"Don't be alarmed, friends," said one of the creatures with her white fur and rainbow colored mane. "We will not hurt you. I'm Celestia and this is my sister Luna."

Dotti had recovered from her shock. "I say, what in the name of seasons are you bods supposed to be, wot? You look like horses, but you have horns and wings."

Luna's fur was darker than her sister's, and her mane was dark blue. "We are Alicorns. Part Earth Pony, part Unicorn, and part Pegasus!"

"Well, begging your pardon, marms, but I've never seen creatures like you in Mossflower," Lord Brocktree said.

Dotti agreed. "Aye, I've met ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, but I've never heard of an alicorn before."

Luna drew herself up proudly. "That's because we're one of a kind."

"So what brings you to these parts?" Brocktree inquired.

"We come from a land far in the north," Celestia said. "We spent the better part of last spring fighting off vermin invaders, with an evil cat named King Mortspear as their leader."

"After an arduous battle, we slew the wicked cat," Luna chimed in. "But his eldest son, Ungatt Trunn, stole our Elements of Harmony and escaped with the remaining vermin."

"Ungatt Trunn, Ungatt Trunn…" The name felt vaguely familiar to Brocktree, but he couldn't think why.

"Hang on a tick," Dotti interjected. "What are the flippin' Elements of Harmony?"

"The Elements of Harmony are six artifacts representing the aspects of friendship," said Celestia. "Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. When combined together, they possess a power that nothing can equal."

"Anyway, we think Trunn and his troops are in this area somewhere, because we saw one of the vermin ships on the coast a few miles west of here," said Luna. "We examined it, but it was abandoned. Now we're trying to pick up his trail again."

"What about the two of you?" Celestia asked. "Where are you bound?"

"We are bound for the mountain of Salamandastron, on the Western Shores," Lord Brocktree replied. "In my dreams I've seen the sun setting in the seas beyond the mountain. But my feelings tell me that the place for which we are bound will have great need of a Badger Lord. One who will not shrink from evil and cruelty, a warrior ready to stand and fight!"

Celestia chuckled. "Well, you look like the very badger to do the job. It appears we're going the same direction as you for the moment. Why not travel together?"

"I'm agreeable to that," Brocktree said. "It'll be nice to have some company."

"Sooper dooper!" Dotti exclaimed.