines up there.”

          “Good to know.  Wind Whistler  out.”  Wind Whistler released the button.  “We’re getting power from  below us for the machinery.  So, our only concern is lighting.”

          “That’s good to know,” Blueflower replied.

          “Why doesn’t this castle just have electric lights then,” Moondancer asked.

           “You would need light bulbs to convert energy from the electrical  current into visible light,” Wind Whistler answered.  “It’s a much more  complex device than the electromagnetic motor running this heat pump and  might be beyond the technology of this world.  Instead, they use those  glowing crystals which were a reliable and safe light source until they  started to fade.”

          “Yet the chamber down there has light bulbs or something similar,” Sparkler said.

           “Just because they exist does not necessarily mean they can be  replicated,” Blueflower said.  “From what our scouts reported,  electricity and even these glowing crystals seem to be non-existent  outside of the castle.  After the fall of an advanced civilization,  several technologies are lost in the confusion as the infrastructure  collapses.  Even a machine as simple as this requires infrastructure to  be manufactured.”

          “Actually, the diamond dogs had some  of those glowing crystals and use them for their lamps,” Sparkler said.   “They called them something quartz, but they were asking for prices  more on par with diamonds.  I guess I should have asked how they  worked.”

          “I also believe whoever built this castle and  whoever built the machine below us were too different civilizations  entirely,” Wind Whistler continued to return them to the topic.  “Along  with the architectural and decorative differences, the gap between the  technical knowledge to build this castle and that chamber is  astronomical.  We’re talking a difference of centuries if not  millennia.”

          “Yet, they’re connected,” Moondancer said.

           “By a secret elevator and apparently some electrical cables,” Wind  Whistler replied.  “Likely, the builder of the castle discovered the  machinery and built over it so they could control access to it.”

          “So the chamber is more advanced yet older?” Sparkler asked.  “It’s like this world is moving backwards.”

           “Cataclysms have a way of doing that,” Blueflower said.  “War, natural  disasters on a global scale, or a pandemic could bring down even the  mightiest empires.  The machine below our hooves is a relic from a long  dead civilization that a younger one commandeered in the more recent  past.”

          Crashing and rattling echoed around them, sending  Sparkler clear off her hooves.  Several overdramatic screams and  comments were indicative of Heart Throb stumbling through the dark.  The  pink mare came into the light with a bucket on one leg and a mop on her  head.

          “That’s a good look for you,” Moondancer commented.

          Heart Throb scowled.  “I came to inform Blueflower she has a visitor.”

          “Who?” Blueflower asked.

           “A brightly dressed man who calls himself the Wonderful Wizard,” Heart  Throb answered.  “If you will excuse me, I will try to make it back  upstairs and regain some dignity.”

          She pulled the mop  off her head, and it took a couple of kicks to get the bucket off.  She  disappeared back into the darkness and did not go ten seconds before  making a clatter.  “Blasted castle going dark all at once,” she  grumbled.  “I think I chipped my hoof polish, and there’s no possible  way to fix it here.”


* * *


           Blueflower brought Wind Whistler into her meeting with the Wonderful  Wizard along with Galaxy and Magic Star.  Galaxy and Magic Star made  sense.  Magic Star was her undeclared second in command and Galaxy was  the leader of the Crystal ponies.  Wind Whistler had been given no  leadership position nor did she desire one.  She was probably there to  represent the pegasi and was the most levelheaded choice.  Also, she was  curious about this wizard and how he knew they specifically were here.

           The man Heart Throb had described sat in the study with a lantern  holding a crystal glowing at full power on the table next to him.  He  looked to them and grinned so broadly it forced his mustache up.  “Thank  you for seeing me.”

          “I am Blueflower, the leader  here.”  Blueflower sat in the chair opposite to him.  “Forgive the  darkness, Wonderful Wizard.  Our castle is suddenly running out of  light.”

          “Please, call me Whizz,” Whizz said.  He looked  at the poorly lit ceiling.  “And I can see your problem.  It seems your  solei quartz is out of energy.”

          “Solei quartz,” Sparkler said from the doorway.  “That’s what they were called.”

          “Yes,” Whizz answered.  “You’ll need to change them out for another set and recharge this one.”

          “How?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Whizz chuckled.  “You really are new to this world.  You simply set  them out in the sun and they will absorb the light.”

          “Nice and simple,” Magic Star said.  “But, where is this other set?  We need to get some light back in here now.”

           “There’s a utility room next to the heat pump where they’re kept in  cases,” Whizz answered.  “This castle has at least three sets if I  remember correctly.”

          Blueflower turned to Sparkler  standing at the door.  “Get Moondancer and find them.  Then tell all the  others to start replacing the crystals.”

          Sparkler nodded and disappeared from view.

           “Anyway, now that your lighting crisis is on its way to being solved,  we should get to the real reason I came here,” Whizz said.

          “How do you know us, or at least what we look like?” Blueflower asked.

           “It’s because this castle was previously owned by an old friend of  mine: the Curious Curator or Curt as he preferred to be called,” Whizz  explained with a chuckle.  “It was his lifelong project to restore this  old castle in pristine condition again as a piece of history from the  old Borean Empire.  He even cast an environmental protection spell on it  so the elements wouldn’t degrade it.”

          He heaved a  sigh.  “However, he had become a very old man, and…while he was very  good at preserving artifacts and buildings, there was nothing he could  do to preserve himself.  This winter ended up being his last.”

          “Sorry to hear of your loss,” Blueflower said.

           “He had been sick for a long time, so I had already gotten most of my  grief in and his death came as more of a relief that his suffering had  ended,” Whizz said wistfully.  “I still miss him, especially when I see  something he would want to preserve for posterity.

          “But  the point is, while he was lying on his deathbed, he asked me to view  the future of his castle,” Whizz continued, apparently pushing his grief  aside for now.  “I gazed into my Magic Pool, and it showed me ponies  from another world.  You were particularly prominent in the visions it  provided.”  He pointed to Blueflower.  “Needless to say, we were both in  disbelief.  Still, I come by the castle from time to time to see if  ponies were living here, and this time there were.”

          Wind  Whistler was not sure if they should reveal what was under their feet.   He might know, or might not.  Then there was the issue of trust if he  did not.  “What can you tell us about the history of this castle?  You  mentioned it was a part of the Borean Empire.”

          Whizz  nodded and sat back in his chair.  “This was a summer castle of the  Valkyrie Queens starting at the beginning of their dynasty.  Some even  say it was built before the main palace in the capital.  Its precise  location was actually a closely held secret, visitors were only allowed  to enter and leave by the Bifröst.  The Curious Curator only found it by  accident, and then he kept it secret because he wanted it to be  completely refurbished before revealing it to the world.  He had just  finished too before he took ill.”

          “Why was it such a  secret?” Wind Whistler asked.  “If it was just a vacation locale, such a  clandestine status would seem unneeded.”

          The Whizz pointed to her.  “I like you.  You have an inquisitive mind.”

           The Whizz shrugged.  “They were a weird royal bloodline.  Obviously  they hid the location and nature of the Bifröst.  Fortunately, because  no one knew where this castle was, the harpies never found it to raze  like the rest of the empire.  All the solei quartz and electric machines  were still here.”

          “You know of the harpies?” Magic Star asked.

          “You do?” the Whizz asked.

          “We’ve had a few encounters these past two days,” Wind Whistler said.

           The Whizz leaned back in his chair.  “This is bad.  This is very bad.   If they’re back in Boreas, they must be after the Bifröst again.  The  thought of those feathered devils wielding that kind of power is a thing  of nightmares.”

          “Should we tell him what we found under the castle?” Wind Whistler whispered into Blueflower’s ear.

          “Not yet,” Blueflower replied.

          The Whizz turned to Blueflower.  “Have you found the secret chamber?”

           Wind Whistler’s heart flew up into her throat.  “What secret chamber?”  she asked, wanting to make sure he meant what she thought he meant.

          “The one just off the royal bedchambers,” Whizz answered.

          Wind Whistler let herself relax.

          “I didn’t even know there was one,” Blueflower answered.

          Whizz grinned.  “Come with me.”


* * *


           Whizz led them up to the top of the keep and into the royal bedchamber  Blueflower had claimed.  It was much as Wind Whistler expected.  It had  the typical fixtures of a bedroom only more ornate.  The bed had a  canopy over it, and the wardrobe was much larger.  The bed was perfectly  made, and everything was spotless—Blueflower apparently being as much a  stickler for neatness as Wind Whistler.

          “I’ve slept in here for two nights already,” Blueflower said.  “I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

           “Well, you might have missed this.”  Whizz went to a chess board and  moved the two queens to the center of the board so they were in front of  each other.  The wall pulled in and slid away to reveal a wooden door.

           Whizz opened the door to show the small room past it.  “Old Curt took  months to figure this puzzle out.  However, it was worth it.”

           A gold tiara sat on a table with a pair of long, white gloves and gold  slippers for a human woman.  The tiara had a cluster of small diamonds  in the middle of a flower made of gold leaf.

          “Did these belong to the Valkyrie Queen?” Wind Whistler asked.

           Whizz shook his head.  “They’re items Curt found elsewhere and decided  to keep in this little alcove.  The gloves and slippers are something  you really need to see.”  He chuckled.

          Blueflower  stepped into the room and picked up the right glove to hang it on her  leg.  There was a ring sewn to the second outmost finger.  “They’re  lovely, but they’re meant for—”

          She stopped when the  gloves and slippers began to lose their form and reshape themselves into  for gold horseshoes that went over the hoof with silver bows on the  front.  “As I live and breathe,” Blueflower exhaled.

          “They’re magic as you can see,” the Whizz said.  “They change to fit an owner they accept.”

          “What can they do besides self-tailor?” Blueflower asked.

          “Try them on and twist your right front hoof clockwise once they’re all on,” the Whizz said.

           Blueflower put the shoes on her hooves.  The one for her right front  hoof was last.  She twisted her hoof clockwise and suddenly vanished.

          “Blueflower!” Magic Star blurted.

          “Yes?” Blueflower’s voice asked casually.  “What is it?”

          “You’re still there?” Galaxy asked.

           “Of course, it’s an invisibility spell,” Blueflower replied.  “Let me  guess, twisting my hoof counterclockwise will make me visible again.”

          The Whizz nodded.

           Blueflower reappeared.  “Nice.”  She held up her right hoof and looked  at the shoe on it.  “This could be really useful down the road.”

          Galaxy picked up the tiara with her magic.  “What about this?”

          “It’s just a tiara Curt had made,” Whizz answered.  “He figured it would be fitting for a queen’s secret chamber.”

          “If only we had the queen,” Magic Star commented.  “Or, well, princess in our case.”

          The Whizz furrowed his brow.

          “Our rulers assume the title of princess,” Blueflower explained.  “It is a personal preference.”

          “Indeed,” the Whizz mused aloud.  “What can you tell me of the world you come from?”

          “Why do you want to know?” Magic Star asked.

           The Whizz raised his shoulder in a shrug and sat down in a chair.  “I’m  curious.  It’s not every day you meet someone from another world.”

          “Unless you’re us,” Galaxy whispered in Wind Whistler’s ear.

           Blueflower sat in the chair at the desk, looking almost natural in the  strange shape of the furniture.  “We come from a land known as  Equestria, populated mostly by ponies like us.  There are three kinds,  earth ponies like Magic Star, pegasi like Wind Whistler, and unicorns  like Galaxy and myself.”

          The Whizz looked to Galaxy and her shimmering coat and mane.  “What’s with your hair?”

           “I’m from the Crystal Empire,” Galaxy answered, “ponies from there have  coats and manes made of a kind of biological crystal.  Its luster is  based on our mood.”

          “Well, it sounds like a fascinating place,” the Whizz said.  “How did you end up here?”

           “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Blueflower answered.  “We  come from all corners of our country, but we woke up in this castle  three days ago.”

          “Well, we woke up in the desert with the crystal plants,” Galaxy added.

          “We call it the Jewel Desert,” the Whizz said.

          “I’m assuming your magic pool didn’t say how we got here,” Blueflower said.

          “Sadly no.”  The Whizz leaned back in his seat.  “I’m assuming you’re trying to get back home.”

           “Naturally,” Blueflower said.  “Though, we understand we knew to be  prepared for the possibility of being here a long time if not  permanently.”

          “I’ll help anyway I can,” the Whizz said.   “That’s actually what I do.  I’m a helper, using my magic to help solve  people’s problems.  I don’t know how to send you back, but I’ll put my  head to it.”

          His tongue came out from under his mustache and licked his lips.  “Do you have any honey?”

          “Honey?” Blueflower asked.

          “I got a big sweet tooth,” the Whizz said.  “There’s nothing like some honey on toast.”

          Blueflower looked to Wind Whistler.  “We never even thought of getting honey.”

          “That’s all right.”  The Whizz slapped his knees and stood up.  “We should get your castle lit up again.”


* * *


           As the Whizz had said, there were several crates in a room next to the  heat pump.  Inside, incased in mirrored foil, were solei quartz crystals  of various lengths.  The small stubs went into the sconces on the walls  while the longest shafts were for the large chandeliers.  One set was  dim while the other shined brilliantly.

          Wind Whistler  and Paradise sat down with a schematic of the castle and planned out a  system for quickly and efficiently replacing the hundreds if not  thousands of crystals throughout the castle.  With Paradise’s cheat  sheet on the runes, they were able to determine the names of each room  and the crystals needed for each.  The cases were organized so each one  held the crystals of a particular room or section of hallway.


* * *


           Wind Whistler joined the other pegasi in replacing the crystals in the  ballroom as well the foyer, library, and the halls of the servant’s  quarters.  The chandeliers were large and high above the ground.  They  were no doubt lowered for humans to replace the crystals, but the pegasi  could do it from the air.

          Hearth Throb pranced in place  before she was given one of the long shafts that would go into the  massive chandelier overhead.

          “How does it feel?” Paradise asked.

           “Cool, surprisingly,” Heart Throb answered.  “I imagined something  putting out this much light would be more than a little warm to the  touch.”

          “It must emit almost all of its electromagnetic radiation within the visual spectrum,” Wind Whistler commented.

           All eyes turned on her, and Wind Whistler realized she might be the  only pony in the room to know what any of that meant.  “It doesn’t  produce heat, just light.”

          “Well, it will make that  light from the grandest place in the whole castle.”  Heart Throb flew up  to where Medley had removed one of the spent shafts.

           Wind Whistler took to the air and watched Heart Throb as she carefully  slipped the crystal between the metal strips and slipped one end into  the top and then the other into the bottom of the casing.  She let go,  but the crystal began to tip over and she had to catch it.  “How does it  stay in?”

          “There’s a lever at the bottom that brings it  up so the crystal is in tight,” Medley said, still holding the spent  crystal.

          “I’ll get it.”  Wind Whistler flew down to  where the small knob of metal was.  It took a couple of tries, but she  managed to push it to the other side of its slot, and the bottom of the  casing rose slightly.  Heart Throb let go and the crystal stayed in  place.

          “There we go darlings,” Heart Throb said.  “That’s one down and only several hundred more to go.”

           Firefly, Lofty, and Surprise repeated the process one the next of the  five remaining crystals in the chandelier.  This one still had a bit of  glow to it, but it was very faint compared to the new one they replace  it with.  They continued, putting the spent or mostly spent crystals in  the cases vacated by the new ones.  The chandelier was back to its  original brilliance within minutes.

          Wind Whistler  searched the walls for a lever like the one she found in her room that  controlled the overhead lamp.  There was none exposed, but one of the  panels had a handle like a door.  Behind it was a wall of levers with  the largest in the center.

          She pushed it down and the  light from the main chandelier faded to nothing.  Between its light gone  and the smaller chandeliers above the balcony still holding spent  crystals, the ballroom went almost completely dark.  She pushed the  lever back up and the light returned.

          “Well, the  chandelier is done, and we can shut out its light when not in use,”  Paradise said from behind her.  “Though, do we need to replace every  crystal?  Some of them still have a bit of glow to them.”

           “It only seems logical,” Wind Whistler replied as she closed the  panel.  “The crystals are kept in sets meaning they’re meant to be  replaced and recharged all at once.”

          Paradise heaved a  sigh.  “Then we might as well knock out the chandeliers on the balcony  and the sconces on the columns.”


* * *


           Fizzy and Shady were working on the dining room’s iron light fixtures.   They could be lowered the tables and each stub was replaced in a flower  like holder that would close up into a ball to protect them.

           Fizzy levitated a stubby piece of crystal out and put in a shiny new  one.  “These are a really nifty idea, aren’t they, Shady?”

          “Doesn’t the Crystal Empire have light up crystal like these?” Shady asked.

           Fizzy shook her head.  “No, we use candles and light bulbs like the  rest of Equestria.  Though, we do have crystals to go over them.”

          “I didn’t know that,” Shady said.  “I thought everything was crystals up there.”

           “When we get back home, you should come up the Crystal Empire,” Fizzy  said.  “It’s the beautiful place you could ever see.”

          “‘When’?” Shady asked in response.  “Don’t you mean ‘if’?”

          Fizzy shook her head.  “I mean when.  We’re going to get back home, I know it.”

          Shady heaved a sigh. “I really wish I could see things like you can.  I’m just use to the worst happening.”

           “Have you ever thought that’s because it’s all you think about?” Fizzy  asked.  “You’re not thinking of the better things, so you miss them.”

          Shady paused.  “I had never thought of it that way.”

          “Less talking and more replacing,” Cherries Jubilee barked as she walked past them.

           Fizzy took out another dim crystal and put a new one in its place.   Shady was doing the same with a little more of a smile on her face.   Fizzy joined her in grinning knowing she was in a better mood.


* * *


           Despite all that had to be done, Wind Whistler and Paradise’s system  made replacing all the crystals only take a couple of hours.  Blueflower  toured the relit castle and was pleased with what she saw.

           “Well done, all,” she said to them as they gathered in the ballroom.   “I know this was a rather mundane task, but I would say changing the  lights makes this a bit more like home.

          “Speaking of  which, I think we need a new house rule.  When you leave a room, close  off the lights.  We want to conserve their energy as much as possible.”

          “Yes, Lady Blueflower,” the other said in a way purposefully indicative of a class of students to their teacher.

          The Whizz chuckled.  “I think I’ll take my leave now.  You seem to be settling in nicely.”

          “I’ll show you to the door,” Blueflower replied.

           They walked down the halls with the ponies dispersing to various places  around them.  “What about Whizz as just a man?” Blueflower asked.  “Do  you play cards?”

          “More of a backgammon player, actually,” Whizz said.  “And, as I said, I have a sweet tooth for honey.”

           Blueflower chuckled.  “I’m sorry we can’t accommodate it at the moment,  but I think Sweetie is looking into getting some beehives for honey and  pollinating the trees.  If she does, we’ll send you part of the first  batch as payment for your services.”

          Whizz waved his  hand dismissively.  “Not necessary.  I’m just glad to see old Curt’s  project being looked after.  Taking good care of this castle is payment  enough.”

          “Then as a gesture of friendship,” Blueflower said.

          “If you insist,” Whizz replied.

           “Speaking of the apple and cherry trees, were they also your friend’s  doing?” Blueflower asked.  “We’ll be happy to have the fruit  regardless.”

          The Whizz gave a short nod.  “The old  orchards had long since gone fallow.  The new grafts were something he  got to bring the grounds back to what they were in the old days.   Though, he chose more recent and popular breeds.”

          The Whizz stopped.  “By the way, you didn’t happen to find what was under the castle, did you?”

          Blueflower stopped and felt her skin prickle.  “You know of the machine below us?”

           Whizz nodded.  “Curt found that old elevator, and took it down.  He  never got that thing to work, so he didn’t bother even cleaning up that  dust pit.  However, that is very old technology, we both knew that.”

          “We believe it’s what the Valkyrie Queens called the Bifröst,” Blueflower replied.  “We managed to make it work.”

           Whizz exhaled a groan and stroked his beard.  “It’s even older than  them.  The columns like those down there are only found in the ruins of  the Ancients.”

          “The Ancients?” Majesty asked.  “That’s a rather vague name.”

           “That’s because little is known about them.  We don’t even know what  they looked like let alone actually called themselves,” Whizz said,  staring off into his own thoughts.  “We just know they were very  advanced and very old.  Some say millions of years old.  This planet is  littered with artifacts and ruins from their civilization, but most of  it is corroded bits and pieces of little use beyond confirming the  existence.”

          “According to the Boreans, the first  Valkyrie Queen was a handmaiden of their gods and received the Bifröst  from them,” Blueflower said.

          “No doubt that was the  story given to them when she took power,” Whizz said.  “However, as  we’ve come to know more about the Ancients’ technology, I and Curt  suspected what really happened was a woman stumbled across that machine  down there and used its technology to make it seem she had the power of  their gods.  Regardless, if you have managed to get it running, you  control one of the greatest powers on this planet.  That was the real  reason Curt wanted to keep this castle a secret.  He feared evil might  come looking for the Bifröst.”

          “No wonder the harpies are after it,” Blueflower commented.

           “The harpies,” Whizz grumbled.  “I still can’t believe those feathered  devils are back in Boreas.  How many are there?”

          Blueflower shrugged.  “We don’t know.  We’ve encountered at most three but suspect there are more.”

          “They haven’t found the castle, have they?” Whizz asked.

           “Fortunately no,” Blueflower answered.  “However, they kidnapped a girl  and are after her family’s locket.  It’s what reactivated the machine.”

          Whizz placed his hand on his forehead.  “Then they must have found the Valkyrie Queen’s bloodline.”

          “I thought she died,” Blueflower said.

           “She did, but her infant daughter disappeared,” Whizz replied.  “They  believe she was sent to be raised a commoner.  The harpies must have  managed to track her descendants.”

          He turned to  Blueflower, his eyes suddenly harsh and lips tight under his mustache.   “You must use whatever you’ve found down there for good and protect it  from those who would use it for evil.  Especially those feathered  devils.  I don’t know how you were brought here, but you appearing in  this castle was more than just happenstance.”

          Blueflower  felt as if a weight had landed on her.  “We will keep it safe from  those who would abuse it.  You have my word.”

          Whizz’s  expression quickly lightened.  “Then this castle is in the perfect  hands, er hooves, um…pasterns?”  He stroked his beard.  “Whatever body  part you use to hold things.”

          They began walking again.  “Does this place have a name?” Blueflower asked.

           “It’s called the Appendix Fjord,” the Whizz answered, “but it’s a  rather derogatory term for the place.  The appendix is a small organ  that many believe serves no purpose in humans, and this fjord is  considered useless because of the rocks at its mouth.  No one even  bothered to enter for centuries, mapmakers just copying the old maps for  its shape.

          “However, when Curt did find this place and  spent some time here,” the Whizz said, “he began calling it Dream Valley  because it said it was as if it came out of the most wonderful dreams.   Naturally, he castle would be Dream Valley Castle or Dream Castle for  short.  Personally, prefer his name for it.”

          “Dream  Castle in Dream Valley,” Blueflower mused aloud.  “A bit whimsical but  fitting, and I agree far better than the demeaning name others have  given it.”

          They continued to the foyer, and the Whizz  pushed open the door to where his flying carpet was still hovering over  the stoop.  “I must say goodbye for now.  However, don’t be a stranger,  and know you always have a friend in the Wonderful Wizard.”

           He stepped on the carpet and it lifted off before flying away.  “And  pop those feathered devils in the kisser for me.”  Blueflower waved  until he disappeared over the cliff.

          She inhaled and exhaled a sigh.  This world and even this castle just would not stop with the surprises.
> Chapter 8: Long Live the Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          One of the benefits of replacing all the solei quartz of  the castle was finding the last of the out of the way chambers.  While  they had come across the vault in their earlier searches, it took this  one to find the armory.

          Sparkler was beyond elated at  hearing that word.  An armory meant weapons and other tools of combat.   While she loved gems and always her one eye looking for them, her true  passion was explosives and related fields.  From fireworks to industrial  explosives meant to implode skyscrapers, she had an unquenchable love  for things that went boom.

          Though, it was not just the  desire to watch something explode that had her going through the tight  halls of the castle’s underbelly.  Hearing of the harpies was enough to  give her nightmares, and she wondered if she would be able to sleep that  night—or ever again—after meeting them in the flesh.

           They needed something other than the smattering of unicorn magic and  less than a dozen pegasi to protect them from these monsters.  This  castle having weapons meant they could bring firepower to the mix.

           “So, what kinds of instruments of delicious destruction do we have?”  Sparkler asked, hardly holding back her gleeful anticipation.   “Rockets?  Cannons?  Bombs?  Anything that makes a really big boom and  will reduce those harpies to a rain of singed feathers?”

          They came to a door and Wind Whistler pulled it open.  “This is what we have at our disposal.”

           Sparkler looked in and her heart dropped like a stone.  Their arsenal  consisted of dozens of crossbows accompanied by quivers of short bolts,  axes, hammers, swords ranging in size from short scabbards to long  swords, and an assortment of daggers.  For defense, they had round  shields made of wood with colorful patterns painted on them, shirts of  mail, grieves, chest plates, gauntlets, and helmets with bars coming  down between the holes for the eyes.

          Surprise leapt out  with as much of the armor on her body as she could manage, but only  showed how none of it was suited for ponies as it all fit wrong.  The  helmet was also clearly meant for ceremony rather than battle with  massive horns of a cow sticking out the sides.  If anything, this  collection of archaic weaponry and armor was more likely to get her  killed in any kind of fight than protect her.  Her clumsy swings of a  scabbard in her pastern and inability to hold on to a shield were  humiliating to watch.

          “Isn’t this the coolest stuff  ever?”  Surprise lost her grip of the scabbard and it went flying into a  wooden post.  “Well, we can’t really use it but it looks cool.”

           Sparkler just stood there in shock.  There was not one explosive device  here.  Had these people even heard of gunpowder?  Sulfate, potassium  phosphate, and charcoal: the simplest chemical formula ever, but you  would think it was asking for cold fusion.  Actually, with Wind Whistler  and her crazy level of intellect there, they were probably closer to  cold fusion.

          Worst of all, the weapons did have—and  calling many of these primitive instruments ‘weapons’ was being  generous—seemed to be more for fighting an enemy on the ground rather  than one that was airborne.  The crossbows might have been of some use  if they were almost impossible for ponies to use the harpies carried  longbows with better range and shot rate.

          “We’re all going to die,” was all Sparkler to get out at seeing just how unequipped they were.


* * *


           Blueflower inhaled deeply through her nostrils to take in the air.  She  had been to the seaside many times in her long life, and she had always  found the smell sea salt reinvigorating.  The smell of salt was almost  too faint to notice at the head of the inlet where freshwater sat on top  of the sea water, but the salt water was undeniably the surface as they  approached the mouth and main trunk of the system.

           Firefly and Lofty tugged the wooden chariot along, kicking their hooves  as if they were galloping—a compulsive behavior pegasi had when pulling  something despite their wings doing the work.  She thanked the stars or  whatever had providence here that their little trick of keeping vehicles  airborne worked in this world.  Her old bones complained at the thought  of walking all this way.

          “Why didn’t we just use the Bifröst?” Firefly asked, huffing for air a bit.

           Lofty seemed to be pulling her along with little trouble, but Firefly  was sweating.  These two were not the hulks of royal guard pegasi that  usually pulled chariots.  Unfortunately, they were all they had.  “We’re  traveling to speak with whoever rules this fjord system,” Blueflower  answered.  “It might raise suspicions if we simply popped into their  capital and left just as suddenly.”

          “Don’t tell me  you’re getting tired,” Lofty teased.  “I don’t feel like I’m really  flying this low unless I have a harness across my barrel.”

          “I’m getting use to it,” Firefly replied.

           They came where their fjord opened into the main one which was so wide  the opposite shore was almost to the horizon.  Blueflower had spent all  her time in or near the castle—Dream Castle, she needed to remember it  had a name—and this was her first time venturing far from it.  Seeing  the breath of this one fjord, which was a narrow line on a map of this  one landmass, made her feel truly small.

          “This is just one fjord,” Blueflower gasped.

          “I know,” Firefly said.  “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

          “That is the understatement of the century, Firefly,” Blueflower responded.

           She looked down at the pin cushion of rocky spires reaching towards the  surface from the sill marking the boundary between their fjord and the  main one.  Some of the jagged rocks managed to poke up, but many where  just below as Firefly and her team described.  No one with any sense  would try to get a boat through it.

          Blueflower returned her attention to the main fjord.  “Where is the largest city?”

          “It’s a dozen or so kilometers north of here,” Firefly answered.

          “Then we should waste no time,” Blueflower said.


* * *


           The fjords had mostly steep walls, occasionally becoming sheer cliffs.   However, there were places where the walls descended more gently to the  water.  It was these places that had been the most developed as farms,  pastures, or communities.

          “There it is.”  Firefly  pointed forward to a large collection of buildings on a peninsula formed  by the main fjord and the mouth of another much larger than the ponies’  tiny branch.  The buildings were mostly tidy houses and stores arranged  in blocks with streets in a radiating pattern towards the coast where  each ended in a dock with larger warehouses and open markets.  Boats  were docked, many slender longboats for transporting people and their  wider and shorter cousins meant for cargo.  The roads joined at a large  castle overlooking the city with its many stone towers.

           “Land us close to the castle,” Blueflower said.  She looked to the sun  which was more than halfway between its noon height and the western  horizon.  “Hopefully the fjord earl is seeing visitors.”

           As they flew over the dockside markets, Majesty noticed a heavy  presence of large men in armor and holding long spears.  Judging by the  wide berth everyone gave them, she suspected they were there to watch  the markets—likely to ensure the taxes paid were in line with the  business done.  Though, what taxes were collected seemed to be put to  good use.  The streets were clean and the citizens appeared to be well  groomed.  Most were humans, but there was an assortment of other species  seeming to have roots in the rodent and carnivore orders.  Despite the  heavy guard presence, the people also seemed free mingle and go about  their business.

          “Kind of reminds me of Canterlot,”  Bleuflower mused aloud.  “Well, if Canterlot wasn’t perched on a  mountain removed from the rest of the country.”

          “Do you ever not bag on Canterlot?” Firefly asked.

           “When I’m sleeping I think,” Blueflower answered with a smirk.  “I’ve  been banging my head against Canterlot society since before your parents  were tinkles in their parents’ eyes.  A little depreciating humor is a  healthy survival tool.”

          They gained attention as their  shadows passed over the street.  Some, especially children, stopped and  watched them go by.  However, most ducked into the nearest building.   They were scared of them—or anything airborne at least.  It made  Blueflower wonder if news of the harpies had reached this fjord or if it  was just a long instilled fear brought to the forefront.

           They landed on the street at the perimeter wall of the castle.  The  gate was up, but there were guards at the outer wall as well as the  inner wall.  Lofty and Firefly worked themselves out of their harnesses  as Blueflower leapt from the chariot.

          The cobblestone  was uncomfortable under her hooves, much too hard compared to the  soapstone Canterlot used.  No wonder everyone wore shoes on their  planted feet.  Actually, all the species had feet that made contact with  the ground from toes to heel, even those resembling species that stood  on their toes.  Their hands also all had an opposable thumb set aside  from the cluster of four fingers—though Majesty remembered Wind Whistler  described the avian harpies having only three fingers and a thumb.   Standing on all four of what would be the middle finger nail on these  people, Blueflower realized even in this hodgepodge of sentient  creatures they were truly alien.

          Alien or not, they were  here and had business with the fjord earl.  Blueflower strolled up to  the guards—a pair of humans clad in metallic armor and holding spears  longer than they were tall.  If they were anything like the royal guards  of Canterlot, a title was enough to impress them to allow entry.   “Excuse me, gentlemen.”

          The two guards took their spears  in both hands and squatted into a more defensive stance.  At least,  Blueflower figured it was a more defensive stance for these bipeds.   They looked round at the eye level of humans before looking down at her.

           They looked to each other and spread their mouths into grins.  “This is  a new one.  Where do you think the ventriloquist is hiding?”

          Blueflower’s mouth dropped out of impulse.  “I’m the one talking, you mountains of muscle.”

           The two guards stared at her in what could only be described as shock.   She should probably get use to it in this world.

          “I am  Lady Blueflower from Equestria,” Blueflower said, regaining a refined  tone.  “I was hoping to have a brief audience with your fjord earl to  announce the presence of myself and my fellow ponies and negotiate some  economic matters.”

          “What’s with the tiny horse?” a nasally voice asked.

           A man in his late teens or early twenties stomped through the tunnel  made in the wall.  He had sticks for limbs and a pudgy gut.  His eyes  were beady behind a massive nose coming to a sharp point.  The gold and  jeweled crown on his head suggested royalty.

          “I am a pony,” Blueflower replied, bowing.  “Are you the fjord earl?”

          “He is Prince Lawzer,” one of the guards answered, “heir to Fjord Earl Stonebrook.”

          “Thank Celestia,” Lofty said just loud enough for Blueflower to pick up.

          “What for?” North Star asked.  “He’ll be in charge someday.”

          Prince Lawzer stopped.  “You talk?!”

           “If only I got a bit for every time I’m going to hear that,” Blueflower  mumbled under her breath.  “Yes, we can talk.  We come from a far away  land, and found ourselves in a small fjord not too far from here with  rock formations at its mouth.”

          “Ah, yes,” Prince Lawzer mused, “the Appendix Fjord.  It’s of little use, so if you want it you can have it.”

          “Can I get that from your father?” Bueflower asked.  “I also want to discuss trade and other matters.”

           Prince Lawzer planted his bony hands on his flabby hips and looked down  on her.  “My father has far too busy to talk to a freak.”

           “Freak?!” Blueflower exclaimed before she could think better of it.   “I’ll have you know I was a lady of the royal court in my home country.”

           “What is going on here?” a voice boomed.

           A large man strolled down the tunnel, his metal greaves clacking  against the stone.  A white curtain of hair fell from his face with  several braids decorated with beads.  His mouth was bent into a frown  that seemed to be its natural position.

          “Father!” Prince Lawzer squeaked.  “I was just talking with this…”

          “Pony,” Blueflower reminded him.

          “Pony,” Prince Lawzer said.  “She and her kind have apparently taken up residence in the Appendix Fjord.”

          The man’s mouth bent upwards somewhat and he bobbed his head.  “In the old castle, I assume.”

          “Yes,” Blueflower answered.  “You know of it?”

           “I played in it when I was a lad,” the man answered.  “But, I should  introduce myself.  I’m Stonebrook, Fjord Earl of the Grand Trunk Fjord.”

           “Lady Blueflower of Equestria.”  Blueflower bowed.  “I wanted to speak  with you about economic arrangements.  We have orchards of Baldwin  apples and Ulster cherries, the latter of which will be ripe soon.  We  were hoping to sell some of our harvest here.”

          “Which  would require my warrant,” Earl Stonebrook finished her thought for  her.  “Well, we can discuss that when you have product and we can see  its quality.”

He is a shrewd businessman,  Blueflower thought.  She certainly would want to see a communities’  harvest before discussing a price.  She might actually come to like  him.  “Then we we’ll bring our first harvest for your personal  inspection.”

          Stonebrook licked his lips, apparently  looking forward to cherries for ‘inspection’.  “Is there anything else,  Lady Blueflower?  As you know, the hour is growing late.”

           Blueflower decided against bringing up the slur his son used.  The  harpies might also be a matter better not mentioned.  Who knows how they  would react?  “I have nothing else that could be resolved today.  I  just wanted to meet the new neighbors.”

          Stonebrook’s mouth returned to its natural frown.  “Then perhaps we will meet later, Lady Blueflower.”

          Blueflower bowed her head and turned to Lofty and North Star.  “Well, this was great use of our time,” Lofty grumbled.

           “One step at a time,” Blueflower replied.  “We’ve announced our  presence and when we have cherries to sell, we’ll bring them here.  We  have some money, so let’s see what there is for sale here.  We can then  head back and plan our next move.”

          “Lady Blueflower,” Stonebrook called from behind them.  Blueflower turned to him.  “Is it merely ‘Lady’?” he asked.

           “Yes,” Blueflower answered.  “My land gives no ruling authority to the  nobility, but I am the highest ranking of our group.”

           “It’s just kind of odd to hear,” Stonebrook said.  “The heads of the  different branches have titles of authority.”  He chuckled.  “A couple  even call themselves kings, even though they serve under me.  If you  want to be treated with some respect here, I suggest you think of a  title with some more heft.”

          Bleuflower smirked.  “Perhaps, but would you say the same thing if I was Lord Blueflower?”

          Stonebrook grinned and exhaled a chuckle.  “I see your concern, but I can tell you my advice would be the same.”

          “We’ll take it under advisement then,” Blueflower replied.  In fact, that sent some thoughts through her mind.


* * *


           Wind Whistler walked up the stairs to the top floor of the keep.  There  were pairs of tall doors to the sides and the broadest doors were at  the opposite end, leading to the chambers Blueflower had claimed.

          “I wonder why Lady Blueflower wants to meet us in private,” Galaxy mused aloud.

          “She just said she wanted to see the three of us before she had even left the chariot,” Magic Star answered.

           Magic Star pushed down on the handle and pulled the door open.  They  stepped in and the first thing that caught Wind Whistler’s eye was  Blueflower looking into the mirror with the gold tiara they had found  resting in her mane.  She was not admiring herself—if she was taking any  satisfaction, Wind Whistler could not tell.  She seemed to be examining  her and the tiara more critically.

          Blueflower turned to them.  “Ah.  What do you think, ladies?”

          After a pause to let it sink in, Magic Star answered, “I think it suits you.”

           Blueflower returned her gaze to her reflection.  “I have to commend the  craftsmanship.”  She turned from side to side to take in the whole  tiara.  “The Princess’s crowns and other regalia have no sense of  artistic style—just jagged chunks of precious metal with jewels jammed  in them.  From the gold leaf flower to the delicate setting of the  diamond, this was a labor of love.”

          She levitated the  tiara from her head and set it down gently on the vanity.  She turned  the three.  “I managed to speak briefly with the fjord earl.  He is a  sharp ruler—someone who could invaluable as an ally or terrible as an  enemy.”

          “Will we be able to sell our cherries?” Wind  Whistler asked.  Even with the stores and the treasure they sat on, she  wanted to know they had income in this place.

          “If they  hold up to the earl’s inspection,” Blueflower answered.  “However, he  had me thinking about something more long-term.  I wanted to speak with  you three before the others.”

          “About what?” Galaxy asked.

           “As you know, I am—or was—a lady of Princess Celestia’s court for more  than a century,” Blueflower said.  “My family is in fact descended from  the old unicorn kings from before the Equestrian Unification.  However, I  held no true political power in Equestria.  I’m wondering if that is  something that needs to change here.”

          “We already elected you our leader,” Magic Star said.

           Blueflower pointed her.  “That you did.  However, my title is still  that of lady, and that title apparently holds little weight here.  I was  thinking of taking on a more formal one.”

          “Such as?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “Why not swing for the fences and go with queen?” Blueflower asked  rhetorically.  She levitated the tiara and slipped it onto her head  again.

          Magic Star broke the ensuing silence with a poorly stifled chuckle.  “You’re joking, right?”

          Blueflower took the crown from her head.  “I don’t see why not.  I’m the highest ranking pony on…” she trailed off.

          “Tellus,” Wind Whistler reminded her of the given name for this world.

           “Thank you,” Blueflower said.  She set the tiara on the vanity again.   “Outside of the initial shock, what do you think?”

          “I  think it’s a perfect idea,” Galaxy said without the slightest hint of  sarcasm of in her voice.  Though, Wind Whistler did not know why she was  looking for any.

          Wind Whistler had not logical reason  to object.  It was unorthodox, but orthodox had been left an entire  world behind them.  “I concur with Galaxy.”

          “What about you, Magic Star?” Blueflower asked.

           “Thanks for putting me on the spot, ladies,” Magic Star murmured.   There was some sarcasm to her response.  She drew in a breath and  sighed.  “What’s in a name?  And I’m actually asking.  What does you  becoming queen mean for us?”

          “In terms of how we run  ourselves, nothing,” Blueflower answered.  “We will continue to govern  ourselves as we agree on that first evening.  However, with a queen at  our head, we will be more respected in this world.  Also, there is  something else we need to consider.”

          “What’s that?” Magic Star asked.

           Blueflower grinned.  “Call a meeting in that two story room below us,  and ask the other ponies what they think.  I’ll explain myself more in  depth to all of you.”

