The Final Quest of Star Swirl the Bearded

by JohnPerry

First published 29th of March, 2012

The last journey of an unusual wizard and the role he played in the founding of Equestria.

Today he is known as the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era, the inventor of many a useful spell and the mentor to one of the most important figures in history. But for all his magical and scholarly achievements, there is another side to Star Swirl the Bearded, a political ideology that many of his contemporaries sought to bury and forget. This is the tale of the last journey of one of ponykind’s most unusual figures and the role he played in the events that led to the founding of a nation.

Act I: Chapter I

The Forest of the Mists was well known amongst the pony tribes. Situated at the head of the Mane Valley, it was a lush forest that seemed almost perpetually covered in fog owing to the clouds that blew in from the seas to the east. Such conditions made it the natural choice for the pegasi tribe to build their citadels, fortresses and settlements in the sky, with the abundance of readily available clouds for building and no ponies on the ground to complain about their sunlight being blocked. But despite sitting directly beneath the great cities of the pegasi, the forest was a vast wilderness of dense thickets of trees, gnarled roots, decaying logs and muddy streams; a land of seemingly eternal shadow where few ponies would willingly tread. Even on days when the rare beam of sunlight broke through the layer of clouds, the forest was still marked by a constant gloom.

The winged ponies overhead cared little for what went on in the forest beneath their very hooves, so perhaps it comes as little surprise that few ponies knew what it held. In the summer the forest teemed with life, a home to a multitude of creatures who found the cloudy locale the ideal place to escape the seasonal heat. But in the winter the forest became eerily silent and bitterly cold, as the same clouds that provided respite in the warmer months dumped massive amounts of snow onto the trees below. In these frigid conditions, only the fiercest creatures could survive.

It was perfect for a Windigo.

The creature in question rested in her perch atop a tall tree. Her icy gaze scanned the darkness, searching through the strands of trees or the clouds overhead for her next meal. Perhaps an embittered animal, weary of the cold weather, or a furious pegasus, cursing the frigid winds he had to fly through. The dreariness and anger born of a long, dark winter was a veritable feast for a Windigo. In the absolute stillness of the chilly air her ears were primed to pick up the telltale crunch of snow underneath her prey's steps or the flap of wings that signaled the arrival of a flying creature, soon to be the unknowing victim of this stealthy predator.

After a few moments of patient waiting, a sound did reach the Windigo's ears. But it wasn't the kind of sound she had been expecting. It wasn't the crunch of snow, the flap of wings, the rustle of branches or the scurrying of a small creature through the underbrush; indeed, this sound was alien to the forest. It was completely unnatural, alarming in its oddity and sinister in its nature. And despite the Windigo's innate comfort with cold and fury, it filled her with a sudden feeling of dread.

It was the sound of bells.

Normally any lone being that made such a clear and obvious noise would be easy prey for a stealthy predator such as herself, but this was no normal being she faced. Every Windigo knew to fear this sound, for it signaled the arrival of him. The one with the bells, the one who had defeated herd upon herd of Windigoes, driving them from their food sources and sending them fleeing into the isolated mountains. The one with the terrible power to rain fire upon those who crossed him, to poison their wells of despair with hope, and to sear their bodies with the heat of his flames.

No, this noise was not born of an ignorance to danger. It was a warning. And that warning was getting louder by the second; the one with the bells was drawing nearer.

The Windigo frantically searched for the source of the noise, looking to flee the telltale sound of oncoming danger. She briefly considered finding a place near the ground to take cover, to await the arrival of this invader and strike from the shadows, but she did not know from where and how fast this invader would come. In this dense forest, the trees grew high from their bases on the snowy earth, reaching up to embrace the clouds that hung low to the ground. Normally this setting would be ideal for her, but now the tall trees, the snow and the low clouds conspired against the Windigo, as the sound echoed and bounced between the trees and off the snow and fog until it seemed to come from all directions. Where there would normally be the crunch of snow underneath to signal the sound of one’s steps, the chime of the bells concealed that noise, making it impossible to know how quickly this invader approached. She strained to make out a pattern to the sound, to pick out a pace or a rhythm, but the cacophony of these bells made it impossible. Her ears were trained to pick out the snap of twigs, the rustle of bushes or the scurrying of small animals; not the racket these pony instruments caused.

And then, as she was struggling to hear something of value through the din, the bells stopped ringing and all went quiet. In her perch the Windigo tensed, straining her ears to catch even the faintest sound. All was still in the frosty air, and the sudden silence unnerved her. She quietly settled herself against the branch she was positioned on, retreating ever so slightly into the depths of the tree so as to avoid detection. Her eyes scanned the ground below, desperately searching for any sign of movement. In the end, it would come down to either fighting or fleeing, but she had to know where this invader was before she could do either.

Suddenly there was an incredible flash of light coming from her left, so massive and bright it momentarily blinded the Windigo. It was accompanied by waves of heat so strong it was as if the sun had risen within the confines of the forest itself. Briefly unable to see anything but a white glare and struck by the sudden blast of heat, she gave an audible cry of surprise and moved away from the source of the blazing light.

It took a few seconds for her to make out the silhouettes of trees visible only due to the shadows they cast between the shafts of light. The bright glow seemed to soften ever so slightly, and she chanced a glance back. What she then saw caused her to halt in place.

The one with the bells was staring at her.

He was a unicorn, currently standing in a small clearing with a gleaming light still shining from the horn atop his head. He was not moving, but the bells attached to the strange cloth draped over his figure were now chiming softly as the cloth billowed from the waves of heat emanating from that horn. He frowned and watched the Windigo through narrowed eyes, as if daring her to come nearer. Then he spoke.

"Leave. Do not come near us ponies again."

For a few seconds, the Windigo merely remained in place, caught in awe of the powerful figure before her. But then realization of what she was facing finally dawned on her and she panicked. Alone, she was no match for this invader. With a howl of fear she flew up into the safety of the clouds above, racing away as fast as possible.

The unicorn watched the creature vanish into the clouds as the glow emanating from his horn slowly went out and the heat was soon overtaken by the chill of the wintery air once more. He couldn't be sure if the Windigo understood what he had said, but the creature seemed to understand the intent if not the exact words. He briefly considered pursuing the Windigo, but decided there would be no sense in chasing it down, so long as it was far away from any pony settlements. Still, a more physical reminder could underline his point.

He lowered his head, pointing his horn in the direction the Windigo had vanished. His horn glowed fiercely again, a bright orange light that drew sparks out of the thin air and sent them swirling around his horn, where they coalesced into a ball of fire that danced at the tip of the horn. Finally, the unicorn reared on his hind legs before flinging his head forward, sending the fireball streaking into the sky before it vanished into the clouds above with a soft 'poof'.

A moment later a burst of fiery light from within the clouds and a strangled cry of fear reached the unicorn. He knew the Windigo hadn't been injured, but it was fearful for its life. He only hoped it stayed that way.

***

“A…A Windigo?”

“Indeed, dear child,” replied Star Swirl the Bearded. The magician was standing beside his apprentice, a young unicorn mare named Clover. She, who unlike her mentor had not yet been granted a formal title, was sitting before an open tome, examining an elaborate illustration of a creature that had the appearance of a ghostly horse, with eyes that shone blue and skin the color of ice. Her eyes, filled with wonder, widened at the thought of such a ghastly creature, while the old stallion stood to the side, his signature cloak and hat resting on a nearby chair as he regarded the tome and the mare reading it with a solemn gaze.

The two unicorns were standing in the library of the main castle of the Kingdom of Unicornia. Despite the castle’s grandeur, well known among the pony tribes, the library was a humble and crowded facility, consisting of a single moderately sized room made of the same gray stone as the rest of the castle. Wooden shelves filled with thick books and scrolls lined the walls, as in any proper library, although there were many crates of books, some still in the process of being emptied, tucked into the corners of the room and between shelves. Atop the few tables in the room were disorderly stacks of scrolls waiting to be cataloged. The lighting was poor owing to the narrow windows, and even these had to be shut tightly closed for almost half of the year to keep the winter chill out. A pair of torches mounted on the wall provided illumination, though of the flickering kind that made reading a pain on the eyes. For this reason most unicorns chose to read by the light of their own horns.

“They are malevolent spirits of winter that feed off of fighting and hatred,” Star Swirl continued, gesturing at the illustration in the book. “They are unique in how they link what others feel in their hearts to the weather surrounding them. The more hate they detect and the more anger that is present, the colder the temperature becomes.”

“I don’t understand,” Clover said, looking up from the book. “Why did you wish to show me this?”

“It is imperative that you understand this creature!” Star Swirl replied sharply, his expression quickly changing to one of near frustration as he tapped the tome with one of his hooves. “It is a dangerous creature and one little understood by most ponies! Is that not reason enough?”

“Y-yes, master!” Clover stammered, cowering before her mentor. “Forgive me, I did not mean to imply that I was questioning your wisdom. But our world is home to many a dangerous creature, and I merely ponder what makes this one so important!”

Star Swirl’s face softened and he gave his apprentice a small smile, which caused Clover to visibly relax. “My dear Clover, you really are quite clever. Forgive me, for you are right in questioning me. But for now, I merely want you to be aware of this creature’s existence; that is all that is necessary. Should I fail in my mission, I will then explain more.”

“Your mission?” Clover asked, raising an eyebrow. “But I was under the distinct impression that your mission involved a dragon. What does it have to do with these…Windigoes?” she questioned, glancing at the illustration in the book once more.

“They are related, but only indirectly,” Star Swirl answered. “But know that as of yet, these are only personal suspicions of mine. For now, all I ask is that you simply know of this creature and study what little material we have on it here. I dearly hope that is all I will need to tell you of it.”

The bearded stallion turned toward the door as his horn glowed a soft orange aura. His cloak and pointed hat were momentarily cast in the same orange glow as they levitated into the air off the chair. The bells attached to the clothing chimed merrily as the cloak draped itself around the pony’s frame while the hat settled on his head. “Very well then, I must depart; I have delayed too much already. Remember what I have shown you, and never forget the most important lesson I taught you.”

“That whether a pony is with a horn or without is no indication of their character,” Clover recited from memory. “That my magic is to be used for the benefit of all ponies, not just those others who can also use magic.”

Star Swirl turned back to his apprentice and smiled warmly at the young mare, gently placing a hoof on her shoulder. “You do me proud.” Then with a swish of his cloak and a cheerful jingle of bells, he departed the library.

***

“Enter, Star Swirl the Bearded!”

The magician nodded at the guard’s request and proceeded through the large set of double doors that led to the chambers of the King of Unicornia. It was a spectacular room, a good fifty pony lengths high and even longer from one end of the room to the other. Banners depicting the coats of arms of many a Unicorn royal family hung from the ceiling, with the coat of arms of the king hung behind his raised throne at the far end of the room. Above the king’s coat of arms was a depiction of a regal-looking unicorn casting a spell as it stood between an illustration of the sun and moon, carved from the stone wall and illuminated by the light streaming through the windows positioned high above the floor, as if to bless the unicorn with the golden light of the sun. The ceiling was covered in a painted fresco depicting the stars of the heavens and many of the legendary celestial beasts, such as the vast Ursas, the terrifying Scorpius, the mighty Leo and the slithering Draco. The chamber was located at the very heart of the castle, with the rest of the rooms aligned around it, leaving no question as to where the priorities of this kingdom lay.

Star Swirl calmly walked across the plush carpeted floor, the chime of his bells echoing softly in the cavernous room as he trotted towards the throne at the opposite end, where there sat Silver the Fifth, King of the Unicorns. True to his name, his coat was a shining light gray and he wore a gilded crown of gleaming silver encrusted with violet jewels atop his head. Flowing robes of white and purple were draped around his figure, and he regarded the approaching magician with a stern look. Flanked on each side of the king were a guard and several nobles sitting at a long table, each of whom regarded Star Swirl with looks ranging from indifference to downright contempt.

“Star Swirl the Bearded,” King Silver stated as the magician removed his hat and bowed shortly before him. “The Royal Council has convened to hear your request. For the purposes of our records, please state your full request to the council.”

“So formal, Silver,” Star Swirl commented as he looked back up at the king. “I seem to recall a time when you and I could meet in private over a pleasant meal and discuss these matters.”

“State your request, Star Swirl,” one of the councilmares said curtly, quill held aloft in mid-air in front of her over a sheet of paper, ready to write down a summary of what the magician had to say.

“Very well then, Councilor Red Tape,” Star Swirl replied before turning to the council at large. “It is my request that this council grant a fund to be used by myself and a group of pegasi leaders for the purpose of assisting the Pegasi Empire reclaim lost territory in the mountains to the south of the River Mane. The secondary purpose of this grant would be as a token of good will from the Kingdom of Unicornia to the Pegasi Empire.”

A stallion sitting to the immediate left of the king cleared his throat. “The council has reviewed your request and we must inform you that we have unanimously decided to reject your proposal to fund this undertaking of yours.”

“I anticipated this,” Star Swirl remarked. “So I will turn to my secondary request of this council: if you will not grant any funds to this mission, may I at least get an official proclamation of support from the kingdom?”

“Once again, our decision is a unanimous no,” the stallion replied, frowning down at Star Swirl.

The magician’s eyes narrowed. He had been expecting this, but that didn’t mean he had to accept it. “And may I ask why not? A mere declaration of support presents no difficulties, no sacrifice and no lasting commitment on part of the Kingdom of Unicornia.”

“Because we have no interest in the affairs of the pegasi that do not directly concern our kingdom, or any unicorn for that matter,” one of the mares on the council explained. “Unicornia has done perfectly well under a policy of isolation and none of the members of this council see any reason to stop now.”

“You consider this isolation?” Star Swirl demanded. “Eating the food of earth pony farmers and living under the weather crafted by pegasi? We must face the reality that our destinies as ponies are ultimately intertwined! If the kingdom were to declare its support for this mission, we may begin to find common ground with the Pegasi Empire. It is my hope that one day we can turn to the pegasi and the earth ponies to help us overcome any challenges to the kingdom.”

“CEASE THIS FOOLISHNESS!” one of the stallions on the council screamed, standing up from his chair so quickly that it toppled over behind him, but the stallion took no heed as he glowered down at Star Swirl. “You dare speak of us as equals to simpletons and barbarians? The Kingdom of Unicornia will never stoop so low as to ask for the assistance of savages!” he roared, banging a hoof on the table.

“’Our destinies intertwined,’ hah!” the stallion continued. “Why should unicorns ever concern themselves with the worldly needs of lower creatures when the very heavens above answer our every beck and call?” he said, gesturing with a hoof at the ceiling with its depictions of the sun, moon and stars. A smattering of nods and murmured agreement from the rest of the council members followed the stallion’s statement.

Star Swirl’s eyes narrowed as he faced the stallion. “Even if you do not see it, we are still creatures of this world. We must begin to make amends with the other pony tribes or I fear we will all perish.”