          “Of, course, Queen Blueflower,”  Galaxy said, the title and name together flowing from her tongue as  easily as water flowed over a cliff.  “Come along, you two.”

          Wind Whistler and Magic Star followed the Crystal Empire unicorn out of the room.  Queen Blueflower,  she repeated in her mind.  It would take some getting use to, but she  could manage it.  Though, she wondered what her other reason was.


* * *


           Everyone gathered in that room with the sloped floor and blackboards.   It was the best choice for a meeting room, designed for it with a large  number able to observe instructions voiced or written from the stage.   Wind Whistler took a seat in the back row, giving her a full view of the  room.  Fizzy sat next to her, and Shady next to Fizzy.

           Blueflower stepped up onto the platform and placed the tiara on the  podium off to the side.  She stamped her hoof, sending a hollow knocking  sound throughout the room and bringing the attention of everyone to  her.  “Let’s start with a sitrep on the solei quartz.  Is every crystal  replaced?”

          “Right down to the last sconce,” Sparkler said.  “And as our guest said, there are three sets total.”

           “Good,” Blueflower replied.  “We’ll put the old set out to charge  tomorrow morning, weather permitting.  In the meantime, we have other  business.

          “That business falls on me.  You made me the  leader of this little group,” Blueflower said, levitating the tiara next  to her.  “The question is if I should walk around wearing a tiara and  be called ‘Queen’ for it.”

          Some hushed murmurs go through the crowd.

           “I said this to Magic Star already, but not even Equestria has a  queen,” Applejack pointed out.  “That’s what Chrysalis of the old  Changeling Hive called herself.”

          “The Crystal Empire  also had a queen before Sombra conquered it,” Galaxy replied.  “Princess  Cadance was installed as ruler by Princess Celestia upon its return.”

           “The old changelings also called this a head.”  Blueflower pointed to  her head.  “Should we call it something different simply because they  used the term?”

          Applejack sank back to some quiet giggles.

           “Equestria had queens early in its history as well, though briefly,”  Blueflower said.  “Let me tell you a little more about our history than  probably most of you know.

          “Before the Long Winter, the  three tribes had different forms of government.  The earth ponies would  elect one of their burgermiesters to the position of chancellor who  served as their supreme leader.  The pegasi had a senate of elected  representatives as their governing until Commander Hurricane used the  crisis of the Long Winter to institute martial law and military rule.   Only the unicorns were ruled by a hereditary monarchy.

           “When Equestria was formed, each tribe wanted to make their form of  government the one for their new, united nation.  The earth ponies and  especially pegasi did not want leadership to be inherited, but the  unicorns insisted on a royal position.  A compromise was made, creating  the position of queen as the supreme ruler of the land.  It was a  lifetime position, but it would not necessarily pass on to her eldest  daughter.  Instead, a new queen would be elected upon the death or, as  it turned out to be the tradition, retirement of the previous ruler.

           Blueflower paused and her glance slid to the side.  “I suppose I would  have to think of a new name as well since a new queen would choose a  new, more regal-sounding name upon being crowned,” she mused.

           She returned her attention to the crowd.  “There were at least three  before Discord came, and after they overthrew him, Celestia and Luna  were named rulers.  Celestia preferred to be called princess, so she  made that the ruling title.

          “Also, I’m not an alacorn  with apparently eternal youth.  I’m a—admittedly powerful—unicorn in  the…let’s just say late afternoon of her life.  ‘Queen’ would actually  be a more appropriate title for my position as the leader of our little  enclave.”

          “So, you’re saying you should go all the way  back to that?” Paradise asked.  “I can already see my old history  teachers retch at the notion.”

          “I don’t doubt that,”  Blueflower replied.  “I’m not going to mince words here.  I have little  stomach for how Equestria conducts itself and observes its history.   Scholars, for whatever agenda it serves, have been quite thorough in  casting what came before the alacorns and their harmony in a dim light.   We teach our fillies and colts to put on plays of half truths and  stereotypes about the founding of our nation portraying the three tribes  are ignorant savages before the enlightenment of friendship allowed  them to create Equestria.  We ignore the virtues of those imperfect but  once proud and accomplished civilizations and the vices of our own more  advanced but still very flawed culture.  That might work in Equestria  with its population of a hundred million ponies, shining cities, well  developed infrastructure, demigod rulers, and few enemies outside of the  laundry list of abominations from Princess Celestia’s past; but we’re  not in Equestria anymore.”

          Another wave of murmurs  washed through the crowd.  Wind Whistler had to agree based on the  general trend in her compulsory absorption of knowledge.  She knew how  the media and most mainstream teaching broke down into the basic  argument of ‘Past bad: present good’.  It never made her comfortable as  she remembered the adage, ‘those who do not learn from their history are  doomed to repeat it’.

          Blueflower stamped her hoof to  get everyone’s attention again.  “My point is we need to be more  open-minded here.  This world is more like ours was in those supposedly  dark days.  Its peoples are broken up into factions by geography and  probably biology.  We’ve already made an enemy with physical power,  technology, and quite probably numbers on their side—one that can’t  simply be swept away with a friendship-powered death ray, and I doubt  have any desire to listen to our preachy arguments for friendship.  We  need to draw from our history—all of our history from when the three  tribes lived separately to the moment we left—if we are to survive, let  alone flourish here.”

          She drew in a breath and slowly  exhaled it.  “We also need to discuss this because of the reality before  us.  When we first awoke in this castle, we could have just been an  unlucky bunch of strangers caught up in some strange spell or other  magic phenomenon.  If that was the case, then all this would be a mute  point.  We just being a group trying to get home or at least survive  this strange new world.

          “However, when we found Galaxy  and the others in the desert, we have to assume there are other ponies  out there—ripped from Equestria like us and cast upon this world.  It  very well could just be the ponies in this room; but it could be dozens,  scores, hundreds, thousands, who knows how many are out there in  scattered groups.  If there are hundreds or thousands of ponies in this  world, then we need to build a nation in which we can come together and  present a united identity.”

          “A nation with you as ruler,” Lickety-Split said.

          “Unless there are any objections,” Blueflower replied.

           She set down the tiara.  “However, it is really just for semantics to  us.  It would make little difference regarding how we live our lives  here.  I am already the leader, and we agreed to run this as a direct  democracy.  Call me queen, princess, duchess, baroness, simply lady; and  none of that will change.  I had little taste for absolute rule in  Equestria, and my tastes have not changed here.  I will not exert my  will for the sole purpose of exerting it, since someone else could be  right.

          “The possible benefit pointed out to me is if we  are here for the duration and need to build a nation for all ponies  whisked to this place, having our leader called a queen would make our  presence appear more legitimate to other governments who we might trade  or ally ourselves with.”

          “I have no problem with calling you queen,” Wind Whistler said.

          “I thank you for the vote of confidence, but you were a part of our original conversation,” Blueflower said.

          “I don’t either,” Fizzy added.  “Will you wear that crown?”

          Blueflower chuckled and glanced to the headdress.  “Only on special occasions, and it’s actually more of a tiara.”

           “I agree with Fizzy,” Shady said.  “We can’t do this by ourselves, and  if other countries would be more willing to help a queen, then we should  have one.”

          “It’s been moved and seconded,” Magic Star  said.  “Everyone in favor of granting Blueflower the title of queen  signify by raising your hoof and saying yea.”

          “Yea,” echoed through the room, and all in attendance raised their hooves.   Though, a few were more tepid.

          “Against?” Magic Star asked.

          There was silence and all hooves lowered.

          Blueflower picked up the tiara with her magic.  “I didn’t think it would be unanimous, but thank you.”

          “WAIT!” Heart Throb shouted.

          Blueflower stopped and all eyes turned to the pink pegasus.

           “You can’t just put the crown on,” Heart Throb declared.  “We must have  a coronation ceremony.  Even if it’s just a simple one.”

          Blueflower set the tiara down.  “All right.  I suppose we might as well do this by the book.”

          “If you’re going to be our queen, what’s the name of our land?” Galaxy asked.

          “We know everyone calls this the Appendix Fjord,” Firefly said, “but I really hate that name.”

           “It does sound rather distasteful coming off the tongue,” Blueflower  said.  “This castle’s previous owner referred to it as Dream Valley.   It’s a bit whimsical, but works.”

          “We should still have a  name that is more related to us,” Posey said.  “What about Pony Land,  it literally means ‘Country of Ponies’ by the way earth ponies use to  name things.”

          “Sounds a too bit obvious,” Cherries Jubilee pointed out.

          Posey shrugged.  “The old earth pony language was not much for subtly when it came to naming things.”

           “How about we call the geologic formation Dream Valley and our nation  Pony Land?” Blueflower asked.  “Are there any objections to that?”

          All were quiet.

           “Then I suppose we might as well put this tiara on my head the right  way and do what you do with a newly crowned queen,” Blueflower said.


* * *


           The coronation ceremony was barely a ceremony.  They just gathered in  the ballroom, and Galaxy wrote up a quick oath based on the one for  crowning the leader of the Crystal Empire.  Buttons had also disappeared  with Blueflower, Bow-Tie, and Ribbon into a room with some fabric for  maybe a half hour.

          Wind Whistler took her place along  the edge of the carpet with Fizzy and Shady on either side of her.  Some  ponies were excited by the prospect, discussing amongst themselves in  whispers with broad grins.  Wind Whistler just saw it as the formality  it was.  Blueflower could just put the crown on her head and call  herself queen as far as she was concerned.  The pageantry was just for  show, but it apparently meant something to others.

           Though, living under a ruler who had a reign approaching twelve  centuries, she had never seen a coronation before.  It being a new  experience caught her attention somewhat.

          They stood in  line on both edges of the carpet to bracket the path to the throne.   Galaxy stood next to the thrown with a sheet of paper suspended in her  magic.  Ribbon and Bow-Tie were the last to join, having gotten  Blueflower ready, and took their position at the ends.

           Blueflower walked down the grand staircase wearing a red cloak trimmed  with white fur and tied around her neck with a white ribbon.  The golden  shoes gleamed on her hooves.  Buttons followed behind her.   Blueflower’s mane had been styled with the white streak braided,  something that could be done quickly but looked elegant.  The cloak also  had a large ‘M’ under a crown in gold leaf sewn to the sides.   Apparently, she had decided to go with a new name and it started with  ‘M’.  She stepped up onto the platform and sat on the throne.

          Wind Whistler and the others stepped out of their lines into rows so they could see.

          “Oh, darlings, this is so exhilarating,” Heart Throb swooned.  “We’re witnessing a real coronation.”

          “The absolute bare bones version,” Paradise whispered to Cherries Jubilee, but Wind Whistler managed to hear.

           Galaxy cleared her throat.  “Blueflower, the ponies of Pony Land have  bestowed their blessing onto you to be named their queen.  As queen, do  you swear on your very life and soul that you will give all that you  have to defend and represent the ponies of this land and all that they  stand for?  Will you protect their peace and prosperity?  Will you lend  aid to those they call friends and ward off any who threaten them?  Will  you not squander their abilities or lead them in foolhardy jeopardy?   Will you preside over a country that encourages the flourishing of  culture and discovery?  Since we have chosen democracy as our form of  government; will you serve as its leader, advisor, and advocate; but not  interfere with its process and defer to its rulings short of impending  disaster?  Will you carry out these aforementioned duties to the best of  your abilities?”

          “I swear on my very life and soul that I will,” Blueflower said.

           Galaxy turned to the crowd.  “Do you, those who would be this queen’s  subjects, pledge your loyalty to her?  This is not simply following her  commands blindly; but seeing to the welfare of her, her country, and her  subjects to the best of your abilities.  Do you pledge?”

          “We do pledge!” everyone announced.

          “As do I,” Galaxy said.

           She turned to Blueflower.  “You have sworn to your duties as queen, and  your subjects have sworn loyalty to you.  Now, may I ask, by how you  will be referred to as queen?”

          “Once I am crowned, I will no longer be Blueflower,” Blueflower said.  “I will henceforth be called Majesty.”

           “Then, I hereby crown you Queen Majesty the First.”  Galaxy placed the  tiara on Blueflower—no, Majesty’s head.  “Queen and sovereign of Pony  Land and all who reside within its borders, as well as lady and mistress  of Dream Castle.  All the powers, privileges, and responsibilities of  those titles are now yours.”

          The ponies stamped their hooves and cheered, “Long live Queen Majesty.”

           Majesty held up their hoof and everyone quieted down.  “Thank you for  this honor.  Though, again, it really doesn’t change anything.  I could  make a big long speech, but I don’t feel like waxing on about being  queen of thirty-seven ponies.  However, I do want to point out the irony  that we’ve gathered where most of us awakened just two days ago.  We  were completely lost, and while we are still in the darkness, we have  each other.  Never forget that even in your darkest moments.

          “Anyway, let’s go grab dinner.  I’m hungry.”

          Wind Whistler could not help but grin at the end of Majesty’s ‘speech.’

          “And dinner tonight is going to feature cookies for desert,” Cupcake declared.

          Whoops and cheers came from the crowd as it dispersed.

          “Are we kind of surrendering to staying here?” Shady asked.  “We just formed a government.”

           “We do not have a feasible means to return to Equestria at present,”  Wind Whistler answered as they joined the crowd leaving.  “I wouldn’t  call it surrendering, but planning for a very real possibility.”

          Fizzy skipped along.  “Besides, a castle needs queen.  It just makes sense.”


* * *


           Blueflower—or rather Majesty, she was going to have to get use to  thinking of herself by that name and answering to it—watched Wind  Whistler walk up the stairs with Fizzy and Shady.  She had just been  named queen of all of these ponies, and that one still grabbed her  attention.  Perhaps it was because the young pegasus pony reminded her  of herself at that young age.  She was intelligent but extremely shy and  reserved, even more so than Majesty had been.  Even in a crowd, she was  in a lonely ivory tower all to herself.  That was where she kept her  emotions and true self while most ponies wore them on their sleeve.  She  could see it in Wind Whistler’s eyes, how that mind was always going  even on things impossibly far away.  Majesty had lived in such a tower  of the mind, and it made it very hard to really appreciate what was in  front of your muzzle.  So, seeing Wind Whistler with even just two  friends filled her with joy like watching a daughter—or more like a  grandchild given the difference in age.

          After they  disappeared from view along with the others so she was alone, Majesty  let it sink in that she was queen of this tiny country they had formed.   Granted, it was a country headed for extinction unless they found  stallions here or some way to create the next generation without them.   That was even assuming they did not find a way home.  Still, everything  in this valley and those living there were her responsibility.  It was a  nebulous concept when they called her leader, but having a tiara on her  head made it seem more real.

          Tomorrow morning was going  to be a simple task, setting out their spare solei quartz to charge.   They needed to take it one step at a time as she had told her chariot  pullers that afternoon.

          She left the throne and walked  towards a mirror between two of the columns, likely there for the ladies  to check themselves in case they need to reapply makeup and adjust  their clothing.  The reflection was of her covered by a red cloak and  wearing that gold tiara.

          “Something we’re going to do is  bring back the real magic of friendship,” she said to her reflection.   “Equestria has allowed friendship to be hollowed out by Twilight Sparkle  and her little clique, robbed of all its true meaning.  Here, we have a  chance to start fresh and embrace its more subtle but far more  substantial powers.”

          She then remembered the task  looming ahead of them.  The harpies were out there with that girl as  their captor and coveting the locket they had.  Whether she was queen,  lady, or a pony with no title at all; facing them was daunting.  Yet it  was coming sooner or later, and they were going to need that true power  of friendship when that day came.


* * *


           Wantall drummed his fingers on the wooden table, contemplating the  issue in front of him.  He had been waiting for that old coot to kick  the bucket so he could claim the castle.  It would be a perfect addition  to his collection and a more luxurious home than his mountainside  fortress.  He finally does, and suddenly there is a whole passel of  pastel ponies in it.  They needed to be evicted.  It was as simple as  that.  Direct force was out of the question with that old pony—a unicorn  is what she called herself—and her magic, so he was going to have to  get smart.

          “Here’s your sugar ale, sir.”  The waitress  placed a large mug with a foaming, white head spilling over the top down  in front of him.

          “Thank you, my dear.”  Wantall put the  needed silver coins plus the minimum tip down on the table, and the  waitress slipped them into the pocket of her skirt.

           Board beavers made up the entirety of the staff and majority of the  clientele of this foothills tavern.  The buck-toothed, flat-tailed,  water rodents had pelts ranging from pale beige to brown to  reddish-brown, to black.  Most of the customers—board beaver and  human—were lumberjacks wearing plaid shirts with the sleeves rolled up  past their elbows in this hot weather and stocker caps.  He definitely  stuck out in this crowd, but they seemed to not care.

           The tavern had a constant smell of wood both from the debarked logs it  was built from and the dinners of branches of leaves the board beavers  were having.  The few human customers were served lake trout, but  Wantall was not in the mood for fish.  He just wanted something sweet  going down his gullet before going back to his mountain home and his  collection.

          A collection that did not include that  castle.  He fumed for a second and grabbed the mug.  He just got a  mouthful of the sweet liquid when the door opened loudly.

           Wantall put his mug down and turned to the door.  Two creatures so tall  they had to stoop to avoid the beams walked in.  The board beavers dove  for cover, and even the human customers backed away in their seats.   The two bird women sat at a table.

          The one with the vibrant blue hair held up her finger that ended in a sharp claw.  “Two sugar ales, please.”

          Wantall went back to his drink.  They were just two more customers for the evening.

          “Sugar ales?” the other asked.  “I need something stronger than that.”

           Wantall chugged a couple gulps of his sugar ale.  He never understood  the desire to consume a known toxin.  Something sweet in his mouth was  all he needed to take the edge off.

          “Do you really want to go back to Alecta empty-taloned and—” the first started to say.

           “Okay, okay,” the second responded, cutting the first off.  “The last  thing we need is another reason for Alecta’s wrath to come down on us.”

           “Besides, if you bothered to read the sign on the wall,” the first  fumed, “you would have seen this is a dry establishment anyway.”

          “I get the point!” the second snapped.

           “We shouldn’t be going into each other,” the first said, trying to make  herself calm down and massaging her temple.  “It’s just been a  frustrating day.  We’ve been on the wing all afternoon up and down this  maze of valleys and we haven’t seen hide or hair of those blasted,  rainbow-colored ponies.”

          Wantall was halfway through  swallowing when he heard the p-word come up in their conversation.  He  instinctively tried to take in a breath but inhaled the fizzy beverage  instead.  He slammed down his mug and coughed as his airway cleared  itself of the liquid.  He quickly looked around to see of others had  taken notice, but they seemed mostly oblivious.

          He  turned to the two creatures.  They carried longbows and large quivers  stuffed with arrows.  Their hands and feet also ended in long, sharp  claws.  An idea popped into his head seeing these beautiful examples of  predatory biology.  The best part was he could get exactly what he  wanted without lifting a finger.

          Wantall stood up and strolled casually towards the two creatures.

           “Can we get some service here, you bark-munching rodents?”  The bird  creature with blue hair slammed her fist on the table so hard it caused  the salt and pepper shakers to jump clear into the air and clatter on  the table.

          The other picked up a pinch of the spilled salt and tossed it over her shoulder.

           Wantall cleared his throat which was still being tickled by a bit of  his ale.  “Excuse me—my fine, lovely ladies.  Forgive my eavesdropping,  but I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation especially with  regards to a population of colorful ponies.”

          The two  looked at him with glowers of irritation.  Understandable since he was  intruding.  “And what would a tub of lard like you know about ponies?”  the one with the blue hair asked with a sneer, looking him up and down.

          Wantall allowed himself a cruel chuckle.  What did he know about ponies indeed?
> Chapter 9: Alecta the Relentless
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Wind Whistler heaved a sigh and slouched.

           “Stand up straight, please!” Buttons barked as she held a measuring tape  to ground.  “I need these measurements to be precise.”

           Wind Whistler straightened her legs, and Buttons pulled the measuring  tape taunt up to the top of her shoulders with her magic.  She brought  it over to her face, holding it at the point where it reached Wind  Whistler’s height and wrote in her note book.

          Masquerade  was off to the side, sketching in a larger notebook.  She stopped for a  second to think before sketching some more.

          “May I inquire why I am the first one you are taking the measurements of?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “I need a pegasus because I’m planning to have closable wing holes in  these outfits,” Masquerade said, looking up from her notebook before  going back to sketching.  “We also figured you would be the most  cooperative and quiet.”

          Wind Whistler should have  expected that response.  Though, thinking of the others, she was right.   Of course, she could have also had herself measured if she could put  down that sketch pad.

          “Extend you wing, please,” Buttons instructed.

           Wind Whistler complied, extending her left wing to its full length.   Buttons measured its width where it joined her body, the length to the  elbow and then past the elbow, and where the feathers were at their  widest.  “Okay, you can close it.”

          Wind Whistler closed  her wing as Buttons continued to take measurements.  She started at the  base of her neck and went down her back to her tail.

          Masquerade sketched until she dropped her pencil.  “Now this is a thing of beauty.”

           Buttons jotted down another measurement, the circumference of Wind  Whistler’s barrel just behind her legs if the position of the measuring  tape was any indication.  She dropped the measuring tape and went over  to see.  “It’s definitely a fancy one.”

          “I figured it  would be a good use of the remaining fabric from making Lady Blueflow—I  mean Queen Majesty’s cloak,” Masquerade said.

          “May I see?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “Sure.”  Masquerade turned the notebook around to show a basic sketch  of a mare’s silhouette dressed in a more elaborately drawn outfit.  The  dress completely covered the barrel before the haunches with a skirt  flaring out from the waist much like the tutu of Skydancer’s costume  with what looked like a second skirt over it.  A ribbon marked the  division between the bodice and the skirt and was tied in a bow on top  of the back.  The sleeves were short puffballs on the front legs and the  neck was fringed with a broad collar.  Shoes with bows covered the  hooves and just the front of a bonnet served as a hat.  Notes stated the  main color would be red with white sleeves and the collar, second  skirt, and frills of the sleeves would be lace.

          “I have some others in mind too,” Masquerade mused aloud.  “However, I’m going to start with this one.”

          “It’s rather extravagant,” Wind Whistler commented.

           “It’s going to be one of the fancier costumes,” Masquerade replied.   “Though, it’s missing something that would really make it complete.  I  just need to think of that last element.”

          “Besides, I’ll  be the one sewing it.”  Buttons looked at the notebook.  “We could add a  little more poof to the sleeves.”

          “I don’t see the  logic in dedicating resources into making costumes,” Wind Whistler  said.  “They serve no practical purpose, so why take the time?”

           Masquerade balanced the notebook under her front legs.  “Because it’s  fun to get all done up and pretend you’re someone new.  You should see  the annual costume balls in the Crystal Empire.”  She frowned.  “Not  those garish monstrosities you see on Nightmare Night or at most  conventions, but elegant costumes that hearken back to an age where  clothing was a true craft.  It’s an escape, a chance to get away from  reality and live a short time in a world fantasy.  It might not be  practical, but it’s something we need on a different level.”

           “Though I have some plans of my own for more practical clothes,”  Buttons added.  “Mainly active wear and heavy weather gear.  After  seeing that storm when we first got here, I think our coats might not be  enough protection from the elements.”

          “That sounds all  well and good, but while the treasure vault and its riches seem  boundless,” Wind Whistler said, “they are still finite.  Proper food is a  higher priority than clothing and finery.”

          “If we get  the thumbs up from Earl Stonebrook, we’ll be selling part of our cherry  and apple harvests,” Masquerade replied.  "The expression is thumbs up,  right?"

          “I’m aware of that,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, we should be cautious with our resources.”

          “I can at least sketch,” Masquerade said.

           “One issue I will run into is I’m going to need a pony to actually  assemble these costumes on,” Buttons said.  “Unfortunately pony-shaped  body molds don’t exist in this world.”

          Wind Whistler knew where this was leading.  “As long as you are extremely careful with any pins.”

          Masquerade gasped.

          “What?” Wind Whistler asked at the same time as Buttons.

           “I just realized these outfits need a piece of jewelry to go with  them.”  Masquerade pointed to the locket Wind Whistler had hanging  around her neck.  “Like this one would have something like your locket.   Only I’m thinking either gold or silver with a ruby inset.”

           Buttons furrowed her brow.  “Here’s hoping we have a bumper crop for  years to come.  Either that, or you’re better at haggling with diamond  dogs than Sparkler is.”

          “The vault might also have  pieces of jewelry we can use,” Masquerade suggested.  “We’ll have to ask  Sparkler once she’s done with the inventory.”

          Wind Whistler tuned out their conversation as she looked down at the locket.  It was not her  locket.  She was just looking after it.  She had planned to leave it in  a drawer of her dresser.  There was no logical reason to wear it  constantly, its immediate purpose of unlocking the Bifröst having  already been fulfilled and returning it to the Williams’ after saving  their daughter and sister not even started on.  However, waking up this  morning, she felt like its place was around her neck until she could  return it to its rightful owner.

          That took her to the  real priority in front of them.  The girl was still a captive of the  harpies, and they did not even have a clue as to where she was being  held or where they were based out of.  They had to be somewhere  relatively close to the William’s ranch, though perhaps farther out  because they could fly over the obstacles and roads something on land  would have to contend with.

          “Hey, Wind Whistler,” Masquerade said, pulling Wind Whistler out of her thoughts.

          “Yes?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “What do you think of a pair of matching bloomers for this outfit?” Masquerade asked.

           “Uh, sure,” Wind Whistler answered, still not completely in the  conversation.  “If you would excuse me, I believe I have somewhere else  to be.”

          She turned to the door and descended back into  her thoughts.  Though, the image of her in that outfit suddenly popped  into the forefront of her mind.  Particularly, the view from the back.

           She turned back to the two.  “A pair of bloomers is actually a very  good idea.  That design of skirt tends to focus attention on the  posterior when viewed from behind, so something for modesty would be  preferable.”

          “Thanks,” Masquerade called back.  She  turned back to Buttons.  “How about the same material as the main body  of the dress with lace frills?  They’re supposed to blend in with the  dress.”

          Wind Whistler turned away and almost ran into  Bow-Tie.  She had a box balanced on her back with colorful ribbons  hanging over the edge.  “I’m sorry,” Wind Whistler said.  “I didn’t see  you there.”

          “It’s fine,” Bow-Tie said.  “I wasn’t looking where I was going either.”

          Wind Whistler stepped aside so she could walk in.

          “Here are all the ribbons I bought,” Bow-Tie as Buttons levitated the box off her back and onto the floor.

          Buttons levitated a long, red ribbon out of the box.  “How does this one look?”

          “That’ll be perfect,” Masquerade replied.

          With that dealt with, Wind Whistler went back to more pressing matters.  Where could the harpies be based?

           She went straight to the library.  She needed to find books of maps or  even just maps.  Granted, she would need Paradise’s dictionary and cheat  to read the names of things on any older maps, but maybe something  would jump out at her as the perfect home for the local, unfriendly bird  monster.

          Paradise was sitting at a desk with an open  book and a pencil in her mouth.  Wind Whistler came up behind and looked  over her shoulder.  About half of the words in the message had Common  translations under them.  It was still broken and scattered, partly  because of missing words and partly because of a difference in syntax.

          Paradise looked up and jumped in her chair.  “I didn’t see you come up.”

           “Sorry,” Wind Whistler said.  She did not mean to sneak up on Paradise,  but it was not the first time she had inadvertently approached a pony  completely unnoticed.  She had soft hooves according to her mother  whenever it happened to her.  “How is the translation coming?”

           “I’ll be done translating the words later today,” Paradise answered.   “Then I just need to correct it for modern grammar and syntax.  However,  I’m starting to get the sense of it.”

          She held it up.   “I think it’s a confession as the language seems rather conciliatory.   It also appears to confirm what the Wonderful Wizard told Queen Majesty,  that the first Valkyrie Queen found the machine down there and  pretended it was given to her by the Borean gods to convince the people  to follow her.”

          “A dynasty built on a con,” Wind  Whistler exhaled.  It brought her back to her apprehension of trusting  anyone in this world.  Even what was given to them as the supposed truth  could be a fabrication.  There was that uncomfortable feeling of not  knowing, and there seemed to be nothing to sooth it.

           “Even if it was built on a con, it was an impressive culture,” Paradise  said.  “I’ve been looking at other books, and the Borean Empire had made  several technological and cultural advances.  The empire did away with  the more barbaric practices like slavery and the death penalty while  encouraging the Boreans’ all ready advanced maritime engineering and  exploration.  They had practical electricity, complex machinery.   Though, they did all this without ever developing gunpowder.”  She  shrugged.  “It figures.  The one technology that would have helped them  the most against the harpies.”

          “They probably found technology or schematics with the machine and used them,” Wind Whistler said.

           “That’s probably true, and this letter seems to indicate that as well,”  Paradise said.  “Though, look at what we’re doing.  We’re using their  old castle as the base of what we have here.  I mean it would just sit  there and collect dust if no one used it.  Machines are meant to be  useful, aren’t they?”

          Wind Whistler stopped to think  about that.  Technology’s purpose was to be of use, and there was no  shame in reviving lost technology.  If anything, it was a very logical  endeavor.  “You’re right.”

          “Anyway”—Paradise set down the paper—“what brings you to my domain?”

           “Maps,” Wind Whistler answered.  “If we’re going to find the Williams  girl, we need to find where the harpies would make their base.”

           Paradise pointed up to the second story balcony to the side where North  Star was standing.  “North Star is way ahead of you.  She’s looking up  maps as we speak.”

          Paradise leaned back.  “However, just so you know, if you want to go rattle their cage, I’m staying home.”

           “The day we got here, you were talking about a daring escape from an  alien mothership,” Wind Whistler said.  “Lost your taste for adventure?”

           Paradise frowned.  “I’ll help anyway I can from here.  However, I’m not  cut out for fighting those things, and I’ll be the first to admit it.   In the stories, the hero gets some kind of ability or item to make them  powerful enough to fight the villain.  However, I’m still as weak a  flier as ever.  If anything, I probably slowed you and North Star down.”

           “I suppose knowing your limits is a part of the fight,” Wind Whistler  said.  “Though, they say we should only know our limits enough to break  through them.”

          “Perhaps we can do that with something  that doesn’t put us in constant mortal danger,” Paradise said.  “Anyway,  good luck, Wind Whistler.”

          Wind Whistler spread her  wings and flew up to the balcony.  North Star looked up from the map in  front of her.  “Oh.  Hello, Wind Whistler.”

          “Hello, North Star,” Wind Whistler replied.  “It seems we came upon the same idea.”

          “Finding the harpies’ base?” North Star asked rhetorically.  “It would seem so.  Do you want to see?”

           North Star stepped aside and Wind Whistler looked at the map.  It was  the map of all of Boreas they had set out when they first went  scouting.  A massive peninsula separated from the mainland by a mountain  range and having several fjords digging into the southern coast.   Smaller mountains separated the fjords and another range of mountains  ran across its length with vast and mostly featureless plains to the  north.  Most of the cities were on the southern coast and in the fjords  with only a half dozen north of the mountains.  There was also artwork  of icebergs in the sea north of it.  “Which do you think it bigger?   Boreas or Equestria?”

          “I don’t know,” North Star replied.  “Boreas is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”

           Indeed.  According to the scale, it was as much as 1,500 kilometers  wide and almost 3,000 kilometers long.  The map was quite detailed in  the shape of the landmasses, but the mountains and settlements were more  illustrations than actual representations of topographical and  demographical data.

          “You said the Williams’ ranch about fifty kilometers from here,” Wind Whistler said.

           “Forty-seven to be exact.  That would put it about here.”  North Star  pointed a side valley to an inlet represented by snaking lines rather  than open like the other fjords.  “I still can’t believe Paradise was so  tired after a couple dozen kilometers.”

          “I heard that!” Paradise snapped from the main floor.

           “Admittedly, it was probably the dramatic rise in altitude that was  contributing more to her fatigue,” Wind Whistler said.

           She returned to her mind to the task at hand.  Paradise had already said  she would not be fighting the harpies again.  The harpies came from the  south southeast.  Wind Whistler drew a line with her hoof and it ran  off the land into a large bay.  That was assuming they flew in a  straight line and not taking a curving course to hide where they came  from.  “We know they’re within striking distance of the William’s  ranch.   Would you say five hundred kilometers is a reasonable range?”

          “I would say so,” North Star replied.

           “However, that would still leave almost half a million square  kilometers of ground to cover.”  Wind Whistler sighed.  “We need to  narrow things down.”  She rubbed her chin with the back of hoof.  “If I  was a harpy, where would I make my base?”


* * *


           Shady was glad to have her favorite pair of sunglasses with her in this  world.  If she had to choose one possession to take with her, it would  be them.  They were kind of her icon, what made her Shady to those who  saw her.  The rims were light blue, her favorite color, and they had a  certain magic only she knew about.  However, right now their most  mundane property of limiting light reaching her eyes was getting the  most use.

          Between the solei quartz and the reflective  sheet they were laying them out on, the sunlight reflecting off  everything was glaring.  Other ponies had to squint or completely close  their eyes and feel around for the crystals as they picked them up from  their cases and set them out on the sheets.  However, Shady could just  see them with barely any glare reaching her eyes.

          The  cases had short, velvet-covered boxes stacked on top of each other with  mirrored spaces where the crystals went between them.  It made sense,  when she thought about it.  The crystals constantly gave off light, so  keeping them in a mirrored container meant the light would be recycled.   Probably why all the fixtures had mirrors to close around them too.

           Shady helped Cherries Jubilee take out one of the longer crystals for a  large chandelier.  They set it down on the reflective sheet and left it  to soak up the sun.

          Cherries Jubilee took in a deep breath through her nostrils.  “Do you smell that?”

          Shady sniffed the air with seemed perfectly normal.  “Smell what?”

           “Those Ulster cherries are ripening,” Cherries Jubilee sighed  contently.  “I love this time of year, even more than when the cherry  blossoms come out in the spring.  Harvest season is always a big to do  back home.  We have a big festival with parades and games and all kinds  of food made from cherries.”

          She slouched as she exhaled a sigh.  “And I’ll miss it all.”

           “I’m pretty homesick too,” Shady replied.  “With summer coming, I would  put on my favorite bathing suit and sunhat and lay on the beach.  I  would watch the waves come in for hours.  But it’s also the start of  hurricane season which I’m actually really glad I’m going to miss.”

          Cherries Jubilee glowered at Shady.  “Thanks a lot.”

          “What?” Shady asked as Cherries Jubilee stormed away.

           Shady went to another case and pulled out one of the medium length  crystals for one of the smaller chandeliers in the hallway.  She knew  what upset Cherries Jubilee.  She was missing what she had in Equestria,  and Shady pointed out something bad about it.  She could not help it  though, everything had a downside and it might as well be acknowledged.   Granted, there were no hurricanes in this fjord—at least she hoped  not—but Equestria didn’t have harpies.

          She tried to  figure which was worse.  Hurricanes were more devastating for sure, but  actually being hit by one was up to blind chance.  The harpies could  actually seek them out.

          “What’s that?” Sundance asked.

           She was pointing to the south.  Shady looked up and saw a cluster of  specks just above the ridge.  She squinted and concentrated, and her  sunglasses reacted by working their magic.  They magnified what she was  looking at like a telescope until the specks were large enough to see  they were creatures with large wings and faces kind of like humans.  In  fact, they looked a lot like how Wind Whistler and the others had  described harpies, and they were headed straight for them.

          Shady’s blood ran ice cold and she thought her heart would stop.  “HARPIES!”

          “Very funny, Shady,” Cherries Jubilee replied casually.

           “I mean it.”  She took off her sunglasses and placed them in front of  Cherries Jubilee’s eyes.  “Look at them and concentrate.”

           Cherries Jubilee squinted and her eyes suddenly went wide as her jaw  dropped.  “I don’t know how your glasses did that, but you’re right.”   She shouted to the others, “Harpies are coming!”

          Shady  put her glasses back in her mane.  She remembered what Wind Whistler had  said.  Two and half meters tall, arrows longer than a pony was tall,  sharp talons on both the hands and the feet.  That was all coming  straight for them.

          “What do we do? What do we  do?! WHAT DO WE DO?!” Shady panicked, her hooves seeming to go in every  direction at once as she tried to make sense of everything.  Her first  instinct was to run, but there was nowhere to run.

          “Everyone back in the castle!” Cherries Jubilee shouted.

          “What about the quartz?” Sundance asked.

          “Forget the quartz!” Cherries Jubilee barked.  “Everyone in the castle!”

           She galloped for the open drawbridge and Shady followed with the  others.  They ran across the wooden bridge, and Cherries Jubilee waited  at the winch until they were all across.  She pushed the lever up and  the winch pulled the chains in to bring up the drawbridge.

          “That’ll be a lot of help,” Bubbles commented.

          “Just shut up and go in!” Cherries Jubilee pointed at the front doors.

           They rushed in and Cherries Jubilee hit the button on a panel that was  part of the intercom system.  “Attention all residents of Dream  Castle.”  Her voice came from the speakers as well.  “We have several  harpies entering Dream Valley as we speak.”  She stopped.

          Shady realized there was nothing they could do.  They were trapped.

          “Just, they’re coming.  Everyone meet up.”  Cherries Jubilee hit the button again.


* * *


           Alecta glided on the airstream created by the mountains.  She hit as  many developing thermals as possible to remain aloft without having to  flap her wings.  As Bernice and Chrystal’s informant had said, there was  a castle in this supposedly empty valley.  It was the next system of  valleys over, but still close enough to the horse farmer’s home.

           Her sharp vision had allowed her to see several colorful specks run  into the castle and the drawbridge go up.  They had to be the ponies she  had heard so much about.

          “At last I will meet your little ponies, Desdemona,” Alecta said.  “Let’s see if they’re as crafty as you claim.”

          Desdemona swallowed, obviously knowing there will be nothing to hide anymore.

          Alecta got another thermal to fill her wings with air and rise several meters.


* * *


           Wind Whistler joined the crowd of ponies in the intersection of halls  on the ground floor.  An intelligible din of conversations trying to all  happen at once assaulted her ears.  Finally, Majesty gave a piercing  whistle that silenced all of them.

          “We’re ponies,” she declared, “not a bunch of chickens that just had their heads cut off.  Let’s think this through.”

           “But we’ve only managed to drive one off with a flying trick and used  the Bifröst to escape from three of them,” Shady said.  “I counted at  least fourteen headed for our castle.  We don’t stand a chance.”

          “And they must have seen us,” Sundance added.  “At least see the drawbridge was down and we brought it back up.”

          “Then it’s over,” Bow-Tie said despairingly.

           Wind Whistler rushed through their options which were slim.  The  harpies knew ponies were here, so just hiding and waiting for them to  leave was not an option.  She then thought of something more specific.   She had been inside as well as Paradise translating the Old Borean text,  North Star examining maps, Buttons working with Masquerade, Bow-Tie  bringing them accessories, Sparkler was taking inventory in the vault,  Cupcake was cooking, Truly and Posy were also all inside.  Meaning none  of the ponies who had seen and been seen by the harpies was outside to  be seen this time.

          “It might not be over just yet,” Wind  Whistler said.  “They know there are ponies here, but they don’t know  who exactly is here.”

          “How does that help us?” Magic Star asked.

           “Those of us who went to the Williams’ residence yesterday will hide in  the underground chamber,” Wind Whistler explained.  “The rest of you  feign ignorance of us.  They might buy it and leave to look for us  somewhere else.”

          “That’s a pretty big ‘might’, Wind Whistler,” Magic Star stated.

          “We don’t really have many options,” Wind Whistler responded.

           “She’s right,” Majesty interjected.  “However, I’m going to add a  little wrinkle to that.”  She looked to Magic Star.  “I want you to  pretend to be the leader of the castle.”

          “You’re ducking out too?!” Magic Star asked.

           Majesty lowered her brow.  “Hardly.  However, my magic is our trump  card, and it would be best if I had the element of surprise.”  She held  up her right front hoof covered by its shoe.  “I’ll turn invisible and  watch while they’re here.  If they try anything, I have a few spells at  my disposal to deal with them.”

          “Why don’t you just use them now?” Applejack asked.

          “Uh, if we’re going to hide, we should do it now,” Paradise interjected.  “I need to grab my translation work.”

           Wind Whistler and the seven other ponies clambered for the spur holding  the hidden elevator.  Wind Whistler caught a glimpse of Majesty  disappearing before going around the corner.  They opened the panel and  climbed into the elevator which was very crowded, but took their weight.

           Paradise was last with the sheet of paper she was translating and cheat  sheet in her mouth and her dictionary held against her chest.  Wind  Whistler instinctively clutched the locket in her pastern.  It was a  good thing she had worn it since that meant she did not have to waste  precious time getting it or worry about its hiding place being  discovered.

          Magic Star stood in front of the door.

          “Good luck,” Cupcake said.

           “We’ll need it.”  Magic Star pushed the sconce up and the panel slid  back.  The doors to the elevator closed and the elevator began to  descend.


* * *


          Alecta glided  towards the castle.  She had always been amused by the design of castles  with the fortified wall around them.  It showed how two-dimensional  grounders thought.  So much time and material went into defenses that  were immediately defeated by a pair of wings.

          “What are those?”  Melinda pointed down at sheets spread out across the grass with something glowing on them.

          “Not the locket,” Alecta snarled.  “Stay on task!”

           She landed in the front courtyard on the walkway of flagstone.  The  courtyard was over grown, and there were metal sculptures amongst the  weeds.  She pushed them out of her mind and walked up the stoop.  She  pounded on the heavy, wooden doors, the sound hollow and echoing off the  stone wall behind them.

          “Do you think they’ll just come and open the door?” Frona asked.

           Alecta shot her a glance.  However, creaking brought her attention  forward.  One of the doors opened and a pony with a pinkish-purple coat  and a pale pink mane poked her head out.  “I thought we had that ‘No  Soliciting’ sign up already.  Whatever you’re selling, we’re not  interested.”

          Alecta pointed at the pony.  “Detain her.”

          Bernice grabbed the pony by the neck and picked her up.

          “Hey!” the pony yelped and struggled.

           “Stop struggling or I’ll make you.”  Bernice presented her talons to  the pony who gasped at the sight of them and stopped.

           Alecta pulled open the doors and walked into the foyer.  A pony with a  yellow coat and green mane stepped in from a set of double doors on the  opposite wall.  “I am Magic Star, lady of this castle.  May I ask why  you’re here, and assaulting one of my ponies?”

          This pony  was putting on a brave face, but there were subtle signs of fear she  was trying desperately to hide.  “Round up every pony you can find and  throw them in some room where we can keep track of them,” Alecta  ordered.

          Chrystal and Melinda herded the pony into the hallway.

          More ponies were in the hallway, many shrank back and trembled as they approached.  These are the ponies that gave Frona and the others so much trouble, she thought.  Pathetic.

          “Don’t resist, just do what they say,” the yellow pony said.

          “That’s right,” Alecta said.  “Do what we say.”


* * *


          The elevator finally stopped and everyone filed out.  Wind Whistler went straight to Twilight Mist.

          Twilight Mist swiveled her chair around.  “What’s going on?” she asked.

          “The harpies somehow discovered our location,” Wind Whistler answered.  “They’re in the castle right now.”

          “What are you doing down here then?” Twilight Mist asked, looking past her at the others.

           “We’re hoping they will leave if they don’t see any ponies they  recognize,” Wind Whistler said.  “Can you monitor what’s happening in  the castle?”

          Twilight Mist swiveled back to face the panel.  “There is a security mode.”

           She tapped a few buttons, and the top pane showed colored images of the  castle above.  The harpies were marching through the halls, looming  over ponies as they were directed away.  Twilight Mist toggled through  to the ballroom where six ponies were standing at the foot of the  stairs, and three more joined them.

          “This is simply horrible,” Cupcake whimpered.

          Wind Whistler noticed a harpy giving orders to another.  “Do we have audio?”

           Twilight Mist scanned the control panel.  “Doesn’t look like it.  All  these cameras are also fixed, probably so they can be hidden in the  architecture.  Literally what you see is what you get.”

           The other harpy bowed to this one and disappeared from view.  Her  vibrant purple hair was cut to jaw length with the back tied in a small  bun.

          “Can you freeze the image and magnify?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “That  I can do.”  Twilight Mist hit a button and the image froze.  The view  closed in on the harpy with purple hair and sharpened.  She wore a  choker around her neck with a gold pendant shaped like short, fat fish  attached to it.

          “I think we just found their leader,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Fat lot of good that does us,” Truly commented.

           Twilight Mist hit a button and it returned to normal.  It appeared that  almost all of the others had been taken into the ballroom.

          “What are they doing?” Buttons asked.

          “It looks like they want them all in one place,” Paradise said.


* * *


           Shady tried to keep her breathing and trembling under control.  She  hoped the harpies did not start interrogating them.  She could crack  under the pressure and give their entire ruse away.  Then they would fly  into a murderous rage.  Everything she had feared was now looming over  them.

          “I don’t see why we just have to stand here and take this,” Gusty grumbled.  “I say we fight.”

          “We’re trying to get out of this without a fight,” Magic Star whispered under her breath.

          “Even with that bunch down there, we outnumber them almost two to one,” Gusty insisted.  “We can take them.”

           “Even if we did beat them, I doubt we would avoid casualties,” Magic  Star replied.  “The point is to get out of this with everyone alive.”

          “Fine,” Gusty huffed.

           Seashell was the last one ushered down the staircase into the crowd.   Shady could only imagine where Majesty was.  Hopefully she was close by  and watching.

          “Is that the last of them?” the harpy with the purple hair asked.

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” one with green hair answered.

          The ‘Glorious Alpha’ turned to another harpy with short, flame red hair.  “So, Beta, do you recognize any of them?”

           The ‘Beta’ glared down at them, her eyes falling on each one of them.   Shady thought her heart was going to blast out of her chest like a  mortar from a canon when she came under that stare.  The Beta turned  back to the Glorious Alpha.  “No.”

          Magic Star stepped forward.  “May I ask why you are doing this?  We haven’t shown you any hostility.”

           The Glorious Alpha glared down at her.  “Because little ponies like you  have been meddling in my affairs lately.”  She showed her really long  and really, really sharp talons.  “I take particular offense to  meddling.”

          Shady watched a lump go down Magic Star’s  throat.  “Well, there are several groups of us out there.  Perhaps it  was one of them you encountered.”

          The Glorious Alpha  turned to the harpy with green hair and loomed over her.  “Are you  absolutely, positively, no two ways about it sure these are all of  them?”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” the harpy whimpered.

           “I swear to you everyone living in this castle is in this ballroom,”  Magic Star insisted.  “Please, we mean you no harm and just want to live  in peace.”

          The Glorious Alpha sneered.

           “Glorious Alpha.”  A harpy with long, blond hair and a gray hoof guard  symbol on the chest of her dress ran in.  “I found this.”

          She held up a light blue feather unmistakably from Wind Whistler.  Shady squashed her urge to gasp.

          The Glorious Alpha took the feather and ran her fingers across it.

          “It’s from the ring leader of ponies who had the locket,” the orange-haired harpy said.

           The Glorious Alpha released the feather only to snatch it in her talons  and crush it.  Shady could not help but imagine a tiny Wind Whistler in  its place having the life crushed out of her.

          The Glorious Alpha threw the now mangled feather on the ground.  “You were saying?”

           Magic Star took a step back.  “A small group passed through here the  other day,” she stammered.  “One of them was a light blue pegasus.  It  must be from her.”

          “Passing through?” the Glorious Alpha asked.  “Where did they go?”

          “Um…uh…” Magic Star stammered.

          “They went north,” Galaxy interjected.  “When they left they said they were heading north.”

           The Glorious Alpha flexed her talons, talons that could slit a pony’s  throat wide open with a single swipe.  They were playing with fire here,  and Shady knew they were going to be burned.

          The  Glorious Alpha turned to the other harpies.  “Search this castle again,  tear it down brick by brick if you have to.  I want that pony and her  friends found.  I want that locket found.”  She pointed to the door.   “GO!”

          “Yes, Glorious Alpha,” they all chanted in unison.

           Most of them left except the Glorious Alpha and two others she grabbed  the collars of.  “Not you two.  String your bows and have arrows at the  ready,” the Glorious Alpha instructed.  She looked to the ponies out of  the corner of her eye.  “If they try anything, kill them.”

           That was it for Shady.  The edges of her vision closed in and she felt  her hold on the ground failing.  The last image of consciousness she had  was the Glorious Alpha staring straight at her from the corner of her  eye.


* * *


          “And there goes Shady,” Twilight Mist commented as Shady fell over on the floor.

           Wind Whistler shot her a nasty glare.  However, she felt a pit in her  stomach seeing all of them like that and the harpies looming at the top  of the stairs with their longbows in one talon and an arrow in the  other.  A wayward feather from her own wing could have doomed them all.

          “If they really start searching, they’ll find the secret elevator,” Cupcake panicked.

          “Fortunately, whoever built this castle seemed to have just this situation in mind,” Twilight Mist said.

          She pressed a button and red runes appeared along with a countdown.

          “What did you just do?” Truly asked.

           “I locked the sconce that opens the panel,” Twilight Mist answered.   “There’s a dead man’s switch to automatically unlock it after one hour  in case something happens to us, but our fowl feathered fiends will  hopefully give up and go home before then.”

          She glanced to Wind Whistler.  “Still think we shouldn’t have just bricked it off and forgotten about it?”

          Wind Whistler paid her comment little attention.  “I still believe the potential good outweighs the potential ill.”

          “Keep believing that,” Twilight Mist commented.

           “I would still like this better if we had something to defend ourselves  with.”  Sparkler disappeared in a shower of purple sparkles and  reappeared in front of the doors under the panel.  “There has to be  something.”

          Wind Whistler glided down as the door slid  open and Sparkler stepped in.  There was the usual communication  equipment.  She could only guess it was used when the Bifröst was fully  operational and its original owners set up relays.  However, nothing  looked like a weapon.

          Sparkler rummaged through the equipment.  “No weapons?  Really?”

           “If there had been weapons in here, they have probably long since been  removed,” Wind Whistler said.  She also remembered what Paradise had  said.  The Boreans never developed gunpowder, so there might not be  ranged weapons beyond bows and arrows anyway.

          Sparkler picked up a pipe in her magic.  “I suppose we can club them.”

          “If you two are done, you should get up here!” Twilight Mist shouted.

           Sparkler threw the pipe aside.  “The enemy is not just at the gate but  in the castle, and we don’t have any weapons.  It’s like I said  yesterday.  We’re all going to die.”

          “Don’t forget Queen  Majesty is up there and waiting,” Wind Whistler pointed out.  “If it  comes to that point, she must have something planned.”

          “I actually wonder if that old bat can really anything but make wheels square,” Sparkler grumbled.

          They climbed the steps up to the platform.  “What’s happening?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “The harpies are splitting into pairs and going through the castle,” Twilight Mist said.

          “If something happens, can we use the Bifröst to get out of here and up there to do something?” Truly asked.

          “I can put us a kilometer out,” Twilight Mist said.  “I don’t trust setting the distance to zero.”

           “But what can we do?” Sparkler asked.  “Again, we don’t have any  weapons and those things are built to rip us to shreds even without  their bows.  And where would we go?  It’s not like we can call for the  Royal Guard to come help.  We are on our own, ponies.”

           “I know.”  Wind Whistler sighed.  Even if they went to the capital or  the Wonderful Wizard, they would have to wait the eternity of a half  hour for the Bifröst to recharge.  “I know.”

          “Maybe we can cause enough mayhem to trap them in a pincer maneuver,” North Star suggested.

           “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”  Buttons turned back to the  screen which showed the harpies turning over the tables in the dining  hall.  “We need to trust that Queen Majesty knows what she’s doing up  there.”


* * *


          The harpies searched  room by room, and all the ponies in the chamber could do was watch.   Wind Whistler hated the feeling of being unable to do anything.  This  was her idea as well, and everyone who stayed topside was in mortal  danger because of her.  Yet, there was nothing she could do, so she just  waited.

          The harpies tossed books to the floor in the  library, getting a whimper out of Paradise.  Truly took offense to them  going through her makeshift infirmary.  They rummaged through the  kitchen, even tasting some of the food but were apparently disgusted by  it if the spitting it out and throwing it on the ground were any  indication.  There were no cameras in any of the private quarters or  bathrooms, but the harpies went in and out of each one.  They did not  find the treasure vault or armory, their passageways being well hidden,  and they never even tried pulling any of the sconces.

           One of them started knocking on panels, something that made everyone  gasp.  However, another pulled her away and pointed her down the hall.   Still, the feeling that imaginary pins were pressing against Wind  Whistler’s flesh remained.

          Twilight Mist would regularly  go back to the ballroom where the ponies were still standing there  under the gaze of the two armed harpies and their apparent leader.  The  leader paced and seemed to be growing more impatient as time went on.   She was what Wind Whistler feared most about them.  If she was the boss,  her growing frustration meant more danger for the ponies topside.

          A harpy, having finished going through all the servants’ quarters of the southeast building, returned to the ballroom.

          “I think this is it,” Twilight Mist said.  “They’re running out of castle to search.”

          “Let’s hope they just leave now,” Cupcake said.


* * *


           Alecta rubbed her talon on the skin under the feathers of her upper arm  where an itch had developed, just enough to feel it.  That slight pain  felt therapeutic as her frustration rose.  These ponies were hiding  something, her gut told her that.  She could have brought Gergo along to  read their minds, but no Alpha worth her salt would dare expose her  male.  Besides, he was the only one left to guard the stronghold and the  girl.  Still, she would have liked to have his mental powers with her  at the moment.

          One by one, the others returned, all with  nothing.  She looked back at the crowd of twenty-six ponies clustered  on the main floor of the ballroom.  The bright pink one who fainted was  back on her hooves but looked like she would faint again every time her  eyes fell on her.  Some murmured something unintelligible to one  another, and a few looked like they might be ready to try something.   However, they just stood there, probably hoping she would give up and  fly away.

          As usual, Desdemona was the last to join them.  “I didn’t find anything,” she said.

          “Are you satisfied?” the yellow pony asked.

          “Yes,” Alecta replied.  Now to have some fun.  “Kill them.”

           The ponies huddled together as the others lined up.  It might be a good  instinct when dealing with a predator at close range, but made them all  the easier to take down with arrows.  Those that did not have the bows  strung took them out and strung them, and they all formed a line along  the balcony just like they had drilled.

          “Knock,” Alecta commanded.

          The others took arrows out of their quivers and set them on their strings.

          “Draw!”

          They held up their bows pulled back their arrows, taking aim at the cluster of ponies.

           Alecta just opened her mouth to command ‘loose’ when another, ethereal  voice interrupted.  “Oh arrows meant to strike my ponies dead, become  beautiful red roses instead.”

          The arrows on the others’  bows suddenly turned into long stem roses with red blooms on the end.   They took the roses from their bows and stared at them with bewildered  expressions.  Frona reached into her quiver and pulled out another arrow  that had also turned into a rose.

          “What?” Alecta snarled.

           She turned back to the ponies standing there.  She then saw something  appearing on the throne.  It was another pony with a horn coming from  her forehead lounging on it.  A red cloak covered much of her white coat  and a gold tiara sat on her blue mane.  It appeared like she had just  twisted one of the shoes covering her hoof.

          “I knew this was all a trick.”  Alecta threw herself off the balcony and glided straight for the pony.

           The pony twirled her horn, energy building around it.  It was a  bubbling storm of sickening greens and purples and black lightning.  Her  blue irises turned blood red surrounded by green and purple energy  wafted from them.  “Vile harpies all before me, inside this fjord you  shall never again be.”

          Alecta stretched out her talons  as she was about to plunge them into the pony’s chest.  Something  grabbed her and threw her back.  The world dissolved in a flash, and  Alecta fell into something wet and cold with a distinct smell and taste  of salt to it.  She looked back and saw the others all floating there  bewildered.

          Alecta climbed onto a nearby rock and  flapped her wings to rid them of the salt water.  Once they were dry,  she took to the air to get her bearings.  They were at the mouth of the  fjord where it emptied into the main one.  She saw the pink castle  several kilometers away near a hanging valley.

          She let  out a snarl and flew towards it.  She was again grabbed and thrown  back.  She kept herself airborne this time and saw she was back where  she had started.

          She spiraled down to the rocks at the  mouth and landed on one exposed to the air.  The others were standing on  rocks, tending their wings.  “Beta, enter the fjord.”

           “Yes, Glorious Alpha.”  She leapt towards the fjord.  A few meters in,  black lightning surrounded her.  It seemed to tie around her just before  she disappeared and reappeared several meters back, tumbling as if she  had been thrown.

          It took a few seconds for the pony’s  words and what was happening to make sense.  “She cursed us.  That pony  cursed us!”  She let out a piercing screech to voice her frustration.


* * *


          Magic Star joined the others around Majesty’s throne.  They cheered and congratulated her.

           Majesty’s eyes returned to normal from whatever changed them and the  energy around her horn evaporated away.  She bowed her head and smiled.   “Now, for my next trick—”

          She stopped suddenly.  Her  eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she fell from her  throne—coming to lie limply across the steps.  Gasps came from the  crowd, and they surrounded her.

          “Queen Majesty!” echoed throughout the ballroom.
> Chapter 10: Rattling Their Cage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Wantall was heavier than the usual human.  Just looking at  him told Alecta that.  She had to grab him with both talons to pick him  up and slam against the rock.  He covered his face with his doughy hands  and she could feel his body convulsing in her grip.

           “Please,” he blubbered.  “I don’t understand your ire with me.  I mean, I  was right.  There were ponies in that castle.”

          “You didn’t tell us one of them was a powerful magician,” Alecta roared.

          Wantall parted his hands enough to see her.  “I didn’t?  I guess it slipped my mind.

           Alecta adjusted her left talon so it could better pin him alone and  smacked his arm away so she could bring a claw to his throat.  “You  better hope that’s the only thing that slips.”

          Wantall  swallowed a lump down his throat.  “I figured this would be a perfect  alliance.  You were looking for the ponies and could do something about  them, and I knew where the ponies were.  It’s not my fault they bested  you.”

          Alecta pressed the claw against the ample flesh where his neck would be.  “They didn’t ‘best’ us.  They tricked us.”

          Wantall held up his hands.  “My mistake.”

          Alecta moved her claw away so it just touched his doughy skin.

          “The point is you know where they are,” Wantall said.

          Alecta clenched her teeth.  “It does us no good if they’ve made it impossible to enter their fjord.”

           “I thought I smelled the stench of a banishment curse on you,” Wantall  said.  He inhaled loudly through his nostrils.  “That’s some pitch black  magic.”

          “He’s supposedly a wizard,” Frona said.  “How about he uses his magic to remove whatever she did to us.”

           “I would if I could, but her powers far outweigh mine,” Wantall said.   “This curse is one of the most powerful I’ve ever come across.”

          “So you were using us!” Alecta bellowed.  “You’re too weak to face them, so you figured we’d do your dirty work!”

          “You make it sound so underhanded.”  Wantall grinned sheepishly.

           Alecta slammed Wantall against the rock again and presented her talons  to his face.  He went pale and sweat quickly soaked his face.  “I’ve  reached the end of my patience, and you’ve reached the end of your usefulness.”

          “Wait.  Wait!  WAIT!” Wantall stammered.  “I might still be of use to you.”

          Alecta relaxed her arm.  “I’m listening.”

           “You might be barred from their fjord, but I’m not,” Wantall said.   “What if I could find what you’re looking for or otherwise draw them out  so they’re no longer protected?”

          “He has you there, Glorious Alpha,” Frona said.

          Alecta ground her teeth.  He did have her.  She released her hold on him, and he dropped to the ground.

          “The ponies have a red, heart-shaped locket,” Alecta said.  “Retrieve it.”

           Wantall got to his feet and brushed of his sleeves.  “A red locket  shaped like a heart: consider it as good as got.”  He bowed.

          “You have until sundown today,” Alecta said.  “Bring it here.”

           She turned back to Frona and Bernice.  “We’ll return to the stronghold  for new arrows and we’ll return here.”  She turned back to Wantall.   “You better be well on your way to getting that locket.”  She presented  her talons to him again.  “Because if the sun goes down and it’s not in  this talon”—she closed it into a fist—“your windpipe will be.”

          Wantall rubbed his throat.  “I get the picture.”


* * *


           Wantall watched as the three harpies spread their broad wings and took  to the air.  Beautiful examples of predatory biology—until you are their  prey.  He felt where their leader pressed her talon against his neck to  make sure she did not draw blood.  Then he straightened out his aching  back and rubbed his head from being smacked against the rock.

           He trudged back to his overturned cart and summoned magic for a  levitation spell.  He lifted it up and righted it so it could settle  down on all four wheels.  He inhaled and slowly exhaled as he let it  sink in.  Along with dents and scrapes to the paint job from being  toppled over, the canvas canopy had large gashes in it from the harpies’  talons.  Thinking of those talons going through him sent a shiver  through him.  “Congratulations, Wantall, you’ve made a deal with the  devil and payment is due.

          “How am I going to get into  their castle and steal a locket?”  He opened the trunk on the back of  the cart where he kept some supplies.

          “Maybe I could  wear a disguise.”  He pulled out a white robe with a star motif and a  wig that would make him look like his astronomy-obsessed twin brother.   He had gotten away with many things by impersonating him.  He looked at  them and then tossed them back in.  “That wouldn’t work because that  blasted telepath could just read my mind and know it’s me.”  He slammed  the trunk shut.

          He stopped and thought.  “I’m going to  have to get help on this one.”  An idea popped into his head.  His mouth  bent up in a toothy grin.  “And Get is just what I’ll do.”


* * *


           A groan interrupted Truly’s reading, and she turned to the bed.   Majesty was lying under the covers, wincing and stirring.  She slowly  opened her eyes partly and stared up.

          “Welcome back to the world of the living, Queen Majesty,” Truly said.  “How do you feel?”

           Majesty winced.  “Like someone drove a power drill through the tip of  my horn,” she groaned, “and went all the way into my skull.”

           “That’s to be expected,” Truly replied.  “Any other issues?  Before you  collapsed, did you feel any chest pain, shortness of breath, or  nausea?”

          “If you’re asking if I had a heart attack, then  no,” Majesty answered.  “I was fine one second and woke up here the  next.”

          “That’s a relief,” Truly said.  “I’m just nurse, so if your ticker was giving out we would be in serious trouble.”

          “I’m only one hundred fifty-three,” Majesty said.  “I have a good half century left in me.”

          “The good old bicentennial gene,” Truly mused allowed.  “Too bad everyone can’t have it.”

           “Actually, every pony we’ve found in this world so far has it,” Majesty  said.  “I had been looking for what we all have in common, and that  seems to be one of them.”

          Truly furrowed her brow.  “Now that’s just the strangest thing.”

           A knock came at the door to interrupt her train of thought.  “Truly, is  Queen Majesty awake?”  Magic Star’s voice was muffled by the door.

           Truly set down her book and walked over to open the door.  Magic Star  walked in with Galaxy and Wind Whistler.  “She’s awake but still very  weak.”

          “What happened to her?” Magic Star asked.

           “As far as I can tell with what medicine I know and what we have at our  disposal,” Truly answered, “she suffered an acute case of magic  exhaustion.”

          Wind Whistler furrowed her brow.  “I’m a  little confused.  How could exhausting her magic cause such a severe  physical reaction?”

          “The spell I used was based on  Shadow pony magic,” Majesty said weakly.  “It’s incredibly powerful, but  it puts incredible strain on the body.”

          “Is that why the magic looked and felt so…ugly?” Magic Star asked.

          Majesty nodded.

          “Where did you learn Shadow pony magic?” Galaxy asked.

           “Yes, they were your kind’s enemy, Sombra’s old tribe,” Majesty said.   “The Crystal Empire kept very good notes on their twisted magic, so I  studied it when it returned.  That spell was originally meant to entrap,  but I learned to invert it to keep the target out of a given location.”

           “So, you just sat down and learned them?” Galaxy gasped.  “You do  realize what the Shadow ponies were, and what they did to the Crystal  ponies in the past?”

          “Past being the operative word,” Majesty replied.  “They’re extinct, a footnote in history.”

          “Yet you’re keeping their black magic alive!” Galaxy stated.

           Majesty glared at Galaxy.  “Everyone wants to assign mortality to  things that don’t have it, especially magic.  The spell I used might  have been created by an evil group, but it has no understanding of our  definitions of good and evil or anything else.  It’s an application of  energy as benign or malicious as lifting a glass of water.”

           “While this discussion of magic and morality could be invigorating, I  still don’t understand how exhausting magic has such an effect on the  body,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Unicorn magic is similar to  physical stamina,” Truly replied.  “Overexertion can lead to fatigue and  fainting spells and even more severe and permanent damage in extreme  instances.  I’ve actually looked after several cases.  She just needs to  rest and give her magic a chance to recover.”

          “That was  why I didn’t want to just use my magic when the harpies first  appeared,” Majesty said in a weak voice.  “My banishment spell took  everything I had, so I only wanted to use it as a last resort.  You see,  I didn’t just teleport them out, but placed a permanent spell on each  of them so they will always be immediately removed from the fjord if  they ever try to enter again.”  She winced.  “Though, I might have  gotten a little overzealous by making it the entire fjord.  A basic  protection spell for the castle will do the trick.”

           Truly turned to Majesty and gave her the glare she would give any  patient trying to rush out of bed.  “You’re not doing so much as  levitating a pin for the next several days.  The only cure for magical  exhaustion is rest and plenty of it.”

          “Yes, sir.”  Majesty worked her leg out from under the covers and gave a salute.

           She beckoned.  “Magic Star, Galaxy, since I’ll be off my hooves for a  while, there is some business I need to attend to.  Magic Star, I’m  naming you my Chief Minister.  You’re my second in command and you’ll be  in charge while I recover.  Galaxy, you’ll be my Chamberlain and handle  the caretaking of the castle.”

          “You can count on me, Queen Majesty,” Magic Star said.

          “As well as me,” Galaxy added.

          “I know I can.”  Majesty turned to Wind Whistler.

          “I do not desire a title,” Wind Whistler said, “nor do I believe I deserve one.  My plan backfired.”

           “You kept the harpies from finding the locket,” Majesty said.  “We all  underestimated just how depraved they were, but that is not your fault.   However, I will not bestow a title on you if you do not wish to have  one.  Be Wind Whistler, and do what Wind Whistler has to do.”

          Wind Whistler furrowed her brow.  “I don’t understand.”

           Majesty formed a weak grin.  “You’ll figure it out.”  She slowly closed  her eyes and laid her head to the side.  The covers slowly rose and  fell with her breathing.

          Truly picked up the stethoscope  and listened to Majesty’s heart and breathing.  Both were a little slow  but steady.  “I think she’s done enough talking for now.  Let’s leave  her to rest.”

          She ushered the three out of the room and carefully closed the door behind her to minimize the noise.

          “She’s been queen less than a day, and she’s already taken ill,” Magic Star said.

          “She’s been queen less than a day, and she’s already repelled an invasion and saved all of our lives,” Galaxy added.

          “Are you sure she has to be laid up for several days?” Magic Star asked.

           “My formal medical training says yes,” Truly said.  “However, my  grandma was a hills pony, and knew some herbal remedies including a few  that would help an exhausted unicorn recuperate faster.”

          “Do you think you can find the right herbs here?” Magic Star asked.

          Truly shrugged.  “I’ll have to go out and look, but right now rest is the only medicine I can offer.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler followed Magic Star and Galaxy into the ballroom.  The  other ponies sat or stood there, staring up at them.  Magic Star stood  at the top of the stairs and cleared her throat.

          “Queen Majesty is resting and will make a full recovery,” Magic Star said.  “She suffered from magic exhaustion.”

          Te crowd relaxed and heaved sighs of relief.

           “However, she will be off her hooves for the next several days,” Magic  Star continued.  “She named me Chief Minister and Galaxy Chamberlain.   Galaxy will be running castle affairs and I’ll be in charge of  everything else until she recovers.”

          “What’s your first order, Minister?” Applejack asked.

          “The solei quartz is still sitting outside,” Galaxy said.  “We need ponies to tend to it.”

          Half a dozen ponies left the crowd and ascended the stairs for the door.

          “What I say we do is return the harpies’ visit in kind.”  Gusty stamped her hoof.  She got a couple nods.

          “Did you not see them almost kill you?” Cupcake asked rhetorically.

           “That’s because we just stood here and let them have the run of the  castle,” Gusty shot back.  “I say we assemble our best fighters and go  after them without having to worry about any other weaker ponies  dragging them down.”

          “What fighters?” Cupcake asked.   “Look at us?  None of us are soldiers.  We’re bakers and dressmakers  while those harpies are professionally trained killers.  We couldn’t  ever hope to stand up to them.”

          “Unfortunately, we may  not have a choice,” Wind Whistler said.  “We’ve pledged to save Megan  from them, and we cannot go back on our word.”

          “We don’t even know where they would be holding her,” Magic Star said.

           “That’s what North Star and I were looking into earlier,” Wind Whistler  replied.  “We have a general area of where they could have come from,  but it’s still a substantial area to search.  We need to narrow down  possible candidates.”

          “You and North Star can continue  your research,” Magic Star said, “but whether we engage them or not will  be up to me.  Understand?”

          Wind Whistler bowed.  “Of course, Minister Magic Star.”

           “The rest of you are on cleanup duty,” Galaxy said to the crowd.  A  wave of groans came from the group.  “Start with the kitchen and the  library since that’s where the harpies did the most damage.”


* * *


           Fizzy left the ballroom with the crowd.  It was good to hear Majesty  would be all right.  She was not even that displeased with having to  clean up.  In fact, it would let her get back to her training as a  chamber maid like she was in the Crystal Palace.  Now that the scare  with the harpies was over and everyone was mostly fine, she was feeling  pretty good.

          “Since we will probably not able to act on  anything immediately,” Wind Whistler said to Paradise, “North Star and I  can assist with cleaning the library, at least put the maps back in  order.”

          “I would appreciate that,” Paradise replied.   “It’ll probably take days to get all of those books back where they  belong.”

          They joined the group of ponies headed towards  the intersection.  Shady walked up to Fizzy, but was pulled away by  Truly.  “I heard those glasses have some weird powers.  Detecting magic  wouldn’t be one of them, would it?”

          “Well, yes—” Shady started to say.

           “Good, because Posey and I need to hunt down magic herbs.”  She pulled  Shady to where Posey was standing.  “We’ll bring you and your glasses  along too.”

          “Uh…okay,” Shady replied.

          “Fizzy, right?” a voice asked.

          Fizzy looked back and saw Bubbles was standing behind her.  “You’re a maid if I’m not mistaken.”

          “Uh, yeah,” Fizzy replied.

          “I could tell that divide between your forelock and the rest of your mane was from a maid’s headband,” Bubbles said.

          “Well, I’m just a trainee,” Fizzy said.

           “Whatever the case, I want you helping with the kitchen,” Bubbles  said.  “That’s going to require sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and some  actual skill for cleaning.”

          “Right,” Fizzy said.

           They stepped into the kitchen and one of the worst messes Fizzy had  seen.  Flour, sugar, salt, and food with bite marks in it covered the  floor and counters.  Cupcake picked up jars and looked into them, her  frown increasing with each one before putting a lid on it and returning  it to its place.  Skyflier and Cherries Jubilee set out dust pans and  passed out brooms.

          “I’m starting to see Gusty’s point of  view.”  Cupcake shoved a jar into a cupboard.  “If I ever see those  harpies again, I want to give them a nice big piece of my mind for what  they did to my kitchen.”

          “Look at it this way,” Seashell said to Cupcake, “at least they didn’t break any of the dishes.”

           “Probably so they wouldn’t step on the pieces,” Cupcake grumbled.  “I  finally have some real ingredients, and more than half of it is on the  floor.”

          “Do you know how to start with this?” Bubbles asked.

          “Sweep out the corners with a normal broom,” Fizzy answered.

          “Good,” Bubbles said.  “Get to work.”  She tossed a broom towards her.

           Fizzy caught it with her magic and started sweeping the coating of  white on the floor out of the corner next to the door.


* * *


           Shady scanned the wooded hill from behind her sunglasses.  Her mother  had given her these glasses for her symbol party, saying they were very  special glasses.  They certainly were since they let Shady see things no  other pony could.  They could act like a telescope and let her see  things far away, like the harpies earlier, or a microscope to let her  see things that were really small.  She could even see things that were  invisible to most ponies even when not concentrating.  She just realized  she could have looked for Majesty through them, but she might have made  the harpies suspicious.

          Right now, she was looking for  magic coming from any of the plants.  Equestria would become so vibrant  and lively when looking at the magic pulsing through the plants.  Normal  plants would have narrow vanes starting at the roots and coming up and  spreading through the leaves.  Plants that had more magical properties  would be absolutely aglow.  She could sit there for hours and watch the  magic going up a tall palm tree and spreading through its broad fronds.

           However, these plants were just plants.  The trees and tangled  underbrush beneath them were dark and dull through the tint of her  lenses.  She had seen two lines, one running almost due north and south  and another roughly northeast to southwest that crossed under the castle  which were apparently magic.  She had never heard of just isolated  lines of magic.

          “See anything?” Truly asked.

          Shady shook her head.  “I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything magical.”

           Posey bit into a strawberry.  “Well, we found strawberry and blueberry  plants.  They’re good for a pony on the mend, and Cupcake will be happy  to have more to work with.”

          “What I need is poison joke,” Truly murmured.

          “Poison joke?!”  Shady pushed her glasses up.  “We’re supposed to make Queen Majesty better!”

           “Relax.”  Truly said.  “Only the flowers are dangerous, and I snip them  off.  What I’m after are the roots where they store their magic.  I can  make a broth from them, and it will help Queen Majesty regain her  magic.  My grandma did it for countless unicorns and made sure I knew  the recipe by heart.”

          “Well, I haven’t seen poison joke  or any other magic-dependent plants,” Posey said.  “They might not exist  in this World.”

          “I’m starting to think that’s the case,” Truly replied.  “At least when it comes to this valley.”

          “What would you need magical plants for?” a voice asked.

           A boy with skin the same color as a pea and wearing a green shirt,  pants, and hat climbed the hill towards them.  The only thing not green  him was the mane of blond hair coming out from under his cap.

          “Who are you?” Truly asked.  “And what brings you here?”

           “I’m called Get-It,” the boy replied.  “I live on the mountains just  north of here, and I come down every once and a while to pick clover.  I  saw you looking around and wondered if you could use some help.”

          “Well, bless your heart,” Truly said.

          “You’re not shocked to see talking ponies?” Posey asked.  “Because that would be a first.”

           “I heard talking horses were living in this fjord now,” Get-It said.   “And not a lot of humanoids have green skin like me, so weird things  don’t bug me at all.”

          “Well, it a pleasure making your acquaintance, Get-It,” Truly said.

          “So, what’s this about needing magic plants?” Get-It asked.

           “One of us sick, her magic having been exhausted, and we need plants  with magical properties to help her get better,” Truly said.   “Unfortunately, it seems like this fjord doesn’t have any.  Ever heard  of poison joke?”

          “No,” Get-It answered.

          “What about the flower of truth?” Posey asked.

          Get-It shook his head.

           Shady heaved a sigh.  She knew this was fool’s errand.  “I guess we  should go back.  Queen Majesty will recover on her own.”  She stopped  when she realized she probably should not have mentioned it was Majesty  who had taken ill.

          “We might not have those plants, but there’s something here you could use,” Get-It said.  “It’s called witchweed.”

          “I’m not familiar with it,” Truly said.

          “Neither am I,” Posey added.

          Get-It turned towards the mouth of the fjord and waved for them to follow.  “Come with me.”

          “I don’t know if we should,” Shady said.

          “Oh, please,” Truly scolded.  “He’s offering to help.  We shouldn’t be rude.”

           They followed Get-It as he walked towards where the shore turned from  their fjord into the main one.  “Witchweed is the go to plant for  magic,” Get-It explained.  “Non-magic users use it to gain magical  powers temporarily, but it has some rather nasty side effects.  Beware  of a concentrated potion made from it.  It’s instantly addictive.”

          “For such a young boy, you certainly seem to know a lot about it,” Posey said.

          Get-It shrugged.  “The fact that it’s dangerous is drilled into us as soon as we can understand.”

          “What if you already have magic?” Truly asked.

           “That’s its real use,” Get-It answered.  “Magic users use it as a  powerful medicine.  It should do the trick for your queen.”

           “It’s mighty kind of you to help us,” Truly said.  “It’s good to know  there are polite and proper people in this world, especially children.”

          “Don’t mention it,” Get-It said.

          “Where does this witchweed grow?” Posey asked.

          “It grows on east facing slopes,” Get-It answered.  “There’s some just outside this fjord.”

          Shady stopped.  “Just outside?”

          Get-It turned back.  “Yeah.  It’s actually in season right, so you’re really lucky.”

          Shady felt her muscles tensing.  “Can we talk alone, you two?”

          Truly heaved a sigh and glowered.  “All right, Shady.  This better be good.”

           Shady led them to where she hoped they would be out of earshot.  “I  don’t like this.  Something to help Queen Majesty is just outside of the  fjord.  It just feels like too much of a coincidence that we have to  leave its protection.”

          “Oh Shady, don’t be such a wet  blanket,” Truly said.  “I don’t know how you treat others in that  tourist trap you call home, but in Mustangia proper we try to be  neighborly.  That fine young boy is helping us with our plight, and we  shouldn’t treat him with such suspicions.”

          “But—” Shady started to say.

           “Come along, you two,” Truly said as she rejoined Get-It.  “We  shouldn’t dawdle and waste time with baseless suspicions.”

           They followed the path to where to came around the bend to the base of a  grass ridge.  Giant boulders stuck out of the ground, many of them  larger than a pony.  Shady stopped just before the bend of the ridge.   She was not sure what signified the end of the fjord, but the top of the  bend in the path seemed like a safe bet.

          “I’ll just stay back here,” Shady called out to Truly and Posey.

          “Suit yourself,” Truly replied dully.

           Shady tapped her hoof as Truly and Posey followed the path around the  bend after Get-It.  This was wrong.  Every fiber of her being was  telling her that.

          “How much further?” Posey asked.

          “Not far,” Get-It answered.

           Shady dropped her sunglasses over her eyes again.  Maybe she could see  the witchweed’s magic through them.  There was still no sign of any  magic plants amongst the grass.  She concentrated on a large rock,  perhaps hiding some of the witchweed.

          She thought she  saw something just past its rim.  There was magic there.  She walked  towards the edge of the water, trying to make it out.  She eventually  got around it to see Wantall and two harpies crouched.

          “Get out of there!” she screamed.  “It’s a trap!”

          Posey and Truly turned back.  “What?” Posey asked.

           The harpies jumped out, one holding a large sack.  Posey and Truly ran  back towards the ridge.  Truly was slower because of her uniform, and  the harpy with the sack grabbed her by the back of the neck.

           Posey practically slid around the bend and almost lost her balance  before she finished changing her direction.  Shady jumped aside as the  other harpy flew around the bend with her talons outstretched.  Those  purple and green bubbles and black lighting surrounded her and threw her  back.  She spread her wings and kept aloft, clenching her talons into a  fist.

          “Relax.”  The harpy with the sack, who Shady  remembered was the one called Beta, held up Truly thrashing futilely in  her grasp.  “We have one of them.”

          “Unhand me, you  feathered thug,” Truly insisted, “or whatever you call these filthy  things.  Honestly, have you never heard of hygiene?”

          She wriggled to look to Shady and Posey.  “Don’t just stand there, you two, do something!”

           The other harpy wedged the end of her longbow between her talons and  stung it.  She placed and arrow on the stingray and trained it Shady and  Posey.  “Don’t try anything heroic.”

          Shady took a step back.

          Wantall stepped out cautiously from his hiding place.

          “Boss, boss,” Get-It said.  “We got one.”

          “That we did, my boy,” Wantall replied.  “I told you politeness is an effective weapon.”

          “Then why didn’t you use it get the castle?” Get-It asked.

          “Just go get the cart ready,” Wantall said through clenched teeth.

           Get-It ran towards the rock, but stopped after a couple steps and  turned back to Wantall.  “And apparently their queen is sick too,” he  added.  “Something about her magic being exhausted.”

          “Probably from the curse she put on us,” the Beta said.  “It’s good to know we won’t have to deal with her.”