“Enough,” King Silver commanded, cutting off the furious council stallion before he could muster a response. “We have given our answer, Star Swirl, and I see no reason to continue this session.”

“In that case,” Star Swirl said. “I would like a private audience with you, King Silver, before I depart on my mission.”

“Very well,” the king sighed. “The Royal Council is hereby adjourned,” he proclaimed, using his magic to levitate a small mallet and tap the wooden table with a knock that echoed throughout the vast chamber. The disgruntled members of the council rose from their seats and departed through a side door, while the king lifted himself off his throne and strode down the steps towards Star Swirl. They began to slowly walk side-by-side across the room back to the entrance on the far side, Star Swirl levitating his hat beside himself as they did so. King Silver had a resigned look at the prospect of a conversation he had known was coming but was not looking forward to.

“I can’t say I did not expect this to happen,” Star Swirl stated, staring straight ahead, away from the king. “But I had at least hoped that as my old friend, you would defend me.”

“The council was in total agreement in this matter,” King Silver said, frowning at the magician. “My hoof was forced; I could not overturn such a clear consensus.”

“I believe that power actually does reside with the position of king,” Star Swirl remarked, drawing an annoyed look from Silver.

“You would have me go against the clear opinion of my subjects?” the king countered, stopping in his tracks. The magician turned to face King Silver and considered his words before giving a deep sigh.

“Silver, you are an old friend,” Star Swirl began. “And while I understand your predicament, I feel no shame in telling you that I think you could have used your influence with the council to greater effect. The fact that you didn’t tells me you have little interest in establishing ties with the other pony tribes.”

King Silver’s frown deepened. “You are correct, Star Swirl. I see no purpose in reaching out a hoof to those who themselves have low regard of us. We have always lived separate but equally, and I do not intend to change that. And I refuse to give in to these foolhardy notions of yours that we are on the precipice of a disaster!” he snapped. “What can possibly threaten us that our magic can not overcome?”

“We are dependent on the earth ponies and pegasi,” Star Swirl answered. “What threatens them will ultimately threaten us.”

“You’ve made yourself very unpopular with the nobility with statements such as these,” the king said, resuming his walk across the room. “You may be a powerful wizard, but if you are not cautious you will find that neither your achievements nor even my power can protect you.”

“So is this why the funding for the library was cut?” Star Swirl retorted. “Why we were forced to move to lesser quarters?”

“Be careful what you say, Star Swirl,” King Silver muttered.

The magician halted and whirled about to face the king again. “I will not stand for having the accumulated knowledge of many a great unicorn compromised because some noblemare believes I am preaching a radical agenda to our fillies!” he yelled, gesturing violently at the council table.

Star Swirl took a step towards the king. “Whatever your view of me, whatever the kingdom’s reaction to my words, I want you to swear to me that Clover will take her proper place beside the throne as the voice of reason behind the crown.”

“You know me better than that, Star Swirl,” King Silver grumbled. “Magic is what makes the unicorns great, and I would never be such a fool as to turn down the advice of the greatest magicians we have.”

“It is not you I am concerned about,” Star Swirl explained. “It is your daughter. Perhaps you are blinded by the love of a father, but I have seen how Platinum interacts with Clover. She regards my apprentice as little more than another one of the servants who live by the command of the crown. And I have no intention of seeing the most intelligent of our kind pushed to the side.”

“She will learn in good time,” King Silver said steely as they finally reached the end of the room.

“For the sake of our future, I hope she does,” Star Swirl replied before replacing his hat atop his head and striding through the open doors, the faint chime of his bells echoing softly down the hallways that led out of the palace.

Act I: Chapter II

The capital city of the Kingdom of Unicornia lay in the steep, rocky foothills of the Northern Mountains, built at this high altitude with the idea of being closer to the celestial bodies its inhabitants controlled. Here the weather was chilly and the landscape harsh, but the city had been ingeniously built on a south-facing slope that basked in the sun’s rays while the sheer cliffs that framed the towers of the palace protected the city from the arctic winds that blew from the north. As travelers left Unicornia and proceeded to the base of these cliffs they would enter an alpine forest which stretched for miles, the terrain gradually becoming softer the further south they went. Eventually the tall pines would give way to stately oaks and the craggy terrain to lush meadows and forested slopes, which in turn gave way to the grassy plains and gently rolling hills that typified the Mane Valley, named for the great river that ran along its base.

The Mane Valley, the domain of the earth ponies, marked the center of the known world. To the south lay the Southern Peaks, a mountain range even more spectacular than the Northern Mountains, with the highest altitudes known to ponykind. The domain of the pegasi lay in the clouds above the eastern portions of the valley and the headwaters of the River Mane, which flowed west through the multitude of earth pony villages and out to the uncharted lands beyond.

It was on the banks of that river, near one of the many villages that dotted the central region of the valley, that there sat an earth pony stallion with a chestnut brown coat, a long mane of blond hair and a cutie mark of an oval-shaped rock that was a dull grayish-brown color. While a group of young fillies and colts laughed and played in the tall grass of a nearby field, the stallion sat quietly with his back against the thick trunk of a stately cottonwood, a straw hat atop his head and lowered over his eyes as he sat facing the wide River Mane. It was a beautiful early summer day, the kind that hinted at the heat to come; the weather was warm, the hazy golden sunlight filtered through the leafy trees and the river flowed strong and beautifully, if a touch brown from the fertile soils. With his morning chores finished, he was taking a rest in the shade of the tree, enjoying the quiet solitude before he had to return to his farm for the evening chores.

Still, for quiet solitude, he hadn’t expected things to become this quiet. His ears twitched when the sound of the young ponies playing nearby abruptly died out. The mighty flow of the river became the dominant sound in his ears, a steady rhythm that was broken only by the rustle of leaves in the wind. The stallion’s ears swiveled about, wondering why the children had gone so quiet so suddenly, but he didn’t see it necessary to look up from his resting spot or otherwise disrupt his relaxation; that is, not until he heard a new noise and his curiosity got the better of him. Over the rush of the river he could just make out the faint jingle of bells.

“Is that…no, it couldn’t be…” the stallion thought as he raised his head and lifted a hoof to push his hat up. Immediately he spotted the reason why the children had gone so silent – a unicorn was strolling down the road that paralleled the river, pulling a small wooden cart which held a pile of personal belongings. The sight of a unicorn in this locale would in and of itself be unusual enough were it not for this unicorn’s bizarre appearance. He had a dark grey coat and a long, flowing beard of the purest white hair while wearing the strangest (and quite frankly most ridiculous looking) outfit any earth pony in these parts had seen. He had a long cloak and a pointed cap, both colored like the night sky and decorated with stars and moons with small, golden bells attached to the fabric.

“Star Swirl?!” the stallion exclaimed, rising to his feet as he called out to the newcomer. The unicorn stopped in his tracks and looked across the field with surprise.

“Humble Pie!” Star Swirl called back. “Good heavens, you were just the pony I was coming to see!”

“Well, naturally. Who else would a unicorn like you talk to in a place like this?” Humble Pie laughed, trotting through the tall grass towards the unicorn. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the group of young ponies hiding at the edge of the field behind a tree or huddled in a dry irrigation ditch, watching the unicorn with fright and not a little wonder.

Humble Pie beamed as he walked up to Star Swirl and shook his hoof. “It’s good to see you again, old friend.”

“It’s been far too long,” Star Swirl agreed, giving the earth pony a wrinkly smile.

“Good thing I spotted you too,” Humble Pie said, cracking a sly smile. “You seem to be frightening the children,” he added, jerking his head to the side to gesture towards the young earth ponies who were warily eyeing the pair of stallions and whispering among themselves.

“You know, for somepony who wants to make friends with us earth ponies, you don’t do your cause much good,” Humble Pie chuckled, much to Star Swirl’s annoyance. “Especially going around dressed like that.”

“My reasons for my outfit are my own,” Star Swirl grumbled. “And I grow weary of these young ones seeing me as a threat.” He removed the harnesses attaching him to his cart and took a few steps toward the group of fillies and colts. “Children!” he proclaimed, billowing his cloak slightly to look all the more impressive. “There is no reason to fear me! Come out where I can meet you and see your smiling faces!” Far from being assured, the children merely shied away from the unicorn even more.

“Oh yeah, you’re a real master with children, I can tell,” Humble Pie deadpanned, visibly trying not to burst out laughing. “Let me handle this, old-timer,” he said before clearing his throat and calling out to the young ponies. “Hey kids! Help me! You have to come save me from the big scary unicorn!”

“What are you doing?” Star Swirl hissed. “That is the exact opposite of the message I’m trying to convey!”

“Oh no!” Humble Pie cried theatrically, waving his hooves in the air. “He says he’s going to turn me into a toad! You have to help me fight him off, kids!”

“Stop that right now!” the unicorn growled under his breath. “Besides, I would never turn you into a toad. That’s absolutely preposterous!”

“Oh, lighten up,” Humble Pie chuckled. “Look,” he added, nodding his head towards the group of children. Star Swirl turned and saw the kids were now urgently whispering among themselves and seemed to have started a quiet but furious argument.

“I’m not afraid! I’ll go save him!” a young filly suddenly hollered, loud enough for the two stallions on the road to hear. She pulled herself out of her hiding place in the ditch and began slowly making her way across the field towards them, looking terrified but absolutely determined. She walked onto the road and gulped before putting herself in between Star Swirl and Humble Pie. “You…you leave Mr. Pie alone, you…you big meanie!” she shouted before cringing in terror, waiting to see if this horned menace attacked.

Before Star Swirl could utter a response, Humble Pie danced around the filly in joy. “You did it!” he whooped to the young pony as he put a hoof around the unicorn. “See? You melted his cold, mean unicorn heart and made him friendly! I’ll bet now he’ll do a magic trick for you! Won’t you, Mr. Unicorn?” he prodded, winking at Star Swirl.

“Wha-oh, yes, of course,” Star Swirl muttered, bewildered at this turn of events.

“Really?” the filly exclaimed, looking incredibly excited at this prospect. “Hey everypony!” she yelled, turning back to her friends. “Look, I made the unicorn nice!”

“Really?” several of the children shouted back, their expressions showing their surprise.

“Hey, maybe that’s your special talent!” a filly called back.

“Maybe it is!” gasped the filly standing before the two stallions, who immediately whipped her head around to see if a cutie mark had appeared on her flank. When no such mark appeared, she gave a groan of disappointment.

***

It took about an hour for the two stallions to pull themselves away from the now eager group of children, who kept wanting to see the apparently tamed unicorn perform magic for them, particularly anything involving sparks and fire. Eventually Humble Pie was able to shoo the fillies and colts away and lead Star Swirl down the road and along a short side path to the earth pony’s modest farm and abode. His house was a simple stone structure with a thatched straw roof, a style that was typical of the region, sitting behind a small field of freshly-cut grass. Stacked heaps of drying hay, still lightly green but quickly browning, dotted the field. Individual strands of drying grass littered the ground, waiting to be raked or collected.

“Sorry for the mess,” Humble Pie apologized to the unicorn. “I only just managed to finish up the harvest this past week.”

“Oh?” Star Swirl replied, raising an eyebrow at his friend. “I seem to recall the hay harvest being earlier in the year than this.”

“You would remember that,” the earth pony chuckled. “Seeing as you were the one who saved our harvest from that swarm of crickets all those years ago.”

“Ah yes…” the unicorn replied, stroking his beard as he wore a fond smile on his face. “You were lucky I was passing through at the time. And that I happened to know a spell for summoning seagulls.”

“Seagulls!” Humble Pie cackled in laughter. “I tell you, the ponies in town had never seen a seagull before and haven’t seen one since. I bet you most of them are still convinced it was some sort of divine intervention. And maybe it was. After all, you showed up in our time of need,” he added, giving his friend a grateful smile.

“Coincidence, I assure you,” Star Swirl muttered. “Anyway, you haven’t yet explained why the harvest is late this year.”

“Winter was wrapped up later than usual,” Humble Pie answered. “Oddest thing too; the weather just would not warm up, even after spring normally arrives. Ponies in town started grumbling that the pegasi weren’t holding up their side of the bargain and clearing the skies – and frankly, I wouldn’t put it past them – but those pegasi claimed the conditions weren’t right and they couldn’t start moving the clouds just yet." He glanced up at the sky, a thoughtful frown crossing his face. "Maybe it’s just the paranoia of a farmer, but I could swear it seems like winter just gets longer and longer each year.”

“Hmmm,” Star Swirl murmured, processing this information.

“I mean, pegasi have a way of stirring up trouble,” Humble Pie continued. “But I can’t see any reason why they would halt the growing season. After all, we have all the food.”

“Hmmm,” the unicorn murmured again.

“Alright then, don’t tell me,” Humble Pie laughed, eliciting a chuckle out of Star Swirl. “But you’re all about bringing unicorns and pegasi and earth ponies together; you probably know whether or not the pegasi are planning to declare war on us.”

“The pegasi do certainly have…territorial ambitions,” Star Swirl replied, pausing to find the polite term for ‘a desire to take over the world.’ “But as far as I am aware, they have no interest in mounting a campaign for the Mane Valley. I think they realize they are dependent on earth pony production, even if they are unwilling to admit it.”

“That or they think we’re too stupid to be a worthy adversary,” Humble Pie replied with a dark chuckle. “Or that taking over the Mane Valley would instantly mean open war with the unicorns, since they’re dependent on our food as well.” Star Swirl didn’t reply; much as he didn’t want to agree, there was a deep truth to both of these statements.

“So what brings you to the land of us simple-minded farmer folk?” Humble Pie asked with a chuckle, lightly thumping the unicorn on the shoulder.

“I am on a mission to the Southern Lands,” Star Swirl explained. “And I have a favor to ask of you. You see, I am to meet with a group of ponies for this endeavor here and I need a private setting for us to discuss our plans and relax before we begin our journey.”

“Say no more,” Humble Pie said, idly waving a hoof. “I’ll cook up a dinner for them, set up a proper feast, and you can all talk over your business afterwards.”

“I should warn you, you might find them a bit…intimidating,” Star Swirl said uncertainly. “However, I think you will be interested in what we have to discuss.”

“Then think nothing of it, it would be an honor,” Humble Pie assured his friend. “Bring your friends over this evening, and I’ll have everything ready for them.”

***

Several hours later, Humble Pie was cursing his generous offer. At the moment he was hurrying about his modest but well-stocked kitchen, trying to finish dinner before his guests arrived but knowing that he was fighting a losing battle against time. He narrowly avoided tripping over the sack of flour he had left on the ground as he navigated over to the wood stove. He lowered a spoon into a bubbling pot of stew to take a sip of the broth and after smacking his lips for a second, he decided it could use just a tad more salt. He cast an eye over to the oven, making sure the pot pie he was baking wasn’t burning. Cooking and baking may not have been his special talent, but Humble Pie nevertheless fancied himself a competent chef.