           She put Truly in the sack.  “She might not be the locket, but she’s  something we can use.”  She turned to Wantall.  “Congratulations,  Wantall, you get to live for the next few hours.”

          Wantall grinned sheepishly and forced a weak laugh.  “Just what I always wanted.”

           The Beta turned back to Shady and Posey and held up the sack Truly  struggled in.  “If you want to see her alive and well again, you will  bring the locket to the horse farmer’s ranch before sundown today.  Tell  your fellow ponies this, and don’t plan any tricks.”

           The other harpy placed her arrow back in her quiver and unstrung her  bow.  The two spread their wings and flew off down the main fjord.  The  Beta held the sack in her talons as they dwindled to specks in the  distance.

          Get-It drove the damaged cart out from behind the rock to just behind Wantall.

          “For all our sake, I suggest you do what they say this time.”  Wantall jumped into the cart, and they motored away.

           Shady swallowed a lump she felt forming in her throat.  It was a trap,  but all she could do was stand there while Truly was kidnapped.  She  felt helpless and powerless as the harpies disappeared from view.


* * *


           Wind Whistler stood back as North Star spread the map across the  table.  Several ponies that had been picking up books stopped to look  over the map and listen in on their planning session.  Even Paradise had  pulled herself from her books to watch.

          “Those harpies  might have done us a favor,” North Star said.  “I found a translated  version of the map we had earlier while picking them up.”

          Fizzy ran in.  “What’s going on here?”

           Wind Whistler looked up.  “We were about to pick likely locations of  the harpies’ base of operations.”  She furrowed her brow.  “I thought  you were cleaning the kitchen.”

          “I was,” Fizzy replied.   “We just finished mopping the floor, and we’re waiting for it to dry.   I asked to come help in the library, so I could help you.”

          “Your assistance is appreciated, but we’re planning at the moment,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Oh.  Okay.”

          North Star rubbed her chin as she scanned the map.  “So, you’re a harpy.  Where would you build your base?”

           Wind Whistler looked at the map.  With labels in Common, she could tell  what they were.  There was the Grand Trunk Fjord digging deep inland  and branching out at many places.  Just west of it was the Choked Fjord  with its stunted inlet and river valleys.  Between them and to the north  was the broad plain of the ‘Jewel Desert’ with those crystal plants and  where they found the Crystal ponies.

          This map was of  the old Empire for modern interpreters.  The capital city was prominent  in the center of the country with towns and cities noted both in the  fjords and inland.  A network of roads connected the fjord heads to  communities inland.

          Wind Whistler heaved a sigh.  “I wish I could think more like them.”

          “Maybe you do.”  Fizzy took Wind Whistler’s wing and opened it.  “You both fly, right?”

           Suddenly, it was like a blockage in Wind Whistler’s mind had come  undone and ideas could flow.  She had been looking at the harpies as  aliens and predators, completely different from her.  However, they were  fliers like her first and foremost.  It all fell into place before her.

           “You’re right, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said, trying to keep her elation  in check.  “They do fly just like pegasi.  Which means they probably  look for the same things in a place of shelter as we do.”

          “How does that help us?” Moondancer asked.  “Pegasi live in clouds in Equestria.  Obviously they can’t do that here.”

           “Pegasi live in clouds because in the early days we wanted to make our  strongholds difficult if not impossible to reach without flight,” Wind  Whistler said.  “A race as warlike as these harpies probably wants that  natural defense even more.  However, instead of clouds, they would use  the natural terrain.”

          She turned back to the map.  “We  need some place that’s tall and steep where the only practical way to  reach it is flight.”  She circled the southern part of the map with her  hoof.  “Somewhere generally south of the Williams’ ranch.”

           “How about these mountains?”  Glory pointed to a line of mountains with  open tops and smoke coming from them along the coast south of the  Barrier Mountains.  They were labeled ‘Obsidian Mountains’.

          “I don’t think so,” North Star said.  “I think the smoke coming out of them means they’re active volcanoes.”

          “So?” Glory asked.

           “An active volcanic regions would be highly inhospitable anything that  flies,” Wind Whistler said.  “Eruptions would create deadly ash clouds  and thermal currents.  Also, the interiors of those volcanoes would be  uninhabitable due to the magma.”

          Wind Whistler thought  further.  “They would probably want something more isolated, too.  That  way they would have a clear view of anything coming.”

           “Then what about these islands?”  North Star pointed to a cluster of  islands in the middle of the bay south of Boreas.  Many of them had  mountains drawn on them.

          “They’re promising,” Wind Whistler mused aloud, “but there are so many of them.”

           “Wait!”  Paradise flew to a shelf of replaced books and took one out.   She set it down on the map and opened it up to a map of one of the  larger island.  “This book is about these islands.”

          Paradise turned the page.  “They’re all dead volcanoes, and the tallest is called Spire Island.”

          “What kind of terrain does it have?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “It says the mountain has several tall, vertical cliffs,” Paradise  said.  “The island is also noted for a mature yew forest.”

          “Did you say yew?” North Star asked.  “That’s the kind of wood the harpies build their longbows from.”

          “It’s also believed the original harpy invasion used Spire Island as their headquarters,” Paradise said.

          “What do you think, Wind Whistler?” North Star asked.

           “Appropriate terrain, raw materials for constructing their weapons, and  possibly a preexisting stronghold,” Wind Whistler mused.  “It sounds  like the most logical location.”

          Paradise took the book  off the map as North Star rolled it up.  “Then let’s take this to  Minister Magic Star and ask her about it,” North Star said.

           A pair of doors burst open and Shady and Posey ran in.  They wheezed  for air and sweat matted their coats.  “The harpies!” Shady gasped.   “They took Truly!”


* * *


          Wind  Whistler winced as Shady cowered in Gusty’s shadow.  She knew as soon  Shady gave them the news Gusty would have the loudest reaction.   However, her targeting her like this was still unpleasant to watch.

           “You’re such a wimp!” Gusty shouted in Shady’s face.  “Truly was right  there, and you didn’t even lift a hoof to right to save her.”

          “They held Posey and me at bay with an arrow,” Shady whimpered.  “We couldn’t have reached her.”

          “You didn’t even try!” Gusty snapped.

          “That’s enough, Gusty!” Magic Star stated.  “Go sit down!”

           “I’m sick of these harpies,” Gusty grumbled loudly as she took a seat  in the front row.  “I’m sick of us just sitting here.  Now they’ve  kidnapped Truly.  We better do something about them now!”

          Magic Star inhaled and slowly exhaled.  “I guess we have no choice.”

          “So where are they?” Gusty called up to Wind Whistler and North Star at the top and back.

          “We believe they’re holed up on an island south of here,” North Star said.

           Wind Whistler had been lending one ear to the conversation after Gusty  got herself back under control.  She was thinking about what the next  move the harpies might make with a hostage.

          “We might also have a rare opportunity to act upon,” Wind Whistler thought out loud.

          “What opportunity is that?” North Star asked.

           “These harpies seem to be compulsively deceitful,” Wind Whistler said.   “They gave an ultimatum with a timeline and location for the exchange.   They will likely have a trap set there for us like they did for Mr.  Williams.”

          “How’s that an opportunity for us?” Magic Star asked.

           “They will probably not risk taking Truly out of their stronghold until  their trap is set,” Wind Whistler explained.  “However, several of them  will be sent to the ranch to set the trap first.  That means if we  attack now, we could take them by surprise, saving Truly and Megan while a substantial number of them are away.”

          “Now that’s more like it.”  Gusty stamped her hoof on her bench.  “Let’s hit them with everything we’ve got!”

          “It still seems risky, but go for it,” Magic Star said.


* * *


           Megan awoke with a start to shouting echoing through the hallway  outside.  She rolled off the wooden bench that had served as a bed in  this dark and dingy cell and walked up to the tall, heavy doorway.  She  had to stand on her tiptoes and hold on to the bars to see out.

           Two harpies struggled with what looked like a small horse in a blue  dress.  In fact, her proportions were more in line with those of a  pony.  Only her muzzle was even shorter and her larger eyes were a  little closer together on a taller head.  Her hooves were same color  white as her coat, and her dark pink mane was tied up in a bun on the  back of her head.

          “Let go of me!” the pony shouted with a pronounced accent.

          Megan almost fell back in shock at hearing her talk, but kept her hold on the bars.

           The pony struggled, but the harpies had too tight a grip on her.  The  lead harpy followed them with her second in command beside her.

          “I wanted the locket, Beta,” the leader snarled.

          “He couldn’t get that close, Glorious Alpha,” her second replied.  “We decided to go with a hostage instead.”

          “And you let him live?!” the leader shouted.

           “For now,” her second answered casually.  “Besides, the ponies might  have been willing to trick us when it was a human hostage.  Let’s see  how brazen they are when it’s the safety of one of their own at stake.”

           The leader rubbed her chin.  “You have a point.  Besides, I think it’s  about time we reached into our own bag of tricks with them.”  She  pointed back the way they came.  “Assemble the others, Beta.”

          “By your command, Glorious Alpha.”  Her second turned and left.

          The leader turned to the two holding the pony.  “Throw her in with tonight’s dinner.”

           “Dinner!” the pony shrieked as they carried her past Megan’s door.  She  got a good look at one of her hooves a harpy held to keep it from  hitting her.  They were actually covered in a white coating since it had  some chips in it to reveal the light gray hoof underneath.

           “I might look like your dim-witted beasts of burden, but I’m sentient!”  the pony insisted.  “I have rights!  You can’t just throw me in with  your livestock!”

          The two harpies chuckled as one grabbed  the keys off the opposite wall and unlocked the next door.  She opened  it and they threw the pony in and shut the door behind her.  The one  with the keys locked the door and returned them to their place.

           As they walked away, one looked in at Megan with glare and punched the  door.  The shock made her loose her grip and she felt back into the  cold, grimy stone.  She winced at the pain and stood up.  She wiped off  the seat of her overalls, though it was futile since her clothes were  filthy all over.

          “I can barely see a thing in here,” the  pony complained from the next cell, the stone wall conducting her voice  into Megan’s.  “What kind of filthy beasts did they throw me in with?”

           Megan put her eye to the stone wall.  She also wanted to know since  they had been feeding her scraps from their meals.  She saw them take a  sack into that cell earlier, but had no idea what was in it.  She had  figured geese given the size, except she had not heard as much as a honk  from the cell.

          She knew lunch smelled so strange she did not even touch it, and she was hungry.

          There was a pause and then a gasp.  “Wait!  They’re dinner?!” the pony exclaimed.  “You disgusting barbarians!”

           Megan suddenly felt sick to her stomach, more than being in this filthy  cell for four days had done.  If there had been anything left in her  stomach, she would have vomited it up.  She did not even want to think  what was on the other side with the pony or what lunch had been.


* * *


          Twilight Mist levitated a device on a band in a loop to Wind Whistler.  “I’m going to attach this to your leg.”

          “What is it?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “It’s a watch that tracks the countdown until this thing recharges,”  Twilight Mist answered.  “That way you’ll know how much time you have  left without having to call back in.”

          “All right.”  Wind  Whistler held out her leg and Twilight Mist stretched the band so it  went over her hoof and secured it around her pastern.  Wind Whistler  looked at the blank screen.  “Afraid we’ll be too quick saving them?”  Wind Whistler asked, giving a grin to indicate it was a joke.

          Twilight Mist glowered at her.  “More likely this will go sideways, and you’ll need to be bailed out again.”

           She returned her attention to North Star.  “What’s the destination  point, and just give me the angle and distance this time.”

           “Right.”  North Star unfurled the map with a sheet of thin tracing  paper over it with lines drawn on it.  “Bearing one eight six mark  eight, distance one hundred three kilometers.”

          Twilight  Mist typed in the numbers and the dot appeared right on one of the  islands on the map.  “Destination point set.  You better get down  there.”

          Wind Whistler descended the stairs to the main  floor while North Star glided to the crowd of ponies.  Gusty stood at  their head, eying all of them.

          “All right, pegasi” Gusty asked, “who’s up for a little bird hunt?”

           “I’ve already said I’m out,” Paradise answered.  “I’ve barely escaped  them twice.  I don’t want to see if the third time’s the charm.”

          Gusty glowered at her.  “Anyone else want to chicken out?”

          “I’m sorry, darlings,” Heart Throb said, “but I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

          The rest were silent.  “I’ll take silence as meaning you’re coming along,” Gusty said.

           She turned to the few unicorns who had joined them.  “I’m going!   Unicorns might not be able to fly, but we can wink and use our magic as a  weapon.”  She summoned a breeze with her horn.  “My wind magic will  blow those harpies around like dust bunnies in a vacuum cleaner.  Any  other unicorns have magic good against something that flies?”

          Powder stepped forward.  “I have freezing magic obviously.  I could ice up their wings so they can’t fly.”

           Skyflier also stepped forward.  “My magic can reduce or increase the  pull of gravity on an object.  I can’t completely get rid of it reverse  it and I have limits on how much I can increase it, but I think I can  make them too heavy to fly.”

          “Twelve seems like a nice, round number,” Wind Whistler commented.

          “I suppose it will have to do,” Gusty grumbled.

           Wind Whistler looked up to the control panel where Magic Star stood  next to Twilight Mist.  “Any last words of encouragement?”

           “All I can think of is an old Saddle Arabian prayer,” Magic Star said.   “May you find light in even the darkest places you must go.  Bring  Truly and Megan home, and try to come back alive.”

          She nodded to Twilight Mist.

          The tunnel filled with a vortex.

          “All right, ponies!” Gusty declared.  “Let’s go rattle their cage.”

           Wind Whistler broke into a gallop with the others, up the ramp and into  the tube of color and light.  They burst from it onto solid ground  facing a formidable mountain rising above them.  Massive trees with  tangled trunks and branches grew to either side of them.  The air was  warm and humid with a very slight smell of sea salt to it.  A faint  sound of unseen waves also reached Wind Whistler’s ear from some shore  past the trees.

          “This looks like the place,” North Star  said.  “These are yew trees.”  She walked up to one and felt its bark.   “Kind of reminds me of the forests back home.”

          Gusty looked up at the mountain, her eyes wide.  Wind Whistler walked up to her.  “Something wrong.”

          Gusty lowered her brow.  “Nothing’s wrong, it’s just I’m surprised how big the mountain is.”

           It was a formidable peak, dark in color from the basalt that formed  it.  It was so tall, fair weather cumulus clouds that dwarfed anything  put out by Clousdale looked like little balls of cotton with it as a  backdrop.


* * *


          Gergo watched the  ponies from the perspective of his astro body, completely unnoticed by  them.  He heard every word they said.  He could even tell which ones  possessed magical power.

          “I wonder how long before they would know we’re here?” the yellow pony with the wings and hair in six colors asked.

           “I don’t know, but we should hit them as fast as possible,” the purple  pony with the horn and white and red hair replied.

          He  closed his third eye and opened his two normal eyes to return to the  stronghold and made the slow transition to his physical body.  Alecta  was instructing Frona and Desdemona.

          “Melinda and the  others are headed for the horse ranch and will take up sniping  positions,” Alecta said.  “You two and I will take the pony so we arrive  one hour before local sunset.  We’ll make this look like a classic  exchange until we have the locket, then—”

          “Ponies are on  the island,” Gergo announced once he had again become accustomed to  being in his physical body.  “Nine have wings, three have magical  power.”

          Alecta swung around to him.  “What?”

          “And with a third of our flock gone!” Desdemona panicked.

           “Shut up!” Alecta snapped at Desdemona before turning back to Gergo.   “How could they get on the island before you knew it?”

          “They appeared instantly,” Gergo reported.  “I was not able to perceive how.”

           “How could they just appear instantly?”  Alecta stopped inslantly and  clenched her entire body as rage seethed within her in response to it.   “The Bifröst.  Those ponies have it.”

          “Shall we kill that hostage?” Frona asked.

          Alecta paused for a second.  “No.  She would be easier to hold for interrogation than these newcomers.”

           She swung back to the remaining females.  “Arm yourselves and prepare  for battle.  Show these ponies no quarter or mercy.  I’ve suffered them  enough.”

          She showed her teeth clenched tightly.   “They’ve robbed me of my prize, cast us from their stronghold, and now  stand at my gates.  Well, they’re not running or tricking their  way out of this one.  No.  You’ve stepped into my parlor, little  ponies, and you’re going to sit in it.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler stared up at the sheer cliff rising scores if not  hundreds of meters above them.  There were some ledges a unicorn could  wink to and from, but flight was definitely the best way up.

          “I guess there is literally nowhere to go but up,” Lofty said.

           Glints came from above them.  Wind Whistler instantly realized they  were arrows coming straight down at them.  “Incoming!”

          Gusty summoned a vortex of wind and deflected the arrows so they fell harmlessly to the ground around them.

          Lofty looked up and squinted.  Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.  “So much for the element of surprise.”


* * *


           Alecta clenched her teeth as the barrage of arrows was deflected off  their mark.  These ponies just refused to die.  She glared down at the  dozen spots of color on the volcanic rock below.

          If  arrows were not going to suffice, then they would do this the old  fashioned way.  She pointed down.  “Eviscerate them!”

           The others screeched as they leapt from the cliff.  They spread their  wings and pulled them in tight to gain speed in their dive straight at  the ponies.
> Chapter 11: The Battle of Spire Island
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

         Wind Whistler froze for a split second at the sight of the  harpies diving straight for them.  She counted eight, less than the  number that attacked Dream Castle.  Once her mouth could move, she  shouted, “Scatter!”

          Everyone dove away in different  directions and the harpies flew just over the ground where they had been  standing.  They scraped their talons across the basalt, sending up  sparks.  Their talons left deep gashes in the hard stone, showing they  were just as hard as they were sharp.  Wind Whistler had to swallow at  the thought of what they would do to flesh.

          “How are supposed to fight that?” Medley asked, wide-eyed at the gashes.

           “There are more of us than them,” Wind Whistler said.  “We could  isolate them so they cannot rely on each other for assistance.  We are  more maneuverable, so our best strategy is avoidance and taking  advantages of any openings they provide.”

          “Then we’ll divide on conquer.”  Gusty jumped forward.  “That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

           She summoned her magic and blasted one of the harpies coming around  with a gust of wind.  She tumbled backwards several times before  regaining control.

          The pegasi took to the air and spread  out around the flock of harpies.  Wind Whistler looked to the top of  the cliff.  She wondered if these were all of the harpies who had  remained or if more there waiting in reserve in the stronghold.  With  the scene descending into dogfights and her apparently unnoticed, she  flew upwards.


* * *


          Skydancer had  practiced ballet both with her hooves and her wings since she was  little.  Even when just flying along, she would try to make every flap  as graceful and productive as possible.  She had discovered how to  remain in the air with just an occasional flap and dance in midair.

           Typically, this was as part of a ballet show.  Audiences would watch  her gracefully dance across the stage or through the air above it.   Minutes could go by between her needing to flap her wings to maintain  lift.  She had become a prima ballerina, dancing with the male lead as  the story’s heroine.  However, she was putting all of her grace and  agility into avoiding strikes by her harpy opponent in this instance.

           The harpy she found herself engaged with slashed at her with sharp  talons that seemed to cut the very air.  Skydancer watched her movements  carefully, using the angles of her preparations to strike to determine  where she would slash.  She played some of her favorite pieces of music  in her head that seemed to match the rhythm of the battle.

           Skydancer responded by avoiding them using the least amount of energy  possible.  Her body was so flexible it must have seemed like the  slipstream of the slashes forced her away like a leaf.  The harpy also  had to flap her wings frantically as she was trying to almost hover in  place.  The effect was the harpy tiring faster than she was.  She could  hear her drawing in air while she had not even broken a sweat.

          “Stand still,” the harpy huffed.

           Skydancer did not respond verbally.  She simply continued her silent  dance.  She was no longer on this alien world locked in a deadly  struggle.  She was on the stage in Canterlot, the prima ballerina in the  climax of her dance where she fought the evil bird creature.  She could  see the audience enraptured by the aerial display, hanging on every  second wondering if the prima would triumph or be struck down in a  tragedy.

          The harpy flew back several dozen meters and  took out her longbow.  She loosed an arrow, but Skydancer avoided it.   She spiraled towards the harpy, making her a difficult target.  She  twirled around above her in a beautiful pirouette to face her back and  delivered her hoof to her back.


* * *


          Lofty rolled away as a harpy dove for her.  She watched the harpy spread her wings and slowly climb again.

          “You might be good at going down,” Lofty shouted.  “What about going up?”

           She turned skyward and took off.  She climbed higher into the sky.  She  saw just how tall the mountain was as she was parallel with the summit  roughly three kilometers up.  The harpy was chasing after, flapping  those cumbersome wings as fast as she could.

          Lofty kept  herself just out of range of the arrows, watching them curve back to the  ground before they could reach her.  She kept going up, the air getting  colder and thinner around her.  Things below seemed to flatten as their  difference in altitude became academic compared to her distance from  them.  She could see the curvature of this entire world, and how the  blue seemed to stretch until it disappeared behind itself with the other  islands scattered about.  More of the rings’ arc became visible as the  horizon’s angle lowered.  The clumps of fair weather cumulus fell behind  her, and she entered the part of the atmosphere where the wisps of  cirrus made their home along with the icy crowns of the tallest cumulus  towers.

          She could fly higher than any Pegasus (or  anything else) she knew, even holding several records for altitude  tolerance.  She could withstand the cold and falling air pressure.  Even  the pegasus adaptations against decompression sickness were  particularly well developed in her allowing her to gain and drop  altitude quickly with little issue.  She wondered if these harpies could  take the altitude and all it entailed.

          The harpy chased  after her, but was falling further behind.  Her rise was pulsing with  the beat of the wings, a clear sign they were having trouble moving  enough air to keep her aloft.  Lofty could feel ice crystals forming on  her coat and feathers, and her throat burned from her lungs trying to  get as much of the thin air in them as possible.  She had to be eight  kilometers above sea level, a point where almost anything could not  survive and even the upper end of her limit.

          The harpy  was far below her, thoroughly coated in ice and huffing.  She finally  fell back, the ice and lack of air having taken their toll.

           This was Lofty’s opportunity.  She tucked in her wings and shot at the  harpy like a rocket.  She put her hooves forward, and slammed them into  the harpy’s chest, sending her down several more meters.  However, once  they were below three kilometers, the harpy quickly recovered and  circled around her.

          “I thought I hit you harder than that,” Lofty mumbled to herself.

          She flew up a few meters as the harpy shot through where she had just been hovering.


* * *


           Firefly reached deep into her bag of aerial tricks as she avoided  arrows from the harpy chasing after her.  She did rolls, loops, spirals,  and flips as arrows shot past.

          She noticed Medley was  also being chased below her.  She glanced back at her partner and a  smile crossed her face.  “Hey, ever seen a double inside out loop?”

          The harpy did not answer except sending another arrow her way.

           Firefly dodged it and entered into a tight loop.  Instead of her feet  out, she had them on the inside.  It was more difficult to control, but  she built up more speed.

          She straightened out at full  speed right from the harpy after Medley.  She collided with her  midsection and sent her tumbling off course.  However, the harpy quickly  corrected her course and looped back.  That was when Firefly’s harpy,  trying to imitate her, crashed into this one.  The two fell several  meters before working free of each other.

          “Thanks, Firefly,” Medley said.

          Firefly took a chance to catch her breath.  “For once, coming out of that into a crash was good thing.”

          The harpies came back around and loosed arrows in their direction.

          “Watch out!”  Medley dove away to avoid the first arrow and those following it.

          “What do we have to do to knock these things out of the sky?” Firefly grumbled.


* * *


           Whizzer darted across the sky, breaking her speed for a split second to  make a tight turn every once in a while.  She flew near many of the  harpies, disrupting their attempts to train on the other ponies and  disappearing before they could react.  A harpy trying to aim her longbow  at North Star got her arms knocked.  Another chasing Masquerade got a  hit in the back.

          “Come on, harpies, try to keep up.   Though, I doubt you could keep up.  I’m the fastest pegasus, and you  don’t seem able to keep up with even normal pegasi.  Though, if you ever  did get a hit in I think it would be very bad.  Fortunately we can  avoid whatever you can throw at us,” she taunted as she flew around.

          She went into a series of tight loops around a harpy until she was so dizzy she could barely fly straight.


* * *


           Surprise flew as randomly as possible to make herself a difficult  target.  She would fly fast and then slow or turn, rise, drop, bank, or  whatever popped into her head.  Keep flying and make it a surprise, she thought.

           The harpy coming after her was the blond with the gray symbol on her  dress.  Wind Whistler had said she seemed to be the weakest of them.

           “Hey,” Surprise said to her, making her stop and hover.  “You’re the  weakest of these harpies, right?  Could it be because you’re not really  mean and forcing yourself to be because it’s what’s expected of you?   You could join us and be all nice and realize your true potential as a  good guy.”

          The harpy glowered at her and clumsily pulled  out an arrow.  Her shot was bad and Surprise easily dodged it.   However, she was disappointed.  “Or I watch too many Saturn Day morning  cartoons.”


* * *


          Skyflier eyed a  harpy diving towards her.  She summoned her magic and concentrated on  the harpy.  She increased the pull of gravity on her—double to almost  triple.  The harpy’s glide path became a plummet and she hit the ground  hard.  She tried to push up on her arms, but she collapsed again.

          Skyflier smirked.  “I think you now see the gravity of the situation.”

          She noticed Gusty in the corner of her eye glowering at her.  “What?”

          “Bad,” Gusty stated and walked away.

          “Oh please,” Skyflier replied.  “You’ve been spouting stupid, action movie catchphrases since before we warped here.”

          “She’s getting up,” Gusty said without turning around.

           Skyflier turned her attention back to the harpy.  She had let her magic  relax, and the harpy was on her hands and knees.  She raised her talon,  and Skyflier had to wink several meters away to avoid her swipe.


* * *


           Gusty galloped to where Powder was shooting beams of her purple magic  at a pair of harpies circling over her.  The aura surrounding her horn  would cause ice crystals form in the air around it, and ice crystals  would form around the beam as well.  It was impressive, but the harpies  simply weaved and rolled away to avoid it.  She had to wink out and back  in a few meters away to avoid an arrow.

          Powder reappeared after another evasive wink next to Gusty and grit her teeth.  “They’re too agile.”

          “No, your magic is too narrow,” Gusty said.  “Combine it with my magic.”

           Gusty summoned a blast of wind, and Powder added in hers.  The harpies  were caught in the blizzard of ice.  The ice quickly coated them and  especially their wings.  They fell from the sky, but managed to land on  their talons and brush the ice from their feathers.

          Powder winked away, but Gusty hit them with another blast of wind to knock them down before she left them in pain.


* * *


           Alecta watched the battle from the top of the cliff.  She clenched her  teeth seeing the ponies avoid their attacks and get their own hits in.   These ponies were inferior, and should not be making sport of them.

           She looked up and saw one of the ponies was flying at roughly the same  level as her with some kind of bags on her sides.  She had a light blue  coat and wavy, pale pink mane and tail.  Her wings were covered in light  blue feathers like the one Desdemona had found in the castle and Frona  said belonged to the ring leader.

So, this is the pony who has caused us so much trouble? Alecta thought.

           She strung her bow and took out an arrow.  She tried to lead the pony,  but her flying become more erratic.  No doubt she knew she was in  Alecta’s sights.  Alecta loosed a few arrows the pony dodged, and she  dropped back towards the ground below.

          Frona landed next to Alecta.

          “This is a disgrace, Beta,” Alecta snarled.  “Can’t you take care of a few little ponies?”

           “They’re too small and quick, Glorious Alpha,” Frona replied.  “It’s  like trying to fight butterflies.  Fortunately, they hit about as hard  as butterflies.  We’re just shrugging them off.”

          She lowered her brow.  “Though, being short five of our best archers is making this a lot harder.”

           Alecta did not bother turning around.  “If you had forced that fat  wizard to take the locket instead of another hostage, we would be on our  way to finding the Bifröst.”

          She watched the ponies  avoiding the others.  “I have to applaud them for their persistence, but  this is getting annoying.”

          “I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon,” Frona replied.

          “Then we will,” Alecta stated.

           “You’re going to surrender this stronghold to a bunch of, what was it  again, ‘diminutive grass-eaters’?” Frona asked mockingly.

           Alecta clenched her teeth at the thought.  She did not want to give  these ponies a millimeter.  The very thought turned her stomach.   However, she was smarter than that.  “A good chess player knows when to  sacrifice a piece for the greater strategy,” she said, suppressing her  disdain.  “They can have this piece of rock if they’re going to put up  this much of a fight.  We can take it back whenever we feel like it.  As  long as we have the girl, the game is still in our favor.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler flew down to where Gusty had just used a wind gust to  blow a harpy into the canopy of a nearby tree.  She turned to another  harpy chasing North Star and Masquerade and blew her off course.  Wind  Whistler landed along with the two.

          “There is just one  guarding a cave entrance at the top of the cliff,” Wind Whistler  reported.  “If we could subdue her, we would have access to whatever  lies beyond.”

          “Is it their stronghold?” North Star asked.

          “I believe it is an entrance to it, but there may be others,” Wind Whistler answered.

           “Then let’s blow her away.”  Gusty disappeared in a shower of aqua  sparkles.  She reappeared on the nearest ledge before disappearing again  and reappearing on the next.

          “Wait!” Wind Whistler shouted up to her.  “I think it’s their leader.”

          Gusty continued winking from ledge to ledge in quick succession, apparently not hearing her or ignoring her.

          “We better follow her.”  North Star took to the air.


* * *


           The world reformed at the opening to the cave Wind Whistler told them  about.  One harpy had just disappeared off the ledge, but one remained.   It was the one with her purple mane tied in bun and called ‘Glorious  Alpha’.

          “So, you’re the boss,” Gusty said.

           The Glorious Alpha glowered.  “I’m Alecta, Glorious Alpha of my flock.   You have some nerve coming to my stronghold uninvited.”

           “You came to our castle.  Turnabout’s fair play,” Gusty replied.  Then  she thought about it.  “At least I think that’s what they say.”

           She pointed her horn at Alecta.  “Whatever.  You’re in the way, and I’m  here to make you not in the way.”  She blasted Alecta back.

          North Star and Masquerade flew up over the ledge.

          “Perfect timing,” Gusty said.  “The way’s clear.  Go get Truly and the girl.  I’ll keep her busy.”

          The two flew into the cave and disappeared into the darkness.

           Alecta got to her feet.  “You’ll keep me busy, will you, little pony?”   She casually walked towards Gusty.  “I’ll leave your friends to the  surprise waiting inside.  However, you had the gall to blow me over.”  She presented her talons.  “For that, I will deal with you personally.”


* * *


           North Star landed and galloped through the tunnel.  Torches provided  some light, but the rough walls of dark rock made everything dim.  The  tunnel opened up into a large chamber with a long table leading to a  throne.

          “What’s this?” Masquerade asked.

          “It looks like their great hall,” North Star answered.

           A massive bird flew down at them.  It looked like a buzzard only even  more massive.  They stepped aside as it landed hard where North Star had  been standing and glared at them.  It puffed up its body as it walked  around them and then took off down the tunnel they had come through.

          “What was that?” Masquerade asked.

          “I don’t know,” North Star replied.  “Maybe some kind of pet.”

           They turned their attention back to the dimly-lit hall.  “Where do you  think they would be holding them?” Masquerade asked.

          North Star looked throughout the hall.  Another opening in the opposite wall appeared to go downward.  “Over there.”

           She took a step when something she had thought was a statue leapt from  its perch.  It was blue like a harpy with human-like head and arms and  legs ending in scaled talons.  However, it was otherwise unrecognizable  as such.  It was incredibly thin, almost like a skeleton with skin  pulled tightly over it with wiry limbs and no wings.  Its head was  completely bald and it wore a black, leather vest and pants.

          “What are you?” North Star asked.

           The harpy-like thing did not respond.  It folded its talons with one  claw pointed up.  Is closed its eyes and opened up a larger eye in its  forehead.  The pupil constricted and North Star felt like her entire  body had been engulfed in searing flames.

          North Star  collapsed onto her stomach, her entire body in crippling pain.   Masquerade also fell onto her stomach and winced.  The eye glared down  at them, unblinking and somehow the source of their agony.


* * *


           Gusty shot blasts of wind at Alecta, but she sidestepped them.  She  needed to get the wind going, so it was not as fast or as wide at this  close range.  She stepped closer and closer to her, and Gusty  instinctively stepped back.

          “You’re a brave one,” Alecta said.

          “You better believe it,” Gusty insisted.  “You overgrown feather dusters don’t scare me.”

           Gusty’s back hoof went down further than she suspected, and she  instantly picked it up.  She looked back and realized she was right at  the edge.  She looked down and saw that the ground was almost a  kilometer below her.  If she had stepped out any further, she would have  fallen.

          The thought of falling took over.  The distance  appeared to increase, and she felt dizzy.  Thoughts of falling  helplessly filled her mind, drowning out everything else.  Her legs felt  weak and her horn went numb.  She had put it out of her mind going up,  but the overwhelming fear was taking over.

          “What’s wrong?” Alecta said, mocking concern.  “I thought we didn’t scare you.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler flew a wide circle around the ledge, watching Gusty.  The  Glorious Alpha trapped her against the edge of the cliff.  Wind  Whistler thought she would wink out to somewhere of cover, but she stood  there.  Alecta raised her talon, getting ready to strike.

           Wind Whistler dove in and did the first thing that crossed her mind.   She grabbed the Glorious Alpha’s arm and bit down as hard as she could.   The Glorious Alpha let out a screech like that of a hawk and swept her  arm back.

          Wind Whistler was thrown from her and struck  the rock with her back mostly and the back of her head to less of a  degree.  A wave of pain went through her, and her ears rang from the  overwhelming sensation.

          “I have had enough of this,” the Glorious Alpha snarled.


* * *


           Gergo cast a constant stream pain waves on the two ponies.  Using  psychic suggestion, he made all the pain receptors in their bodies fire  at once.  They would eventually be rendered unconscious by the  overwhelming sensations.  They already could not stand.  They squealed  and writhed as they had to feel like they were on fire inside as well as  out.  Through his psychic sight, their nervous systems were burning  orange, representing the overstimulation he was forcing on them.

Gergo, Alecta’s thoughts reached him, grab the girl and kill the other captives.  Do it quickly because we’re abandoning the stronghold as soon as we have an opening.

           Gergo relinquished his attack on the two ponies.  He closed his third  eye and opened his normal ones.  They lay there, moaning and wincing.   They were crippled enough.

          He turned away and walked  towards the hall leading to the dungeon.  One of the ponies managed to  say, “Stop,” weakly.  He did not even interrupt his stride at this.


* * *


           Wind Whistler shook her head, her ears still ringing and her back  aching.  She quickly moved each of her legs and her wings to make sure  they still worked.  Aside from the temporary tinnitus, she seemed to  suffer no ill effects to her brain as her vision was sharp and singular  and any sense of dizziness was minimal.

          A large bird  with black feathers and a bald, pink head and neck was eying her.  She  batted at it with her hoof and it backed away.

          She pressed the button her microphone.  “Do you read me, Twilight Mist?”

“Let me guess, things have gone sideways?” Twilight Mist asked rhetorically.

          “More like diagonal at the moment,” Wind Whistler answered.

           She focused on the Glorious Alpha looming over Gusty still just  standing there.  She seemed completely focused on her, leaving her open  to Wind Whistler.

          Wind Whistler vaulted forward, not  bothering to adjust her body to be hooves first.  At this point, it did  not matter.  She slammed into Alecta’s back, sending her over Gusty and  over the cliff.  She quickly spread her wings and circled back up  towards her.

          “Gusty, you need to wink out right now!” Wind Whistler insisted.

           Gusty was wide-eyed and her knees were buckling.  Alecta must have had  her terrified.  Wind Whistler knew that her previous bravado was based  on ignorance.  However, this response was only putting her in greater  danger.


* * *


          Gergo took the keys  off the peg and opened the door to the girl’s cell.  She backed up into a  corner as he stepped in.  The four days of being in the cell had made  her dirty and disheveled.  Her blond hair was tangled and dull.  Her  overalls and blouse were filthy.  However, her eyes were just as bright  blue as when they brought her in and filled with fear at the sight of  him.

          He closed his normal eyes and opened his third.   Instead of over stimulating her like the ponies, he suppressed her  nervous impulses.  She wavered and her eyes slowly closed.  Before she  completely collapsed, he put his hands under her.

          His  physical body was weak, serving little use beyond sustaining his brain  and its powers.  He added some telekinesis to pick up the girl and  carried her out of the cell.

          He then remembered Alecta  wanted the other captives killed and quickly.  Although he had no means  to ending their lives quickly, he had one option to begin their demise  immediately.

          Gergo set the girl down and picked up a  torch from the wall.  He unlocked the cell holding the pony and the  day’s spoils.  He paid them no mind as he threw the torch onto the hay  covering the floor.  The torch hit the ground, throwing out embers.  The  embers landed in the hay, creating smoke and soon quickly growing  flames.

          “What are you doing?!” the pony shrieked.

           He closed the door and locked it, tossing the keys aside.  He then took  up the girl and walked towards stairs back up into the grand hall.   Smoke came billowing from the opening in the door as the pony screamed  and coughed.


* * *


          Wind Whistler  watched as the Glorious Alpha circled above them.  She then looked to  Gusty still standing there.  “We have to remove ourselves from this  situation immediately,” she explained.

          Gusty looked down below them and snapped her vision forward.  Sweat matted her coat and her eyes wavered.

           Wind Whistler returned her attention to the Glorious Alpha above them.   This must have been the perspective of a rodent watching a hawk looming  above it.  She pulled in her wings in and rocketed down towards them.   She had her talons forward, ready to deliver a killing blow.

           Wind Whistler rushed through her options.  There was only one.  She  could not stop the Glorious Alpha from making more attacks, so she had  to remove Gusty from this vulnerable spot.  She tackled Gusty and they  both went over the edge of the cliff just as the Glorious Alpha slammed  her claw into the ground where they had been standing.

           She thought, once falling, Gusty would wink to safety.  However, she  plummeted to the ground like a lifeless dummy.  Wind Whistler realized  she was completely out of it if not actually unconscious.

           She pulled in her wings and shot to Gusty.  She took her up into her  legs and flapped her wings and fast as they would go to try to slow  their descent.  Gusty felt like a bag of soft sand in her pasterns,  completely limp.


* * *


          North Star  rubbed her head as her ears continued to ring and her vision was  blurry.  Her legs and wings felt like they were made of soft rubber.   Masquerade was also slow to stand.  Whatever that thing had done to  them, it seemed to be subsiding albeit slowly.

          It  emerged from the hallway going down, holding a human girl in filthy  clothes.  She lay limply in his bony hands, apparently unconscious.   Despite being dirty, North Star recognized her as the girl in Daniel’s  picture.

          North Star broke into as much of a run as she  could manage.  She and Masquerade were almost to it when her hooves  suddenly left the ground and all her forward motion stopped.  She was  held in midair, and the thing’s third eye was open.  It shifted to their  left, and they were thrown to the left into the wall.

           North Star was still trying to get her full wherewithal and now deal  with this latest jolt of hitting the wall.  She watched as the thing set  down the girly and slung a wide cylinder across its back.  It then  pulled a carpet from it and tossed it.  The carpet unfolded and stopped  several centimeters off the ground.

          The girl levitated  from the ground and settled on the front of the carpet.  The thing  jumped onto the carpet and sat down with its legs crossed.  The carpet  floated towards the exit.

          North Star got her hooves under her.  “We have to go after that thing.”

          “North Star, look.”  Masquerade pointed to the tunnel he had come out of.  Smoke was pouring from it.

          North Star realized if he brought the girl from it, it was where the prisoners were kept.  “Oh no!  Truly!”


* * *


           Lofty squinted to better see the objects falling from the cliff.  They  were Gusty and Wind Whistler, the blue pegasus having the white unicorn  in her grip and clearly trying to slow them down.

          “Wind Whistler and Gusty fell from the cliff!” she shouted.

          “Why isn’t Gusty winking out?” Powder asked.

          “I don’t know, but they’re too heavy together for Wind Whistler,” Lofty said.

          “Leave that to me.”  A purple aura surrounded Skyflier’s horn.


* * *


           Alecta watched as all of the ponies were concentrating on the two  plummeting towards the ground.  Though, a few opportunistic harpies try  to take advantage only for the pony to realize and avoid.  It was still  enough of an opening for them to escape, and she planned to take it.

          “All harpies,” she shouted so she could be heard and sent the message to Gergo, “take flight and leave the island.”

           She spread her wings and took to the air.  It stung to give up the old  stronghold, but it was a small sacrifice.  She looked back and saw Gergo  come out of the entrance on his flying carpet with the girl in front of  him.  That was what mattered.

          The others climbed into  the sky to form a ‘V’.  Thanatos joined into their formation next to  her.  Frona passed out spare quivers full of arrows and longbows and  strings.  There might be a few weapons left behind, but it was not like  the ponies could use them with their clumsy hooves.


* * *


           North Star ducked down below the choking, sour smoke.  It was from a  hay fire, she could tell from its stench.  The stairs ended into a hall  filled with smoke.  She and Masquerade remained low as they passed by  several doors.

          A door ahead had smoke pouring from it.  “Truly, are you in there!” North Star shouted at it.

           “I’m in here!” Truly’s shouted voice shouted from behind the smoking  door and then coughed.  “They set the hay in here on fire.”

          “I can tell,” North Star said.  “We’ll get you out.”

           North Star bit the ring on the door and pulled, but it was locked.   Masquerade picked up a set of keys and shoved one into the lock.  It  thankfully turned and the door opened.  The fire inside flared as fresh  air poured in to feed it.

          North Star looked around for  something to put the fire out.  There were a couple buckets of water  against the wall.  She and Masquerade grabbed one each and dumped them  into the room.  The flames quickly died and a choking cloud of steam and  smoke billowed up.

          “Truly, are you all right?” Masquerade asked.

           Truly emerged from the smoke, choking, soaked in sweat, and stained  with soot, but otherwise unharmed.  “Thank Celestia you made it.  We  need to help the others.”

          “Others?” North Star asked.  “What others?”


* * *


           Wind Whistler felt herself and Gusty becoming lighter.  Not so much  losing mass as things like inertia seemed to remain consistent, but  gravity’s pull on them was lessening.  Their velocity was not decreasing  outside of her actions, but the rate of acceleration was, and wind  resistance was becoming more of a factor.  Her wings could produce  sufficient lift to counteract the weaker gravity and work against their  unchanged inertia.  She slowed their descent to a safe rate.  She placed  Gusty gently on the ground and shot up with a flap once the extra  weight was released.

          Gravity seemed to return to normal  from there and she landed.  She looked around and saw only the other  ponies standing around.  “What happened?”

          “The harpies  slipped away while we were saving you,” Powder said.  “I think they were  ready to abandon the island all along.”

          Gusty took in  several breaths as she seemed more aware of her surroundings.  She  suddenly shot a sharp glare at Wind Whistler.  “YOU!”  She lunged at  Wind Whistler; but Whizzer, Skyflier, and Lofty held her back and  Firefly and Skydancer got in front of Wind Whistler.

          “What were you thinking pushing me off a cliff?!” Gusty snarled.  “Were you trying to kill me?!”

           “I was trying to save you,” Wind Whistler explained.  “Their leader was  going to kill us if we remained on that cliff, and you refused to wink  out.  I thought you would wink to safety once you were over the cliff.   It was the only logical option remaining.”

          “I’m sick of  listening to you go on about logic and information!” Gusty shouted.   “You don’t show any feelings or care about others’ feelings.  Listening  to you is like listening to a machine.”

          Wind Whistler  felt her heart pick up its pace.  Her body grew warm, especially her  eyes with tears welling up in them and a lump forcing in her throat.

          “That’s enough, Gusty,” Powder stated.

           “I bet if we cut you open, we’d find circuits in there and you’d bleed  oil,” Gusty continued.  “You probably don’t even care about getting back  to Equestria, because no one would want to be friends with a walking  computer except that bubble-making airhead and the wimp with the  sunglasses.”

          Wind Whistler had spent her life learning  to keep her emotions in check.  She did have feelings and did care, but  she just did not show it.  Emotions were fragile and volatile, seeming  to come out for the most illogical reasons.  Practical actions were more  productive than emotional expression.  Feelings were more trouble than  they were worth, in fact, and it was best to keep them behind a dam.   However, a tsunami of anger and frustration was hitting that dam.

           Fortunately, it held.  She kept her lip stiff and the tears stayed  back.  It hurt all over inside, but she kept it from showing.  Blowing  up at Gusty would solve nothing.  However, the wave subsided into a  hollowing sorrow.  She felt hurt and empty.

          “I have feelings, and I do care,” Wind Whistler said weakly.  “I—”

           She was having trouble keeping the sorrow back.  The dam was seriously  damaged, and crumbling.  The lump in her throat was to the point she  could barely get a word out and her eyes were burning for tears.  She  also wondered if she had missed something about Gusty which would give  reason for her not to wink out.  She ran out of the crowd, not wanting  to lose it in front of them.


* * *


           Gusty watched as Wind Whistler ran from them into a group of trees.  A  sharp pain suddenly came upside the head.  She looked back and saw  Firefly had her hoof raised.  She rubbed the back of her head.  “What  was that for?”

          “First, payback for the first day we got here,” Firefly state.  “Second, for a pony, you can be a real jackass.”

          “Why didn’t you wink out?” Powder asked.

          Gusty felt her heart quicken, but she took it as a reason to go defensive.  “Hey, I’m the one she almost killed.  I shouldn’t have to defend myself.”

           Skyflier heaved a sigh.  “Some heroes we turned out to be.  We let the  bad guys get away and can only fight amongst ourselves.”

          North Star landed.  “Dear me, what happened here?”

          “Gusty insulted Wind Whistler and she ran off,” Surprise answered before anyone could stop her.

          “Well, we’re going to need some help up there,” North Star said.

          “Is Truly all right?” Medley asked.  “What about the girl?”

           “They escaped with the girl,” North Star said.  “There was something in  there with incredible mind powers.  Thinking about it, I believe it was  a male harpy.”  She shuddered.  “I don’t want to have to face him  again.”

          “And Truly?” Powder asked.

          “Truly is shaken up but otherwise fine,” North Star said.  “It’s the other captives that need our help.”

          “Should we get Wind Whistler?” Skydancer asked looking to the trees she had disappeared into.

          “I think we should let her have her space for the moment,” Powder said.

           Gusty glanced to where Wind Whistler had taken off.  She thought of  going after her for a split second, but thought better of it.  She had  nothing to apologize for.

          “Hey, Wind Whistler,” Gusty shouted, ignoring Powder, “make yourself useful for once and get up there.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler watched as Truly helped the juvenile dragon get the metal  muzzle off his head.  He opened and closed his mouth and straightened  his chin.  “How’s that dear?”

          “Much better,” the blue dragon said.  “Thanks.”

          Truly followed him out of the cell which still held the stench of smoke.

          Truly shuddered as she stepped through the threshold.  “I’ve been officially scarred for life.  How was your day?”

           Wind Whistler did not answer.  Her body was there, but her mind was  locked in its safe place.  She was simply observing.

          The small dragon joined the other six along with the ponies in the hall.

           Wind Whistler recognized them as the children with the adult dragon  making glass at the port in the Choked Fjord from yesterday.  They were a  colorful bunch, and all male.

          “Who are you?” Lofty asked.

          The largest, having purple scales and green spines stepped forward.  “I’m Spike and these are my brothers.”

           He pointed to the light purple dragon with darker purple spines.   “That’s Spiny.”  A pink dragon with darker pink spines.  “Sparks.”  A  dragon with scales as bright red as a fire engine and yellow spines.   “Fiery.”  A yellow dragon with orange spines.  “Flash.”  A green dragon  with darker green spines.  “Prickles.”  He pointed to the little blue  dragon with darker blue spines.

          “And the runt Smokey,” Fiery said before Spike could say a thing.

          “Hey!” Smokey snapped.

          “You heard me.”  Fiery loomed over Smokey.  “We got caught because you were so slow and Mom had to protect you.”

          Smokey retreated behind Spike.

          “Speaking of your mother, where is she?” Truly asked.

          The dragons were silent.

          “Oh, you poor things,” Truly said.  “What did those monsters do?”

           Spike rubbed the claws on his feet on the stone.  “We were going  through the mountains when the harpies came down on us.  Mom tried to  keep us together and head for a cave, but we weren’t fast enough and  they cut us off.

          “Mom tried to fight them, but they  caught her from behind by the neck.  She fell over and didn’t move.   They caught all of use and tied our mouths shut so we couldn’t breathe  fire and threw us in a bag.”

          Wind Whistler felt like a  dagger had driven itself through her heart.  She had watched their  mother make that glass plant.  Not only had a life been taken, a mother  and undoubtedly wife, but all that skill taken from this world in a  senseless act violence.  It was all gone, and for what reason?

          “Tell her what they did to her body!” Fiery insisted.  “They ate her!  And we were going to be dinner!”

          The ponies gasped.  Wind Whistler could not stop herself from drawing in air loudly.

          “But you’re sentient,” North Star said.

          “Doesn’t seem to matter to them,” Truly said.  “They were going to leave us to burn to death.”

          “Do you know where—” Lofty paused, no doubt looking for the right words “—what’s left of your mother is?”

          “Probably in the garbage,” Spike said despairingly.


* * *


           The harpy’s garbage pit was more like a badly maintained graveyard with  heaps of bones piled high.  It reeked with the stench of death and  rotting meat.  Flies buzzed around and walked over the small pieces of  flesh still clinging to the bones.

          The sight, smell, and  even sound of flies buzzing made Wind Whistler incredibly ill.  Ponies  had no moral problem with other races that consumed meats long as it was  not from sapient species, especially ponies.  Ponies did not consume  animal flesh because they were biologically incompatible.  They ate  products from animals like chicken eggs and milk from cows with no  qualms outside of those who insisted on only consuming vegetable  matter.  In fact, now that she thought about it, if their bodies could  process animal matter, it would be a good source of protein.

          However, this disgusting mess the harpies left behind made her stomach turn.

           Most of the skeletons were of smaller mammals, particularly rodents.   However, a few larger creatures like cows were also among the remains.   She did not see any skulls with the enlarged cranial cavity of a sapient  being.  Hopefully, this despicable act was a rarity for even harpies.

           Quiet sobs caught her attention.  She looked over the seven dragons  gathered near a bone pile.  The skull was clearly reptilian with a blunt  snout and spines starting at the forehead of the enlarged cranium.  It  would have fit perfectly into the dragon’s head.

          As Wind Whistler came near, Smokey grabbed her leg and buried his face in it.

          “Where’s your father?” Lofty asked.

           “We don’t have a father,” Spike answered, his voice cracking.  “Our  mother just laid a bunch of eggs, and we were the only ones that  hatched.  She tried to explain its something female dragons sometimes do  when they’re alone for a long time, and only boy eggs hatch.”

          “So, you have nowhere to go?” Truly asked.

          The seven dragons nodded.

          “Then you can come back to us,” Truly said.  “We’re all alone in this world too.”

          “Thanks,” Spike said.

          Lofty looked to the skull.  “What do we do about her?”

          “We should bury her?” North Star said.  “It would only be proper.”


* * *


           They decided to only bury her skull since finding the rest of her bones  would be impossible and it would be indecent to bury her with the  skeleton of an animal.  Powder took a flat rock and made it into a  primitive headstone.  She gouged the dragon’s name, Ember, into it with a  piece of hardened ice she created.

          Her gravesite was  under one of the larger yew trees overlooking the ocean.  It seemed  peaceful enough on this island or volcanic rock.  They pulled out rocks  to form a suitably deep hole and buried the skull.  Powder put the  headstone in place and they stood there.

          Masquerade  cleared her throat.  “I don’t know how dragons handle death, but we  Crystal ponies have a ritual and belief for when we shed our mortal  coil.”

          Everyone gathered around and gave Masquerade their attention.

           “When a crystal pony is born, a piece is added to the Crystal Heart for  them,” she continued.  “We believe every life brought into the world  makes it a bigger and more vibrant place.  The birth of a pony or dragon  or whatever brings new life to the world itself.

           “However, when their life is lost, we do not take that piece from the  Crystal Heart.  Although their mortal life is over, the life they have  given to the world does not leave with them.  They leave a part of  themselves in this world with those who knew them and the contributions  they made.  Even the most inconsequential things we do changes the world  for better or worse, and that leaves a legacy long after our body gives  out.

          “Also, we believe there is more to us than these  crude pieces of flesh and collection of bones.  Crystal ponies and  others have long believed that we are both material and immaterial.   Death is merely the separation of the two and our immaterial selves, our  true selves, goes into whatever comes next.

          “Because of  that, I ask that you think of the dearly departed, Ember.  She was the  mother of seven young dragons and brought joy to others with her craft.   She was undoubtedly a daughter and sister as well.  May the footprints  she has left in this world reform it into a better place than the one  she came into.  And for her immortal soul, may it find a place of peace  far from the violent end her mortal coil came to.”

          She turned to the seven dragons.  “Is there anything you wish to say on your mother’s behalf?”

           Spike stepped up to the headstone.  “Mom, I don’t know if you can  hear,”—his voice was cracking—“but I’ll take care of the others.”

           Spiny patted Spike on the back.  “I’ll make sure Spike doesn’t overdo  it.  You know how he can be when he sets his mind to things.”

          Sparks tapped the claws of his hands together.  “I’m sorry, but I have nothing.”

          Fiery put his fist to his chest.  “Mother, know that I’ll make those harpies pay for what they did to you.”

          Flash cleared his throat.  “Rest well, Mom.”

          Prickles heaved a sigh.  “I’m with Sparks.  I don’t know what to say.”

           Smokey slowly approached the headstone.  He swallowed.  “I’m sorry,  Mom.  If I had been faster, you might have made it to the cave.”  He  stopped and just sobbed, the others joined him.
> Chapter 12: The Hour of the Wolf
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Buttons watched as Truly came out of the gang bathroom,  running a towel over her mane.  When down, Truly’s mane had a bit of a  natural curl to it like her tail.  Though, after being toweled off, it  was a tangled mess screaming for a thorough brushing.

           Truly held up her leg and sniffed it.  “I don’t know if it’s actually  there or just in my head, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop smelling that  infernal smoke.”

          “It’ll fade eventually,” Buttons said.  “At least you made it out alive.”

          “That’s true,” Truly replied.  “I’m not sure how I survived, but I’ll gladly take it.”

           “I have your uniform in the wash,” Buttons said.  “I can also make more  since wearing the same dress everyday isn’t all that sanitary for a  nurse.”

          “I would appreciate that very much,” Truly replied.  “Thank you.”

          Buttons motioned with her head.  “Come on, I’ll take your measurements.”

           They walked into the main hall of the keep.  It was oddly quiet since  the rescue party returned.  There was not a pony to be seen in the  halls.

          It took just one look at the long faces and  slouching shoulders of those who went to that island to know things went  badly despite rescuing Truly and the young dragons.  It seemed to have  cast a dark cloud over the whole castle.

          “How bad was it?” Buttons asked.

           “I was in a cell trying to not die, so I don’t know all that happened  outside,” Truly answered.  “However, they seemed broken.  Gusty was on  even more of a hair trigger, Wind Whistler was like she was in yet  another world, and the rest were just downtrodden in general.  Probably  didn’t help we had to hold an impromptu funeral for those little  dragons’ mother.”

          She stopped and looked to Buttons with  an expression like she had seen death itself.  “I’ll tell you one  thing, Buttons—those harpies are truly evil.  They talk about the  villains the Element Bearers faced a century ago and the Pillars of  Light a millennium before them.  They may have had world-bending powers,  but I can’t imagine any of them had the utter contempt for life these  harpies showed.”

          “And it took our best shot to just get  you back,” Buttons added, feeling her legs get weak at the thought.   “Cupcake’s right, I don’t think there’s much we could do to really stop  them.”

          They continued to walk through the quiet halls.   There was still not a pony to be seen, not even going from one place to  another.  They all seemed to have retreated to their own little  corners.  Paradise was in the library working on that message.  Cupcake,  Gingerbread, and Sweetie were making a meal for Majesty.

          “It feels like the entire world is holding its breath waiting for what happens next,” Buttons said.

           “My grandma has a name for it,” Truly said.  “She’d call times like  this the hour of the wolf.  When a relative was gravely ill, and all we  could do was wait to see if they could pull through or would breathe  their last, those were times that felt like this.  Of course, it’s our  entire little colony here that is in the balance.”

          “What would you do?” Buttons asked.

           “Grandma would pour herself a glass of the ‘family recipe’ and nurse it  while we waited for any word,” Truly answered.  “She would also have a  smaller glass ready in case the wolf had puppies at the door.”

          Truly managed a screwed-up grin.  Buttons felt the mood lighten a little as well.

           “It was those times that made me interested in nursing,” Truly said.   “I never developed a taste for the recipe or just sitting there with no  say in the matter.  When a pony is sick, I have to do something.”

          “What’s your suggestion for our patient?” Buttons asked.

          “Sadly it is just waiting,” Truly said.  “It needs medicine I can’t provide.”


* * *


          Fizzy knocked gently on Wind Whistler’s door.  “Wind Whistler?”

          Everything was quiet from the other side.

          Fizzy knocked on the door again, putting a little more into it.  “Come on, Wind Whistler, please come out.”

          “I want to be alone,” Wind Whistler said despairingly from the other side of the door.

          Fizzy rested the side of her head against the door.  “Please.  We’re worried about you.”

           “I am physically unharmed,” Wind Whistler said.  “I just desire a  prolonged period of solitude at present.  I ask that you respect that as  a friend.”

          “But—” Fizzy started to say.

          “Please,” Wind Whistler pleaded.  “Just…I need to be alone.”

          Fizzy drew in a breath and released a sigh.  “Okay.”

          She turned to Shady.  “What do we do?”

           “Maybe we should just leave her alone,” Shady answered.  “She’s been  through a lot, and I heard North Star and Lofty saying Gusty really went  into her.”

          “I just don’t like seeing her like this,”  Fizzy said.  She turned back to the door.  “Or rather not seeing her.   She seemed to be opening up to us, and now we can’t even get her out of  her room.  She needs us, she just doesn’t know it.”

          “You can’t make her come out,” Shady said.  “She’ll eventually come around.  We just have to give her some space.”

           Shady turned and walked away.  Fizzy looked back at Wind Whistler’s  door again.  She wanted see her cheer up.  She was the first pony she  really got to know from the non-Crystal ponies.  She just did not know  how.

          An idea then popped into her head.  “Hey, that might work,” she said to herself and galloped off.


* * *


           Magic Star stared at the door into Majesty’s bedchamber.  She swallowed  yet another lump forming in her throat at the thought of facing her.   However, this time she apparently had enough courage to hook her pastern  on the handle and push it down.  She pulled the door open and stepped  in before she could think better of it.

          Glory sat at to  the side of Majesty’s bed, bringing up strawberries and blueberries in  her magic so Majesty could eat them.  Majesty saw Magic Star and held up  her hoof for Glory to stop.

          Magic Star cleared her throat.  “Can we speak in private?”

          Majesty nodded to Glory and she got up and left quietly, closing the door behind her.

          “I don’t know whether I should enjoy being fed or humiliated,” Majesty said.  “What do you think?”

          Magic Star was caught off guard and speechless or a second.  “Well—I—uh—”

           “Never mind,” Majesty said, adjusting her herself against her pillow so  she could sit up better.  “I’ve been told you sent a strike force to  the harpies’ stronghold.  It didn’t go too well from what I heard.”

          “I’m sorry, Queen Majesty,” Magic Star got out.  “I was foolish to give into demands we attack them.”

           “You saved Truly and those little dragons, and the harpies were at  least momentarily forced from their home for the moment,” Majesty said.   “Although not a resounding victory, I would say we came out of the  exchange ahead.”

          “You haven’t seen the looks on the  faces of those who went there,” Magic Star said.  “They hit the harpies  as hard as they could and barely knocked them off balance for a second.   Fortunately they couldn’t land a hit, or we would be burying ponies.   Ironically, we only saved Truly and the dragons because they were going  to kill them as they made their escape.”

          She took the  seat next to Majesty.  “And now the harpies are out there somewhere with  that girl.  We can’t even leave the valley without worrying about being  caught or worse by them.”

          Majesty bobbed her head.   “Tell me, if they had saved the girl and gave those harpies a thorough  trouncing, would you be in here apologizing?”

          Magic Star stopped, her mind completely blank on that statement.

           Majesty smiled weakly.  “A plan that works is always a good plan in  retrospect.  The same with a plan that fails is a bad plan.  Leadership  is about making decisions and taking risks with the understanding the  consequences are just as much yours as the reward.  However, you can’t  let that stop you from making those decisions.  Otherwise, you might as  well jump in a hole and pull the ground over you because you’ve stopped  living at that point.”

          She leaned back more, clearly  tired.  She took a few seconds.  “You’re a cautious one which is why I  chose you to be my chief minister.  You won’t go off half-cocked.   However, there are times you will still need to act.”

           “How do you know all of this?” Magic Star asked.  “You say you were a  lady of the court, I had never heard of a Lady Blueflower until we  arrived here.”

          “I’ve always a minor member of Princess  Celestia’s royal court even though I had been there for more than a  century,” Majesty explained.  “I never climbed very high in the social  rankings because of my unpopular views as you could have surmised from  my little monologue yesterday.”  She took another extended pause.  “That  included the Harmony Era where our dear Princess of the Sun allowed  getting her pet student to learn life lessons to take precedent over  safety of her citizens.”  She frowned.  “It angered me to no end to see  Equestria and those who lived in it endangered constantly by her  inaction.

          “I pray if we ever manage to return to  Equestria, those things don’t follow us.  We may be able to overwhelm  eventually with sheer numbers, but the causalities would be  unacceptable.”

          She turned to Majesty with a facing show  all those decades of grim experience.  Up until this point, there had  always been a smirk just below the surface of her expressions, but it  was completely gone here.  “Forget eternal night, Discord’s whacko land,  or having love or magic or whatever drained from you.  The streets of  Canterlot, Manehattan, every city and town in Equestria would run red  with blood—the blood of ponies slain and impossible to get back.”

          Magic Star swallowed a sizeable lump down her throat.  “What do we do now?” she asked.

           “It’s clear brute force won’t work against them,” Majesty answered.   “At least not the amount of brute force we can muster.”  This pause was  longer as her eyelids drooped.  “We need to outwit them.  That is why  Wind Whistler needs to be Wind Whistler.  I’ve seen many like her in my  time, a sharp mind not yet too burdened with the decades of living and  old ideas.  She had also been untouched by Celestia and her intoxicating  philosophies and dependence on old legends.  She is a rare gem among  ponies these days, and I know she will be a vital asset to us when comes  to campaigns of the mind like this one.”  She again paused.  “If she  embraces her talents and those around her, she can beat the harpies at  their own game.”

          Magic Star sighed.  “Then we’re  doomed.  She and Gusty got into an argument that cut deep, and Wind  Whistler won’t come out of her room.”

          Majesty closed her eyes, and that smile made its return.  “Then it’s time for friendship to demonstrate its real power.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler was alone with her thoughts yet again.  Her room was a  familiar setting to her.  Though, it was her room in Cloudsdale until  now.  However, a bedroom was a bedroom.  It was a rectangular prism she  could close the rest of the world off from and be alone when she wanted  to just turn the rest of the world off.  She lay on her bed and stared  up at the wooden planks making up the ceiling.  The wood was oak with a  distinct grain and few knotholes.

          Though, that was just  what her eyes were telling her visual cortex.  Her mind was paying it  little mind, consumed with so many other things.  She was thinking of  home, their fight against the harpies, the juvenile dragons and their  slain and consumed mother, the girl and her wellbeing, sending Gusty  over the edge in more ways than one, and what Gusty had said.

An unfeeling machine with circuits for innards and oil for blood, she thought.  Is that what other ponies see me as?

           She had been called that when she was younger.  She was always the  first one to know the answer, so the other fillies and colts would tease  her about it.  They would gang up on her and make fun of her.  They  would call her a walking computer like Gusty did.

          She  figured they were just jealous of her.  She bothered to read and pay  attention not only in the classroom but the world around her while they  goofed off.  It would come back to bite them with the teacher, and she  would get the last laugh.

          She rolled over onto her side so she faced the wall also made of planks of oak.

           However, all she did was absorb facts.  Her vocabulary came from just  sitting down and learning new words when she was bored.  Multiplication  tables were something her mind did just to spend the time.  She had  memorized all ninety elements on the periodic table and knew why there  could be no more than one hundred eighteen despite what bad sci-fi  claimed.  She was swimming in facts—almost drowning in facts—she just  picked up because it was something to do and she could absorb them so  readily.

          Yet, reading a single pony was so difficult for  her.  To her, it was like everyone could read minds like Ribbon,  picking up on things that escaped her perception and putting emphasis on  it despite it seeming inconsequential to her.  Even in her own  behavior, there were faux pas she would commit and only realize it in  retrospect.  It had led her to being as polite as possible at all times  so as not to insult anyone.

          Something happened with  Gusty, what she figured was shock at facing the harpy, but it had to  have been something more.  And, because she did not know, she almost  killed her.  What good is knowing all the elements, and mathematic  equations, and all those other things if you cannot save a pony  correctly?

          She pulled her tail up to hold between her  front legs.  She was alone, and so she could let it out.  She let the  tears flow and gave in to the urge to let out a sob.  She wondered if  Fizzy and Shady were really her friends, or if Majesty was just telling  them to be nice to her.  It just made her feel all the worse.

          A knock came at her door.

          This was the last thing Wind Whistler wanted at the moment.  “I told you to go away!”

          “You told them to go away,” Gusty’s voice came from past the door.

          Wind Whistler was shocked to hear Gusty for a second.  “What do you want?”

          “I want to talk,” Gusty answered.

           Wind Whistler’s sorrow turned to seething anger.  All that rage over  what Gusty had said came roaring back.  Yet, she kept it in check,  deciding to channel it through sarcasm.  “I thought you didn’t have time  for talking, and why would you want to talk to an ‘unfeeling machine’?”

          “I knew this was a bad idea.”  Gusty’s voice became more distant.

          “Please,” Fizzy’s voice begged.  “She needs this.”

          “And you really deserve it,” Shady added.

          “Fine,” Gusty groaned.

           Another knock came.  “I have something I need to say to you, and I  don’t want to do it through a door.  So, can I come in?”

           Wind Whistler wiped the tears from her eyes and took in a quivering  breath to try to stop the sobs.  “It’s not locked.”

          “Not locked?!” Gusty blurted.  “She didn’t even lock the door!”

          “We didn’t want to enter her room uninvited,” Shady replied.

           An exasperated groan came in response.  The door opened and hooves  clicked against the wood floor before the door closed again.  Wind  Whistler did not rollover to face Gusty.  She was mad at her and figured  denying her eye contact was the best way to express it.

           “Look,” Gusty started to say but paused for a second.  “I came to say—”  another pause “—I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have called you a machine or  say you don’t have feelings.  You obviously do have feelings because I  hurt them, badly from the looks of it.”

          She paused.  “Could you at least look at me?”

           She at last got an admittance of wrongdoing, so Wind Whistler rolled  over onto her other side to face Gusty.  Her eyes were probably puffy  and red from crying and she could feel her jaw tremble.

          “It’s just that—” Gusty stopped.  “No, there’s no excuse.”

          Gusty stamped her hoof.  “I was just really scared and let it out before thinking better of it!”

           She walked over to the desk and sat down in the chair.  She sat there,  apparently absorbed in her own thoughts.  Wind Whistler watched her, her  chest expanding and contracting as she took deep breaths.

          “If I tell you a secret, will you promise to never tell anyone else?” Gusty asked.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Any secret is safe with me.”

           Gusty drew in a deep breath and slowly released it.  “The reason I  didn’t wink out from up there was because I was paralyzed with fear.”

          “Facing a harpy for the first time can do that,” Wind Whistler replied.

           “It wasn’t her,” Gusty said quietly.  “Again, I don’t want this to get  out, but…I’m afraid of heights.  I mean really afraid of them.  I was  able to make it up there by not looking down, but when I did look down  all I could think of was falling.”

          Wind Whistler lay there in silence as she let it process.

          Gusty crossed her front legs.  “Go ahead, laugh at me.”

          “Why?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Because I act all tough, but I have the silliest fear,” Gusty answered.

           “It’s not silly,” Wind Whistler replied.  “I in fact apologize for not  realizing it.  My actions pushed you straight into the fixation of your  acrophobia.”

          “I said I was afraid of heights,” Gusty stated.

           “That is the technical term for it,” Wind Whistler said.  “And I do not  see you as less of a pony for it.  Insulting me and my friends is a  different matter.  Shady also deserves an apology for your blowup in the  meeting hall.”

          Gusty heaved a sigh.  “I suppose she does.

           “Those two are really worried about you,” she continued.  “They care  about you more than I’ve seen other adult ponies care about each other.   Though, that seems to be the case with everyone here.  Maybe it’s just  because I grew up in a big city where you’re just another face in the  crowd.”

          “It’s easier to be alone in a crowd than it is  in a small room with a few ponies,” Wind Whistler said.  “Believe me.  I  have direct experience in this.”

          “Maybe it’s also  because we’re all that’s here as far as we know,” Gusty added.  “Cupcake  was right.  There are no royal guards.  There are no police.  It’s you,  me, the others, and what we have in the castle against this entire  world.  Makes me feel small just thinking about it.”

          “I  see it as the world being just that much bigger,” Wind Whistler said.   “Equestria has been the main power in our world for more than a  millennium, and there are few mysteries left.  Here, we’re just a bunch  of little ponies, and this world is filled with mysteries.  I feel both  terrified and assured that we don’t know everything here.”

          They sat there for a few seconds, letting it all sink in.

          “So”—Gusty broke the silence—“What now?”

           Wind Whistler rolled onto her back.  “There’s no telling where the  harpies have gone now.  While I like a good mystery as much as the next  pony, I wish I knew more about all of this.  We had no idea the harpies  had a powerful telepath with them, him being the main reason we never  reached Megan in time.”  She frowned.  “I have conflicting emotions  about not knowing.  I love that there is more to learn out there, but I  hate when I’m caught unawares.  We need to do something, but I don’t  know what and fear we could end up even worse off if we try again  blindly.  I need more information.”

          “Sometimes we don’t  know everything,” Gusty said, “but we still have to do something.  If we  waited until we knew everything, nothing would ever get done.”

          Wind Whistler rolled over to face Gusty again.

           “I grew up in Fillydelphia, my parents were the groundskeepers of a  local park,” Gusty said.  “I would hang out with the other fillies and  colts in the neighborhood, and we all looked up to Wind Striker.  He  protected us, kept us out of trouble and trouble out of the  neighborhood.  He always did the right thing, and he was the most  awesome pony ever.

          “However, he was getting to the point  where he would finish high school and have to move away.  He took me  under his wing, literally, and taught me how to fight and what was right  and wrong.  He told me ‘Evil triumphs only when good ponies do  nothing’.  I took up his mantle when he left for college, and protected  my neighborhood from those who would wreck it and the ponies living  there.”

          She glowered at Wind Whistler.  “We need to do something, or those harpies will win.”

           “We still need to know a little more, though,” Wind Whistler pointed  out.  “I feel like we’re missing some important pieces to the puzzle.”

          A knock came at the door.

          “Yes?” Wind Whistler asked at the same time as Gusty.

          “Paradise is done translating the message and is ready to read it,” Fizzy answered.


* * *


           Everyone gathered in the meeting hall.  Wind Whistler took her seat in  the back row.  Fizzy and Shady joined her along with Gusty.  Paradise  stood at the podium off in the corner and watched as ponies took their  seats.

          Gasps and murmurs came as Majesty hobbled into  the room with Truly at her side.  Her cloak lay across her back, the  silk ribbon hanging loose around her neck.  “Please, Queen Majesty, you  should still be in bed.”

          “I’m just going to listen to the message,” Majesty snapped.  “I need to be here.”

           She took a step, and everyone jumped from their seat when she  faltered.  However, she braced herself against a bench and slowly sat  down.

          The dragons sat down in the front row and the room became silent.

           Paradise cleared her throat.  “I translated this as best I could.  Some  of the sentence structure is going to sound a little dated, so bear  with me for some of it.”

She looked down at the sheet of paper in front of her and started reading, “If  you are reading this, it means I have died and my family’s dynasty and  the empire we built over the centuries have collapsed because of my  misjudgment.  I am the last of the Valkyrie Queens and you are my  descendent. Whether you are my daughter, who is but a babe as I write  this, or are from a time centuries hence, you share my blood.”

          “Apparently she didn’t think talking ponies would find it first,” Firefly whispered.

          She got a hush from another pony.

          Paradise continued reading, “To  begin with, my descendant, I should tell you the history of our family  and how we became the Valkyrie Queens and built the empire that spanned  this great landmass.  The first Valkyrie Queen was born a shepard’s  daughter in highlands north of the Grand Fjord.  She was in love with a  young soldier in the Grand Fjord earl’s army.  However, they were in yet  another war with the neighboring Fjord of Rivers over territory,  timber, other resources, and where a line went on a sheet of paper.

          “The earl’s berserker was killed in combat, and her  beloved was chosen to replace him.  She feared for him.  The medicine  berserkers used to release their strength stole their minds and less of  it would return the more they used it.  The man she loved could be taken  from her.  However, there was nothing she could do.

          “One day, she was tending her sheep in the Useless Fjord  where the rocks blocked boats from entering.  Her family, looking to  escape the ravages of the latest war, had hidden themselves in what the  rest of the world considered a waste.  She came across a cave near a  waterfall.  One of her sheep had disappeared into it, so she followed  it.  She discovered a well with metal walls making it roughly square.   Being of a curious nature, she tied as many ropes together as she to  send a buck down.  However, there was no water.  She decided to climb  down to see why such a deep well was dry so close to water.  She found  herself in a chamber with the machine you see before you.

          “Although a shepard’s daughter, she was quite  intelligent along with being curious and was able to figure out how to  make the machine work and what it did.  It allowed her to travel  anywhere in the world instantly.  She realized it gave her power, and  she could use that power to save her beloved.

          “Even with this power, the earls would never listen to a  mere woman.  However, they may listen to a demigod.  Using the machine,  she emerged on the field on which a great battle would be fought  between two earls’ armies.  She declared herself a valkyrie, a  handmaiden of the Æsir, the gods of Boreas.  She called the portal she  stepped through the Bifröst, the burning rainbow bridge the Æsir used to  travel between this world of Midgard and their realm of Asgard, and  said she had been given its power by them.  She claimed the Æsir were  displeased with how fruitless they had made war and how senseless they  had made death.  The valyries were meant to choose who would join Odin  in the halls of Valhalla and or Freya on the battlefield of Fólkvanr.   She said those killed in these pointless wars would be deserving of  neither.  She was instead sent here and made mortal to serve as their  queen and lead all of Boreas into a new era of unity and prosperity.

          “The earls objected, calling her a fraud, but their men  quickly threw down their arms and swore their allegiance to her.  She  was crowned queen of all of Boreas from the Great Mountains to the  northern tip of its coast, and she married her beloved.  He became her  consort and would never know the effects of the berserkers’ medicine.”

          “Oh, how romantic,” Heart Throb gushed.

          “Although this was initially to save her beloved, the  first Valkyrie Queen dedicated her life to ruling her new kingdom and  subjects justly.  She wished to end the infighting amongst the Boreans,  and believed fairness was what was needed.  The earls eventually  accepted their positions as nobility, and the people prospered in this  new era of peace.

          “She abolished the barbaric practices such as that of  slavery, making the foreigners brought to Boreas freedmen.  She made  sure there would never again be berserkers, outlawing the manufacture of  their evil medicine.  However, she also encouraged the arts and  sciences that the Boreans had long being developing.

          “For generations since, our family has ruled Boreas.   Along with the Bifröst itself, the chamber held information and records  of different technologies of the civilization that built it some untold  ages ago.  It explained how to generate and control lightning to power  devices, as well as formulas for making different materials.  It also  had records of locations where important resources needed to build a  more advanced civilization were abundant.  Over the course of six  centuries, Boreas went from a backwater of feuding earls on the edge of  the world to a mighty empire with a technological and cultural prowess  second to none.

          “Obviously this was all built on a lie.  The Bifröst and  all the technology learned from it were not from the Æsir, but a relic  left behind by a long dead civilization.  That fact remains true no  matter what good it did the people of Boreas.  I tell you this first to  keep you grounded.  Despite the claims, we are not divine and the  machine before you was not a gift from any gods but salvaged.  We are  mortal and fallible, something I forgot and led to the state I am in  now.

          “As I write this, Boreas has come under attack by  harpies from lands to the south.  It is a plague we brought on  ourselves.  Something caused the sky to become like spoiled milk and the  sun to dim.  Winters lasted longer and not even the summer was safe  from frost.  Our crops were dying and my people were starving.  In  desperation, I decided to look to the south for food to feed my people  until this long winter past.  Fearing a refusal and desperate to quell  our hunger pangs, I gave in to the old instincts of our people and  ordered it be a raid where the food would be taken by force.

          “However, my expedition came across these flying  monsters no spear could reach and they could tear a man asunder with  only their talons.  My soldiers escaped with heavy losses, but the  harpies must have looked upon our Bifröst with lust.  The long winter  finally ended and the sky returned to its natural color as the sun  regained its original luster.  It seemed our terrible crisis was over.   However, that is when the harpies arrived, demanding the Bifröst be  surrendered to them or they would bring endless bloodshed to us.

          “They are rampaging across my empire like wolves as I  write this, leaving death and destruction in their wake.  All of the  ancient technology we have recreated is useless against them.  Sadly, we  never found records on how the ancient people built their weapons.

          “Our one light of hope is my family has kept the  location of the Bifröst a closely held secret among other things.  The  harpies are searching the heartland, believing it is in the highlands  surrounding the capital, not in this lonely fjord no one cares about.   Unfortunately, this has done nothing to protect my people from their  wrath as the harpies have only become more violent as their searches  turn up empty.

          “The only possible weapon I have to combat them is the  key to the Bifröst, the locket you must possess in order to awaken this  machine and find this message.  The rainbow inside does not merely  unlock the Bifröst’s sleep, but can also be used to attack and defend.   The locket is sealed by magic so only my bloodline can open it.   However, its connection with the Bifröst is so great, not even that  magic to hold it back from performing its primary purpose of unlocking  it.  That is why it must be kept safe from generation to generation.  I  do not wish to think what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands.

          “I am about to face the harpies directly in what I hope  will be one decisive battle.  If I succeed, then this message will be  erased, serving no purpose.  I will have saved my empire and teach the  lessons I have learned to the following generations.  It is my hope that  is the case, as I do not wish to die or see this great land my  ancestors stewarded fall back into the tribalism that once plagued it.   However, as I prepare for a final confrontation with the harpies, I  realize there is a very real possibility I will lose my life and my  empire and its secrets will fall with me.  That is why I have made some  contingencies.

          “If I should fall in battle, the Ragnarök Protocol,  instituted by my great grandmother, will come into effect.  This is a  last, desperate act to protect the Bifröst from falling into enemy  hands; and if you are reading this message it was initiated.  The locket  will be removed from the battlefield immediately and taken back to the  capital.  My daughter will be taken away along with the locket and  raised as a commoner.  Fortunately, she is young enough she will know  nothing of her original parentage.  All she will be taught out of the  ordinary is to protect the locket and pass it on to her eldest daughter  on the night she begins her fourteenth year and to continue that  tradition from generation to generation.  For it is only after entering  fourteenth year that it wielder can use the key as a weapon as well.   Before then, it is simply a key to them.

          “Also, the main targeting part of the Bifröst is to be  removed and hidden in a secret vault in another part of Boreas.  This  main piece of the machine has a primitive targeting system and limited  range without that part.  Similarly, the part removed has a limited  ability to make portals.  Separate, they are of limited use compared to  the whole they create.  Once this machine is unlocked, the locket can  lead you, and only you, to the other part.

          “Oh, and if by chance you are not my descendent, then  you might have found the locket and activated the Bifröst.  However, you  will never be able to find the missing part without my descendent.  You  will have to contend with its limits and never learn its full secrets.   Also, while the controls will adjust to suit my descendant’s present  language as it did when my ancestor first discovered it, it will remain  in the current Borean language for anyone else.