Still, he wished he had thought to ask one of his family members for help. Any one of his four siblings, all of whom lived nearby, would have been suitable. Of them his youngest sister would have been the best in this situation, as she possessed an uncanny ability to keep a level head and an ordered kitchen in the midst of the chaos of making a large meal. Of course, she already put those talents to good use in taking care of her many children, so maybe she wouldn’t be the best to call on short notice. But that still left three other perfectly capable siblings, not to mention all the locals who Humble Pie had given favors to over the years, which had earned him a considerable amount of respect within the community. 'But nope, I just plunged in without even thinking to ask for help,' he thought, cursing himself for it.

A sudden knock at his door broke Humble Pie’s concentration, and he dropped the spoon into the pot, splashing some boiling water on himself. He yelped from the pain and took a step back, catching the sack of flour with one of his hooves and tumbling over on to the floor.

“Just a moment!” he yelled as he stood up, grumbling under his breath. He set the sack of flour back in its proper place in the pantry before galloping over to the front door.

“I’m coming!” he shouted as he reached the door and started to pull it open. “Sorry, dinner is going to be a little longer, but I hope that-“ The rest of the sentence got stuck in his throat as he opened the door and saw who was standing in front of his house.

Star Swirl the Bearded was standing in the middle of a group of half a dozen pegasi, some hovering and some standing upon the ground, all different colors and all adorned in full suits of armor in the style of the Pegasi Empire. Even without the armor, Humble Pie would have been able to tell from their strong physical builds that they were all military ponies. And each one of them was staring at the earth pony, who was standing in the doorway with his mouth agape.

After a silent moment, a sea-green pegasus mare in armor much more elaborate than the rest of her fellows stepped forward until she was face-to-face with the earth pony. “Humble Pie?” she asked in a commanding voice.

“I…yes?” Humble Pie answered uncertainly.

The pegasus frowned before drawing herself up on her hind hooves, using her wings to hold herself aloft in mid-air. She used her front hooves to remove her ornately-decorated bronze helmet and held it in one of her front hooves as she thrust the other hoof forward, holding it stiffly upright and parallel to the ground.

“Star Swirl has told us of you. I am Commander Tempest, requesting permission to enter your abode,” she proclaimed in a loud, carrying voice, keeping her hoof raised as she did so.

Any pegasus of the time would have recognized Commander Tempest’s hoof gesture as the official civilian salute of the Pegasi Empire, used by all military personnel as a form of greeting and respect to other military members and, on rare occasion, to ordinary civilians. However, Humble Pie was not a pegasus nor had he grown up around pegasi, so he was not familiar with the salute. He looked at the outstretched hoof in confusion for a moment before coming to his own conclusion about what this odd gesture was.

“Um…how do you do?” Humble Pie asked, smiling awkwardly as he grabbed Tempest’s hoof with his own front hooves in a stiff hoofshake. The other pegasi in the group audibly gasped while Commander Tempest raised a stiff eyebrow at the earth pony. Behind her, Star Swirl chuckled heartily.

Act I: Chapter III

“Pegasi? You brought pegasi with you?” Humble Pie hissed at Star Swirl the moment he was able to secure a private moment with the unicorn.

“You seem perturbed, my friend,” the magician chuckled. “I did warn you about my company beforehand, but you seemed not to mind.” The two stallions were standing outside on the porch, out of hearing distance from any of the pegasi inside.

“You didn’t tell me they were soldiers!” the earth pony accused, almost beside himself with anger and fear. “And not just soldiers; that mare is the leader of the pegasi!” he added, vigorously pointing a hoof in the direction of the dining room, where their guests were all seated. “You didn’t tell me I’d be making dinner for the head pegasus! Knowing these brutes they’d probably start a war if they didn’t like my food!”

“Then I’d venture you don’t know them very well,” Star Swirl answered evenly. “The pegasi are warriors, yes, but they don’t start wars without reason.”

“For my own sake, I hope you’re right,” Humble Pie replied. “Now excuse me while I make sure they’re not burning my kitchen down,” he muttered as he walked back into his house. Star Swirl sighed and shook his head as he followed him inside.

As it turned out, Humble Pie had little reason to fear for his kitchen. The pegasi were sitting around the dining table, having a rather animated conversation. Indeed, they had even taken it upon themselves to set the table while their host finished making dinner, placing the plates, cups and bowls onto the table in a neat, regimented fashion that only trained soldiers could pull off.

There were five pegasi in the group. Sitting at the middle of the table, Commander Tempest stood out as the most imposing figure of the lot. She had a powerful build and the aged look of a warrior who had experienced many battles. However, her strength was masked by her colors, which suggested a certain calmness; her coat was sea-green and she had wavy blue hair for a mane and tail. The Commander seemed to be approaching middle-age, but her few wrinkles and slightly graying mane managed to convey a sense of wisdom while not taking away from the aura of power surrounding her.

Sitting to the immediate right of Tempest was her daughter, General Hurricane. Where the commander’s appearance suggested the calm of the sea, Hurricane’s appearance screamed of youth and unbridled energy barely held in check. She had a sky-blue coat and a shock of color for a mane and a tail that danced over her figure like some kind of garishly-colored flag. Hurricane had a fierce look about her and of all the pegasi in the group it was Hurricane who best fit the stereotype of pegasi that Humble Pie had in mind. She was looking around her modest surroundings with a scowl on her face and couldn’t seem to stop shifting in her seat.

The other three pegasi were all fairly nondescript in comparison to their leader and her daughter. To Tempest’s immediate left was General Silver Lining, Advisor to the Commander. True to his name, he had a grey coat with a silvery mane and tail and a wary gaze about him, but unlike Hurricane it was a look less of hostility and more of caution. He was short for a stallion and seemed to be the most reserved of the group, occasionally engaging Tempest in quiet conversation. The other two were, as far as Humble Pie could tell, personal guards of the commander: Private Swift Cloud, a strong-looking mare with a sunny disposition, and Private Thunderhead, a stallion who was the only one of the group taller than Commander Tempest and who had a rather stern look about him.

Star Swirl the Bearded trotted past the dining room, following Humble Pie into the kitchen. Seeing that several of the dishes were now ready, the unicorn used his magic to levitate a heaping pot of stew, a plate of bread and a pitcher of cider into the dining room while the earth pony put the finishing touches on the pot pie. Within moments they were all seated around the table sharing the meal, with Star Swirl and Humble Pie sitting at opposite ends of the table. The magician was seated closest to Silver Lining and the two of them, along with Tempest, were conversing over various political matters. Humble Pie had the misfortune of being seated next to Hurricane, who had her front hooves crossed and didn’t seem to want anything to do with the earth pony. On the other hoof, Swift Cloud was sitting on Humble Pie’s other side and was constantly engaging the earth pony, asking questions about his life, his house, and showing a general enthusiasm over meeting a non-pegasus. For his part, Humble Pie wasn’t sure whether he should feel flattered or annoyed at getting all this attention. The dinner proceeded without incident, but the earth pony felt distinctly uncomfortable amongst this group.

“My compliments to the chef,” Tempest offered, raising her mug of cider to Humble Pie as she finished the rest of her meal. The other pegasi and Star Swirl followed suit, apparently obeying some unwritten rule to follow what the commander did. Humble Pie smiled nervously, lifting his own mug in the direction of Tempest and silently praying he wasn’t breaking any more pegasi etiquette.

“Now that we’ve finished that lovely meal,” Star Swirl announced as he cleared the table, levitating the empty plates and bowls back into the kitchen. “I think it’s time we discussed business.”

“Oh no,” Humble Pie said before anypony else could respond. “Count me out. You lot can talk over your plans, but I’m staying out of it. I’m no military pony.”

“What a surprise,” Hurricane muttered with a slight smirk, drawing an irritated look from Humble Pie and, to the earth pony’s surprise, Tempest.

“Hush, Hurricane,” the commander said in a gentle but firm tone, causing her daughter to shrink back into her seat. Tempest then turned to Humble Pie, her expression going from one of admonishment to mild concern. “I am sorry to hear you will not be joining us; Star Swirl informed me you would be interested in our affairs.”

Humble Pie glared at the unicorn sitting opposite him. “So is this the favor you’ve come to ask of me?”

Star Swirl smiled and shook his head. “The favor I asked was merely that you provide food and a suitable meeting place for our company, nothing more.”

The earth pony lifted himself off his seat and began trotting towards the kitchen to wash the dishes. “In that case, I’ll leave you to it.”

“That’s a shame,” Star Swirl remarked, settling back in his seat. “I thought you would be interested in Fortune’s Peak.”

Humble Pie froze mid-step, nearly toppling over in his surprise. He abruptly turned around and locked eyes with Star Swirl, who was smirking back at him like a predator who had ensnared his prey.

“What…what does any of this have to do with Fortune’s Peak?” Humble Pie asked, trying to keep his voice calm despite his surprise.

“So you do know about Fortune’s Peak!” Hurricane exclaimed. “And here I was starting to think this was all just a wild goose chase.”

“You once told me you lived there as a colt,” Star Swirl continued to Humble Pie, choosing to ignore Hurricane.

“I…yes,” Humble Pie answered, slowly sitting back in his seat. “As a young pony with my family…but what does any of this have to do with the old days?”

“Before we tell you that,” Star Swirl replied. “Why don’t you explain to my company how you’re familiar with Fortune’s Peak?”

“Well, there’s not much to say, really…” Humble Pie muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s a mountain to the southeast, near the edge of the Badlands. Not the most hospitable or beautiful mountain, but my family had a rock farm there that was passed down from my grandmother.”

“A rock farm?” Hurricane chided, smirking at the earth pony. “And just how is a pony supposed to farm rocks?”

“What a surprise,” Humble Pie sighed, shooting a glare at Hurricane. “A pegasus who doesn’t know basic geology.”

“Humble…” Star Swirl growled threateningly as Hurricane rose off her chair to retort, but the young pegasus was quickly pushed back down by Tempest.

“Hold your tongue, Hurricane,” Tempest said sternly, speaking less with the tone of a commanding military officer and more that of a disciplining mother. Hurricane sulked in her chair as the commander turned back to the earth pony. “Please continue, Humble Pie.”

“For the unenlightened among you,” the farmer continued, putting just as much emphasis as he dared on the word ‘unenlightened’ and deliberately avoiding Hurricane’s gaze as he did so. “A rock farm doesn’t farm rocks. It’s what’s inside the rocks that we farm. Crystals, gemstones, valuable minerals…we ripen rubies, harvest heartstones, extract emeralds…” As he continued to explain, there was a glint in Humble Pie’s eyes that seemed to draw the attention of the pegasi; Swift Cloud in particular looked fascinated and was listening intently. “You may have noticed my cutie mark seems to be that of a simple rock,” Humble Pie added, gesturing down to his flank even though it was hidden from sight beneath the table. “But a trained eye will recognize that rock as a geode: unassuming from the outside, but filled with riches within. They were my specialty growing up.

“Yes, those were the days…” the earth pony reminisced, finding to his own surprise how easily the memories spilled forth. “The land around Fortune’s Peak may look barren and lifeless, but below the surface the ground teems with riches; thousands upon thousands of gemstones ready to be harvested!

“Of course, as it turned out,” Humble Pie went on, his tone darkening. “It was those very riches which brought about our downfall.”

“You’re talking about the dragon, right?” Swift Cloud asked eagerly, leaning forward in her excitement.

“Ah, so you know about that,” Humble Pie grunted, taking a swig of cider from his mug before continuing. “Yes, one day all was well, my family was living a peaceful existence, and then the next everything was flames and smoke…” He trailed off as he looked down at the table, staring off into space. “The precious gems attracted the dragon, and his greed knew no bounds. He wanted all the lands for himself and there was nothing that could be done to stop his conquest. Soon we were fleeing for our lives…we abandoned our home, our livelihood, our very heritage; the legacy of my grandmother, Good Fortune. We left her mountain behind and settled in the Mane Valley. But…things could never be the same for us,” he finished bitterly.

“Still, can’t complain too much,” Humble Pie added, looking up at his guests again and putting on a brave smile. “What’s done is in the past, and I’ve got my health, my family and my friends. Can’t ask for more, really.”

“Tell me, Humble Pie,” Tempest began, looking thoughtful. “How well do you remember Fortune’s Peak?”

“I grew up there,” the earth pony replied simply. “I played there as a child, I worked the fields…it was my home. Obviously I remember it very well.”

“But do you remember any of the physical features?” Tempest asked intently, a wild gleam appearing in her eyes. “The caves, the rocks, the approaches, where everything is?”

Humble Pie leaned back in his seat with a wary expression on his face as his gaze traveled from the Commander to the other pegasi before settling on Star Swirl. “What is this all about?”

“You weren’t the only ponies that dragon drove away,” Silver Lining said. “The Pegasi Empire once had a cloudpost atop Fortune’s Peak. Being the only mountain around for miles it was the ideal location for our southernmost fort, a base where we could launch campaigns and explorations of the southern lands.”

“Ah yes, I do recall that now…” Humble Pie murmured thoughtfully. “Up in the clouds that collected around the mountain’s peak.”

“That’s right,” Silver Lining nodded. “When that dragon came we fought valiantly but to no avail. Our cloudpost was utterly destroyed, and, as a final humiliation, all our possessions were stolen by the dragon and piled atop the horde he built for himself in the caves of the mountain. And there he settled, pillaging our other cloudposts in the area until we were forced to surrender the region.”

“But now, we’re going to drive that dragon off and take back what’s ours!” Hurricane shouted, grinning widely with the same mad gleam in her eyes that her mother had just shown.

“You’re WHAT?” Humble Pie yelped, almost leaping off his chair in his alarm. He looked at the other pegasi and Star Swirl, expecting to see similar expressions of shock and horror, or at least amusement in case the brash pegasus was telling a joke, but their calm demeanors made the earth pony realize they were taking this proposition very seriously.

“We’re going to beat that dragon and reclaim Fortune’s Peak, in the name of the Pegasi Empire!” Hurricane announced as she thrust a hoof in the air, prompting a “Hurrah!” from a couple of the other pegasi.

“You can not be serious!” the earth pony exclaimed, shaking his head and staring wide-eyed at Hurricane. “Perhaps you forgot that we are talking about a dragon. A huge, vicious, fire-breathing, neigh-indestructible dragon. How would you even begin to go about fighting it?”

“Ah, I’m glad you asked, Humble Pie,” Star Swirl said, smiling softly. “As it turns out, there are two tools at our disposal to fight this beast. The first is my magic,” he explained, casually levitating his cup into the air as a rather simple and wholly unnecessary demonstration of his abilities. “Forgive me for boasting, but as the most powerful magician of our time, I know quite a few powerful spells that can hold off even a beast as powerful as a dragon.

“But magic alone is not enough to defeat a dragon. If it was, the unicorns could drive off dragons whenever we wanted. But that is where our second tool comes in,” the unicorn continued, glancing at Silver Lining. The pegasus nodded and lifted himself off his chair, trotting over to the small pile of possessions the guests had left in a corner of the room. He retrieved a long, thin object sheathed in a metal casing and carefully carried it back, gently setting it on the table as the other pegasi watched on, enraptured by the mysterious object.

“What is this?” Humble Pie asked, feeling somewhat perturbed by this strange item on his table.

“This,” Tempest declared, lifting the object in her front hooves. “Is one of the most important possessions of the Pegasi Empire. This…is the Sword of Flame.” She grasped a handle at the end of the object and unsheathed the sword, which gleamed brightly in the soft light of the room. There was an aura of power about the weapon, which was accentuated by the sudden wave of warmth that seemed to radiate from the sword the moment it was unsheathed. Tempest regarded the sword with a solemn look while the other pegasi had expressions of awe, and Humble Pie felt impressed – no, intimidated by it. Weapons were not tools of farmers and ponies of the land; they were the playthings of coldhearted brutes. And yet, despite his revulsion at the thought of somepony wielding this sword, Humble Pie felt the stirrings of the same reverence the pegasi were currently showing, a feeling the earth pony quickly tried to bury and reject.

“Fashioned by the finest craftsponies of the Empire…from the tooth of a dragon,” Tempest muttered as she considered the sword in her hooves.

“A tooth?” Humble Pie repeated in confusion. “How in the world does a pegasi get their hooves on a dragon’s tooth?”

“That…is a story for another time,” Tempest answered as she replaced the sword back in its special casing before looking up at the earth pony. “What matters is this: you said that dragons are neigh-indestructible. And you are right. Few things can injure a dragon…except another dragon. That is the power of this sword.”

“I trust you don’t intend to kill the dragon,” Star Swirl said, regarding Tempest with an even look. “We are only to drive it off.”

“Of course,” Tempest muttered, throwing a sharp glance at the unicorn. “I hope you don’t take me for a barbarian.”

“So you see now?” Silver Lining inquired to Humble Pie. “On their own, magic or this sword would not be enough against a dragon, but combined we have the tools to succeed! But we need somepony who can lead us to the mountain, who knows its secrets so that we may sneak up on the dragon and stand a fighting chance!”

“I…” Humble Pie paused. This was far more than he ever bargained for.

“Should you help us succeed,” Tempest declared. “You will of course be welcome to return and farm the land once more. You can reclaim your family’s heritage and put your special talents to use once more.”

“I…uh…” the earth pony stammered, overwhelmed by what he was being asked. This was all happening much too quickly for him and he was in no state to answer just yet. “I…am going to have to think about this,” he finally stated.

“Of course,” the Commander replied, nodding to the earth pony. “This is obviously an important decision for you. But make your choice soon; we won’t be waiting here for long.”

“I just need a night to sleep on it,” Humble Pie said, slightly more forcefully than he intended. “Err, speaking of which, will you need a place to sleep? I might be a little short on beds, but-“

“No need,” Silver Lining interrupted, idly waving a hoof. “We pegasi are more comfortable sleeping out amongst the clouds.”

“Right,” Humble Pie nodded, feeling relieved that he wouldn’t have to figure out how to accommodate five extra ponies for the night. “Star Swirl, I have an extra bed I can set up for you, if you like.”

“That would be delightful,” the unicorn said, nodding gratefully to Humble Pie. “Though I must admit, given how you pegasi take to your clouds I wish I could try to sleep on one without fearing I would fall through!” He stroked his beard and looked thoughtful. “If only I had the chance to study the properties of these clouds, perhaps I could invent a spell that would allow the wingless to stride upon them.”

“Non-pegasi walking on clouds?” Hurricane scoffed. “Sure, that’ll happen.”

Each of the pegasi rose from their chairs and bid Humble Pie and Star Swirl a good night as they went outside. Star Swirl levitated the last of the cups from the table into the kitchen, setting them amongst the other dirty dishes. Despite the unicorn’s best protests, Humble Pie refused to allow Star Swirl to help clean the dishes, insisting on cleaning up by himself. Unable to break the earth pony’s stubbornness, he finally relented and followed the pegasi outside.

The unicorn looked up to see the pegasi were already collecting some nearby clouds and positioning them above the house, packing them together in order to make them suitable for sleeping. “Commander Tempest! General Silver Lining!” Star Swirl called. “May I have a private word with you?” The two pegasi nodded promptly and fluttered down to the ground next to the unicorn.

“I hope you found my contact to your liking,” the magician said, gesturing back to Humble Pie’s house with his head.

“We shall see, Star Swirl. We shall see,” Tempest smirked. “But I will grant that he does seem promising.”

“Indeed. This earth pony strikes me as a potential ally,” Silver Lining remarked. “I saw the hunger in his eyes when he spoke of his old home.”

“Just be sure you live up to your side of our agreement,” Star Swirl muttered, gazing at Tempest and drawing an uneasy look from Silver Lining. “When we succeed in this mission and you return to Pegasopolis, you will make clear that a unicorn and an earth pony played a crucial role in the Pegasi Empire reclaiming their southern territories.”

“I am bound by my honor as a commander, Star Swirl,” the pegasus answered curtly. “However, I doubt that even such a proclamation will change most minds in Pegasopolis regarding non-pegasi.”

“This is true,” Silver Lining nodded. “Even with such a heroic feat, I believe most of our kind will continue to look upon earth ponies and unicorns as beneath them. Quite literally, in fact.”

“We must start somewhere,” Star Swirl insisted. “Even if unity amongst the three tribes is not achieved within our lifetimes, we must at least ensure that future generations can carry our goals out. You have seen the threat which has set its sights on us.”

Tempest smiled knowingly. “Seen it? I am not so fortunate, Star Swirl. But I know it is there, lurking at the edge of the known world, bidding its time. It plays with our weather, mocks our abilities, and then flees before we can glimpse it. But still it is there.”

The pegasus sighed, wearily looking down at the ground and showing her age. “I fear for my empire, Star Swirl. Since the disgraceful loss of our southern territories, we have grown weaker and…complacent. We are so self-assured of victory and the honor of our actions that I fear the collapse of all we have built if this threat attacks and we are not ready.”

“My Commander, you must not give in to such thoughts!” Silver Lining said in a pleading tone. “Yes we have much troubling us, but our empire is still strong! Our morals remain firm, our might absolute!”

“But we have not been tested in a long time,” Tempest replied. “And I fear this new enemy is waiting for us to relax our guard. I do not want to preside over a dying empire, especially when I have a daughter to pass it on to,” she added, looking up at Hurricane, who was removing her armor and settling into her cloud to sleep.

The commander turned her gaze back to Star Swirl. Her wearied expression now showed the concern of a mother. “War has a remarkable way of bringing like-minded ponies together. Should this threat attack, the Pegasi Empire will align with your kind, but only if we know we can trust you and even then only if it is necessary. That is why I am here; for the sake of my daughter and the future of my empire.”

Star Swirl nodded sagely and bid the two pegasi a good night before returning inside Humble Pie’s house to consider what Tempest had just said. For his part, he deplored war and hoped it would never come to that. Indeed, given what he knew of Windigoes he doubted a war like one the pegasi were familiar with could even occur. But the goal of unity amongst the pony tribes was one he and the Commander now shared, even if they foresaw different paths to that end and had different reasons for wanting to see it accomplished. For now, Star Swirl figured it would be best not to argue specifics so long as they had the same goal in mind.

***

Humble Pie had trouble sleeping that night. First he tossed and turned in his bed, constantly shifting position to try and get more comfortable, before laying face up and counting sheep, but that didn’t help either. The decision before him rested heavily on his mind, and his brain was too engrossed with his choices and the potential consequences to go to sleep.

“I could get the rock farm back…” one thought argued.

“You’ll get killed,” the other side fought back.

“You might not – after all, you have magic and an indestructible sword on your side.”

“Don’t you remember the dragon’s wrath? The flames, the destruction…” The image of a large, vicious creature raining terror from above appeared unbidden in his head. Humble Pie shuddered at the memory, the terror he had long since buried suddenly returning with the prospect of encountering this monster again.

“But it’s not like I am going to be fighting the dragon.” With that, the image of the dragon vanished and was replaced by the happy memory of his family living on the rock farm. But the figures were different now. In place of his father was Humble Pie himself, with a wife and kids of his own. His siblings, also adults and with children of their own, were there with him, cheerful and praising Humble Pie for bringing pride and wealth back to the family name.

Humble Pie groaned and rubbed his eyes with his front hooves. When he reflected on it later, the earth pony realized that this was the moment where he made up his mind. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he missed this opportunity to reclaim their old home. A sudden panic gripped him and he rushed out of bed and flung the shutters of the window open, terrified that the pegasi had left and he had already missed his chance. But upon looking up into the sky he saw that the clouds the pegasi had set up were still in place, a couple with their occupant’s tails hanging over the side. Humble Pie groaned again, burying his face in his hooves as he leaned on the window sill.

“I’m being stupid…” he mumbled under his breath. “This…this is insane. I…okay, fine, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go… No, I…AH, HORSEAPPLES! I’LL GO!” he screamed in frustration, before clamping a hoof over his mouth in embarrassment.

“Glad to hear it,” a voice chuckled from overhead. Humble Pie looked up to see Commander Tempest leaning over the side of her cloud, grinning down at him. “Now get some sleep; we have an early start tomorrow. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t wake my soldiers,” she added with a wink.

Humble Pie blushed and muttered an apology under his breath before quietly closing the shutters. As his eyes readjusted to the darkness of his room, he swore under his breath and climbed back into his bed. “Sure, like I’m going to have an easier time getting to sleep now…” he grumbled as he pulled the covers over him.

Within five minutes he was snoring.

Act II: Chapter I

The next morning passed by in a haze of confused farewells and short explanations. Humble Pie managed to find his siblings and asked them to spread the word to his friends. All he told them was that he had found an opportunity to get back in rock farming and was going to be gone for a while. He didn’t dare mention Fortune’s Peak or the dragon, for he knew all too well that his family would try to talk him out of it and berate him for even considering such an insane idea. He felt guilty leaving on such short notice; given the potential danger, it crossed his mind more than once that this could be the last time he saw any of them, but he managed to keep his emotions in check as he bid his relatives farewell.

He returned to his farm to see the pegasi already finished packing and waiting to depart, some more impatiently than others. Star Swirl, Commander Tempest and General Hurricane were looking over a piece of parchment that was laid out on the ground. When Humble Pie arrived the unicorn looked up and waved the earth pony over.

“Ah, Humble! Just who we needed to see,” Star Swirl said as the farmer approached. Looking down at the parchment he could now see that it was a map of the known realms, with the words “MANE VALLEY” written in large lettering at the very center. Upon the wrinkled parchment were illustrations of trees for forests and peaks for mountain ranges, as well as small drawings of buildings to indicate pony settlements and pegasus warrior helmets to mark the location of military outposts. Looking at the map, Humble Pie reflected on the placement of the pony tribes; to the east was the sprawling Pegasi Empire, literally and figuratively looking down from the clouds. To the northwest were the unicorns, acting as lordly as possible up in their mountain castles. And directly in the middle, at the center of tension between these two powerful tribes, were the farms and villages of the earth ponies, reliant on both of the other tribes but staking out their own space. It was a physical manifestation of what Humble Pie had always believed: in the end, no matter how much the pegasi and unicorns tried to deny it, everything revolved around earth ponies.

“Now, here’s Fortune’s Peak,” Star Swirl said, breaking Humble Pie out of his thoughts. The unicorn was pointing at a small illustration of a lone blunt-topped mountain at the lower rightmost corner of the map. “Humble, you’re the only one of us who has been there. Tell us, what route do you think we should take?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hurricane stated, cutting off the earth pony before he could respond. “We just have to take the straightest, most direct route! Look, there’s this river here,” she said, pointing out a squiggly line that was labeled ‘Long Creek.’ “We could just follow that into the mountains, then cross over to Fortune’s Peak. Simple!”

“Yes, it would be simple…for a pegasus,” Humble Pie muttered. “But for those of us without wings, the headwaters of Long Creek are at some of the steepest cliffs in the world. Imagine a towering wall of stone a thousand hooves high, with jagged rocks at the bottom and frequent rockslides. Unless you pegasi are willing to carry us, there’s no way me or Star Swirl can pass through there,” he finished with a smirk. Hurricane audibly snorted at the idea of carrying a mere earth pony and even Tempest looked slightly disgusted at the thought.

“Very well then, which route would you suggest?” the commander asked.

“When my family fled here, we took a path that led along the edge of the Forest of the Mists,” Humble Pie explained, tracing a hoof on the map as he spoke. “We’d have to walk along the River Mane, then cut across the woods here before we reach the Mists. We don’t have to go into the depths of the forest, but the foothills are so steep that we will have to venture into the trees at times.”

“But that’ll add days to our journey!” Hurricane cried.

“I haven’t seen my grandmother’s mountain in over ten years, General. I can wait a few extra days,” the earth pony stated, giving the pegasus an even look. Hurricane opened her mouth to argue the point, but seemed to decide against it after a moment. “Besides,” Humble Pie continued. “With a bunch of pegasi to fly above the tree tops and check our surroundings, it’s not as if there’s much risk of getting lost in the trees.”

Commander Tempest chuckled. “In any other forest, that would be true. But you seem to have forgotten that this is the Forest of the Mists.”

Humble Pie shrugged. “Nevertheless, we shouldn’t have any problems getting through the forest. From there, we can take a pass through the mountains that will lead us to Fortune’s Peak.” He traced out the path on the map.

“Delightful,” Star Swirl said, levitating the map and rolling it up into a tight scroll with his magic before tucking it into a saddlebag. “Then I believe we are ready to depart!” he announced to the group at large, who responded with a resounding cheer. The pegasi took to the air as the unicorn and the earth pony began trotting along behind. Humble Pie took a moment to glance back up the road at his house, trying to take in the sight of it as much as possible before he left it, knowing he might never see it again. He inhaled deeply, holding in the familiar, fragrant air before he slowly let it go and turned away, intent on not looking back.

***

The first hour passed by without incident. The pegasi flew the entire time, slowly enough that the unicorn and the earth pony could keep up at a steady trot. While none of the pegasi seemed particularly happy about having to fly at a low speed, everypony’s spirits were high and the sunny weather seemed only to bode good tidings for them. General Hurricane had shortly moved to the head of the group, where she was joined by Private Thunderhead. Commander Tempest and Silver Lining were engaged in a quiet conversation over matters of state that no one else in the group would have been likely to take much interest in. Humble Pie and Star Swirl traded a few words, but for the most part trotted along the dirt road in silence. Swift Cloud was taking an immense interest in her surroundings, and her quick speed allowed her to pause and take in the scenery of the farms, the flowing river and the small woods while still keeping up with the rest of the group. She darted between trees, spying birds in their nests and buzzing the leafy branches on top, and would occasionally fly low over the river, letting her hooves skim the top of the water.