          “If you are my descendent, uniting the  parts will not only complete the machine’s power, but give you access to  all of the accumulated knowledge of the Borean Empire including that  which we learned from the ancient people who built it.  Use it to  rebuild our civilization only better and wiser.  Assist the good in  fighting the wicked and make this world a better place for it.”

          “Above all, this machine and its secrets must never fall  into the talons of the harpies.  If they gain the power to travel  anywhere and the secrets of the ancients, they will be able to spread  destruction to all corners of the planet unabated.

          “I must go now.  History will be made or end within the  hour.  If you are my daughter, know that I love you with all my heart.   Good bye for now and, if you are reading this, forever.”

          Paradise looked up, her eyes a little misty.  She  reached under her glasses and wiped her eyes.  “It’s a bit much to know I  read some of the last words of a real person.”

          Majesty  was wobbling her seat.  Truly helped her onto her hooves.  “Okay, Queen  Majesty, time to go back to bed.”  Truly held her up to the upper exit.

          “Well, my brain is officially fried,” Gusty said.  “Any of you get half of all that?”

           Wind Whistler sat there, synthesizing it all.  Much of it was  rhetorical fluff, a relic of a civilization that had come into a means  to write easily.  Tapping a few keys allowed you to create a word.  She  needed to sift out the actual information.

          They now knew  why the panel was so lopsided.  A part of it was literally missing.  It  also explained why the machine had the ability to target by latitude  and longitude, but used a polar coordinate system.

          Her mouth bent up in a grin before she could think better of it.

          “What?” Gusty asked.

          “I think I have the last pieces to this puzzle,” Wind Whistler said.

           Wind Whistler looked at the ponies in the room.  She knew she could  trust any of them, but the harpies had a telepath.  As few ponies as  possible needed to know the details.  “Let’s get out of here.”

           They left the meeting hall, and Wind Whistler ushered them into one of  the second floor’s bathrooms.  She looked out at the empty hall before  closing the door.

          “Is she always like this?” Gusty asked.

          “I don’t really know,” Shady answered.

           “Sorry for the secrecy, but knowing our enemy could read minds, the  dissemination of information must be limited,” Wind Whistler said.  “I  believe I know how to definitively defeat the harpies.”

          “Really?” Fizzy asked eagerly.

          Wind Whistler nodded.  “We’re going to surrender.”

          They looked at her dumbstruck.  “Come again?” Shady asked.


* * *


           “Yoo hoo, harpies!” Heart Throb called out loudly.  She waved the pole  anchoring a white bed sheet she was carrying.  “Can we talk?”

          Wind Whistler watched her fly in a broad circle above them.  The sun was getting low in the sky.

          “Are you sure the harpies are here?” Gusty asked.

           “No, but this is the most logical choice,” Wind Whistler answered.  “It  is the closest portion of the mainland to the islands, and local  farmers reporting livestock missing and bloodstains in their fields this  late afternoon suggests they have been active here since being driven  from their stronghold.”

          “I’m just hoping a white flag means the same thing here as in Equestria,” Shady whimpered.

          Wind Whistler looked to Ribbon.  “Anything?”

           Ribbon shook her head.  “I’m not picking up anything as of yet.   Though, I’m not actively scanning for minds in case that male is in the  area.  He would pick up on them.  I’m more concerned with any psychic  energy from him.”

          “Hey!”  Heart Throb waved the flag.   “I’m here to discuss our surrender!  You could at least be polite enough  to come out!”

          “If they don’t show up before the sun sets, let’s call it a night and try again in the morning,” Ribbon said.

          Several large, black silhouettes glided from some nearby mountains.  The harpies were quick to surround Heart Throb.

          “Here we go,” Gusty said.


* * *


           Heart Throb spun around at the five harpies around her.  They were  massive creatures now that she could see them in flight.  “There you  are, darlings.  I must say, you are all the more impressive in the air.”

          The harpy with the flame red hair sneered.  “What is this about you surrendering?”

           “It’s like I said, darling—” Heart Throb presented her white flag.  “—we’re surrendering.  If you want the locket, you can have it.”  She  worked the locket off from around her neck and onto her leg.

           The harpy snatched the locket away.  She looked at it and wheezed a  laugh.  “We have it.  I thought the Glorious Alpha was crazy, but we  finally have it.”

          “What about the pony?” another harpy asked.

          Heart Throb held up her flag, hoping it was right.  “I came under a flag of truce.”

          “Forget her,” the harpy with red hair said.  “We have what we came for.  Let’s get back to the others.”

          The harpies flew from Heart Throb and quickly disappeared into the mountains again.

          Heart Throb huffed.  “What rude creatures.”

           A flickering light caught her eye from the surface.  She looked down at  a point of light from the edge of a forest.  When it stopped, Wind  Whistler emerged from the cover.

          Heart Throb descended  to the edge of the woods as Gusty, Fizzy, Shady, and Ribbon joined Wind  Whistler.  “What are you doing here?”

          “We were keeping an on you to make sure everything went right,” Wind Whistler answered.

           “Well, I thank you for your concern,” Heart Throb said.  “The harpies  have the locket, and I must say, after all that’s happened, I feel  terrible to simply wash our hooves of this.”

          Wind Whistler’s mouth bent down in a slight but definite frown.  “We’ve washed our hooves of nothing.”

          Heart Throb pointed up towards those mountains.  “But we just gave them the locket.  You said we were surrendering.”

           “We had to lie to you because of the telepath,” Wind Whistler  explained.  “If he had been there to scan your mind, we needed you to  genuinely believe we were giving up.”

          Heart Throb stood  there for a split second, struck completely speechless.  “Well, I  honestly don’t know what to say to that.”

          “We need to go after them and see what they do with it,” Gusty interjected.  “Come on.”


* * *


           Alecta watched the sun slowly sink towards the horizon.  She was a  little sad to see it preparing to disappear from view.  It also meant  her dreams were disappearing as well.  She wished they had come north  sooner so they would have had more time.  She wished she had sent a  competent harpy to retrieve the locket in the first place.  Most of all,  she wished she had never heard of those blasted ponies.

           She should also hunt down that greedy wizard and kill him.  She said he  had until sundown for them to have the locket.  She needed to keep her  word after all.

          However, what had happened had  happened.  They were out of time.  Without the stronghold, keeping the  girl was more of a bother than she was worth anyway.

          She  turned back to the girl sitting on the ground.  She backed up from her,  but Bernice grabbed her and held her down.  Thanatos waddled around  them with his neck extended and his eyes fixed on the girl, apparently  knowing a death would soon be at hand.

          The girl tried to wrestle out of Bernice’s grasp.  “Why are you doing this to me?  I just raise horses.”

           At this point, it was enough of a sin for Alecta to be associated with  any kind of equine.  However, that was not the reason.  “You are far  more important than that.  I suppose you were never told of your true  lineage.”

          Alecta flexed her talons.  “It must have been  such a closely held secret that not even you know.  However, after  centuries of careful observation, I know your secret.  I know the blood  of the Valkyrie Queens runs through our veins.”

          The girl looked at her wide-eyed.  “What?  You’re crazy.  I’m just an ordinary girl.”

           Alecta smirked.  “Why did your mother protect that locket so  jealously?  It’s the key to the legendary Bifröst.  I know because the  ponies have used it to unlock the thing.”

          She looked at  her talon.  “I was hoping to use you to take it for myself.”  She  clenched it into a fist.  “That I would complete what my ancestor began a  millennium ago.”  She clenched her teeth.  “However, those ponies have  interfered, and now I’m out of time.  When the sun sets tomorrow, you  will enter your fourteenth year, and you become too dangerous to be  allowed to live.”

          She turned the harpies still on the  plateau.  “My fellow harpies, you have followed me north to this place  for a chance at glory.  While the Bifröst has once again been denied to  us, we will leave having accomplished one thing.”  She looked down at  the girl and opened her talon.  “Witness as I forever end the direct  bloodline of the Valkyrie Queens.”

          She looked back at  the sun, touching the horizon behind the surrounding mountains.  She  turned back to the girl raised her talon and prepared to slash her  throat.  The girl looked up at her with eyes wide in terror.  A part of  her wanted to make the girl suffer, but business came before pleasure.   “In memory of the harpies of the past.  For the glory the harpies of the  present.  To ensure all know the fate of those who dare oppose us—” she  tensed, allowing a second to bask in the girl’s fear “—I finish what my  namesake started a thousand years ago!  Farewell!”

          “Glorious Alpha!” Frona called out.

           Alecta looked up.  Frona and the others on patrol with her glided in  and landed.  Frona held up the locket.  “We got it.”

           Alecta held out her talon, and Frona set it down in palm.  Alecta looked  back at the sun.  It was still just visible.  Although through no  actions of his own, the wizard would get to live.  She had to keep her  word after all.

          Alecta let the red, heart-shaped pendent  dangle from its leather strap.  She smirked at finally holding it.  Her  ancestor only got to see the seemingly plain trinket, and here it was  in her talon.

          “How did you get it?” Alecta asked.

           Frona shrugged.  “The ponies just gave it up.”  She puffed out her  chest.  “We apparently broke their spirit in the last battle.”

          Alecta’s mouth sank into a frown.  “Or it’s a fake.”

          She turned to Gergo sitting there with his third eye open.  “Sense anything?”

           Gergo closed his third eye and opened his normal eyes.  “I sense  nothing.”  He closed his normal eyes and opened his third eye again.


* * *


           Ribbon had been trained in the many ways to use her telepathic magic.   Along with reading minds; she could send psychic messages through  dreams, perceive the telepathic scans by others, and various other  things.

          One of the more difficult powers to master was  defeating telepresence.  An individual using telepresence would send  their astro body out of their physical one to perceive things beyond  their normal senses.  She never mastered actually using the art herself,  but she learned to detect it and trick it into not seeing her and  others.  The astro body did not sense light, soundwaves, or any physical  stimuli.  It used its mental powers like sonar, both picking up minds  and sending out pulses of psychic energy to sense the world around it.   Keeping hidden was a simple task of creating destructive interference of  their brain waves so they were undetectable as well as directing the  mental pulses around them so they bounced off objects behind them.

           She could tell the male was out there, an unseen ghost looking for  anything.  He was powerful, more powerful than anything she had  encountered before.  However, telepresnece did not rely on power.  They  were safe for the moment.

          “I swear, Wind Whistler,”  Gusty grumbled, trying to keep her voice down, “if that locket points  them back to the castle—”

          Ribbon shushed her.

          Shady had her glasses over her eyes.  She trembled.  “I can see him.  He’s out there looking around.”

          “We’re invisible as far as he can tell,” Ribbon whispered.

          Shady relaxed.  “He’s gone.”


* * *


           Alecta picked up the girl and set her down on her feet.  “There’s one  way to find out if this is real.”  She shoved the locket into her hand  and held it out.  “Where is the Bifröst?”

          The locket  burst open and a stream of color and light shot from it.  The others  jumped back from the brilliant light washing over the plateau as the sun  was gone and this stream was brighter than noon.  Alecta simply  watched, smirking at finally seeing the great and powerful rainbow  wielded by the Valkyrie Queen.

          The stream went forward  and then curved to the left.  Alecta expected it to point towards the  fjord where those ponies were, but apparently not.  Alecta turned the  girl until the stream was completely straight.  Concentrating on the  magnetic directions, she determined where it pointed.  “North  northeast.  Interesting.”

          She pushed the locket closed  the stream cut off.  They were once again in darkness.  She turned the  girl to her.  “Vengeance has waited more than a thousand years.  What is  one more day?”

          Thanatos turned away and hunched over.

          “She’ll be dead soon enough, my pet,” Alecta said.

           She tossed her to Gergo.  “Put her under and prepare to leave.”  She  held up the locket.  “The Bifröst is finally ours!”


* * *


           Twilight Mist sat up as the map lit up with a line starting near where  Wind Whistler’s locator beacon was and reached across the screen.  She  stopped and made sure she was alone, and no one saw her be taken  surprise.  Of course she was alone, but it was a natural impulse.

          She took a few seconds to regain her composure before tapping the microphone button.  “What just happened out there?”

“An impressive light show,” Wind Whistler answered.  “You picked it up?”

           “This machine apparently detects that rainbow thing in the locket,”  Twilight Mist replied.  The line faded in brightness, but remained.

“The beam of light extended beyond the horizon to the north northeast,” Wind Whistler said.  “Can you tell us its point of terminus?”

           Twilight Mist traced the faded line up across Boreas.  “It looks like  it ends at an island almost due north from Dream Valley off the north  coast of Boreas.”

“Is it within the range of the Bifröst?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Just barely,” Twilight Mist answered.

“Then we have them,” Wind Whistler stated.  “They’re leaving, so wait a few minutes to bring us back.  We have preparations to make.”
> Chapter 13: Wind Whistler's Gamble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Once again there was a gathering at the meeting hall.  This  time it was Wind Whistler on the platform ready to explain her plan.   At least, she hoped she was ready.  She was constantly thinking about  things.  When her mind was idle, math problems would come into her head  such as creating relationships between sums and products and how there  was a pattern for different numbers multiplied by perfect squares.  When  active, she could formulate, challenge, and adjust plans over and over  again.  Actually articulating the plan, especially so others understood  her logic was another matter.  However, there was no time like the  present to start.

          Truly came in without Majesty and took her seat.

          “Where’s Majesty?” Cherries Jubilee asked.

          “Sleeping soundly,” Truly answered.  She yawned.  “Like we all should be.”

           The 36 ponies and six juvenile dragons took their seats and stared  forward.  The few conversations died down, yielding to eager silence.   Wind Whistler felt the hairs on her back stand on end with so much  attention on her.

          “All right, Wind Whistler,” Magic Star said sternly, “we gave the harpies the locket.  What are you getting at?”

           Wind Whistler assembled her thoughts as best she could and put them to  words she hoped they would understand.  “There is an old saying that if  you cannot go to the mountain, you bring the mountain to you.  We failed  to save the girl by fighting the harpies in their own territory, so my  new strategy is luring them into a trap.”

          “Trap?” Truly asked.  “They have the locket and are headed to the north.  What’s even up there?”

           “The last component of the Bifröst,” Wind Whistler answered.  “As the  message Paradise translated said, it is hidden in a secret vault only  the Valkyrie Queen’s descendent can find.  Since we already unlocked the  Bifröst, it is telling Megan where to go next.”

          “Ah still don’t know how this is a trap,” Truly stated.

           Wind Whistler heaved a sigh as she formulated more of her explanation.   “A vault suggests an enclosed space.  Such a location would neutralize  the harpies’ greatest advantages of flight and ranged weapons.”

           She took a step forward.  “We now know the vault is located on an  island off the northern coast.  We can reach it instantly, while the  harpies are traveling.  We will lie in wait until they arrive and box  them in.”

          Murmurs came from the crowd.  Wind Whistler swallowed, hoping she had gotten through to them.

           “You only faced a portion of the harpies when you attacked their  stronghold,” Magic Star said.  “This time you will be facing all of  them.”

          “There’s also the male to contend with.”  North Star shivered.

          “We’ll fight telepathy with telepathy.”  Wind Whistler looked to Ribbon.

           Ribbon sat there for a second before responding.  “I don’t know.”  She  scratched at the back of her head.  “He’s extremely powerful, but I  guess I have the best chance against him.”

          “The same  team that attacked their stronghold as well as Ribbon will be our strike  team,” Wind Whistler said.  “We need more volunteers if there are any.”

           “I’ll come!” Fizzy announced.  A pink aura surrounded her horn which  seemed to bubble and fizz.  Bubbles formed in the air around her and  floated for a few seconds.  “I can send bubbles into their eyes or  something.”

          “I have sleep magic,” Moondancer offered.  “If they hold still long enough, I can put them out for a while.”

           “Since flight is going to be less of a factor, earth ponies would also  be viable in combat,” Wind Whistler said.  “Who are our best jumpers?”

          Bow-Tie and Sundance raised their hooves.

           “You should probably also take a nurse along,” Truly said.  “Besides, I  want to see those harpies get what’s coming to them after trying to  bake me.”

          Fiery jumped to his feet.  “I’m coming too!”   He belched a blue fireball that quickly faded.  “I want to get those  harpies back for what they did to our mother!”

          Wind  Whistler was not sure if a small dragon bent on revenge was the best  choice for this mission, but she was not about to argue with him.

          She looked to Shady instead.  “Shady, will you come?”

          Shady pointed to herself.  “Me?  Why would you want me to come along?”

           “Because your sunglasses’ powers could be of use in this situation,”  Wind Whistler answered.  “Also, I believe you as a pony could be  invaluable.”

          “Well, okay.”  Shady slouched in her seat.  “I’ll do what I can.”

          “Any other volunteers?” Magic Star asked.

           The rest remained silent.  A few scratched at the back of their heads  or cleared their throats.  However, they said nothing.

          “Well, you have your team,” Magic Star said.  “When do you plan to head out?”

           “We will go shortly before the harpies are going to arrive,” Wind  Whistler answered.  “Twilight Mist has been able to track their  progress.”

          “Since the locket and girl have been brought  together, she shows up on the map,” Twilight Mist explained.  “They’re  making a beeline for the island even through the night, periodically  sending out that rainbow thing.  I figure they’ll arrive sometime about  twenty-one hundred tomorrow evening given their present speed and don’t  stop to rest.”

          “We’ll leave an hour before,” Wind  Whistler said.  “That should give us enough time to find a hiding place  to wait for them.”

          “Well, then get some rest,” Magic Star said.  “I want everyone ready to go tomorrow evening.  You’re all dismissed.”

           The ponies got up and went to leave.  Wind Whistler headed for the  door, but Magic Star stopped her.  “This is a big gamble, Wind  Whistler.  I wish you had told me more before we gave them the locket.”

           “I wish I could have divulged more of the plan before that action as  well.  However, I had to withhold so much information so Heart Throb  would not be informed of our true intentions,” Wind Whistler said.   “Regardless, the die has been cast.”


* * *


           The elevator came to a stop and the door opened.  Wind Whistler  stretched as she stepped out.  It took a while for her mind to settle  enough to get to sleep, and it was surprisingly late by the time she  awoke.  However, it was this evening that they needed to be concerned  with.

          She felt rested and refreshed, but still  apprehensive.  Not only would the harpies be closed in, but so would  they.  They had made it out of their various encounters by evading their  arrows and talons.  Close quarters could make that strategy more  difficult.  Even if grounded, the harpies still had reach.

           She stepped up to Twilight Mist’s seat and looked to the map.  The dot  representing the girl and the harpies was about midway across the main  landmass of Boreas.  “They’ve been on the move all night?”

          “Yes,” Twilight Mist answered.  “I’m actually surprised they’ve been able to stay in the air this long.”

           “Their wings might restrict their tight maneuvers and climb,” Wind  Whistler said, “but they are far superior to any pegasus with regards to  gliding and long-term flight.  Fortunately, we have the Bifröst.”

          “You have to wonder why they didn’t stop to rest overnight,” Twilight Mist said.  “What’s their hurry?”

           Wind Whistler searched all the information she had absorbed about  this.  She had all the pieces to the puzzle and had been assembling them  to get the bigger picture.  However, that particular piece was evading  her.  “Is there anything of note about today?”

          “Galaxy said Luna Minor is new tonight,” Twilight Mist said.  “That’s all I can think of.”

           The mention of a new moon led into the memory of what Daniel had said.   Megan was turning thirteen on the night Mani the Younger was new.  He  must have been talking about the smaller moon which had been getting  thinner and closer to the sun.  She also remembered what the message  said.  Once a descendent entered her fourteenth year, which was a fancy  way to saying they were turning thirteen, they could use the locket as a  weapon.

          Wind Whistler tapped the back of the chair.   “They need to get to the vault before sunset.  That’s when Megan turns  thirteen and could use the locket against them.  That’s why they’re in such a rush.”

          “How does that help us?” Twilight Mist asked.

           “They’ll arrive at the vault around twenty-one hundred,” Wind Whistler  explained.  “I doubt the sun would set much later than that.  If we can  hold them at bay until then, Megan could use the locket’s abilities as a  weapon and provide us another advantage.”

          “Assuming they don’t kill her as soon as they reach it,” Twilight Mist said.

          “I suspect there are measures they will need her alive to bring down,” Wind Whistler said.

          “What do you plan to do with the harpies?” Twilight Mist asked.

          “What do you mean?” Wind Whistler responded with a question of her own.

           “Are you going to kill all of them?” Twilight Mist asked.  “We’re not  in Equestria to turn them in to the authorities, and we don’t have the  means to hold them prisoner.  You know even if we succeed here, they’ll  be after us as long as they’re able.”

          Wind Whistler  stopped and thought.  She had not considered of that in all of this.   The harpies would likely not take a defeat gracefully.  They certainly  would not see the error of the ways and reform.  They would need to be  neutralized permanently if she and the other ponies were to live in  peace in this world.

          “That is an overpass we will have to transverse when we encounter it,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Meaning you don’t know or don’t like the answer,” Twilight Mist said with a smirk.

           “I’m not a killer,” Wind Whistler said.  “It’s kind of hard to  conceptualize ending the life of another sapient being.  The mechanics  of doing so are chillingly easily, but me entering the state of mind to  actually go through it is more difficult to picture.”

           “Well, you better get the idea by this evening,” Twilight Mist stated.   “Because once you walk through that portal—” she pointed to the tunnel  “—only one side is walking out of there alive.”

          Wind  Whistler looked up to the monitor.  The dot representing the girl and  therefore the harpies was following the line, slowly but definitely  headed for its end.  She swallowed a lump forming in her throat as she  thought of what lie ahead.


* * *


           Gusty knocked on Shady’s door.  She waited for a few seconds, enough  time to wonder if she should have just left.  The door opened and Shady  poked her head out.

          “Hello, Shady,” Gusty said.  “Can we talk for a bit?”

          “Um…I guess.”  Shady pulled her head in.  “You can come in.”

           Gusty stepped into Shady’s room which was a carbon copy of all the  other servants’ quarters.  There was nothing to personalize any of them,  and the ponies were brought here with literally just what they were  wearing and these mysterious ribbons for their tails.

          “I wanted to say I’m sorry for yesterday,” Gusty said.  “I had no right going after you the way I did.”

          Shady sat at the desk.  “Thanks.”

          Gusty could see a bit of a tremble to her body.  “How are you holding up?” Gusty asked.

           “About as fine as can be expected,” Shady said.  “I don’t know why Wind  Whistler thinks I’ll be needed for this.  I’m not a really good jumper,  and I’m not brave at all.”

          “You’re brave enough to  admit you’re afraid,” Gusty replied.  “That takes some real guts.”  She  knew from personal experience.  Even though she knew admitting her fear  of heights would probably help, she was too afraid to actually do it.

           “I wish I was a pegasus so I could fly or a unicorn so I had some kind  of magic for this,” Shady said.  “Earth ponies are supposed to have  strength and stamina, but I’m pathetic at both.  I always came in last  at sports, and no one wanted me on my team.”  She paused.  “Well, until  now.”

          “Maybe strength isn’t what’s needed,” Gusty said.   “We hit them with all we had, and they basically shrugged it off.  I  guess we need to win this with smarts, and even though Wind Whistler  seems to be in another world some of the time, I’ll always pick her in a  battle of wits.  She thinks you can contribute something, so maybe you  should just trust her.  I mean, she’s your friend, right?”

          Shady sat there for a few seconds.  “She is.  I’m still scared out of mind by this.”

          “For once, I can relate to that,” Gusty replied.


* * *


           Wind Whistler watched the vortex form in the tunnel.  North Star and  Paradise flew out with Danny and Molly on their backs respectively.   Daniel and a woman stepped out of the vortex and walked down the ramp.

           North Star and Paradise flew up and landed on the platform.  Danny and  Molly had hold of their necks until their hooves touched the ground.   “That was the best thing ever,” Danny said as he dismounted.  “Though,  you could use a saddle and bridle.”

          “I can agree on that,” North Star said.  “Carrying a human is something I will have to get use to.”

           Daniel and the woman walked up the stairs onto the platform.  The woman  wore a pale tan coat made of an animal skin and fur that almost reached  the ground.  The front was open, so her overalls and blouse were  visible underneath.  Her red hair was tied into thick braids, and a hat  with a wide brim sat on top of her head.

          The woman looked to Wind Whistler and Twilight Mist and smiled.  “Hey there.”

          “Hello,” Wind Whistler replied.

          “I would like you to meet my older sister, Charlotte,” Daniel said.

          “So, you’re the third pony who saved my little brother,” Charlotte said, holding out her hand.

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler replied, allowing Charlotte to take her hoof and give it a firm shake, “I’m Wind Whistler.”

           “I thought Daniel was pulling my leg about talking ponies and rainbow  portals.”  Charlotte looked around.  “Needless to say I’m surprised it’s  all true, but pleasantly so.”

          She looked to the monitors.  “So, you’re planning to save my niece from those Epona-foresaken harpies?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “However, we won’t be making our move until this evening.”

          Twilight Mist pointed to the dot on the map.  “The harpies and your niece are there.”

          “Thank Epona she’s still alive,” Charlotte exhaled.

          “They need her for the moment,” Twilight Mist said.  “Did those two tell you what we learned?”

           “Yup,” Charlotte answered.  She nudged Daniel.  “Married a secret  princess.  You certainly know how to pick ‘em, Little Brother.”

          “I can assure you it never came up,” Daniel said.

          They boarded the elevator, and Charlotte flinched when it began to rise.  “This is a new experience.”

           “Aside from being Mr. William’s older sister,” Paradise said, “tell us a  bit about yourself.  You’re the only one we saw wearing a coat like  that.”

          “That’s because I’m my band’s Puma,” Charlotte  said.  “I’m the leader”—she held up the side of her coat—“and this coat  is proof of it.  It’s even where the name of the title comes from since  this is puma hide.”

          “As in a mountain lion?” North Star asked.

           Charlotte nodded.  “Nasty critters.  They wait in the edge of woods  near herds until a wayward foal gets too far from the others and too  close to the woods.  Then—” she clapped hands loudly, startling Wind  Whistler and the others.  “It’s considered a rite of passage to bring  one of those things down and save a foal.  We skin it and make a coat  from it for the leader.”

          She nudged Daniel again.  “You  don’t have to worry about that since you settled into Borean life and  have a nice fence to keep your herd in.”

          “I’m not even  sure if I have home or herd anymore,” Daniel said.  His expression sank  into a frown along with Danny and Molly’s.

          “Sorry about that,” Charlotte said.  “We’ll help you rebuild what those overgrown feather dusters took from you.”

          “I know, Sis,” Daniel said in a quiet voice.

           The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.  They stepped out  into the hall and Charlotte once again took in her surroundings.  “I  have never seen the like.  I’ve been invited to the castle of our fjord  earl when he needs new horses for his cavalry, but their fortresses  don’t hold a candle to this.”

          She looked at a sconce.   “Or solei quartz as the case maybe.  There must be a very rich diamond  dog out there to light this place.”

          Paradise hopped ahead of them.  “I can take you to our library.”

           “That’s very kind,” Charlotte replied as she followed her.  “I may not  look it, but I’m a bit of a bookworm.  There’s a lot of time to read  when you’re watching over your herd.  The first thing I do when I roll  into town is check the local library and bookstore.  You can tell a lot  about a people from the stories they tell.”

          “I wholeheartedly agree,” Paradise said.

          Wind Whistler turned away from the group and headed towards the dining hall.


* * *


           Dinner was light after more generous meals earlier in the day.  They  needed to be light on their hooves and wings for confronting the  harpies.  There was not a cookie to be found, just grass dried to a  crunch and some fruit.

          Fizzy swallowed.  “Are you ready for this?”

           Wind Whistler chewed her grass a couple times before swallowing and  looking up at Fizzy.  She remembered she was a few years younger than  her, arguably still a filly.  Yet, she would be facing the harpies with  them.  Wind Whistler remembered what Twilight Mist had said.  They would  have to kill these harpies, and—as hard as it was for her to imagine  taking a life—Wind Whistler could not see Fizzy killing anyone.

          “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Wind Whistler said.

           Fizzy smiled lifted her glass and fork with her magic.  She tapped the  fork to the side of her glass, and the room fell silent as all attention  came on her.

          “I propose a toast,” Fizzy said.  “To whatever brought us here.”

           The room was dead silent.  Wind Whistler felt her skin prickle as she  tried to imagine what was going through the minds of the others.

          Bow-Tie picked up her glass and held it up.  “I second that sentiment.”

           She looked to the crowd.  “Except, I’d call it what brought us  together.  When we first appeared here four days ago, we were all  strangers from all over Equestria.  We came from Los Pegasus to  Fillydelphia and from Mareami to the Crystal Empire.  We were scared and  confused.  Ice falling out of the sky terrified us within an hour of  showing up here.

          “However, we’ve shown the real power of  ponykind.  It’s not unicorn magic or pegasus flight or earth pony  strength.  It’s not even superweapons like the Elements of Harmony or  Starswirl the Bearded’s spells.  It’s our ability to form communities.   Even a bunch of strangers seemingly marooned in an alien world can band  together and make a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

           “I mean, look at us.  We’re about to take on the biggest bully on the  block for a second round.”  She smirked.  “And hopefully come out ahead  this time.”

          Some low chuckles came from the crowd.

           “I think that’s something we’ve forgotten during the current Pax  Equestria,” Bow-Tie continued.  “The communities have already been  formed.  It’s good to see we haven’t lost that.

          “Also,  we seem to compartmentalize ourselves.  Which has been rather bad for a  lot of us here.”  That statement got a few nods, including from Wind  Whistler.  “We’re some of the few who don’t neatly fit into the  pigeonhole we’re supposed to go in.

          “I remember back in  school when my teacher gave us the lessons on symbols, or ‘cutie marks’  as the traditionalist old nag insisted on calling them, and special  talents.  We treat our special talents like the be all and end all of  our existence.  We have to get jobs related to them.

           “Yet, we are more than that one talent and an emblem..  It might be what  makes us unique, but it is not all of what we are.  Here, removed from  the centuries of tradition and the way of doing things because it’s how  we’ve always done them, maybe we can rediscover not just what it means  to build a community, but be an individual as well.”

           Bow-Tie pointed to herself.  “Take me.  My special talent is related to  ribbons and accessories.  However, do you think I’m going after those  harpies because I want to tie bows in their hair?  No!  I intend to kick  their sorry butts.”  She jumped onto the table.  “Who’s with me?!”

          The other ponies and dragon going lifted their glasses and gave a cheer.

           “That’s what I thought.”  Bow-Tie hopped and held up her glass again.   “So, to whatever brought us and together.  And to the harpies making a  very satisfying thud when they come crashing back to earth.”

          “Cheers,” everyone said and drank from their glasses.

           Fizzy set down her glass.  “I almost don’t want to go back to the  Crystal Empire.  Because then I’d never see you again, Wind Whistler.”

           “I suppose we could find each other if we ever manage to return,” Wind  Whistler replied.  “We could arrange reunions.”  She pictured them  signing up for reservations as the ‘Ponies Who Mysteriously Appeared in  Another World Reunion’.

          “It would just not be the same,” Fizzy said.  “Here, we can be together.”

           Wind Whistler contemplated that.  Fizzy was becoming the closest friend  she ever had.  It would be a shame for them to be separated.

          An electronic chime sounded.  Wind Whistler looked to the clock showing it was getting close to eight.

           “Attention ponies, dragons, and humans,” Twilight Mist’s voice came  from the speakers.  “The balloon’s going up.  Everyone headed to the  Great White North report to the Bifröst Chamber on the double.”

          “We have more important things to worry about at the moment,” Wind Whistler said.


* * *


           Wind Whistler had gotten use to the pack slung across her back.   Skyflier and Sundance were also being fitted with them this time to make  sure someone had a working radio when things got harry.  She had tried  to picture how bipeds would wear these things and figured they went  around their waists.

          Truly also had bulging bags of  first aid supplies tied around her.  While Wind Whistler understood  intention and desire, she wondered if it was practical.  If a harpy  managed to land the blow, it would almost certain by fatal.

           Wind Whistler looked at the map.  The harpies were getting close but  still well removed from the island.  “I guess this is it,” Wind Whistler  said, steeling herself for the task ahead.

          “It looks that way,” Twilight Mist said.

           “Oh, with multiple radios, the knob on your pack changes the channel to  different receivers.”  She pointed to the black knob next to the power  switch.

          Wind Whistler worked her pastern around it and managed to make it turn until it clicked and then back.

           “I noticed Magic Star isn’t down here,” Wind Whistler said, looking at  the few ponies who came to see them off.  The Williams’ and Charlotte  had come to welcome Megan immediately with all went well; but Heart  Throb, Paradise, Glory, and Lickety-Split, and Seashell were the only  ponies not going here besides Twilight Mist.

          “She said  it must have been bad luck for her to see you off last time,” Twilight  Mist replied.  She coughed a laugh.  “Like her presence here had any  bearing on what happened four hundred kilometers away.”

          “So says the pony who preaches the power of wishes,” Wind Whistler replied with a grin.

           Twilight Mist shot Wind Whistler a glare so sharp she could almost feel  it pierce her skin.  “Just get down there!” she snapped.

          Wind Whistler glided down to the others.  The rings lit up the vortex formed and filled the tunnel.

          “No catch phrase this time?” Skyflier asked Gusty.

          Gusty furrowed her brow.  “Uh…let’s hit the beach!”

          Skyflier shrugged.  “Works for me.”

           They ran through the vortex and emerged onto a rocky beach.  The air  was noticeably cooler with a heavy scent of salt to it.  Waves capped by  white foam rolled in rhythmically, crashing against the rocks and  retreating back.  Another rocky island sat on the other side of a narrow  channel to the west of them.

          “Hey!”  Surprise pointed to the south.  “Look at the rings!”

          The rings were in the southern sky, but much lower.  They also appeared to be not as wide while more opaque.

          “What happened to them?” Surprise asked.

           “Nothing,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We are at a significantly higher  latitude on a spherical body, so our perspective of them has changed.”

          “Oh,” Surprise said.

          “Is that why the sun is still so high in the sky?”  North Star pointed to the northwest.

           The sun was still low, but it was just about to set at Dream Castle.   Wind Whistler figured it would take another eighty minutes or so for the  sun to set here.  She thought of some things Galaxy had been talking  about.  One of them is the axis of the rotation and the noontime  position of the sun did not form a right angle, rather an acute one.  “I  think it’s because this world is a sphere spinning on an axis of  rotation titled relative to its sun so this hemisphere facing the sun  more directly at this point in its orbit.  At this higher latitude, the  shadow of the sphere covers less of a given parallel.  Come autumn and  winter, the opposite will be true as higher latitudes will have less  daylight than the lower ones.”

          “Enough astronomy  lessons!” Gusty snapped.  She stopped her, and relaxed her expression.   “Where’s this vault, Wind Whistler?”

          A flash came low on  the southern horizon.  A beam shot forward and hit the face of the  island on the other side of the channel.

          “What was that?” Skyflier asked.

           “That was the rainbow from the locket,” Wind Whistler said.  “It’s  pointing to the vault”—she smacked her hoof on her forehead—“on the  other island.”

          She tapped the button on her microphone.  “Twilight Mist, come in.”

“Twilight Mist here,” Twilight Mist’s voice came into her earpieces.

           “We’ve run into a slight conundrum here,” Wind Whistler said.  “We’re  on the wrong island.  The beam is striking the one immediately west of  us.”

“I’ve already told you, the farther we go out, the less accurate the destination,” Twilight Mist replied sternly.  “Just feel lucky you came out on dry land.”

          There was a bit of a pause and groan.  “You’re so far out the whole island we want is between minutes of arc,” Twilight Mist said.  “Besides, it would take too long to bring you back and send you again anyway.”

          “We’ll think of something,” Wind Whistler said.  “Wind Whistler out.”

          “What do we do?” Lofty asked.  “The pegasi can fly across, but what about the others?”

          “Yeah,” Fizzy said.  “It’s too far to wink to.”

          “I can make us light enough to carry,” Skyflier suggested.

          Firefly looked at the waves warily.  “Why did it have to be water?”

          “I’m with you,” Fiery said, a slight quiver to his voice.  “Dragons and water don’t mix.”

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” several voices sang in perfect harmony.

          Six pony heads popped out of the water, rising to show the seahorse-like bodies they were attached to.

          “Sea ponies?” North Star asked.

           “That’s right,” the blue sea pony with a yellow ribbon tied in her  purple mane answered.  “So, land ponies were brought here too.   Equestrians?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler answered.  “Are you Northern Ocean sea ponies?”

           The sea ponies had thick manes or hair, a sign of them coming from the  colder northern oceans along with their dense coats of hair, and thicker  bodies and smaller fins than the aquatic forms the hippogriffs  assumed.  Also, their signature singing of ‘Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be  doo’ was how Northern Ocean sea ponies said hello and goodbye.

          “That we are,” the blue sea pony said.  “I’m Sea Winkle.”

          “Wavedancer,” the pink sea pony with a light pink ribbon in her blue mane said.

          “Sealight.”  The sea pony with a purple coat and pink mane decorated with a yellow ribbon followed.

          “Sand Dollar.”  The sea pony with a pink coat and vibrant yellow mane held by a dark pink ribbon.

          “Whitecap,” the white sea pony with a white ribbon in her dark purple mane streak with bright blue said.

           “And I’m Sea Mist,” the other white sea pony finished their  introductions.  She had a red mane streaked with light pink and held by a  pink ribbon.

          “Well, I’m Wind Whistler,” Wind Whistler  said.  She looked back at the other eighteen ponies and juvenile  dragon.  “Perhaps we can save the full introductions for later.”

          “So, you want to get to the other island?” Sea Winkle asked.  “We can help you with that.”

          “You can?” Firefly asked.

           “Sure.”  Whitecap disappeared into the water along with the others.   After several seconds, three giant clam shells popped up onto the  surface followed by the sea ponies holding sea weed tied around them.

          “Hop aboard,” Sealight said.

           They pushed the clam shells on to the shore to allow the earth ponies  and unicorns and step on board.  They pulled on the seaweed and dragged  the shells back into the water and across the waves.

          Wind Whistler flew low close to Sea Winkle.  “What happened?  How did you end up here?”

           “We’re not entirely sure,” Sea Winkle answered.  “We just woke up in a  strange ocean.  When we breached, we saw the rings and the two moons.   It was definitely a shock.”

          “It was to us as well,” Wind Whistler replied.  “What are the oceans of this world like?”

          “We’ve only really been in this channel,” Sealight said.  “We’re not sure if we want to go into the open ocean.”

           “Though, it’s cold even for our tastes,” Sea Winkle said.  “We could  stand to be at little further south.  Where did you appear?”

           “We appeared in a fjord on the south shore of this landmass,” Wind  Whistler answered.  “I would welcome you to our home, even though the  surface of our inlet is brackish at best.”

          “That’s no  problem for Northern Ocean sea ponies,” Sea Winkle said with a smirk.   “Salt water, fresh water, brackish water—we can live in it all just  fine.  My older sister made her home in a lake near the Crystal Empire.”

          “If you came from the south, how did you end up on that island?” Sealight asked.

           “It’s rather complicated,” Wind Whistler replied, realizing that was  the understatement of the century.  “We used a device that lets us  travel great distances, but it put us on the wrong island.”

          “Then I guess it’s a good thing we’ve been hanging out in this channel since we got here,” Sea Winkle said.

          “You wouldn’t know what that beam that keeps coming from the south is, would you?” Sand Dollar asked.

          “That would be the harpies,” Gusty answered.  “We came here to set a trap for them.”

          Sand Dollar swallowed.  “Why’s that?”

           “They’ve kidnapped a local and are looking for a component of the  device we used to reach here,” Wind Whistler explained.  “We have had  several encounters with them since we arrived here.”

          “What happened?” Sand Dollar asked, her voice wavering.

          “We’ve survived by tricks and blind luck,” Lofty said plainly before Wind Whistler could say anything.

          The sea ponies looked back to them.  “And you’re going after them on purpose?” Sealight asked.

           “They’re extremely powerful creatures,” Wind Whistler said.  “However,  we believe that island will provide an environment in which we will have  the advantage.”

          “Well, good luck,” Sea Winkle said.

           They reached the shore, and the pegasi helped the sea ponies push the  shells onto the shore for the others to hop off.  The island was much  like the other with a rocky beach surrounding a rock in the center.