Eventually though, Swift Cloud seemed to tire of these sights. At one point she spotted an earth pony family on their farm, staring at the pegasus. She gave them an awkward wave, but received only suspicious glares in return. Swift Cloud fluttered back to the road and landed on the other side of Humble Pie, trotting alongside him and awkwardly trying to shield herself from these cold stares behind the stallion.

“Um…so, Humble Pie,” she began awkwardly. “What’s it like being an earth pony?”

Humble Pie glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “Well, that depends…what’s it like being a pegasus?”

“Oh! Well…” Swift Cloud paused, at a lost for words. “Well there’s so much to being a pegasus! I wouldn’t even know where to start!”

“And now you see the futility of answering that question,” Humble Pie muttered, turning back to the road. However, Swift Cloud wasn’t bothered by the earth pony’s rebuff.

“Well then, what’s it like not to fly?” the pegasus asked.

“Hard to say. What’s it like to fly?” Humble Pie replied.

“Well, it’s…Oh, I did it again, didn’t I?” Swift Cloud chuckled, giving the earth pony an embarrassed grin. “Alright, let me try this one more time. Why do you like rock farming?”

“I don’t like rock farming,” Humble Pie quickly corrected her. “It’s…deeper than that. It’s…well frankly, I’m not sure you’d understand,” he finished shortly.

“Well, I’m trying to understand but you’re not explaining it very well!” the pegasus admonished the earth pony with a smile. “Alright then, let me tell you a little about myself then!” she offered with a flap of her wings as she took to hovering alongside Humble Pie instead of trotting with him.

“With all due respect,” Humble Pie replied, not sounding like he wanted to give the pegasus beside him any respect whatsoever. “Why would I want to know more about you?”

“In the military we are taught that the only pony we can honorably fight beside with is the one we know like a sister,” Swift Cloud said, placing a hoof solemnly on her chest. “Besides, we’ve got a long journey ahead of us and talking helps pass the time.”

“Fine,” Humble Pie sighed, glancing at the pegasus before opting for the most tired of pony conversation-starters. “How did you get your cutie mark?”

“Ah!” Swift Cloud exclaimed with delight, lifting into the air slightly higher so as to better show off her mark. It depicted a white cloud with a pair of wings protruding from it, though rather than being stationary the wings were in flight position and the cloud had a swept-back shape, as if speeding across the sky. “I got this while at flight academy. Everypony said I was fast, and I knew with my speed I’d make a great soldier!”

Ahead of them, at the front of the pack, Private Thunderhead, flying alongside General Hurricane, glanced back at the pegasus conversing with Humble Pie, regarding the two ponies with narrowed eyes. “What’s Private Swift Cloud doing talking to that groundling?” he growled.

“Hmph. Probably trying to make friends with the earth pony,” Hurricane replied, not bothering to look back. “I swear, she’s worse than Private Pansy sometimes. At least she knows when to follow orders. Private Swift Cloud seems only to care for making friends. For crying out loud, this is the military. We’re not here to make friends; we’re here to serve our nation.”

“I don’t like this,” Thunderhead muttered. “Relying on some simple farmer on a quest as important as this one.”

“I don’t like it much either, but I will not question my mother’s wisdom,” the general responded, giving Thunderhead a level stare. “If she believes that this earth pony will be of some use, then let him. He can have his rocks back and then we won’t have to deal with him any longer.”

***

The rest of the day passed largely in silence. Despite Swift Cloud’s best efforts, she couldn’t coax a very long conversation out of Humble Pie and decided to withhold her barrage of questions for the time being, much to the earth pony’s relief. He didn’t like being the center of attention, especially among a group of ponies he was sure were likely to consider him an anomaly in their group.

It was thus to his relief that they were still firmly in earth pony territory. Each time they passed through a village or past a farm the locals would gawk at this procession of military pegasi passing through their community. Ponies would quickly move out of the way, any activity would ground to a halt, and parents would shield their children or hurry them inside as fast as possible. Many would glare fiercely at them while others would look on in fear. In these instances, Humble Pie would take position at the head of the group, trotting forward with his head held high and occasionally smiling and nodding at the occasional local to assuage their fears. And it seemed to work, but confusion was clearly evident on their faces. Why was this fellow earth pony walking with these pegasi? Was he in trouble with these pegasi? Was he leading these pegasi? And who was that unicorn? Why was he dressed so funny? To Humble Pie’s relief, the pegasi didn’t act out or encourage tension; instead they deliberately ignoring the stares of the ponies they passed, resolutely looking forward without glancing to the side. Even Swift Cloud followed their example, taking up position beside Thunderhead as they flew just behind Commander Tempest.

Every now and then Humble Pie would spot a familiar face, a friend or an acquaintance who lived further up the valley. Each time this happened they would exchange a few words before continuing on, but in the third village they passed through, Humble Pie saw one of the last ponies he wanted to see at the moment: a family member.

“Humble Pie?!” the pony exclaimed, galloping up to the stallion. The pony was a young mare with a light tanned coat and blond hair and was dressed quite well for an earth pony; she was wearing a brown overcoat with a large collar and a large triangular cap with a feather sticking out on one side.

“Cousin Smart Cookie,” the stallion nodded, resolving himself to the barrage of questions that were sure to come. “Here, if you want to talk walk with me, I’ve got to stick close to these pegasi.”

“What in the world are you doing?” Smart Cookie asked, falling in step alongside her cousin. “Who are these pegasi? And what are you doing with them?”

Humble Pie chose to answer only one of these questions. “These pegasi are none other than the very leaders of the Pegasi Empire. That mare there is Commander Tempest, ruler of the pegasi, and the others are all generals, advisors and guards close to her.”

“The leader of the…” Smart Cookie uttered, mouth agape and momentarily at a lost for words. “But what are they doing here? And why are you with them? No offense cousin, but you’ve never seemed all that fond of pegasi.”

Humble Pie gulped and began searching for a distraction. “Uh, Commander Tempest?” he called out. “May I have a moment of your time?”

“You may,” the commander replied, breaking away from her fellow pegasi and landing beside the two earth ponies, who had now stopped walking.

“Commander Tempest, I would like to introduce you to my cousin and good friend, Smart Cookie,” Humble Pie said, gesturing towards the mare. “I have a feeling you might be seeing more of her soon enough; she’s a bit of a rising star in the valley. I imagine before long she’ll be the chancellor.”

“Oh hush,” Smart Cookie muttered, blushing at her cousin’s words. “I may be in politics, but I’ve got a long ways to go before I’m chancellor material.” She swept her hat off her head with one hoof, bowing shortly towards Commander Tempest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said to the pegasus, who returned the gesture with a smile and a tip of her head.

“Likewise,” Tempest greeted, grinning at the mare before her. “So I trust Humble Pie has informed you of our quest?”

“A quest?” Smart Cookie responded in surprise, looking from the commander to Humble Pie. “You’re on a quest? For what?”

“I take it you haven’t told her then,” a voice nearby chuckled. The three ponies turned to see Star Swirl the Bearded approaching. Humble Pie gave a forced grin as he glanced between Star Swirl and Smart Cookie, who promptly traded greetings while Humble Pie sweated nervously, trying to think of an explanation that would sound believable without betraying the danger or the apparent ludicrousness of this journey.

“Well, cousin?” Smart Cookie inquired.

“Well…I’m going to try to get back into rock farming, and this trip is my chance to find a place to do that,” Humble Pie said, realizing this explanation wouldn’t cut it before he was even finished.

“And you got the leader of the pegasi to help you with that?” Smart Cookie questioned incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the stallion.

Star Swirl seemed to catch on and cut Humble Pie off before the earth pony could stammer through another unconvincing explanation. “Humble Pie has agreed to use his knowledge to help the Pegasi Empire and myself in claiming some unsettled territory for ponykind,” he offered.

“Oh, is that all?” Smart Cookie chuckled. “The way you were acting, for a second I thought you were going to do something dangerous! Not sure what I was thinking though; knowing cousin Humble Pie, he would never do anything risky and foolhardy!” she laughed, eliciting a very awkward and forced laugh from her cousin. Afterwards, Star Swirl suggested that they should keep moving, and Tempest took the hint, with Humble Pie relieved to have an excuse to get away from any more potential questions. They traded farewells with Smart Cookie before departing the village, the pegasi returning to their stoic expressions while Star Swirl and Humble Pie trotted alongside each other down the road.

“Clever girl; she truly lives up to her name,” the unicorn chuckled, the merry sound of his bells accentuating his cheer. “I dare say, if I was not there you would have told her everything before long.”

“Hmph,” the earth pony grunted, his dignity wounded as he avoided the magician’s gaze. Star Swirl only laughed in response.

***

Nightfall came late, owing to the long summer days which were presently gifting the land with their warmth and extended light. By the time the sun set beyond the vast, uncharted wilderness to the west, the group had made very good progress, already passing beyond the most populated region of the valley and reaching the edge of the serene woods which marked the beginning of the Forest of the Mists beyond.

General Hurricane, Private Thunderhead and Private Swift Cloud scouted ahead briefly to seek out a suitable campsite for the night, and returned to lead them to a small clearing on the banks of the River Mane. It was a peaceful setting, with the steady flow of the river offering a soothing rhythm that filled Humble Pie with a deep calmness. As the sunlight faded there was little wind, so the darkening canopy of trees surrounding the clearing remained steady, giving the impression of protective walls that would grant security to the ponies they contained. Between the trunks of those trees, fireflies lazily hovered about; pinpricks of light which would illuminate briefly before vanishing into the darkness, only to reappear a short distance away.

Humble Pie and Star Swirl walked around the clearing, collecting some wood for a fire, although the magician proved to be the most effective at this task, being able to simultaneously lift several pieces in the air at once with his powers. A few sparks from his horn were all that was required to get the pile ablaze. Above, Hurricane stared down at Star Swirl as he lit the fire with his magic, a wary and almost frightened expression on the pegasus’ face, but this went unnoticed by the two grounded ponies, who were soon laying on the soft grass to enjoy the fire’s warmth.

Star Swirl glanced to his side and noticed the earth pony staring into the fire, watching the flames lick the branches of dead wood with a faraway expression on his face.

“You seem troubled,” the unicorn remarked.

“Hmmm? Oh. Hmmm,” Humble Pie muttered, not taking his eyes off the fire. “I was just thinking about what we told cousin Smart Cookie. I can’t help but wonder if I’m making a mistake here.”

“Ah, such is the thought of all who go on adventures,” Star Swirl offered, taking his eyes off the earth pony. “To be away from the comfortable and familiar and venture into the dark unknown beyond the world we know.”

“You’re not helping,” Humble Pie grumbled before grasping a log with his teeth and chucking it into the fire. Star Swirl chuckled, acknowledging his friend’s discomfort. “Well,” the earth pony continued. “I’m here; I’ve just got to resolve myself to it is all.”

“No,” Star Swirl replied, causing Humble Pie to finally look directly at the magician. “Don’t resolve yourself to this task because you think you have no other choice. Do it because of what you stand to gain.”

Humble Pie considered this for a moment. “But I also stand to lose a lot as well.”

“And that’s what makes it an adventure,” Star Swirl stated simply, smiling with the triumph of one who knows the argument has been won.

They sat quietly beside the fire for some time after, the pegasi already asleep in their clouds just above. Finally the two ponies on the ground fell asleep on the grass, the nearby fire fading with their consciousness. The crackles of the fire grew quieter and less frequent, the few remaining sparks drifting into the air where they vanished into the night like the light of the fireflies who were rapidly dispersing as dusk gave way to dark.

However, as the night wore on, some of those pinpricks of light between the trees did not fade. Rather than flickering off and on and drifting lazily through the woods, they remained steady, constant…alert. Soon they began to approach the clearing, and none of the ponies were awake to hear the rustle of bushes that accompanied their movement.

Act II: Chapter II

Humble Pie stirred softly in his sleep. His rest so far had been rather fitful, with his mind as filled as it was at the moment. Through the haze of sleep, he could just make out the tranquil rush of the river nearby, the chirp of crickets, the rustle of leaves in the wind…the sudden snap of a twig.

The earth pony’s eye shot open at the sound. His mind hadn’t caught up to where he was or what he was doing in this place, but it knew that something was wrong. He spotted what appeared to be a small pile of wood a short distance away, arranged in such a way that it almost looked like a figure of some sort. Humble Pie briefly wondered whether he should dismiss the pile of wood as an illusion before it moved, its glowing yellow eyes turning upwards from the twig it had stepped on, looking up into the pony’s horrified gaze. It wasn’t a pile of wood at all, but a wolf made entirely of timber; its hide consisted of pieces of bark, its legs thin sticks, with teeth and claws of sharpened wood and eyes that shown in the darkness of the night.

In the split second that followed, the wolf realized it had lost the element of surprise and made the decision to attack. With a snarl it lunged for the earth pony still lying on the ground. Humble Pie gave a panicked yelp and leapt to his feet, narrowly escaping the wolf’s grasp. The vicious animal was quick, however, and just as the pony turned to flee it managed to lunge forward and bite down on one of Humble Pie’s hind legs, just barely catching it with its front-most teeth. With a terrified shriek the earth pony bucked as hard as possible with his other leg, catching the wolf square in the jaw, dislodging a couple of wooden fangs and promptly releasing the creature’s grip on his leg.

Humble Pie hobbled a few steps away, holding his injured hind leg off the ground. As it turned out, he had done more injury to the wolf than it had done to him; the wolf had only barely managed to bite down on his leg, leaving several minor cuts that were riddled with splinters from the wood of the teeth. The wolf, meanwhile, had retreated several paces and was now nursing its wounded jaw, wary of striking again. More importantly, however, Humble Pie’s scream had awoken everypony else, and they were quickly rising to defend themselves against several more wolves that had followed the first into the clearing.

With a flash of motion, General Hurricane swept down from the sky, smashing headlong into one of the wolves. Her armor rattled the animal and knocked it to the ground before she swiftly took to the air again. The pegasus swung around in mid-air for a second attack, but the wolf was quick and rose to its feet just as Hurricane closed in. With lightning-fast reflexes the wolf swung with one of its foreclaws, swatting the pegasus out of the air. Hurricane crashed to the ground, an impact that was fortunately softened by the soft grass she slid across. The general rose to her hooves just as she heard Star Swirl’s voice call out across the clearing.

“STOP! Don’t bother fighting them!” the unicorn cried frantically. He had removed his cloak and hat and was levitating them in the air in front of them, shaking them furiously to ring the bells on them as loudly as possible. “They’re frightened by loud noises! Just make noise!”

At first Hurricane simply stared at Star Swirl, figuring the unicorn had completely lost his mind. However, she quickly noticed that the wolves the magician was facing down were backing away slowly, apparently perturbed by this unfamiliar sound. Taking the hint, Hurricane removed her helmet and snatched a branch lying on the ground nearby. Holding her helmet in one of her front hooves, she began smacking the metal with the stick repeatedly. The effect was immediate; the wolf nearest to her visibly flinched and began retreating. In short order the other pegasi had removed pieces of their own armor and were beating on them, forming a line in front of the wolf pack and driving them back into the woods. The wolves growled in response, but the cacophony was clearly working, as each of the animals had expressions of pain, wincing from all the noise. Finally they turned tail and fled the clearing, departing as quickly as possible. Hurricane and Thunderhead briefly kept up the assault, flying a short distance into the trees while maintaining the racket, to give the impression that they were on the chase before finally relenting and returning to the clearing.

“Is everypony alright?” Commander Tempest asked in a calm, level tone, looking around at her soldiers.

“Humble Pie’s hurt!” Swift Cloud exclaimed in concern, pointing at the earth pony standing nearby, still with his injured leg lifted slightly off the ground. Thin streams of blood were trickling down from the cuts left on his skin and the pony was breathing heavily, still in shock over what he had just been through.

“I’m fine,” Humble Pie quickly replied. “It only had me for a second, I’ll be okay.”

“No, we have to treat that wound,” Star Swirl said sharply. “Timberwolf bites leave splinters in the cut, and if they’re not removed quickly it could become infected.”

“Silver Lining, see to Humble Pie’s injury,” Tempest ordered, receiving a quick nod from her advisor before he trotted over to the earth pony’s side. “Private Thunderhead, take first watch; you can change shifts with me in an hour.” Thunderhead nodded and saluted before glancing at the moon to judge its position in the sky so that he’d know how much time had elapsed. He took to the air, his eyes carefully scanning the edges of the clearing for any sign of movement.

“I was foolish not to establish a watch earlier,” Tempest sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead in frustration. “I must be getting old. How could I, a commander, commit such an amateurish mistake?”

“In your defense mother,” Hurricane offered with a sincere smile. “I don’t think any of us were expecting danger quite this soon on this journey; especially in a place as seemingly peaceful as this one.”

“Still, I feel I must apologize. Are you hurt, my child?” Tempest asked, a great deal more concern entering her voice than usual.

“What, this?” Hurricane laughed, turning to show her mother the scrape on her torso where she hit the ground. A few grass stains and some minor streaks of red were all that were present. “But a scratch. If anything, I regret not emerging with a proper battle scar!” Her expression darkened as she turned to the unicorn who was standing nearby. “How in the world did you know that would work?” she asked, indicating the bells on Star Swirl’s cloak.

“I don’t wear these bells without reason, General Hurricane,” the magician responded with a smirk. “I’ve spent enough time in the woods to know how most of these creatures react to loud noises. And timberwolves are a creature I have some familiarity with.”

On the banks of the river, Silver Lining was treating Humble Pie while Swift Cloud watched on with interest and mild concern, holding a lantern over the other two ponies so they could see clearly. Silver Lining took some water from the flowing stream, pouring it slowly over the earth pony’s wound to wash away the blood. Humble Pie hissed and cringed slightly as the liquid washed over his injury. After the blood had been sufficiently cleaned away, Silver Lining examined the cuts closely to find the offending fragments of wood lodged inside. Fortunately, none of them were wedged too deep, and the pegasus was able to remove them the best way a pony without tools could: he pressed his mouth over the cut and sucked out a splinter, spitting it out before attempting to remove more.

“I must admit, I didn’t take you for a healer,” Humble Pie muttered between deep breaths. His heart was still racing from the encounter with the wolf and he was doing his best to calm down.

Silver Lining spat out another splinter before responding to the earth pony. “But of course. An advisor to the commander must be knowledgeable in a wide range of talents, should the worse happen to our leader.”

“You okay there?” Swift Cloud mumbled through the handle of the lantern held between her teeth, grimacing at the sight of Humble Pie’s injury.

“Fine, just fine,” the earth pony repeated. Silver Lining had finished removing all the splinters and was now retrieving a strip of cloth from his saddlebag, which he wrapped tightly around Humble Pie’s leg.

“There, that should do it,” the pegasus finished, tying off the cloth firmly once he was satisfied the wound had been sufficiently covered. Humble Pie stood up, feeling some pain but nothing he couldn’t ignore. His heart rate was finally returning to normal, though he couldn’t help but suppress an involuntary shudder.

“You sure you’re alright?” Swift Cloud inquired, looking at the earth pony with concern.

“Yes,” Humble Pie smiled. “But if you’ll excuse me, I need to…err, do my business, as it were,” he said, gesturing towards some nearby bushes.

“You can’t go in there without checking for more of those wolves!” Swift Cloud exclaimed. “Here, I’ll scout it out first.” She quickly took to the air and raced into the trees, taking the lantern with her. Humble Pie followed, briefly watching the beam of light from the lantern shine between the trees, swiftly moving back and forth as the pegasus darted about.

“All clear!” Swift Cloud’s voice came calling back from the trees as she emerged out of the woods. “But be sure to keep your eyes open!”

“Thank you, I will,” Humble Pie replied, putting on a small smile. “Now if you’ll allow me a little privacy…” he trailed off, gesturing towards the clearing. Swift Cloud took the hint and flew back out of the woods, leaving the earth pony alone to sit behind a large bush.

In truth, Humble Pie had no need to empty his bladder at this moment. But he did have a desperate need for privacy after what had just happened. Taking a great, shuddering breath, the pony placed his face in his front hooves and began to weep quietly, bitter tears streaming down his face.

The encounter with the wolves had shaken Humble Pie to his core, and now that the shock of the event had finally abated and his injury had been seen to, his emotions were quickly catching up with him and he needed this time to himself. He sat there, shuddering uncontrollably as he managed to keep his sobs silent, tasting the salty water that was now leaking from his eyes. His doubts and fears from the day before and earlier that night came flooding back to him in an instant.

“What am I doing here?” he thought to himself. “I shouldn’t even be here! I should be at home, tending to my crops and sleeping in my own bed.” The terror and panic he had felt when the wolf had attacked was still very fresh in his memory, and a deep sensation of vulnerability like he had never known was consuming the earth pony. More than anything else right now, he wanted to be back with his family and friends, safe in his house. The temptation to flee back to his village, to drop this insanity and return to the comfort of his home, was very strong.

“Are you okay in there?” Swift Cloud called out to him from the clearing. Humble Pie realized he must have been sitting here for longer than he realized.

The earth pony quickly took a breath before responding. “I’m fine,” he called back in as even and nonchalant a tone as he could manage, hoping the pegasus wouldn’t pick up on any emotion in his voice. To his relief, Swift Cloud didn’t pursue the matter further, and Humble Pie could feel himself already calming down, the silent breakdown having already done its work. The urge to run home had abated, and now he was mainly feeling embarrassed and somewhat pathetic that he had managed to get attacked and nearly killed on his first night of this journey. “Never again,” he vowed to himself. “I’m not going to have these pegasi thinking I’m a weakling or just extra luggage. I will see this through.” With that, Humble Pie lifted himself off the ground and began trotting back to the clearing.

“Hey, are you alright?” Swift Cloud asked the moment she caught sight of the earth pony returning. “Your eyes are all red.”

“I’m just tired is all,” Humble Pie replied with his readied excuse. “Haven’t had much sleep tonight.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” the pegasus said sincerely, completely oblivious to the true reason behind the coloration of the earth pony’s eyes. “You should probably get back to sleep then.”

Humble Pie nodded, keeping his gaze to the ground to avoid looking anypony else in the eye as he promptly returned to his resting spot without another word, lying down next to the dying embers of the campfire. There he closed his eyes and patiently awaited sleep, feeling a slight twinge of pain under the bandages on his leg as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

***

Morning came all too soon for Humble Pie as the sun’s first rays broke across the valley, casting a light on the earth pony’s face. He grimaced, memories of the previous night still firmly in mind, as he steeled himself for the day to come and rose to his hooves. His bandaged leg now felt sore, but thankfully the pain was largely gone. He looked around the clearing to see the other ponies still asleep, with the exception of an alert General Silver Lining, who was presently taking his turn on the watch. He glanced over at Humble Pie and gave a quick nod and a smile, which the earth pony returned before turning away and trotting towards the river, splashing some cold water in his face to help him wake up.

Feeling far more alert now, Humble Pie decided he wasn’t going to delay getting ready this morning, if just to prove to these pegasi that he wasn’t a weakling who they would need to wait on. He grabbed his breakfast, an apple, out of his saddlebag and ate it quickly before scattering the remains of the campfire and strapping on his saddlebag just as the rest of the pegasi rose from the clouds. He decided to remain close to the river and took some long drinks of water while the pegasi prepared themselves, which only took a matter of a few minutes. Seeing that they were ready, Humble Pie reluctantly walked over to join them.

“Ah, our brave earth-bound friend has arrived,” Commander Tempest announced with a smirk. “And with a proper battle scar to show his worth!”

“Mmm,” Humble Pie murmured, not in the mood to reply to what he thought must be an underhoofed insult.

“Don’t be getting too bold on us, groundling,” Hurricane said in a mocking tone. “We wouldn’t want you to get hurt. After all, I still have no intention of carrying you.”

“Nor have I of letting you,” the earth pony grumbled, receiving several laughs from the other pegasi and a slight scowl from Hurricane. This reaction was not entirely what Humble Pie had expected of the pegasi, but he decided not to think much of it at the moment and press on with the day, taking to the road with Star Swirl once more as the pegasi took to the air.

Though Humble Pie could not know it that day, he had arrived at a turning point in his relationship with the pegasi. If there’s one thing soldiers respect, it is the scars of war and the courage to keep moving forward even after knowing the pain one must go through. That day, Humble Pie began to earn their respect.

Act II: Chapter III

Star Swirl the Bearded marched down the narrowing forest road, leading the group deeper into the woods. It was afternoon now and they were approaching the edge of the Forest of the Mists. The sound of the River Mane, so prominent before, was now just a distant echo through the thickening stands of trees. The road itself was considerably narrower now and less well-worn; occasionally the unicorn would have to step over a root that had grown across the path. The canopy of leaves overhead was almost completely covering the trail, with only the occasional gap letting sunlight and the sight of the group of pegasi soldiers flying overhead through.

Behind the magician, Humble Pie was trotting ahead with Swift Cloud hovering along by his side. Just as before, the earth pony was dumbfounded as to why this pegasus seemed to take such an interest in him, but he had now grown used to her presence, and the conversation was slightly less one-sided than it had been yesterday. Star Swirl observed these developments with a satisfied eye, pleased to see that his friend’s prejudices against pegasi were already beginning to crumble. At the very least, it was good to see something positive coming out of all this, given the worries that were occupying the unicorn’s mind.

The fact was, the appearance of the timberwolves the previous night had perturbed Star Swirl, and not just because Humble Pie had gotten hurt. In his experience, timberwolves remained deep in the forest, rarely venturing to the edge of the woods. The fact that they had encountered a pack so early in their journey meant that either this pack was unusually zealous in where they staked out their territory or, the more likely reason, something even more powerful than the timberwolves had laid claim to the lands at the heart of the forest.

“We’re barely into this forest and it’s already living up to its name,” Humble Pie commented, looking around at the trees surrounding them. Indeed, he was speaking the truth; there was a faint fog over the trees, not yet thick enough to obscure their surroundings but still enough to bring a chill to the earth pony.

“You should see the forest underneath Pegasopolis!” Swift Cloud quipped. “Since we built our city there, it’s always cloudy there. Ooh, maybe you can see it someday! I could even show it to you!” she added, fluttering higher into the air as if physically buoyed by the prospect.

“I…don’t think that will be possible,” Humble Pie pointed out. “Seeing as the city is built on clouds, I can’t fly, and the only ground route is through a dense forest.”

“Oh yeah,” Swift Cloud muttered, looking slightly downcast at this realization. “That’s a shame. I mean, I saw your home and it would be neat if you got to see mine.”

Humble Pie glanced sideways at the pegasus. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t act much like a soldier.”

“Hey!” Swift Cloud exclaimed, looking offended. Humble Pie was taken aback; as far as he could recall, this was the first time he had seen her look even remotely angry about something. Indeed, he had begun to wonder if she was even capable of such an emotion. “I am in fact a soldier! I trained long and hard to get where I am today!”

“I…sorry…” Humble Pie blurted out. “I just meant, err…you’re different from the other soldiers. …Not that that’s a bad thing, of course,” he added hastily.

“Hmph. I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the pegasus grumbled before abruptly flying up through the canopy and vanishing out of sight. The earth pony watched her go, at a loss for words, before he heard Star Swirl chuckling.

The unicorn glanced back to catch sight of Humble Pie. “Did you tell her that she wasn’t acting like the other soldiers?”

“I…uh…yes?” the earth pony uneasily confirmed. To his frustration, this led to more chuckling on the part of the magician.

“In my experience pegasi, or more specifically pegasi soldiers, are rather sensitive to any implication that they do not live up to the ideal of a warrior,” Star Swirl explained. “Yes, each pegasi may have an individual personality, but in the role of a soldier they must be one and the same; ready to take orders and fight for their nation.”

“Oh,” Humble Pie replied, feelings of guilt and frustration that he had managed to break more pegasi etiquette sinking in. “But you can’t deny, for a solider she is a little…flighty.”

“You should also be careful using that term around pegasi,” Star Swirl muttered, his tone becoming quiet and forceful as he spoke. “Any suggestion that they are not dutiful and focused would be to any soldier as grave an insult as to dishonor their family.”

“Mmm,” the earth pony mumbled, feeling even more embarrassed. “Well, I suppose it’s good I heard it from you rather than making a fool of myself again.” There was an edge to his tone, as if Humble Pie was inferring that he blamed Star Swirl in part for this. The unicorn withheld from speaking any further, allowing an awkward silence to fall between the two stallions.

The earth pony looked around as the swirls of mist become thicker with each step they took into the forest. Compared to his home, everything here felt somehow muted, as if the clouds had dampened not only the air but the sound. The sound of the river was distant and the wind was all but nonexistent. There weren’t as many insects, for which Humble Pie was grateful for, but their absence nevertheless underscored the strangeness of their surroundings. The merry jingle of the bells on Star Swirl’s cloak now proved a stark contrast to the stillness of the forest.

“How could someplace so bizarre and unfamiliar be what separates the only two places I have ever called home?” Humble Pie muttered, breaking the silence.

“But you’ve been here as well,” Star Swirl pointed out.

“Only once, and that was over ten years ago,” the earth pony answered. “Even then, I don’t remember this place being this…quiet,” he said, shuddering slightly.

Star Swirl nodded. “Something dangerous lurks in this forest, and the sooner we depart the better. Do you know if we’re close to the edge of the woods?”

“Not exactly,” Humble Pie answered, “but if I remember correctly, there’s a big ridge that runs south to the mountains. Once we reach that, it’s just a matter of walking along the edge of the forest until we reach the pass.”