          “All right, Wind Whistler,” Gusty said, “where’s this vault.”

           “No doubt its entrance has been concealed,” Wind Whistler said.  “When  the harpies arrive, they will use the locket to find it and unlock it.”

           A clacking sounding echoed off the rock.  Surprise wiggled her ears and  flew around a large rock.  Wind Whistler followed her, listening  intently to the sound.  As they circled the rock, a large humanoid came  into view driving a pickaxe into the ground.  As they got closer, Wind  Whistler could see just how large it was with sharp, boxy features.  It  wore a black curiass and greaves over its body which looked like it was  made of red clay.  A helmet with a guard over the nose covered most of  its head.

          The creature continued to drive the pickaxe  into the ground and pulling out stones from the hole it was gouging.   Wind Whistler landed alongside Surprise.  Apparently, their touching  down somehow alerted the creature to their presence.  It stopped  immediately and turned to look at them.  Its eyes were completely blank,  even more so than those of the horses they met.  There was some sense  of alertness in the horses’ eyes to their world around them in though  they were not as attentive to detail as the eyes of a sapient.  However,  this creature had eyes that gave absolutely no sense of focus.

           It held up its pickaxe and walked towards them.  Although its posture  seemed neutral, Wind Whistler felt threatened by its approach.  It was  much taller than a human man with thicker features.  She backed up as it  drew near.

          “Leave them alone, Emmett,” a voice said gently.

          The creature stopped and lowered its arms.  It turned back to an outcropping.

           A small man walked out into the open with a pickaxe resting on his  shoulder.  He was much shorter than Daniel, perhaps even shorter than  Danny.  The trunk of his torso was wide for his height, but he was not  ball-shaped like Wantall.  He had a thick, light gray beard and massive  mustache.  His clothing was varying shades of green and brown, a wide  belt separating his shirt and pants under a long coat and his pointed  ears sticking out of his green hat.

          “Please forgive  Emmett here,” the man said.  “I told him to defend our claim, and he  obeys—sometimes a little too well.”  He lowered his brow and pointed at  them.  “You better not be claim jumpers!”

          “What’s going on, you two!” Truly called out as she and the others came running.

          “You really better not be claim jumpers,” the man added, though not as forcefully.

          “We’re fine,” Wind Whistler said as the others surrounded them.  “We just met these two.”

          “And who might you be?” Truly asked.

           The man took off his hat, revealing he had normal human ears on the  sides of his balding head and the pointed ears were sewn onto his hat.   “The name is Terrannce, but most knew me as the Magnificent Moochic in  my prime.”  He replaced his hat on his head, straightening it so the  ears were even.  “Though, you can call me Mr. Moochic.  Most everyone  calls me that nowadays.”

          Firefly pointed up the large creature.  “What is that?”

          The Moochic looked up at it.  “This is Emmett, my golem.  He is my manservant, body guard, and traveling companion.”

          Surprise took to the air and flew around him.  “He’s certainly weird-looking.”

          Emmet suddenly grabbed her by the neck and slid his eyes to the side in her general direction.

          “And has a really good grip,” Surprise choked.

          “Let her go, Emmett,” the Moochic instructed.

          Emmet opened his hand and Surprise dropped to the ground.

          “What kind of life form is a golem?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “Life form?”  The Moochic chuckled.  “He’s not alive like you and me.   He’s a body of clay I animated with an incantation.”

          He  pointed at Wind Whistler.  “A better question is what matter of creature  are you, and what are you doing on this island?”

           “That’s actually two questions,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, we are  ponies, and we’ve come to this island seeking a hidden vault.”

           “So, you not here to take my claim?” the Moochic asked.  He stroked his  beard.  “Though, if there is a vault here, I should have gotten the  salvage rights as well as the mineral rights.”

          “What are you digging for?” Lofty asked, looking in the hole Emmett had been digging.  “Silver and gold?”

          “Silver and gold?” the Moochic asked in a huff.  “Please.  I’m not some money-grubbing digger.”

          “Then what minerals are mining for?” Wind Whistler asked.

           “Manganese,” the Moochic answered.  “I’m an earth mage, and manganese  has many scientific and magical properties important to my work.”

          “Found any?” Firefly asked.

           The Moochic set down his pickaxe on its head and rested his elbow on  the butt of the handle.  “No, sadly.”  He heaved a sigh.  “I guess old  Mr. Moochic really is washed up.”  He kicked a stone.  “Wouldn’t  surprise me if the island didn’t have a speck of it.”

“Wind Whistler, come in,” Twilight Mist’s voice into Wind Whistler’s earpiece.

          Wind Whistler pressed the button on her microphone.  “Wind Whistler here.”

“I see you reached the other island,” Twilight Mist said.

          “We met some sea ponies,” Wind Whistler replied.

“Well, the harpies are less than thirty kilometers from you,” Twilight Mist said.  “If you haven’t found cover, you should do it now before they get over the horizon.”

          “We’ll head for cover now,” Wind Whistler said.

          “Cover from what?” the Moochic asked.

          “Harpies are coming,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We were expecting them.”

          “Harpies?!” the Moochic blurted.  “Oh dear, I hope you know what kind of fire you’re playing with.”

          “You wouldn’t happen to know where we could hide, would you?” Lofty asked.

          “Actually, have you noticed the beams striking this island?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “I certainly have?” the Moochic answered.  “Are the harpies behind them?”

          “Yes,” Wind Whistler said.

          The Moochic pointed to the face of the rock behind them.  “It’s always hitting there.”

          “Is their anywhere we could hide near it?” Wind Whistler asked.

           The Moochic looked to the west where the sun was getting lower along  with Luna Minor only unseen.  He then looked to the east where the  almost full Luna Major was just coming above the horizon.  “We’re close  to the maximum ebb of a super spring tide, so a sea cave nearby might be  exposed.”

          “Take us to it, quickly,” Wind Whistler said.

           The Moochic was surprisingly fast given his small body and apparent  age.  He navigated the uneven and loose rocks even more adeptly than  Wind Whistler could.  They reached the beach where the sea ponies were  bobbing in the water.

          “What’s going on?” Sealight asked.

          “The harpies are almost here,” Wind Whistler answered.  “We’re going to take cover and wait for them.”

          “We’ll hide underwater,” Sea Winkle said.

          “Good idea,” Lofty said.

           “What about their telepath?” Ribbon asked.  “If he picks on their  minds, our cover will be blown.  We should take them with us so I can  hide their minds.”

          “Good point,” Wind Whistler replied.

           The unicorns levitated the sea ponies out of the water and onto their  backs.  The Moochic led them to a cave right at the water.  They entered  the cave and retreated deep inside.

          Wind Whistler  motioned to Shady to join her behind a rock and peeked out from behind  it.  A beam came from the south and streaked overhead.  “Use your  glasses to watch for the harpies.”

          Shady dropped her  glasses over her eyes.  She squinted and looked to the south.  “I don’t  see them.  They must still be behind the horizon.”

          Wind  Whistler felt something cold around her hooves.  She looked down and saw  water lapping into the cave.  She looked at the walls of the cave which  were encrusted with barnacles, suggesting water filled the cave on a  regular basis.

          Truly picked up her hoof as the water approached.  “Why’s water coming in?”

           “The tide has started to flow again,” the Moochic said.  “Mani the  Elder is going to set and the water will flood much of the island by  midnight.”

          He picked up four rocks, holding the largest  in one hand and arranged the three smaller ones with the largest among  them in the center in the other so they formed a line with the largest.   “Mani the Younger is new and Mani the Elder is just about full.   Together with the sun”—he bobbed his hand holding the largest  rock—“They’re all pulling along the same line, adding their influence on  the ocean together make it rise and fall to its extremes.”

           “We’ve noticed the tides have been getting more extreme each day,” Sand  Dollar said.  “We didn’t realize why until now.”

          The  Moochic looked down at the water which was already a few centimeters  deep.  “Hopefully the harpies will come soon, because this cave can fill  up real quick now that tide is flowing.”  He stopped and thought.   “What am I saying?  I want harpies to get here quickly?”

           Firefly hovered above the water and Fiery jumped onto her back.  “This  trip just keeps getting better and better,” Firefly grumbled.

          Wind Whistler turned back to Shady.  “See anything?”

          “No, not—” Shady said but stopped.  “Wait, I see them!  They’re just coming over the horizon!”


* * *


           Alecta ground her teeth as she heard Frona yawn.  She was tired as well  after being on the wing for an entire day and not sleeping in almost  two days.  However, she was not about to let fatigue deny her the prize  before her.  They could sleep once the Bifröst was secure.  The sun was  already getting low in the sky, lower than she had planned.  They needed  to find it quickly and unlock it quickly so they could get rid of the  girl before the sun was gone.

          They were also running out  of land.  They had crossed over the coast to the ocean, and two islands  were rising above the horizon in front of her.  “Gergo, send out the  key again.”

          “We just sent it out,” Frona said.

          “Just do it!” Alecta snapped.

           Gergo took hold of the girl’s hand and placed the locket in it.  The  rainbow shot out and hit the island to the west.  Alecta concentrated to  make sure it was actually hitting the giant rock jutting out of the  sea.  Yes, it was hitting the island.

          Alecta smirked.   “Finally.”  She turned back to the others with bags and dark circles  under their bloodshot eyes.  “Head for the west island quickly.”  She  faced forward at the seemingly unassuming rock.  “The Bifröst is within  my grasp.”
> Chapter 14: The Ultimate Prize
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          A tradition of the harpies, especially those of high  station, is to take an egg that will soon hatch—one where candling could  reveal its gender—to the oracle to have its fate told.  Knowing their  fate, their mother would give them their name.  Alecta was told of her  divination many times.  The oracle prophesied that she would take the  Valkyrie Queen’s Bifröst and travel through it to a place where no harpy  had ever been before.

          Alecta’s family had a history  with Boreas and its legendary Empire as the descendents of the original  invasion commander.  They knew the Valkyrie Queen’s daughter had escaped  the invasion, and hunted her bloodline for centuries.  They were  delighted to hear her prophecy and named her after that commander.  Her  destiny was to bring the Bifröst to the harpies, the power they had  lusted for.

          She was trained from hatching as a warrior  and leader.  Every waking moment of her life was dedicated to preparing  for her destiny.  She learned the cultures of Boreas and the surrounding  powers to know her potential enemies.  She was trained in melee combat  and with the longbow.  She studied the strategies and methods of the  greatest military and political leaders.

          However, by the  time she reached the age when she could actually act on her destiny,  the harpies as a people had cooled on the idea.  A new Supreme Alpha had  taken power and was content with the lands and spoils they had within  their domain.

          Alecta would not be denied.  She continued  her family’s work of tracking down the Valkyrie Queen’s bloodline,  finally striking pay dirt.  The mother died the winter before her eldest  daughter came of age.  Even more perfect as she could use her without  her able to do anything against her.

          Unfortunately, she  was delayed.  She had to wait for the weather to improve in Boreas,  which took her well into spring.  She would also not have an army, but  whoever she could scrounge together.  She obviously needed a male for  his mental powers which took longer than she anticipated.  By the time  she was in a position to kidnap the girl, she was less than a week away  of coming of age.  Add in the seemingly unrelenting interference of  those ponies who came out of nowhere to be a constant thorn in her side,  and fulfilling her destiny was coming down to the wire.

           However, despite the delays and inconveniences, it was now within her  sights.  She dove for the island and landed on its rocky shore.  She  shivered at the cold, ridiculous for being less than a week and a half  from the summer solstice.  Of course the Valkyrie Queen would hide her  greatest treasure in the far north.  It was one last stick in the eye to  the southern-dwelling harpies.

          The others landed behind  her, and Thanatos landed on her shoulder.  Frona shivered.  “That thing  led us to a worthless lump of rock in the Frigid Sea, Glorious Alpha.”

          Alecta sneered.  “Bring the girl to me.”

           Bernice took hold of the girl from Gergo’s flying carpet and forced her  to Alecta.  Gergo threw Alecta the locket.  She looked at the island  around them.  Perhaps it was just a bit of paranoia after three days of  them always being there at the wrong time, but she felt like this was  too easy and ponies were lying in wait for them here.  “Gergo, scan the  area.”


* * *


          The water was starting to reach Wind Whistler’s pasterns.  The ice cold water was stinging on her skin.

          “How long do we wait?” Gusty asked.

          “Until they’ve gone inside,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “The male is using telepresence,” Ribbon reported.  “Try to clear your minds and stay quiet.”

           They were all silent.  Shady watched something with her eyes from  behind her sunglasses.  Following her eyes, she figured he was in the  cave.  Then she swung her head out.

          “He’s gone,” Shady said, wiping her brow.

          Wind Whistler drew in a breath and puffed her cheeks out as she slowly exhaled it.


* * *


          Gergo closed his third eye and opened his normal eyes.  “I sense nothing.”

          Alecta looked to the sun sinking towards the horizon.  “Then let’s work quickly.”

           She shooed Thanatos off her shoulder and put the locket in the girl’s  hand.  The girl resisted, but she forced her to point it towards the  rock.

          “Why do you keep doing this?” the girl asked.

          “Silence, grounder,” Alecta snarled and held her hand forward.

           The locket burst open and the beam shot to the face of it.  Alecta  pushed the girl forward, following the direction of the beam.  As they  approached, the locket closed and a heart-shaped indent appeared in the  rock.  She pressed the girl’s palm against the rock and the locket into  the indent.

          Colorful light cut into the rock, creating a  seam that shot up and split to form two rectangles in the rock.  They  pulled back, revealing the metal behind the rock façade, and parted.   The slabs disappeared into slots with dull thuds Alecta could feel in  her ribcage.  The opening behind it was dark with small cylinders in the  ceiling providing paltry light.

          Alecta took the locket from the girl’s hand, but kept her in a tight hold by the shoulder.

          “Let’s go.”  Frona stepped through the threshold.

           “Wait, Beta,” Alecta said.  “There could still be defensive measures.”   She turned back to Desdemona.  “You go in first, Omega.”

           “Yes, Glorious Alpha.”  Desdemona stepped through the threshold.  As  she stepped in deeper, the others cautiously followed.

          Bernice and Melinda were about to enter.  “Wait,” Alecta said before they could cross the threshold.

           Alecta passed the girl to Frona and pointed to them.  “I want you two  to stay out here and stand guard for interlopers.  Especially those of  the four-hoofed variety.”  She looked at the shore.  He did not care  what Gergo said he sensed.  “I believe those ponies have given up as  much as I believe there’s only one moon.”

          She motioned to Frona to pull the girl into the hall.


* * *


           The water was lapping against Wind Whistler’s knees.  The Moochic had  retreated onto Emmett’s back.  The cold was starting to spread up Wind  Whistler’s body.

          “I say we go now before the water is up to our barrels,” Gusty stated, her teeth chattering.

          “I concur, but head for the closest cover on dry land,” Wind Whistler replied.

           They headed out of the cave into the ocean water.  The sea ponies  disappeared below the waves while the rest headed for a large rock.   They stayed low, and Wind Whistler glanced at the two harpies standing  to either side of the opening.  They seemed to not notice them as they  used the terrain to conceal themselves as much as possible.

           Wind Whistler slipped behind the rock and peered around it at the  guards.  She shook off the last of the cold water from her legs and  flexed them to get blood pumping into them and warm them up.

          “I wonder why they didn’t close it behind them,” Lofty said.

           “Considering the open design of their stronghold,” Wind Whistler  replied, “harpies might not like the idea of being enclosed.  Classic  pegasus architecture features high ceilings and a large open design  because it’s optimal for flight.  However, they left two guards we have  to contend with.”

          “Let’s rush them,” Gusty growled.

          “If we go too early, the commotion could attract the attention of the others,” Wind Whistler said.


* * *


           The hall opened up into a large chamber with light shining up on a  white dome to provide soft illumination.  Piles of treasure surrounded a  massive statue of marble.  It was more than 15 meters tall and depicted  a human woman in an ermine cloak and gown.  One hand held a gold sphere  with a silver disk dividing it in half, and the other held a tall  staff.  A gold crown sat on her head.

          Alecta knew  exactly who it was meant to depict.  “The Valkyrie Queen.”  She pushed  two harpies aside and spread her wings.  She flew up so she was level  with the statue’s face and pointed at her.  “You thought you were  clever.  You hid everything from our ancestors, your Bifröst and even  your daughter.”  She clenched her talon into a fist.  “For so long,  harpies forgot why they came here to this frigid malignancy of a  landmass.  My prophesied destiny renewed their desire for the Bifröst,  but that ember quickly faded as well.”

          She stared at the  holes that served as the statue’s pupils and the neutral expression on  its face.  She only hoped she was watching from whatever underworld her  soul ended up in at this.  “Even I had times where I doubted the  prophecy that I would finish what my namesake started.  Yet, here I am.   I have your descendant—” she held up the locket “—I have your key, and  soon I will have the power you claimed came from your gods.”

           She looked down at the others rummaging through the piles of treasure,  covering themselves in finery.  Gergo had hold of the girl while even  Frona was staring at rings she had put around her fingers.

           Alecta landed a smacked the fistful of gold coins Chrystal had taken  from her.  “We can plunder these trinkets later.  The Bifröst is what we  came for.”

          “I don’t see anything but gold and gems, Glorious Alpha,” Frona said, stilling marveling at the rings.

           Alecta looked past the treasure, clearly placed here to sate any  raiders who managed to penetrate this vault and keep them from further  pursuing the true prize.  The opposite wall had a large pair of doors.   It was plain and unassuming, almost disappearing into the wall it was  built into.  She walked up to it and noticed the heart-shaped indent in  the center of them.

          Alecta motioned with her talon.  “Bring the girl over here.”

           Gergo pulled the girl to her.  Alecta put the locket in her hand and  shoved it against the indent.  The doors parted and slid away,  disappearing into the wall with thuds.  Beyond was a spiraling stairway  leading down.

          “Omega,” Alecta said.

           Desdemona passed by her and walked down the stairs.  After she had  cleared several steps, Alecta followed with the girl in her grasp.  Her  heart was pounding in her chest.  She could just feel it.  Her destiny  was just ahead of her.


* * *


          Wind  Whistler glared at the two guards as she assessed the situation.  The  open ground between them was too great to cross without them taking  notice and either going on the attack and or heading in to warn the  others.  However, they needed to act.

          She ran through  the different abilities they had at their disposal and hit upon  Moondancer.  “Moondancer, you said you can put things to sleep with your  magic.  Could you do it to them from here?”

          “They’re  not going anywhere, so I think so.”  Moondancer summoned a purple aura  around her horn and two bulges came off it and formed glowing spheres.

           The spheres floated away from them and towards the harpies.  They  veered away from each other to hover in front of their faces and  popped.  The harpies faltered and eventually fell over into limp heaps.

          “Let’s go!”  Gusty galloped out from their cover.

           The followed her to the opening.  The two harpies were laying there,  their chests slowly rising and falling and content expressions on their  faces.

          “How long will they be asleep?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “Until winter,” Moondancer said casually.

          Wind Whistler looked at her wide-eyed.  Winter was six months away.

           “I’m kidding,” Moondancer stated.  “They’ll be out anywhere from few  minutes to several hours.  It depends, so let’s get in their quick.”   Her horn illuminated as she dashed into the dark hall ahead.


* * *


           Alecta pulled the girl down the final step and into where the passage  way opened up into another chamber.  Responding to their presence, the  ceiling illuminated to light the area.  Columns lined the walls with  Moons and suns in relief where they were the thickest.  The chamber was  vast but empty except for an object in the exact center.

           A cloth covered it was a thick layer of dust over it.  Alecta pulled  the cloth off, ignoring the cloud of dust it threw up even though it  made the girl cough.  Underneath was a boxy object with various controls  on top of it.

          Alecta looked at it and the columns.   “Just as I thought.  The tales of the Bifröst coming from the Borean  gods were a lie to impress the people.  It’s in reality a relic of the  legendary Ancients.  No magic or divine power, just one of the few  pieces of their super science that has survived the ravages of time  intact.”  She held the locket up.  “And their advanced technology trumps  any silly parlor tricks your family put on this locket.”

           She pushed the girl away and placed the locket in an indent on the top  of the machine.  The controls illuminated and a three-dimensional  projection of the globe appeared in front of them.  Alecta stared at it  wide-eyed.  The massive supercontinent of Pangaea as well as the  smattering of islands scattered across the Great Ocean were all there.   They could all be reached by this piece of metal.

          Alecta  wheezed a laugh.  “I’ve done it.”  She pushed the girl aside and threw  her fists into the air.  “I’ve finally done it!”

          She  reached into the pouch on her left side and pulled out her notebook on  the old Borean language.  It had the list of their alphabet, numerals,  and words that she figured would be important to using the Bifröst.  She  glanced from it to the controls.  There were buttons to switch between  latitude, longitude, and elevation, the three directions needed to pick a  specific point of destination anywhere in the world.  Large buttons  activated and deactivated it.  It seemed simple enough.

           Unfortunately, there seemed to be nothing suggesting it could connect to  other worlds.  A shame, but Alecta could settle with the spoils of one  planet.

          Other readouts appeared to be for power and other statistics more important to engineers.

           She looked at the large globe rotating in front of her.  “Where to  first?”  She thought about it.  She could literally go anywhere now.   “Maybe to the audience chamber of the Supreme Alpha itself.  I want to  see her face when I step out of the Bifröst right in front of her throne  before I kick her off it.”

          “You want to overthrow the Supreme Alpha?!” Frona exclaimed.

           “Why not?” Alecta asked rhetorically.  “I now possess the greatest  power on Tellus, making me the most powerful harpy.  Besides, it was her  shortsightedness that almost doomed this expedition.  She is content  with raiding and pillaging only what she sees before her.  Well, now my  reach extends to every corner of the planet.”  She clenched her fist.   “It would be wrong to let the harpies settle for such a small existence  under her for any longer.”

          The harpies looked to each other but said nothing.

           Alecta turned to the girl lying on the ground.  “However, we have one  last loose end to tie up in these northern lands.”  She raised her talon  and flexed them as the girl curled up in a trembling ball.  “Now is the  time to end the direct bloodline of the Valkyrie Queens once and for  all.”

          “Over our dead bodies!” a voice declared.

           Alecta looked up.  Several ponies stood at the opening along with a  mushroom gnome, a large humanoid creature in armor, and she could swear  one of the baby dragons they had ensnared the day before.  The white  pony in the blue dress was there, meaning she had escaped whatever  manner Gergo used to try to kill her.

          Alecta clenched  her teeth and concentrated on the light blue pony with wings.  This was  her doing, she knew it.  “I knew this was a trick.”  She took the locket  from the indent.  The projection of the globe remained suspended in the  air which was curious for a split second, but she pushed it out of  mind.  “I don’t know how you hid from Gergo’s powers or got past my  guards, but I guess it doesn’t matter.”  She presented her talons.  “You  say ‘over your dead bodies’?  Well, I’ll be more than happy to oblige  on that condition.”


* * *


           Wind Whistler thought Gusty had made a very unfortunate choice in words,  especially the inclusive pronoun.  She watched as the harpies strung  their longbows and flexed their talons.  This was it.  As Twilight Mist  had said, only one side was walking out of this chamber alive.

           She spread her wings and took to the air.  The ceiling was between six  and seven meters above the floor, high enough for a pegasus to get  airborne and fly above the reach of the harpies while too low for the  harpies to build up the speed to maintain any kind of flight.  The  ground was also level, so there was no way for them to jump into a  sustained glide.  They were effectively grounded.

          The  ponies spread through the chamber, surrounding the harpies on all sides  as well as above.  Arrows were put on bowstrings, but many were  interrupted by ponies bucking and tackling.  Fiery shot a fireball at  one harpy knocking, lighting her lacquered longbow on fire and forcing  her to toss it aside.

          One harpy got a shot off and  struck Emmet in the chest.  He simply looked at the arrow embedded into  his clay form and pulled it out.  She shot arrow after arrow into him as  he approached, but he just slowly walked up to her looking like a over  packed pincushion by the time he was close enough to throw a punch  square into her face and throw her back several meters.  Wind Whistler  grimaced at the punch connecting, feeling the force of the blow by  proxy.

          The Moochic faced a harpy and tapped the ground  with his finger.  She just looked at him with her brow knotted in a  confused expression.

          “Wait for it,” the Moochic said.

          A narrow column shot out of the ground and hit the harpy in the chin, knocking her on her back.

          The Moochic grinned.  “I love doing that.”

           Bucks and body blows from the earth ponies were definitely getting to  the harpies.  They were slower to get up and had a bit of limp.   However, several ponies went down under the glare of the male.


* * *


           Shady watched through her sunglasses as the red waves coming from the  male harpy’s third eye slammed into the ponies writhing in agony.  Green  waves came at them from a right angle and broke the red waves up.   Ribbon stepped forward, a brilliant aura of green energy surrounding her  horn.

          The male turned to her, planting his feet to make  a box with his shoulders.  Red tentacles spread from his eye and  surrounded Ribbon.  She squared up her stance and formed a dome of green  around her, deflecting them.  The tentacles reared back and threw  themselves at the dome.  Shady could see the power behind them, and  Ribbon flinched with every blow.


* * *


           Bow-Tie jumped over the swipe of a harpy and delivered her hoof to her  midsection.  The harpy coughed and backed up several steps.

          Bow-Tie backed up to be with Moondancer.  “How about sending the rest of them to Dreamland?”

           “I need them to hold still long enough for the spell to take hold,”  Moondancer said.  “We got the ones outside by surprise.”

           Two figures ran into the chamber from the stairway.  It was the harpies  she had put to sleep.  They were faltering, probably not completely  awake yet.

          “Glorious Alpha,” one of them huffed, “we think the ponies are—”

           They stopped and looked at the scene in front of them with their mouths  hanging open.  “It looks like you already know that.”

          “Mental note: harpies are not all that susceptible to sleep magic,” Moondancer murmured.

           Bow-Tie looked to the harpies she had kicked.  She was holding her  stomach, but still standing.  A kick like that would have put a  full-sized male griffon in the hospital.  “I’m wondering what they are susceptible to.”


* * *


           Shady watched as the male battered away at Ribbon’s defenses.  Her dome  was starting to lose shape, and her knees were buckling.  Each hit  brought her lower.

          An idea entered Shady’s head, one  that a week ago she could never imagine even considering.  She  remembered what Wind Whistler and Gusty had told her.  It was not about  having no fear, it was about accepting fear.  She was afraid, but she  knew what had to be done.

          Shady threw herself forward  before she could think better of it.  She planted her hooves and vaulted  into the male’s midsection, knocking him off balance.  The red  tentacles instantly dissolved, his concentration being broken.

           Ribbon got to her feet.  She shot a beam straight at the male’s eye  before he could get his feet under him.  It struck the eye, and he  reared back.  He grabbed his eye and screeched.  As if struck blind, he  staggered away, moaning.

          Shady turned to Ribbon.  “Are you all right?”

          “Yeah,” Ribbon said, rubbing her horn.  “Thanks for knocking off balance.”

          “I had to do something.”  Shady looked to the male stumbling away.  “What did you do to him?”

          “Ever stared directly into a camera’s flash?” Ribbon asked.

          “Once,” Shady answered.  “I saw spots for minutes.”

           “Well, multiply that by a hundred and that’s what I did to his third  eye,” Ribbon said.  “He won’t be using any psychic abilities for several  hours.”

          Shady looked at him fumbling around, still  seeming to be blind to the world around him.  “I’m glad you’re on our  side.”


* * *


          Wind Whistler flew  over the scene with a few other pegasi, surveying the fight.  The male  had been neutralized by Ribbon with some assistance from Shady.  They  did not have to contend with his mental powers.  The harpies were  looking like they were starting to feel the blows they were receiving.   However, hurting was a long way from being vanquished.

           She kicked a harpy looming over Sundance and Fizzy over and landed on  her chest.  She could slam her hooves to her head until she crushed her  skull.  However, she stopped for a moment.

          Wind Whistler  felt something grab her by her neck and threw her against a nearby  wall.  The blow forced her to exhale.  A powerful talon had her pinned  to the hard wall by the neck and pushed down on her throat.

           She choked for air and struggled.  However, it was futile to try to get  free.  She did kick the locket in the other talon away, but it was a  hollow victory.

          She stared into the eyes of Alecta,  bloodshot and seething with anger.  “Why?” Alecta got through her  clenched teeth.  “Why do you constantly interfere with us?  You have no  stake in this, so why do you plague me at every turn?”

          Wind Whistler swallowed and got down air as best she could.


* * *


           Sea Winkle stared at the opening in the rock.  She wondered what was  happening in there to the land ponies and those ghastly bird creatures.   She only caught the sun disappearing below the horizon out of the  corner of her eye.


* * *


          “Do you  think the Boreans getting their hands on the Bifröst would be any  better?” Alecta continued while Wind Whistler gasped for air and braced  herself against her powerful arm.  “Who are you to judge us as unworthy?”

           Wind Whistler looked at her, the leader of these harpies.  She was a  terrifying sight, large with sharp teeth and sharp claws.  She was the  perfect picture of everything ponies had feared from the first  proto-ponies who galloped across the plains to escape predators.   However, Wind Whistler’s brain—which was begging for more oxygen as her  vision was starting to close in—told her this was a sapient being like  her.  She was a sapient being capable of making decisions and she had  made hers.

          “Who are we to judge?” Wind Whistler managed  to get out.  Alecta loosened her grip slightly, only enough for Wind  Whistler to breathe.  “While the Boreans might abuse that device like  you if given the chance, we have seen what you’re capable of.  We’ve  seen your absolute contempt for the lives of others, and know what you  would do should you have the power to travel instantly across this  world.  When we came to this world, we knew absolutely nothing about it,  and we still know very little.  However, I do know one thing for  certain.  You are true evil, and we must stop you because it would be  immoral to stand by and let you do what you wish because we are afraid  of making a judgment.”

          Alecta lowered her brow and  raised her free talon, flexing the fingers ending in sharp claws.  She  tightened her grip on Wind Whistler’s neck again, choking her.  What  looked like a rainbow wrapped itself around her arm holding Wind  Whistler tightened as it pulled it away.  She released her grip and Wind  Whistler fell to the ground.

          Wind Whistler coughed and  gasped to get air flowing back into her lungs.  She looked up at Alecta  and the brilliant rainbow circling her.  They both looked to the side  where Megan stood, holding the locket up.  She glowered at Alecta, no  doubt all the frustration with being captured and held coming out.

          “No,” Alecta hissed.

          Megan pointed.  “Leave her alone.”

           The rainbow curved around and struck Alecta in the gut, throwing her  back so hard she skipped off the ground and slid a few meters before  finally coming to a stop.

          Wind Whistler turned back to  the girl.  She held up the locket and opened it so the rainbow could  stream inside and closed it.  She held it to her chest and sighed.

           She ran to Wind Whistler and dropped to her knees to feel her throat.   Her face and clothing were dirty and she was pungent with body odor but,  after being choked, her gentle embrace was welcoming.  “Are you all  right?”

          “I do not believe she inflicted any significant  injury to my trachea,” Wind Whistler answered.  She forced another  cough.  “Thank you for your concern.”

          “I just couldn’t  stand seeing a horse being hurt like that.”  Megan held up the locket.   “And somehow the rainbow knew what I wanted it to do.”

          “We had originally come to save you,” Wind Whistler said.  “However, I will gladly take this reversal of roles.”

           She looked at the fights raging across the chamber.  The harpies were  still able to fight for the most part.  The ponies were beginning to  give ground as they avoided slashes.  The harpies were just too big and  too strong, and Wind Whistler just could not think of killing them even  if it was within their power.  Even Alecta was getting back to her feet  albeit slowly and wiping a dribble of bright red blood from the corner  of her mouth.

          She then saw the projected globe coming  from the device.  Now that it was unlocked, it was still functional.   The message Paradise translated also said it had some capability to form  portals.  She smirked as an idea came to mind.  There was another way.

          “We need to get to that device,” Wind Whistler said.  “Hop on and hold on tight.”

           Megan got onto her back and wrapped her arms loosely around her neck.   Wind Whistler flew over a scuffle to the device.  She landed and looked  at the controls in Old Borean.  “I wish Paradise had accompanied us.   She was the one who had been studying the old language.”

          “I can read it,” Megan said.  “My mother taught me how to read the old language.”

           A harpy vaulted towards them.  Wind Whistler gasped as she outstretched  her talons, but he was blown to the side.  Gusty galloped to them.   “What are you doing?”

          “It might be the result of  momentary oxygen deprivation,” Wind Whistler said, “but I believe we can  use the very Bifröst the harpies covet to be rid of them.”

          Gusty blew another approaching harpy across the chamber.  “Awesome.  I’ll give you cover.”

           Wind Whistler looked at the controls.  They could literally send them  anywhere.  “Maybe we can send them into outer space.  Set the elevation  to five hundred kilometers.”

          Megan typed in a sequence  of numbers, filling displays.  She hit the green button.  The blue  numbers were replaced with red runes and the machine buzzed.

          “It says it’s invalid,” Megan said.

           “Apparently it has safety measures,” Wind Whistler replied.  “Pick some  place over the open ocean.”  She surveyed the globe and assumed the  castle was at the prime meridian since a particularly thick, vertical  line went right through it along with a normal horizontal line.  “Try  latitude zero and longitude positive one hundred fifty.”

           Megan typed in new coordinates.  The globe turned to show a side mostly  dominated by ocean and a square appeared in front of it.  The square  was blank, but a red message appeared.  The red messages again appeared  on the machine with more buzzing.  Megan looked to Wind Whistler and  shook her head.

          “Apparently it requires us to choose a coordinate on a land mass to lock on,” Wind Whistler murmured to herself.

          Gusty blew away another harpy.  “Can you step it up over there?”

           “If we can’t dump them over the ocean, maybe some island chain on the  opposite side of the globe, so they can never get back,” Wind Whistler  said.  “Set the longitude to one hundred eighty degrees.”

           Megan did and the globe showed them the opposite side of the world.   There were a few scattered archipelagoes in especially the tropic zone.   “Latitude fifteen degrees south.”

          “It doesn’t have anything for north or south,” Megan said.

          “Use the minus sign,” Wind Whistler said.

           Megan typed the minus sign and then one and five.  A box appeared and  expanded to show a group of islands.  “Refine the coordinates to minus  thirteen degrees two minutes and eighteen point three seconds of  latitude and minus one hundred seventy-eight degrees fifty-seven minutes  and thirty-eight point five seconds of longitude.”

           Megan typed the coordinates in.  A dot appeared on one of the smaller  islands, and the elevation readout filled in with two meters.

           Wind Whistler wondered why they would even need the massive machine  under the castle when this device could do the job with more precision.

           Megan hit the green button.  A message box appeared with an object that  looked like a battery that had only a small amount of it filled.  That  was why they needed the rest of the machine.

          “What’s the hold up?” Gusty asked.

          “We need a power source,” Wind Whistler answered.

          “We might have one.”  Megan put the locket in the indent.

           The message disappeared and a vortex appeared directly in front of  them.  It was not as large as the vortex formed by the main body of the  machine in its tunnel, but it was sufficient to send a harpy through.

          “All right, Gusty,” Wind Whistler shouted, “We’re ready.”

          “All right.”  Gusty smirked.  “Time to punch these harpies’ one-way ticket to their remote island getaway.”

          Wind Whistler could only roll her eyes.  “From what I’ve seen, she’s always like this.”

           “I heard that!”  Gusty blasted a harpy back and through the vortex.   “Okay, ponies and company, send the harpies through the portal!”

          “And make it quick since we don’t know how long we can keep this stable,” Wind Whistler added.

           Powder shot her magic at the ground, covering it in a smooth layer of  ice.  Medley and Firefly kicked a harpy in the chest, sending her  slipping across the ice and into the portal.

          “Make sure to get the male!” Ribbon shouted.

          “I’m on it.”  Gusty waited until he stumbled in front of the vortex and blew him through.

          “That’s three down,” Firefly declared.

           They quickly doubled that number with three harpies sent through by  ponies tackling them into slides through the vortex.  Emmett threw a  seventh through.

          Fiery spat fireballs at a harpy,  forcing her to back up.  “You killed my mom and ate her for lunch,”  Fiery growled.  “Let’s roast you and see who you like it.”

           The harpy backed up to the portal.  She looked at the portal and then  to Fiery who was puffing out his chest as he got ready to spit another  fireball.  She turned to the portal and dived into it.

           “And don’t ever come back!” Fiery shouted and shook his fist.  He  suddenly jumped with a yelp and tried to keep her feet off the icy  ground as much as possible.  “Dancing dragons, that’s cold!”

           Medley batted at Thanatos hovering over her and trying to claw her.  He  backed up to avoid a swipe, but right where Gusty could blast him  through the vortex.

          “We’re more than halfway there!” Gusty shouted.

          “But don’t forget the vortex is a two-way passage,” Wind Whistler said.  “Keep an eye out for any trying to get back.”

           The Moochic pulled a crooked walking stick out of his sleeve, though it  looked like it should have been too long enough to fit in there.  He  pointed it at a harpy and it quickly extended to slam her in the gut and  send her staggering into the vortex.

          The walking stick retracted to a reasonable length.  “Maybe old Mr. Moochic still has it.”

           Nine down with six left.  Fizzy and Gusty made that five left as Fizzy  sent a stream of bubbles into her eyes to stun her and Gusty blasted her  with a gust to send her through the portal.

          “We’re two thirds of the way there,” Wind Whistler declared.

          Beeping came from the machine and a red light flashed next to a gauge with its needle in the yellow range.

          “It reads temperature,” Megan said.

           “Another reason it requires the larger equipment of the main body,”  Wind Whistler replied.  “This component is too small to have the  appropriate cooling systems.”

          Harpies eleven and twelve  were sent through.  Wind Whistler leapt forward and tackled the Beta to  send her through.  The blond harpy was the next to be sent through by a  well placed kick from Sundance.  That meant just one remained: Alecta,  the ‘Glorious Alpha’, herself.

          Alecta came up with her  talon outstretched and unfettered fury in her eyes.  Wind Whistler  turned to face her, not with fear, but with anger and frustration.  It  was time to end this.  “I—” she smacked Alecta’s talon to the side with  her front leg “—have had—” she delivered her hind hoof into her gut to  knock the wind from her “—enough of you.”  Wind Whistler spun around  slapped her wing across Alecta’s face, sending her staggering back to  right in front of the portal.

          Wind Whistler flitted to the side and looked to Fizzy and Gusty.  “Now!”

           The two pointed their horns forward.  Fizzy created a swarm of bubbles  Gusty sent forward in a vortex of wind.  They struck Alecta and scent  her through the vortex.


* * *


           Alecta tumbled in the torrent of bubbles and wind through the tunnel of  rainbow light.  It would have been a beautiful sight if she was not  being blasted through it and tumbling out of control.

           She came out of the vortex and landed in soft sand.  She looked up at  the others stunned and confused.  A couple of them were looking after  Gergo who was still holding a talon to his barely opened third eye.  Her  face throbbed and she wiped blood from her nostrils.

           She looked up at the sky.  It was night time, but there was a faint glow  to sky in the east suggesting an approaching morning.  The rings were  also a narrow band arcing almost directly overhead and displaced just  north of the zenith.  They were on the other side of the planet.

           She looked back at the portal suspended in midair above the beach.  It  started to collapse in on itself.  She jumped to her feet and ran to  it.  However, it disappeared just as she got within reach.

           She collapsed to her hands and knees.  What about her destiny the  oracle had prophesied?  She remembered the exact words of her fate.  She  would take the Valkyrie Queen’s Bifröst, which she had even if it was  for only a few precious seconds, and travel to a place no harpy had ever  been before, which she had also done even though it was not by choice  and ended up marooned there.  She picked up a fist of the fine, white  sand and let it run between her claws.  This was her fate, not one of  glory with the ultimate power at her command but of humiliation at the  hooves of a bunch of diminutive herbivores.  Those ponies—ponies—had beaten her and with the very thing she had sought her entire life.

           She got to her feet and screeched at the strange stars in the sky,  hoping whoever among the gods that decided this was what was meant for  her heard her displeasure.


* * *


           Heart Throb watched the tunnel, wondering what was happening on that far  off island.  The ponies had gone silent after Twilight Mist told them  the harpies were approaching.  She could only imagine what happened  after that.