The unicorn relayed this information to the pegasi flying above, and to their delight they reported back that they could already see the ridge in the distance, jutting out above the treetops and just visible through the fog. Once again, Hurricane and Thunderhead took the initiative and scouted ahead, taking advantage of this opportunity to fly at a normal pegasus speed while the other soldiers remained above Star Swirl and Humble Pie, guiding them towards the ridge.

The sight of the ridge proved somewhat misleading, however, as a couple of hours passed and the hill appeared little closer than it had when the pegasi first spotted it. The shifting clouds served to distort the apparent distance and, to make matters worse, a fogbank was rolling in and further obscuring the ridge. The ponies pressed on, Humble Pie and Star Swirl hiking up the increasingly rocky and narrow trail, clambering over tree roots and boulders as they slowly made their way towards the hill ahead. Indeed, by this point the trail had become less of a pathway and more of a dry creek, passable only because of the channel that occasionally carried water down from the ridge.

They proceeded on in silence, focused only on the menial task of putting one hoof in front of the other. Eventually, Swift Cloud obviously got bored and began darting between trees once again, taking in the forest with every one of her senses; smelling the fragrance of flowers, tasting the bitter fruits of the trees, feeling the hard wooden bark, listening to the rustle of leaves as she rushed past and admiring the little features of the ground that any pony not accustomed to living in clouds would have likely found mundane.

At one point Swift Cloud fluttered down next to Humble Pie, trotting alongside him once again. “Hey, um, sorry for snapping at you earlier,” she said, looking slightly embarrassed. “I probably overreacted; I don’t think you were trying to be mean.”

“Oh,” the earth pony replied, his mind briefly struggling to balance out the pegasus’ apology with the fact that she had acknowledged that he had insulted her. “Err, no, that’s alright. It was my fault,” he added, giving her an awkward smile.

“It’s just…you might be right. I’m not like the other soldiers. I know General Hurricane certainly thinks so.” Her ears folded back and, despite her lingering smile, she looked almost ashamed as she looked down at the ground and fiddled with some rocks with her hooves. “Heh, these are neat,” she commented, abruptly changing the subject.

“What are?” Humble Pie inquired, looking over to her.

“These rocks,” she answered, picking one off the dry stream bed to examine more closely. “I didn’t know they came in so many colors and shapes! Look, this one’s so smooth. And this one’s got a stripe on it.” She held the rock out to Humble Pie, who saw a blue stripe running along the otherwise bleached surface of the rock.

“You’re, uh, interested in rocks?” the earth pony asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We don’t have any in Pegasopolis,” Swift Cloud explained, tossing the rock from one hoof to the other before throwing it down the stream bed, watching it bounce off a boulder with a loud clatter. Her eyes brightened and a small smile crossed her face before she promptly picked up another rock and threw it even further down the dry creek, listening as it continued to clatter against boulders even as it bounced out of sight.

Humble Pie watched on with a slightly bemused grin. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“I’ve never gotten to throw anything like this!” The pegasus tossed another rock downhill. “You can form clouds into balls and throw those, but eventually they just slow down and start drifting in the air again. But these…” she trailed off, listening to her last throw clatter off the boulders below them.

“Try cracking one of them,” Humble Pie suggested.

“What?”

“Here, watch.” He scanned the ground carefully before selecting a rock just slightly larger than his hoof. With a strong hurl he flung it down the creek bed, watching as it smacked against the face of a large boulder and shatter spectacularly into several pieces.

“Whoa!” the pegasus exclaimed. “How did you do that?”

“I’m a rock farmer, remember?” Humble Pie answered, gesturing at his cutie mark. “When I was a foal my siblings and I would play games like this all the time. Sometimes gems can overripen and become too fragile, and when that happens the rocks that hold them are ready to split open, like a bad fruit. So we would go into the quarry and crack the rocks to get the gems inside before they went bad.”

“I want to try that!” Swift Cloud said eagerly. “Let’s see…is this one weak enough?” she asked, holding a small rock out for the earth pony to examine.

“No, that one’s still too firm. Here, try this one.” Humble Pie offered a different rock to the pegasus, who took it in one hoof and threw it at a nearby boulder. Despite striking the larger rock head-on, Swift Cloud’s stone meekly bounced off without cracking.

“You’ve got to throw it really hard,” the earth pony directed, picking up another rock and handing it to the pegasus. “Try it again, and this time really let it fly.”

Swift Cloud took the stone and narrowed her gaze, focusing on a distant boulder below them. Rearing back, she gave the rock a mighty throw and watched it sail through the air, landing on the boulder with a thunderous ‘crack!’ that rang out through the woods as the rock split in two, both halves spinning off in different directions. A small cloud of dust, a remnant of the now-shattered rock, hovered in the air above the boulder as both Humble Pie and Swift Cloud gave a loud cheer.

“What in the world are you two doing?” a stern voice from behind them startled the two ponies. They turned to see Star Swirl standing above, looking down at them with a bewildered expression. The earth pony and the pegasus suddenly realized that they had stopped while the unicorn continued onward. “What’s this racket? Are you trying to draw the attention of every creature in this forest?”

Humble Pie and Swift Cloud looked at Star Swirl for a moment before glancing at each other. Then the earth pony burst out laughing, followed in short order by the pegasus. The magician watched on, now looking even more confused than ever.

“Hmph. Well, at least you two are getting along,” he grumbled before turning back up the trail, Humble Pie and Swift Cloud falling in step behind him as they continued to laugh.

***

It took another hour for them to ascend to the top of the ridge, and by the time they made it fog had begun to shroud the hill. Swirling clouds of mist obscured the views from the top, with only small openings between the clouds offering a glimpse at the surrounding trees and landscape. The pegasi soldiers arrived first, followed closely by Star Swirl as Humble Pie and Swift Cloud continued to climb the slope and as a brisk wind swept over the exposed ridge.

But the pegasi and the unicorn were greeted with a chilling sight that had nothing to do with the cold temperature; both Hurricane and Thunderhead were nowhere to be seen.

“General Hurricane! Private Thunderhead!” Silver Lining called out, his voice echoing through the clouds. “Report your position!” But he received only an ominous silence in return. The advisor looked over to Commander Tempest, who was looking about their surroundings with a wary gaze.

“Help me clear these clouds,” she ordered. “We need to have visibility if something is looking to strike at us.” Silver Lining nodded and the two pegasi swept into the air, making short work of the fog as they rushed through the clouds, slicing through them and pulling them apart until they dissipated completely. Soon the fog was gone and they had clear views from the hill.

“Do you see them?” Tempest asked, scanning the horizon intently.

“Not yet, Commander, I can not…hold on, do you hear that?” he paused, turning to look at Tempest and Star Swirl. With the fog now gone, a new sound was now reaching them, traveling on the wind.

The ponies stopped and listened. They could indeed hear it. At first it was faint, but the longer they heard it the clearer it became. Soft strands of music, skillfully and beautifully played, were accompanied by the gentle singing of a choir of voices. Yet no choir any of the three ponies had ever heard could match the harmony of these singers. Their pitch was perfect, their tone gentle, and though the language they sung was unknown it somehow seemed familiar and filled each one of their souls with a deep sense of longing.

“It’s…heavenly,” Tempest muttered quietly, her features softening as she listened.

“NO! YOU MUST NOT LISTEN TO IT!” Star Swirl cried frantically. Reacting quickly, his horn lit up and a sparkling glow briefly covered his head as he cast a spell. “QUICKLY, SHUT YOUR EARS TO IT!”

“Why would I want to stop listening to such beauty?” Tempest responded, entranced by what she was hearing. “Come General Silver Lining, let us find the source!” With that, the two pegasi took wing, gliding down towards the heart of the forest.

“NO! STOP!” Star Swirl bellowed. His horn glowed brightly once more as he fired a spell at them, but the two pegasi were too quick for his aim and the spell fizzled out ineffectively in mid-air.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Humble Pie’s voice came from behind the unicorn, who whirled around to see him and Swift Cloud finally make it to the top of the hill. “What’s going on? And what’s that noise?”

Realizing the danger, Star Swirl once again called upon his magic and fired another spell at the two ponies. Humble Pie and Swift Cloud didn’t have any time to react before the glow of the unicorn’s magic collided with them and starting swirling around their ears.

The earth pony gave a cry of shock as his ears were suddenly filled with static, as if somepony had shoved an object into his ears and was rubbing it against the tube, causing him to hear little but a crackling, rustling noise. Next to him, Swift Cloud was experiencing the same and was desperately pressing her hooves against her ears, as if to physically force the cacophony out. Humble Pie threw his hooves against his ears, cringing as he stared at Star Swirl. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m sorry, but I had no choice!” the unicorn yelled back. “There are sirens nearby, and they have the other pegasi!”

“What?” Humble Pie yelled. Through the fuzz of noise in his ears, he could only barely make out what Star Swirl was saying.

“SIRENS!” the magician bellowed. “They have the other pegasi!” At this he gestured forcefully at the retreating forms of Tempest and Silver Lining.

“Wait, where’s the Commander going?” Swift Cloud exclaimed, looking confused and fearful. “COMMANDER TEMPEST! WAIT!” She bolted into the air after them, racing through the air to catch up with her superiors. Humble Pie and Star Swirl cast an alarmed look at each other before chasing after her, scrambling down the face of the hill in a mad dash to save their company.

Act II: Chapter IV

Swift Cloud raced towards Tempest and Silver Lining, who were already flying over the dense forest that stretched out below them, having left the hill well behind. Both the commander and her advisor were flying at a high speed, possessed with finding the source of the strange music. Swift Cloud had to work hard to catch up with them, but she hadn’t received a cutie mark representing speed for nothing.

“Commander Tempest!” she yelled as she managed to pass by her superior, trying to keep pace. Her ears were still buzzing from the spell Star Swirl had put on her and she hadn’t been able to make out whatever the unicorn had been trying to tell her, but she knew something was amiss. “Wait! Where are you going?”

“Stand down, Private!” Tempest directed, not even glancing at Swift Cloud. “We are proceeding into the forest!”

Swift Cloud’s first impulse was to immediately obey the commander’s order and halt, but she was troubled enough by the situation that she managed to fight that urge. “What? But why? We’re supposed to be heading southeast, away from the forest!”

“Can you not hear the music, Private? We must find the source of it!” the commander declared, still not looking at her soldier. In all honesty, Swift Cloud could hear the music, but it was so continuously interrupted by the static in her ears that she couldn’t maintain any focus on it.

“But…that makes no sense!” the young mare blurted out. “We’re supposed to be traveling to Fortune’s Peak, not listening to music!”

“Are you questioning your commander, Private Swift Cloud?” Silver Lining demanded, glaring fiercely at the mare. “I will have you grounded for your subordination! Do you understand?!”

“B-but…I…” Swift Cloud quivered, terrified at the thought of disobeying a direct order, especially when it came from a stallion who was not acting his normal self.

“Stand down, Private!” Tempest demanded again, this time actually looking at Swift Cloud and casting a look of deep malice at her.

“N…No!” Swift Cloud retorted, putting on a brave face despite her fear and flying ahead to place herself in the path of her two superior officers. “Commander, I don’t think you’re well! Please, just-”

“Out of the way, Swift Cloud!” Silver Lining growled, launching himself at the mare. She gave a cry of shock and managed to dodge his attack, but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid the commander, who barreled at Swift Cloud and caught her on the side, sending her spiraling down into a nearby cloud. The impact was a soft one, but it left her disoriented for a few seconds as the other two pegasi sped away, continuing their journey deeper into the forest.

Swift Cloud lifted herself up, rubbing her head. Her helmet had come off when she had crashed into the cloud and the buzzing in her ears wasn’t doing anything to ease the headache she now had. She was shivering slightly, her emotions wracked after what had just happened. Looking up, she watched for a few seconds as her superiors flew off before glancing back at the hill where they had just been, hoping to catch a glimpse of Humble Pie and Star Swirl. But neither of the stallions could be seen on the ridge and she realized they must have followed after her.

Biting her lip, she considered her situation. Humble Pie and Star Swirl could now be the only allies she had in this forest, but to return to them now would mean losing track of the pegasi, possibly for good. If she followed the commander, she could at least keep an eye on her fellow soldiers, but at the risk of leaving the two stallions on the ground lost in a dense forest with no way of finding her, not to mention the danger of being completely alone in hostile territory. She briefly considered leaving a trail of objects along the ground for them to follow, but then realized that in this dense thicket of trees the chances of them actually finding it were slim, plus she didn’t even know what she would use for markings.

Swift Cloud glanced back and forth between where she thought Humble Pie and Star Swirl were to the retreating pegasi in the distance. She was losing time and had to make a decision fast.

Through the static in her ears she could just make out the music that had taken hold of her fellow pegasi. So long as that music kept playing, the earth pony and the unicorn on the ground could follow it. It was a risk, but one she decided she had to take. Gritting her teeth, she shoved her helmet back over her head and took to the air once again, following Tempest and Silver Lining at a distance so they wouldn’t notice her presence.

***

Humble Pie and Star Swirl galloped through the forest, trampling through bushes and rushing past trees, racing forward in a mad dash after the pegasi. The earth pony took the lead, charging headlong into the woods. He couldn’t tell which direction he was going but still he plowed ahead, his heart thumping in his ears, which were still buzzing from the spell Star Swirl had placed on them. He panted as he continued to run, taking in big gulps of the cool, misty air that hung over the trees.

“Humble Pie, slow down!” Star Swirl called out, struggling to keep up with the earth pony, but between the racket he made as he crashed through the forest and the ringing in his ears, the farmer didn’t hear the unicorn.

Star Swirl gasped for breath as he pressed on; for the first time in recent memory he began to feel his age, with soreness taking hold in each of his legs. He looked up to see Humble Pie pulling away from him, running faster than Star Swirl felt able to. The unicorn gritted his teeth; he knew he couldn’t stop now. With sirens involved, there was little time to spare; in fact, it might already be too late. He couldn’t stop, he had to keep going. So he let the earth pony gallop further and further away from him, eventually passing out of sight in the trees ahead and leaving nothing but his hoofprints behind for the unicorn to follow.

***

Swift Cloud discreetly snuck from one cloud to another, carefully keeping track of Commander Tempest and Silver Lining as they descended into the trees. The forest was most certainly living up to its name now, as the heavy fog settled over the area, obscuring anything that wasn’t immediately in front of one’s eyes. The commander and her advisor had slowed down as they drew closer to the source of the music, but they continued on resolutely.

As Swift Cloud watched, her fellow pegasi drifted down towards a clearing in the midst of the forest. From this angle, the trees were too tall for her to see the ground, but she could tell the clearing was full of activity; strange, dark creatures that looked about the size of ponies were flying about the clearing and the music was definitely emanating from this spot. Tempest and Silver Lining entered the clearing and any of the dark creatures in their path parted way, allowing them passage inside.

“No way am I getting in there without being seen,” Swift Cloud thought to herself, watching the flurry of activity in the clearing. There were far too many of the creatures for her to take on, let alone initiate a rescue mission of her fellow pegasi when they themselves had flown themselves into this trap. She crawled along the cloud, silently making her way to a spot above the clearing before digging away a hole in the cloud just large enough for her to tunnel through. Carefully, she pushed a small opening into the bottom layer to catch a glimpse of what was inside the clearing.