          Despite all of Wind Whistler’s scheming, she  doubted they would fare too well in a battle of power against those  brutes.  Though, maybe, in their most dire moments when the jaws of  defeat were sure to close around them, a squadron of gorgeous pegasus  stallions with flowing manes and chiseled features swooped in and saved  them.  They would then sweep the grateful mares off their hooves and  speak sweet love to them.  Hopefully there were enough to spare one or  three for her.

          “What are you thinking about over there?” Paradise asked with a raised eyebrow.

           Heart Throb suddenly realized she might have been a little too eager at  the prospect.  She cleared her throat and regained her composure.  “I’m  just eager to hear some news.”

          Paradise rolled her eyes.  “Right.”

           Her daydreams aside, Heart Throb was worried about those ponies.  She  hovered and held her hooves together as she stared at the tunnel.

          A chime sounded.  “Twilight Mist here,” Twilight Mist said into the microphone.

“It’s done,” Skyflier said.  “Bring us home.”

           “As you wish,” Twilight Mist replied gleefully.  A tone Heart Throb  thought would never come from the typically dour pony ever.

           The vortex filled the tunnel.  Heart Throb wished they had said more  about how they fared, but she would see for herself presently.

           The ponies appeared and walked down the ramp exhausted but apparently  unharmed.  A small, strange looking man dressed in green was a part of  the stream of creatures as well as a massive humanoid carrying a dark  box of some kind.  Six of the ponies were carrying sea ponies on their  backs as well.

          They continued with Wind Whistler and  Sundance bring up the rear along with a girl in a filthy blouse and  overalls with disheveled, blond hair.  The vortex faded as they walked  down the ramp.

          “Megan!”  Daniel ran past the ponies and up the ramp.  He grabbed her and spun around with her in his arms.

          “Dad!” the girl said.

          “My Megan,” Daniel said, tears welling up in his eyes.  “My sweet, sweet Megan.”

          Heart Throb wiped a tear from her eye.  “Oh, I just love happy endings.”

           She and Paradise landed among the ponies.  They were talking about  their fight and what they did.  Paradise intermingled with them, wanting  to hear all of it.

          Gusty grabbed Shady and rubbed her  hoof deep into her mane.  “How you took down the male was awesome.  See  what happens when you put your mind to it.”

          “Yeah,” Shady replied, trembling.  “Just don’t ask me to ever do anything like that again.”

           “We’ll probably face even bigger challenges.”  Gusty held Shady  tighter.  “But they better watch out for Shady, am I right?”

          Shady only moaned in response.

           Danny and Molly joined Daniel with Megan as he carried her to the mouth  of the tunnel.  They took turns hugging her even though she was a  filthy thing.  Though, if her own sister had been kidnapped for five  days, Heart Throb would not care what she had been through if she had a  chance to embrace her once again.

          Daniel looked to Wind  Whistler.  “You saved my daughter.  There were times I had my doubts”—he  looked to her—“but you brought her back to me.”

          “We had given our word,” Wind Whistler replied, “we meant to keep it no matter what.”

           Daniel took Megan up in his arms again and held up the locket around  Megan’s neck.  “And you got your mother’s locket back too.”  He  stopped.  “Actually, it’s your locket now.  Happy birthday.”

           Wind Whistler flew out of the crowd and up to Twilight Mist as the  humanoid creature brought the box up there.  It set the box down and  Wind Whistler landed in front of it.  Curious, Heart Throb flew up to  see what this was about.

          “What’s that?” Twilight Mist asked.

           “The device or the golem?” Wind Whistler asked in response.  “Because  the device is the final component of the Bifröst.”  She looked at it.   “We can figure out how to reconnect them later.”  She rubbed her  throat.  “I’ve had enough excitement for one evening.”

           The golem turned away from them and slowly walked down the stairs.   Heart Throb always loved the strong, silent type, but he was a little  too silent.

          “Did it come down to killing the harpies?” Twilight Mist said once the golem was down on the ground floor.

           “You were right that only one side would walk out of that chamber  alive,” Wind Whistler said.  “Though, one side being pushed through a  vortex leading to the other side of the world is not exactly walking.”

          Twilight Mist smirked.  “You used the part of the Bifröst against them.  Clever.”

           “It looked like it was going to be a fight to a death for a moment.”   Wind Whistler sat down.  “I had a chance to inflict fatal injury on a  harpy, but I hesitated.”  She rubbed her throat again.  “I almost paid  for it with my own life.”

          “You still came out of there with everything you wanted,” Majesty’s voice said.  “I would call that a good day.”

           They turned to her standing there.  Her knees were wobbling and her  eyes were sagging, but she had a warm grin on her face.

          “Oh, Queen Majesty, what are you doing on your hooves?” Heart Throb asked.

           “You think I was going to stay in bed and miss this?” Majesty said.  “I  just wanted to come down and congratulate you.”

          “How did you know we would succeed?” Wind Whistler asked.

          Majesty chuckled.  “Who said I did?  However, I knew you had it in you to do it.”

           “We actually needed some additional assistance,” Wind Whistler said.   “I don’t want to think what would have happened if we had not met Mr.  Moochic and the sea ponies.”

          “We can’t do everything by  ourselves,” Majesty replied.  “That is the real power of friendship and  community.  We can create a whole that is greater than a sum of its  parts.  You are intelligent, logical, and able to detach from your  emotional biases.  Those are your greatest personal strengths.  However,  their true power only comes out when you can contribute them to a group  effort.”

          “I think I see that now,” Wind Whistler said.

           “There she is!”—Gusty appeared along with Fizzy and Shady climbed the  stairs—“the mare of the hour.  I just wish could see the look on those  harpies’ faces.  How you wing slapped their leader was just great.”

          “I always knew we could pull it off if we never gave up,” Fizzy said.

          “Yeah,” Shady added, though with a little quiver to her voice.  “Never doubted it for a second.”

           “Thanks, girls,” Wind Whistler replied.  Heart Throb stifled a giggle  at the embarrassed expression crossing Wind Whistler’s face.  Reserved  intellectuals could be so cute.

          They looked at the crowd  on the ground floor.  The ponies were gathering around Megan, some  keeping a token distance because of her ‘aroma’.  Others were perfectly  willing to take a hug.

          Heart Throb felt more tears of  joy forming in her eyes at the sight of this.  Yes, there was nothing  like a happy ending.
> Chapter 15: "We Are Here"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Hera watched as the oracle walked down the carpet leading  down the length of her long audience chamber.  Although males had mental  powers for seeing the unseen in the present, the oracle of the harpies  was always female.  The gods granted her with the power to see into the  future.

          The current oracle was a young one, maybe a few  years of prognostication behind her.  Unlike the black leather most  harpies wore, she wore a flowing gown of white silk.  Her inexperience  showed in her coming to Hera.  The oracle was meant to make her  prognostications in her temple where the powers the gods gave her sight  beyond the bounds of time.  She would have to use her fallible memory  rather than her actual visions.  However, she would learn.

           The oracle came to the stairs leading up to Hera’s throne and bowed.   “Supreme Alpha, my predecessor’s visions of Alecta’s fate have to pass.”

           “She took the Bifröst?” Hera asked.  She was shocked to hear that  madwoman actually succeeded.  Then she realized something.  “What  happened afterward?”

          “That is not within her power,” the oracle answered, holding her head lower.

           Hera turned to her male, Chronis.  He had actually served many Supreme  Alphas.  He was ancient, males living several times the length of  females, and his mental powers were unsurpassed.  Nothing on this planet  could escape his sight.  “Where is Alecta, Chronis?”

           Chronis opened his normal eyes, but barely.  “She and her followers have  been marooned on an island on the other side of the planet by the very  thing she sought.”  He closed his normal eyes again.

           Hera smirked.  She knew that one did not rush into a prophecy that never  told the whole truth.  She looked at the harpies in her audience  chamber.  “Let me tell you a story, my harpies.”

          They all stopped what they were doing and gave her their full attention.

           “Once, humans created wings made of wax so they could fly like us,”  Hera explained.  “They flew through the air and took in the majesty of  traveling the skies.  However, they looked up at the sun and believed it  was made of gold.

          “They flew higher and higher to try  to reach the sun.  They had grand plans of how to use the gold once they  got their greedy hands on it.  However, the sun is not a mere lump of  gold for the taking, but the chariot of the god Helios.  He was insulted  by their arrogance and greed and used the heat of the very sun they  coveted to melt their wings and send them crashing back down to earth.   Those who lived and all who bore from their bloodlines were forever  cursed to never fly again.

          “Boreas and its fantastic  legends are like the sun to harpies.  Alecta flew too close, and she has  paid for her pride.  She believed she could force her destiny without  knowing the true nature of it.  We will remain here in our warm  homelands where there is plenty of treasure and resources for us.   Anyone else wish to object?”

          The audience chamber was silent.  “That’s what I thought,” Hera said.


* * *


           Get-It walked up to the massive door to the vault and pushed a button  the panel next to it.  “You still alive in there?”

“I’m in here specifically to remain alive,” Wantall’s voice came from the speaker.  “Heard anything from the harpies?”

          “No,” Get-It answered.  “It’s been a day and half.  I think you’re safe.”

           The wheel of the door turned and the large slab of metal pushed out.   Wantall hopped onto the ground and looked around.  He grinned and  stretched.

          “So, what now, boss?” Get-It asked.

           Wantall chuckled.  “I have some plans in the works.  Though, I’ll wait  on the ponies and their castle.  Revenge is a dish best served cold, as  they say.”


* * *


          Seashell trotted  across the drawbridge to the shore of the inlet.  The inlet flared from  the river and stream before proceeding down the fjord.  It was kind of  hard to believe all of that water was now home to six little sea ponies.

          She tapped her hooves on the surface of the water.  It took several seconds, but the six sea ponies breached.

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” they sang.

          Sea Winkle covered her mouth with her fin as she yawned and stretched.  “Good morning.”

          “How are you doing?” Seashell asked.

           “We’re doing perfectly fine,” Sea Winkle answered.  “The water is a  little brackish for our tastes and will take some getting used to.   However, it’s plenty salty a few meters down.”

          “Okay,”  Seashell replied.  Sea life had always fascinated her, and she always  wanted to meet she ponies.  However, if they were acclimating, she  should give them time.  “How’s the fjord?”

          “It’s  gorgeous down there,” Sealight answered.  “It’s nice and deep, crystal  clear, and loaded with tasty water grasses.”  She licked her lips and  rubbed her belly.  “It’s also the perfect temperature for it being  almost summer.”

          “We’re thinking of exploring the main fjord too,” Sand Dollar added.  “Though, we’ll wait on it.”

          “That’s all good to hear,” Seashell said.  “If you need anything, just ask.”

          “Sure thing,” Sea Winkle said.

          “Shoo be doo, shoop, shoop be doo,” they sang and flipped back to disappear below the water.


* * *


           Wind Whistler turned the screwdriver to get the last screw out of the  cover on the new piece of the Bifröst.  The panel came off to the sound  of something winding down and the control at the top going dark.  She  saw the various wires and tubes tucked inside neatly with connectors at  their ends.

          Twilight Mist took off the panel of the main  control panel causing it and the panes to go off as well.  There were  slots with different shapes to accept the wires and tubes from the new  component.

          “It looks there is a specific place for  everything determined by size and shape,” Wind Whistler said.   “Equestrian electrical engineers could stand to learn much from these  Ancients.”

          “Let’s just connect these things together.”   Twilight Mist used her mist hands to take two wires and plug them in.   Wind Whistler plugged in a wire that looked like a bunch of tiny wires  in a line.  They made quick work of the connections, and the two pieces  of the Bifrost were once again a single machine.

          They  pushed the new component into the other until they clicked.  Wind  Whistler looked up at the blank panes and the dark and control panel.   “I guess we just need the locket to reactivate it.”

          A  chime sounded and the doors to the elevator opened.  Megan stepped out  along with Sundance.  Megan ran her fingers smoothly with her long  ponytail, her blond hair now clean and fine.  Her attire was a denim  jumper over a white blouse with red hearts on it.  Sundance wore a denim  cloak with a pocket and fringe made of the heart pattern material and  held by a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck.

          Sundance pranced up.  “Check it out.  We match.”

          “That’s very nice,” Twilight Mist said, not bothering to hide her disinterest.

           “You two look lovely,” Wind Whistler said, wanting to at least be  polite and thought the look and coordination was aesthetically pleasing.

           Megan held out her skirt and looked at her outfit.  “Buttons did a  great job.”  She tapped the toe of her shoe on the ground.  “She even  made shoes and underwear in just one night.”

          “She used  the leftover material to make a cloak for me,” Sundance said.  “We were  thinking we could make matching outfits so we go together.”

           “Uh huh.”  Twilight Mist sat down in her chair and faced forward.  “We  have everything hooked up, so if you could kindly use your locket to  bring it back on line.”

          “Right.”  Megan took the locket  from around her neck and placed it in the indent on the new part of the  panel.  After a couple seconds, the panes came back on line with a  latitude and longitude map in the main pane and the text in Common  characters and words.  The labels of the controls morphed into Common  and lit up again.

          The message pane also filled with messages labeled technical specs, formulas, and resource location.

          “It seems we have it all,” Wind Whistler said.

          “This is what my ancestors saw,” Megan said.  “I still can’t believe I’m descended from the Valkyrie Queens.”

           “Actually, there are almost certainly several lines that have descended  from them over the last millennium,” Wind Whistler replied.  “However,  you represent the line that has gone from eldest daughter to eldest  daughter all the way through.”

          Megan picked up the  locket and looked at it.  Her mouth bent down in a frown.  “I wish my  mother was here.  She told me some things about the locket before she  died, but I feel like there’s way too much I don’t know.”

           “I can relate to that feeling,” Wind Whistler said.  They were torn  from their world and plopped down here with absolutely no knowledge of  this place.  “Hopefully, with the harpies dealt with, you will not have  to call upon its power as a weapon again.”

          Megan placed the locket around her neck.  “I certainly hope so.  It’s kind of scary to tell you the truth.”

          She stood, silent for several seconds.

          “Are you all right?” Sundance asked.

           Tears welled up in Megan’s eyes and she wiped them away.  “Sorry.  It’s  just hard to believe I’m free of the harpies.  There were times I never  thought I would get out of there alive.”

          Wind Whistler  searched for words of comfort.  “Well, you did.  I know the saying is  ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ but I’ve always found that  to be an over simplification.  It’s not the evasion of death that makes  you stronger.  It is what you do with your life from that point that can  make you a better person.”

          Megan looked to her and grinned.

          “What?” Wind Whistler asked.

          “It’s just weird to hear awkward advice from a candy-colored pony with wings,” Megan said.

          “And it’s definitely awkward advice,” Twilight Mist added.

          Wind Whistler shot Twilight Mist a glance.

           Megan wrapped her arms around Wind Whistler.  Having cleaned up, her  natural smell—quite pleasant—was what greeted Wind Whistler’s nostrils.   Her hair was soft and her body was warm.  Despite typically refraining  from physical contact, Wind Whistler relaxed and accepted the embrace.

          “Thank you so much for saving me,” Megan said softly.

          “Your gratitude is unnecessary but gladly accepted,” Wind Whistler replied.

           Megan let go of her and looked to the map dominating the main pane.   All of the main landmasses were connected together in what Wind Whistler  assumed was the ‘Pangaea’ she heard of a couple times.  There were also  islands grouped together in archipelagoes like the one they had  marooned the harpies on.  She realized few maps in Equestria showed much  beyond its borders.  The fringes of other landmasses would appear on  the edges and corners, but Equestria seemed to be all that mattered to  pony cartographers.

          She remembered when they first  stepped outside the castle and how huge just this fjord branch seemed.   Then there was traveling to the west to the next valley system where  Megan’s family lived on their farm.  Now those distances, which seemed  so huge, could be bridged in seconds.  Though, the ease of travel did  not take away the sense of wonder to it all.  Life in this world seemed  more vibrant and productive than that of Equestria.  She wondered what  other creatures, sapient or otherwise, inhabited the supercontinent, the  islands, or even the vast ocean surrounding them.

          “Are you ready to go?” a voice asked.

          They turned back to Daniel, Danny, Molly, Charlotte, and North Star among other ponies standing behind them.

          “We need to see what’s left of our home,” Daniel said.

           North Star trotted up to the panel.  “The coordinates are positive  forty-five degrees fifteen minutes and thirty point six seconds of  latitude and negative fifty-six minutes and two point nine seconds of  longitude.”

          Twilight Mist formed hands of mist and  tapped in the coordinates.  “It’s nice to be able to actually read these  things even if I’m still getting use to Common runes and Draconian  numerals.”

          Wind Whistler descended the stairs with the  Williams family and Sundance.  The vortex filled the tunnel and they  stepped through to the plain and right front of the farmhouse of the  Williams’ ranch.  Everything seemed to be as it was the day they escaped  the harpies.  The house was standing with the barn behind it.  The  fences had no signs of damage.

          Daniel jogged up to the  porch.  “It’s still standing!  I thought the harpies would have burned  it to the ground out of spite.”

          He went to open the screen door, but it came off in his hand.  “They still did a bit of a number on it.”

           He walked back down and to the fence.  Polaris galloped over to stick  her head across.  She whinnied and stamped her hooves.  “And you’re all  here too, old friend.”

          Polaris nuzzled Daniel as he petted her snout.  “You made sure everyone stayed in line, right?”

          Polaris snorted in response.

          Daniel pattered her.  “That’s my girl.”

           She turned away and galloped out into the pasture again.  The other  horses were standing or trotting, eating grass or drinking out of  troughs they had to dip their heads deep into.

          Daniel  planted his hands on his hips.  “Well, we seem to be better off than I  thought we would be.  Replacing a few doors is better than replacing a  whole house.”

          Megan sat down on the swing on the porch  and sent it into motion.  It was the first time she could do that in  days.  Sundance trotted up onto the porch and nuzzled her, and Megan  hugged her in response.

          Daniel turned to Danny and  Molly.  “Now that we’re back home, we have a few days of chores to catch  up on.  Those water troughs are almost dry, and I suspect the weeds  have had a field day since we left.”

          The two groaned and trudged to the barn.

           “If you have things sorted out here, I’ll be heading back with the  ponies so I can reconnect with my band,” Charlotte said.  “May the trail  ahead be straight and level, Little Brother.”

          Daniel tipped is had.  “For you too, Sis.”


* * *


           Majesty sat in her throne, an improvement from the last couple of days  where she had to remain in bed outside of the few times she insisted on  leaving.  Though, she still slumped, and she was visibly tired.

           Wind Whistler watched as the Moochic stepped forward and bowed in front  of her, taking his hat in his hands.  “Greetings, Queen Majesty.  I am  known as the Moochic.”

          “Welcome to Dream Valley and Pony  Land, Mr. Moochic,” Majesty said.  “I heard you and your companion were  instrumental in defeating the harpies and rescuing the Williams girl  and the Bifröst.  I don’t know how we can repair you.”

           “There’s no need for that, you’re…majesty,” the Moochic replied.  “I was  just a drifter who happened to be in the right place at the right  time.”

          “I think everyone here can relate to that,” Majesty said.  “So, you have no place to call home?”

           The Moochic stood up and placed his hat on his head again.  “I left my  village after a younger man took over as the resident earth mage.   Emmett and I have traveled Pangaea aimlessly ever since.”

          “If your feet are weary, we can give you a home here,” Majesty said.

           The Moochic chuckled.  “Thank you, but castles really aren’t my thing.   I’m a mushroom gnome, and we prefer places that are moist and decaying  to make our homes.”

          Wind Whistler stepped forward.   “There is this area of swampy lowlands near the foot of the valley.   They’re certainly moist and filled with decaying plant material.”

           “Excellent thinking, Wind Whistler,” Majesty said.  She turned to the  Moochic.  “Mr. Moochic, if you wish, you can have these wetlands as your  home.  You will have to build your own house, of course.”

          The Moochic waved his hand in a dismissive matter.  “That’s no problem at all.”

           “Also, you would become a citizen of Pony Land with all of the  privileges and responsibilities of that status,” Majesty continued.

          “As long as you don’t require me to walk on all fours and whinny, I think I can manage,” the Moochic replied.

           Majesty through back her head in a mighty laugh.  She was definitely  feeling better.  “I like you, Mr. Moochic.  I look forward to talking  with you when I’ve completely recovered my strength.”  She turned to  Magic Star.  “Please take Mr. Moochic to his new property.”

          “Yes, Queen Majesty.”  Magic Star left her side and descended the stairs.

           The Moochic bowed and turned to walk away with Magic Star.  Emmett  followed behind them and as they walked up to the balcony and out of  sight.

          Wind Whistler noticed Spike cowering behind the  rim of the fountain.  Majesty must have noticed him too as she said, “I  can’t give an audience to someone who will not face me.”

           Spike slunk away from his cover along with his six brothers.  They came  to stand in front of Majesty, but their wrung their claws.  Even Fiery,  who seemed to run on rage and bravado, was making himself as small as  possible with Majesty looking down at them.

          “What do you wish to say to me?” Majesty asked gently.

          Spike swallowed.  “Well, Queen Majesty, we lost our mother to the harpies.”

           “I am aware of that,” Majesty said.  “Now that the Bifröst is fully  functional, we can take you to the homeland of the dragons.  Do you know  your extended family?”

          “That’s just it, Queen Majesty,”  Spike said.  “Our mother never took us to the Draconis.  She was a  nomad who spent all the time we have been alive in the north.  We even  slept through the winters up here rather than going south.”

          “What Spike is trying to say is we have no family we know of anymore,” Fiery interjected.  “We have no home.”

          Majesty heaved a heavy sigh.  “So, you wish to live here.”

          “If it’s not too much of a burden,” Spike added.

           “Our kingdom seems to be where those with no place find a home,”  Majesty said.  “I supposed seven little dragons would fit in just  fine.”  She looked to Spike specifically.  “In fact, I have been  considering how any queen worth her crown should have a pageboy.  Would  you want that position, young Spike?”

          Spike pointed at himself.  “Me?”

          Majesty looked around the ballroom.  “I don’t see anyone else named Spike here.”

          “I—I—” Spike choked.

          “Just say you accept and thank you,” Majesty instructed.

          “You accept and thank you,” Spike said hastily.  “I mean I thank and accept I.  I mean—”

           “Close enough,” Majesty said to stop his fumbling for words.  She  turned to Galaxy.  “I think you can find things seven young dragons  could help with.”

          “Of course, Queen Majesty.”  Galaxy descended the stairs and the dragons followed her to the balcony.

          Majesty slouched in the chair.  “I think that ties up just about all the loose ends.”

           “Aside from how we ended up here and how we can return to Equestria,”  Wind Whistler pointed out.  “The machine shows no ability to link worlds  and we were not instantly teleported home once the girl had been saved,  so I guess my hypothesis of its link to our arrival and return has been  proven false.”

          Majesty grinned.  “Yes.  There is that.  Though, after all that’s happened, do you really want to go back there?”

          “I can imagine you wouldn’t want to return, my queen,” Wind Whistler replied.

           “True, but not for the reason I believe you’re insinuating,” Majesty  said.  “Even if I was the lowest of the low here, I would still prefer  to be in this world.  Because I believe we can make a difference here.   Why would I give that up to go back to standing around and smiling in  Princess Celestia’s court?”

          “You’re right, Queen  Majesty,” Wind Whistler said.  She was not looking forward to going back  to finding where she fit in Equestria.  There was so much to discover  and learn in this world.  “So, what now?”

          “The question  on the mind of every conquering hero,” Majesty said.  “You’ve traveled  to the castle, vanquished the monster, and are bathed in the spoils of  victory.  Where do you go from there?”  She sat up.  “What do you think,  Wind Whistler?”

          “I don’t know,” Wind Whistler said.   She thought of that world map, all of which was now within their reach.   It was a little much to take in.  “Maybe we should carve out a little  piece of Equestria here.  This hemisphere will reach its summer solstice  in about a week.  Maybe we should have some ceremony like the Summer  Sun Celebration.”

          Majesty nodded.  “Excellent thinking.  I should be fully recovered by then too.”  She leaned back.


* * *


           Fizzy soaked in the happy feelings around the castle.  Everyone was  working on preparations for the Summer Solstice Celebration.  After the  sense of dread when facing the harpies hung over their heads, preparing  for a party was a terrific change of mood.  While ponies would be in  their own little corners planning and scheming for the battle just over  the horizon, they were now so at ease they could pause to say hello to  each other.

          “Hello, Fizzy,” Paradise said as she passed by her.

           She exited the castle where Shady was sitting on the walkway.  She  winked out and back in on the battlement next to Shady.  “Hey!”

          Shady turned to her with a start.  “Oh!  It’s just you, Fizzy.”

          “What are you doing?” Fizzy asked.

           “I was just thinking whether or not we should get umbrellas,” Shady  said.  “Pegasi clear the skies before the Summer Sun Celebration back in  Equestria, but we can’t do anything about the weather here.  What if it  rains on the morning of the solstice?”

          Fizzy thought  about that.  “You’re right.  Maybe we can get umbrellas that match our  ribbon or coat colors and decorate them with our symbols.  That way we  have personalized umbrellas for whenever it rains.”

          “I  guess we could do that, but we wouldn’t see the sun rise even if it’s  just cloudy,” Shady said.  She paused for a second.  “Maybe, since we  can go anywhere, we could technically hold the celebration somewhere  else.  Though, whoever has to run the Bifröst would be left out.”

           “And who says it’ll be rain or be cloudy?” Fizzy asked.  “And the fact  the weather does its own thing is what makes living here so great.   Every morning is a surprise.”

          “Yeah!” Surprise shrieked in the distance.  “Surprise weather rocks!”

           “Maybe.”  Shady slowly formed a grin.  “You know, you’re right.  This  is the world that refuses to be perfect.  It makes me feel better for  not being perfect.  We should celebrate that.”

          “So, you’ll get the umbrellas?” Fizzy asked.

          Shady nodded.  “Next time they go out for a supply run.  Thanks for listening, Fizzy.”

          “What are friends for?” Fizzy asked.

          “Should we go for ribbon or coat color?” Shady asked.

           Fizzy stopped and thought.  She really wanted a pink umbrella, but a  green one would look better with her symbol painted on it.  She noticed  Gusty walking across the drawbridge.  Her symbol would not be visible on  a purple umbrella at all.  “I would say coat color.”  That was the  natural background of their symbols after all.

          “Okay,” Shady said.

           Fizzy winked out and winked back in on the ground near where Gusty had  come to sit.  Gusty drew in a breath, puffing out her chest, and slowly  exhaling it.  Fizzy slowly came up and sat down next to her.  She wanted  to say something, but did not want to disturb her.

          “What do you want, Fizzy?” Gusty asked in a gentle tone.

          “I was just wondering what you were doing,” Fizzy answered.

           “I’m just taking a moment to cool down,” Gusty replied.  “After all the  excitement, I need to let go of my aggressions and be at peace.”

          “Oh.”  Fizzy sat there.

           Gusty levitated an envelope with wax seal stamped with Majesty’s symbol  in front of her.  “I also have an invitation to the Moochic.  Want to  come?”

          Fizzy jumped to her hooves.  “Sure!”


* * *


           They traveled down the path along the inlet that took them across  several steams and beside waterfalls spilling into it.  Dream Valley was  an apt name for their new home because it was a like a dream.  The  water was crystal clear and the plants were lush and green.  Fizzy  realized she was thinking of this place as her home rather than the  Crystal Empire.  She looked up at the rings between two peaks and  thought of it being just a part of the sky for the rest of her life  along with the two moons which had switched getting fatter and thinner.   She could deal with that.

          She looked to Gusty.  “What do you think of staying here?”

           Gusty was silent for a second.  “I couldn’t stand the idea at first.  I  wanted to get back to my neighborhood.  However, having been here for a  few days and literally faced death here, it feels like home.  Besides,  you’re all okay in my book.”

          “Just okay?” Fizzy asked.

          Gusty grinned.  “Some of you are better.”

           The reached the edge of the swampy area and passed under a tunnel made  by the thick, tangled branches of trees growing on either side of the  path.  At the end of it was a wall of massive mushrooms.  The mushrooms  sank into the ground to reveal a large clearing with mushrooms of every  size and color scattered all over amongst the bushes and more of the  tree-sized mushrooms forming a circle around them.

          “It looks like Mr. Moochic wasted no time making himself at home,” Fizzy said.

           The Moochic and Emmet were standing on the hill across the river from  them.  Stakes formed a large square and the Moochic scratched an ‘X’  with his foot.  He seemed to be contemplating something regarding  length.

          “I think I have this down.”  The Moochic stuck  his finger in his mouth and pulled it out with a heavy layer of saliva  on it.  “Yup, we should be good.”

          “Hey!  Mr. Moochic!” Gusty called out.  “Mail call!”

           “In a moment.”  The Moochic took off his coat and laid it neatly over  the ‘X’.  He held his walking stick and with both hands and looked from  his coat to the square formed by the stakes.  He hunched up and winkled  his rump.  He swung up the stick and smacked the side pocket of his  coat.

          A full-sized house appeared out of nowhere and  landed right in the middle of the stakes.  “Ha, ha!”  The Moochic leaned  on his walking stick.  “Right where I planned.”

          Fizzy stood there struck completely silent.  She literally had no idea let alone words to describe what she just saw.

           The Moochic turned back them.  “What?  You act like you never saw  someone get their house out of their side pocket before.”

           He jogged up to the front door.  “It beats having to build a new one.”   He opened the door and peaked in.  He reared back and slammed the door  shut.  “Though the interior is going to need a lot of work.”

          He walked away from the house.  “Still, I have my house and my mushrooms.  I know—I’ll call this place the Mushrump.”

          “Speaking of mush”—Gusty looked around at the giant mushrooms around them—“What’s with the humungous fungus among us?”

          “These came from my magic spores,” the Moochic said.  “They help protect me.  In fact, it’s perfect you came.”

          “It is?” Fizzy asked.

          “It’s the perfect chance to test my trusty mushrooms,” the Moochic answered.  “Attack me.”

          “What?” Fizzy asked at the same time as Gusty.

           “You heard me.”  The Moochic rolled up his sleeves.  “Hit me with some  of that unicorn magic I saw you use on the harpies.  Don’t hold back  either.  I want you to hit me with your best shot.”

           Gusty looked to Fizzy, but Fizzy could only shrug in response.  Gusty  shrugged herself.  “All right, but you literally asked for it.”

           Gusty pointed her horn forward and an aura formed around it.  The aura  spun up into a small tornado and shot towards the Moochic.  The tornado  ripped in different directions and disappeared into the nearby  mushrooms.

          “See,” the Moochic said.

          “I see it, but I don’t believe it.”  Gusty picked up her head.  “What happened?”

           “Within this area of mushrooms, any offensive magic directed at me will  be absorbed by the caps,” the Moochic explained.  “Any mushroom gnome  magician worth their salt has them.”

          The Moochic picked up his jacket and slipped his arms through his sleeves.  “Now, why did you really come where?”

          “Oh.”  Gusty levitated the envelope to him.  “We brought an invitation to our Summer Solstice Celebration.”

          The Moochic took the envelope.  “Some pony holiday?”

          “Yeah,” Fizzy answered.  “We stay up all night and watch the sun rise.”

          “Interesting,” the Moochic said.  “I didn’t realize you ponies were Sol worshippers.”

          “Sol?” Fizzy asked.

           “The Northern Goddess of the Sun,” the Moochic said.  “Unless you come  from further south and worship their sun god, Helios.”

           “We don’t worship any sun god,” Fizzy said.  “Celestia was the Alacorn  Princess of the Sun, and some considered her a demigod.  However, she  could not think of her being actually worshipped.”

          “It might be a bit complicated to explain,” Gusty said.  “Just show up for food, fun, and staring at the sun.”

          The Moochic bowed.  “We’ll be happy to attend.”  He looked back at Emmett.  “Well, I will be at least.”


* * *


           The partying through the short night before the summer solstice came to  an end as the eastern sky began to glow.  They filed out onto the grass  in front of the castle next to the inlet.  The sea ponies breached and  swam close to the shore.  The sky was clear, which was a relief.   Shady’s beautiful umbrellas could remain inside, waiting for a day when  it would rain.

          The ponies, dragons, the Williams family,  the Moochic, and Emmett sat and faced east.  The eastern horizon was  getting brighter.

          Majesty walked around the crowd,  looking tall and strong.  She once again looked distinguished.  Cheers  and hoof stamping came as she stepped behind a podium and used her magic  to levitate a stack of papers and straighten them.  She grinned and  bowed her head.

          “Thank you, everyone,” Majesty said.   “Now, in Equestria, we would be waiting for Celestia to come up and  raise the sun.  However, this world does the work for us.  Instead I  finally have a speech to give.”

          Some quiet groans came from the crowd.

           Majesty held up her hooves.  “We still have several minutes before the  sun rises.  Besides, it’s about how great all of you are.”

          The crowd went silent.

           Majesty cleared her throat.  “Back in Equestria, Princess Celestia is  preparing to raise the sun for the longest day of the year.  It is a  spectacle meant to celebrate her victory over Nightmare Moon, a battle  embodying harmony overcoming greed and shortsightedness.

           “It’s ironic we faced a similar battle on this world.  We, a bunch of  strangers, came together to stop a plot to take a great power in the  name of death and destruction.  We didn’t have ancient superweapons or  some destiny on our side.  We simply did what had to be done against  staggering odds.”  Majesty grinned.  “Too bad we won’t get a stained  glass pane in Canterlot castle for it.”

          Some chuckles came from the crowd.

           “We also did more than beat up on the local bully and save a captive,”  Majesty continued.  “We not only formed a community amongst ourselves,  but made allies in this world.  We made some enemies too, some of which  we dealt with while others remain at large.  Within a week of waking up  in this world—and being terrified by even a mere hailstorm—we have left  our hoofprint on it.

          “There is a lot of mythos in  Equestria surrounding the Elements of Harmony and the six ponies who  bore them as well as the Pillars of Light who came before them.   However, I believe the virtues of honesty, kindness, levity, generosity,  and loyalty in each of us, pony or otherwise, have just as much power  as those trinkets.  We might not be able to shoot lasers from it, but we  are able to do great things with our combined abilities and spurred on  by our spirit.  That’s much better than relying certain chosen ones  given special jewelry.

          “So, what now?  That is the  question before us.  The Bifröst is ours, and wielding its power brings a  great responsibility on us.  Not only must we make sure it never falls  into the possession of the wicked, but we must use it for the cause of  good.

          “With the Bifröst, this world is also completely  open to us.  After finding the ponies from the Crystal Empire and the  sea ponies, it’s safe to assume more ponies from Equestria are somewhere  out there as well.  Perhaps they are forming communities like we are.   Perhaps they are alone and afraid.  Regardless, I have this message to  them.  ‘You are not alone here.  We have created a home for all ponies  who woke up to discover they have been taken from their families, homes,  country, and world.  You are welcome here.’

          “I also  have a message to those living in this world.  ‘We intend to live here  in peace.  We swear to never instigate a conflict.  We wish to build  friendships and alliances with any willing to meet us in good faith.’   To you, I ask you try your best to live up to that ideal.

           “Finally, I have this message to any who come to us seeking to cause us  and those we call friends harm.  ‘We will not roll over and play dead.   We will fight you with every fiber of our being and every resource at  our disposal.’  When we first arrived here—confused and afraid—we asked,  ‘Where am I?’  We can now answer together, ‘We are here’.  We are here,  and we’re not going anywhere!”

          As if on cue, the sun peaked over the horizon.  The ponies cheered and stamped their hooves.


* * *


           Discord sauntered along with Flutterbye along the all too familiar path  leading up to the cottage that had been his home for more than a  century.  Much like him, it had barely changed.  Though, the same could  not be said for the area surrounding it.  The bird houses had been  replaced with nectar feeders for humming birds and especially  butterflies.  There were also large butterfly bushes surrounding it  filled with massive, colorful blooms begging for anything with a  proboscis.  The colorful little insects swarmed the property, fluttering  about to whatever met their fancy.  Long gone were the birds, rodents,  and other creatures Fluttershy surrounded herself with.  The current  owner was all about butterflies, butterflies, butterflies.  However, the  cottage itself was still a cozy home with a roof of thick grass with  maybe more flowers.

          Flutterbye, on the other  manipulative appendage, was a much different pony from her great, great,  great grandmother both inside and out.  She was an extremely social  pony, perhaps a little too social for even Discord’s taste.  She was  also a more boldly colored pony with a bright orange coat and a rainbow  mane that made him think more of Rainbow Dash whenever he saw her at  first.

          She was the first to convince him to give in and  go to watch Celestia’s annual ego trip.  He typically found some excuse,  but after more than a hundred reasons to be somewhere else even he was  running out of ideas.  Besides, a few seconds of watching Celestia do  what she does every day only with more pomp and circumstance was not too  terrible.  Flutterbye was also more than willing to head to his  favorite club and make a real night of it for the lead up.

           He was really coming to like this latest overseer.  She had the time of  her life dancing and chattering with their fellow clubbers.  Maybe five  generations living around him was finally starting to rub off.

           They entered the cottage and Flutterbye yawned.  “I don’t know about  you, Uncle Dizzy, but I’m bushed.  Wake me up in a week.”

           Discord did disdain that pet name she had for him.  He wanted to spin  her around in retaliation, but the faintest sound reached his ear.  A  pony would never hear it, but his ears could hear a fly land on cupcake  ten kilometers away.  This sound was tapping of a certain typewriter.

           “Go on Flutter Five,” Discord called her his pet name for her.  He  stretched.  “The Titan of Chaos really doesn’t need sleep.”

           He waved her to the upstairs and waited until the door closed.  He then  slithered to a hole in the wall.  The hole was microscopic, only known  to him.  He stretched himself into a string only as wide as a molecule  to pass through into the room beyond which was actually a fold in space  so the house did not even show it was there.

          It was a  basic room with just a lamp coming down from the ceiling and shining on a  typewriter on a table and a stool.  Discord assumed his normal shape  again and sat down.

          The paper had one line on it.  <Are you there?>

           Discord intertwined his knuckles to crack them and typed out, <I’m  here, old friend.  I assume you’re calling because you found my,> he  stopped and tapped out <...> as he thought of the right word,  <gifts.>

          The typewriter began typing by itself.  <I knew these ponies were your doing.>

          Discord typed, <They must have already caused quite a stir over there.>

           The typewriter immediately typed, <They sabotaged the harpies’  second campaign to take the Bifrost. Do have any idea how much work went  into spoon feeding them the identity of the Valkyrie Queen’s descendent  while making it look like they found it on their own?>

          <I would have to imagine quite a lot.>

           <The harpies having the Bifrost would mean they could suppress the  other races of this world. It would have made controlling it much  easier. Yet your infernal ponies come in and took it for themselves.>

          Discord typed, <You should just have to read that sentence and know why I couldn’t allow that.>

          The typewriter was silent for several seconds before typing, <I suppose you couldn’t.>

           <And it’s not like you rule that world from a throne on high. You  stay in the shadows and pull the strings like a puppet master.>

          <The typewriter was again silent for a few seconds.  <You have me there. How many ponies did you send here?>

           Discord shrugged. <I honestly don’t know. A few dozen. A few  hundred. A few thousand. I just let the spell do its thing. There are  not too many, and they were misfits with a freak mutation and never  really fit in here anyway.>

          <I’m surprised Celestia didn’t drop her sun on you for this.>

           Discord chuckled.  <I’ve been a good little boy for these past  hundred years. Old Sun Rump never suspected me. The ponies think it was  rogue group of old changelings or something and have already moved  on.>

          <You play dangerous.>

          <That’s what makes it fun.>

           <I do have to admit these ponies are an interesting bunch. A few  might make for fun playmates. A light blue Pegasus is quite intelligent  and logical. I will enjoy challenging her to a battle of wits.>

           <I thought you would like her in particular. You know, she is a  descendent of your old foe when you terrorized Southern Equestria in  ancient times.>

          <Somnambula’s descendent? Well, that will make my games with her all the more amusing.>

          <You will have to let me know about all the juicy details.>

          <I will. Remember to destroy this message.>

          <I always do.>

           Discord pulled the paper out of the typewriter and put in a blank  sheet.  He sat back and wadded up the paper to pop it in his mouth.   After chewing the paper for a while, he swallowed.  “Old Uncle ‘Dizzy’s’  still got it.”