What she saw immediately filled her with hope. She couldn’t make out much due to the fading light of the day, but she could still see the colorful hides of her fellow pegasi. They were laying at the bottom on a meadow, tended to by more of the strange creatures whose hides were too dark to make out in this light. Their shapes flew about the clearing and into the adjacent trees, giving the overall impression of some kind of massive hive. To one side of the clearing Swift Cloud could just make out the source of the mysterious music, a set of shadowy creatures who remained hidden from sight, only noticeable by the gleam of the beautiful instruments they played. She could hear the music much more clearly now, but it didn’t seem to be having an impact on her; the pegasus supposed that having heard it broken up by static in her ears for such a long period of time had rendered her immune to its effects.

Swift Cloud wasn’t sure why these creatures weren’t attacking her fellow pegasi now that they had them trapped, but she was thankful for that nonetheless. Now there might be time to plan a rescue mission, assuming she could get the help of Star Swirl and Humble Pie before it was too late.

A sudden movement near the young mare gave her a start. One of the strange creatures passed by much too closely, only barely visible through the fog. Even at such close range she couldn’t make out any details of the creature, though she did note that it moved not with the flag of wings of a pegasi but a definite buzzing sound, like that of an insect. Swift Cloud had no idea what this thing was, but it certainly wasn’t friendly. She waited for it to pass out of sight before quietly soaring upwards, punching out of the cloud layer and looking out west over the forest, barely visible through the breaks in fog.

Swift Cloud gulped at the sight that lay before her. The hill they had left behind was but a speck in the distance, showing the great distance the pegasi had traveled in such a short time. The sun had now set and dusk was quickly settling across the sky. She went through some rough calculations and determined that it would take several hours for the two ponies on the ground to catch up with them, assuming they didn’t stop or get lost, which given the vastness of the forest before Swift Cloud was seeming like a frighteningly likely possibility.

She had to ensure that wouldn’t happen. Spreading her wings, she promptly took flight, racing away from the clearing and heading back towards the hill. With any luck, she could find Humble Pie and Star Swirl in time and lead them to the clearing, where they could initiate a rescue mission. With a powerful unicorn like that, odds would certainly be in their favor.

***

Humble Pie continued to gallop through the forest. Night was beginning to settle and the fog only grew thicker the further he went. It swirled about the earth pony, parting before him as he continued forward yet clinging to his hide and hanging heavily in the air. It was so thick that he nearly stumbled into a tree or a shrub several times, just barely getting out of the way in time before he crashed into it. Finally he stopped, head lowered and panting heavily as he caught his breath.

“Star Swirl,” he wheezed between gasps of air. “We need light; I can barely see where I’m going anymore.”

He was met with an ominous silence. Humble Pie looked up. “Star Swirl?” he called out, receiving no response as he realized he had unknowingly left the unicorn behind. The earth pony gulped as looked around him; the buzzing in his ears had largely abated, but he could still make out the distant strains of siren music drifting through the woods. Most alarmingly, the jingle of the bells attached to Star Swirl’s cloak was completely absent.

“Star Swirl!” Humble Pie called out, but once again there was no response. The swirls of mist around him coalesced and dispersed, forming strange shapes in the fog that vanished before one could get a proper look at them. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up; despite the absence of his friend, Humble Pie did not feel that he was alone in this place.

A rustle in the bushes nearby startled Humble Pie, causing him to spin around abruptly and scan his surroundings. Sweat born of nervousness began to creep down his brow, mingling with the earlier sweat from his gallop. More than once he jumped at a shape in the swirling mist, mistaking it for a creature in his desperate attempts to locate any offending presence. It was almost as if the fog was alive, taunting him.

Another rustle in the bushes reached Humble Pie’s ears, but this time it was quieter and more measured. Whatever was in there was large and, more crucially, biding its time. The earth pony couldn’t tell if the pair of eyes he swore he could see were real or merely another trick of the fog, but they vanished as soon as Humble Pie turned to get a good look. He braced himself, all senses on alert as he readied himself for an attack.

It never came. Much to the earth pony’s relief, he could finally make out the sound of Star Swirl’s bells as he came closer. Humble Pie called out to him, directing him closer as he maintained a watch on his surroundings. There was a final rustle in the bushes just before Star Swirl finally arrived, horn aglow to light his way.

“Am I glad to see you,” Humble Pie said, relief apparent in his voice. “Something here is watching us,” he added in a dark tone, looking warily at the surrounding fog. “I’m sure of it.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Star Swirl replied, nodding. “This forest is home to many dangerous creatures. My apologies for not keeping up; I’m not quite as fast as I used to be. Still, we mustn’t linger; the longer we wait the less chance we have of getting our pegasi friends out.”

Humble Pie nodded curtly and they pressed on, following the music that had brought them all into this dark forest. Star Swirl led the way this time, trotting at a brisk pace as he lit the way before them.

***

“Humble Pie? Star Swirl?” Swift Cloud hollered, flying low over the trees. She had flown back to an area where she thought the two grounded ponies might be and then began calling out for them in the hope they would hear her. It wasn’t ideal, but it beat hovering around and doing nothing as she watched her friends trapped in the clearing.

“Humble Pie! Star Swirl!” she called out again. “If you can hear me, shout back!” Her earlier urgency had faded, given that she had been going at this task for almost an hour now and it was quite dark by this point. Swift Cloud was just about to move on when she heard a faint voice from some trees just a little ways away.

“Here…” it meekly drifted up to her. The pegasus recognized it instantly.

“Humble Pie! Humble Pie, is that you?” Swift Cloud cried out joyfully, racing down into the forest to find the earth pony. She flew down into a small space between several trees, looking around. “Humble Pie! Where are you?”

“Here!” Humble Pie said, stumbling out of the bushes. He looked much the worse for wear, weary and breathing heavily.

“Oh my goodness Humble Pie, are you okay? Where’s Star Swirl?”

Humble Pie took a gulp of air, gesturing back into the trees with one of his hooves as he did so. “Fine…just back there…” he uttered between short breaths.

“Oh, that’s good to hear,” Swift Cloud said, feeling immensely relieved at this news. “Alright, so I found out where the commander and the other soldiers are and can lead you to it,” she explained, looking over in the direction of the clearing. “It’s a big space in the trees, where the music is coming from and they’re right in the middle of it. It’s swarming with creatures though; I don’t think we’ll be able to sneak them out of there without any of them knowing. We’ll probably need to charge in, but that depends on what Star Swirl is willing to do, so we’ll have to ask…”

Her voice trailed off as she looked back at Humble Pie. The earth pony didn’t seem to be paying any heed to what she was saying, but he was gazing at her intently.

“Um…Humble Pie? …Are you okay?” Swift Cloud asked uncertainly.

The earth pony didn’t answer at first, continuing to stare for a moment longer. “It’s been so long since I’ve eaten…” he muttered, taking in ragged breaths of air.

“Eaten? Humble Pie, are you hungry?” the pegasus inquired, concern apparent in her voice. “When was the last time you ate something?”

“So long…” he shuddered, not taking his eyes off Swift Cloud. “So dark…so angry…so cold. But now…feed.”

“Humble Pie, are you alright?” the pegasus asked again, taking a few cautious steps towards the earth pony. “I think you might be delirious; you need to rest for-“

She never finished her sentence, as without warning Humble Pie gave an animalistic snarl and leapt at Swift Cloud, forcing her to the ground and pinning her down. The pegasus tried to get up, but the earth pony stood atop her, holding her hooves and wings down with his strength.

“Gagh! Humble Pie! What are you doing?!” Swift Cloud yelped, desperately trying to free herself.

“I can’t help it…it’s been so long since I have fed,” Humble Pie said, taking short, rapid breaths and salivating as he continued to stare into the pegasus’ eyes. “Nothing to eat…such anger…such bitterness…”

“What are you talking about? LET ME UP!” Swift Cloud yelled, trying to extract her hooves from beneath the earth pony but with no luck.

“But you…such joy…such love.” He spoke the last word in a rushed, excited whisper, as if savoring the word itself. “…Such a feast.”

“HUMBLE PIE! STOP!” Swift Cloud cried out desperately.

“I must feed.” With that, Humble Pie leaned down towards the pegasus’ head. Swift Cloud looked up in horror, watching as fangs and sharp teeth took root around the drool spilling from the earth pony’s mouth; large eyes of a solid, cold blue swelled into place on his face, and his green fur morphed into a sickly black, scaly hide that was riddled with holes and spiky appendages. Swift Cloud was utterly petrified as the abomination leaned in closer.

There was a sudden motion as something out of sight came barreling at the hideous creature, knocking it clean off of Swift Cloud in one fierce blow. The pegasus looked up in time to see Humble Pie picking himself off the ground, bidding the creature a single disgusted look before turning around and launching a powerful buck at it, sending the creature flying into a nearby tree trunk. It hit it with a sickening crack before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

Humble Pie snorted as he glanced at the creature once more before turning back to Swift Cloud with an anxious look. “We heard you yelling, are you okay?” he offered, galloping over to the pegasus.

She reacted immediately, scurrying back several paces and holding a hoof out in front of her as if to shield herself. Her eyes had a glint of madness and there was a panicked expression on her face. “Stop right there! Don’t come any closer!” she shrieked.

“Swift Cloud, it’s me! Humble Pie! The real me!” he said urgently, offering an outstretched hoof.

“…Humble Pie?” she asked slowly, saying it as if it was the first time she had ever spoken those words.

“It really is me,” the earth pony said in a reassuring tone, giving the pegasus a weak smile to show his sincerity. “I can prove it too; do you remember this afternoon when we talked about rocks-“

However, the proof Humble Pie was about to offer proved unnecessary, as Swift Cloud rushed towards him, burying herself in his chest as she began to weep uncontrollably. Her whole body shook with sobs as tears began to flow freely down the earth pony’s front. Completely taken aback, Humble Pie tensed up for a moment, but then relaxed and wrapped his fore hooves around her. Swift Cloud accepted, pulling herself closer.

The faint jingle of bells announced Star Swirl’s arrival at that moment, horn aglow as he took in the situation. Humble Pie looked up at him and the unicorn gave him a small smile, which vanished the second he spotted the creature lying motionless at the foot of the tree. He walked over to inspect it, leaning in close and regarding it with a hateful grimace.

“What is it?” Humble Pie asked, glancing over at it.

“That is a changeling,” Star Swirl answered. “And if they’re here too, then our task just became much more complicated.”

Act II: Chapter V

Star Swirl marched resolutely forward, flanked on the rear by Humble Pie and Swift Cloud. His horn was brightly alit to cut through the thick fog that lay before them and he had a grim, hardened expression on his face. The unicorn had decided to take the direct approach: march straight into the clearing and demand the release of their pegasi companions. And if their captors refused, they would dearly regret it.

“I don’t like this,” Humble Pie whispered urgently. “Shouldn’t we try sneaking in and rescuing them?”

“You heard Swift Cloud,” Star Swirl replied, and the pegasus looked up at the sound of her name. Since the changeling attack she had been downcast and quiet, a rather disheartening contrast to her normally upbeat and rambunctious nature. “The pegasi are too well guarded and the changelings too numerous for us to go unnoticed. What’s more, we don’t have the time to plan a stealthy maneuver.”

“So we’re just going to trot in, knock on the door and say ‘Excuse me, would you evil creatures of the dark be ever so kind as to let our friends go?’” Humble Pie said incredulously.

“Well, I doubt we’ll be using those exact words, but for all intents and purposes, yes.”

“What if we get captured? Or worse?” the earth pony exclaimed.

“We won’t,” Star Swirl growled. “I’ve dealt with changelings before, Humble Pie. I know what we’re up against. And we will rescue those pegasi,” he stated with a forceful finality.

Humble Pie swallowed hard, partly due to the unicorn’s fierce tone and partly due to fear of what was about to come. He refrained from replying and turned to look over at Swift Cloud, who had returned to staring at the ground as she walked, looking distant and sad. Something in the earth pony’s heart ached at seeing her so depressed.

“Hey…you okay?” he asked her, but she didn’t seem to hear the first time. “…Swift Cloud?” he added to get her attention. She finally looked up at him.

“Hmmm? Oh, yes. I’m…just worried for my friends is all.”

“I understand,” Humble Pie offered, nodding sympathetically.

“I’m also not proud of how I acted back there,” Swift Cloud continued. “A true soldier isn’t supposed to show emotion.”

“I can’t say I know much about soldiers,” the earth pony replied, “but I do know that a true pony is allowed to cry if there’s a good reason for it.”

Swift Cloud gave him a small smile, which quickly vanished. “I’ve been tricked twice today. My commander acted strange and I failed to protect her; instead I faltered under the orders of a pegasus who had my commander’s wings, but wasn’t her. And then I let myself be tricked and almost defeated by one of these creatures.

“I think Star Swirl is right,” she went on, her look of sadness now becoming a stern, determined frown. “These…changelings. They hide in the shadows, they disguise themselves as ponies, they deceive…how can you use stealth against them when all they know is stealth?”

“Very astute, Swift Cloud,” Star Swirl said, nodding sagely. “One does not fight fire with fire.”

“I just don’t want to be tricked again,” Swift Cloud grumbled. “I’m going to save my commander or die trying, just as I swore I would when I became a soldier.” Humble Pie gave her a scared glance, frightened at this change in the pegasus’ demeanor.

“You won’t have to,” the unicorn stated. “No one is going to die tonight. Not as long as these changelings fear my vengeance.” A deathly silence fell over the trio of ponies at this and not another word was spoken for quite some time, with only the steady rhythm of Star Swirl’s bells rising to meet the siren music that continued to pull them deeper into the forest.

***

It didn’t take long for the three travelers to come across the first signs of changeling activity. A faint buzzing emanated through the trees and small scuttling sounds could be heard above them. Pairs of blue eyes shone through the darkness, regarding them coldly as they passed. Every now and then Humble Pie would catch a glimpse of fangs or saliva dripping from a changeling’s mouth, briefly visible in the gleam of Star Swirl’s light. The unicorn continued forward, staring ahead the whole time while Humble Pie and Swift Cloud kept an eye on what lay above them.

Soon they were walking through a scene out of a pony’s nightmare. Beneath the treetops, invisible to Swift Cloud when she flew overhead, was the nest of the changelings. Star Swirl’s light illuminated the whole area and Humble Pie stared up in horror at what he was witnessing. Sickly green cocoons hung from the branches above, held together by sticky webbing that connected every cocoon and tree, forming a tangled mass over the entire nest. Changelings either hovered in the air or scurried over everything in sight: tree hollows, limbs, cocoons, the webbing; it was a flurry of activity that made Humble Pie and Swift Cloud feel sick to watch.

However, that activity was quickly muted by the obvious presence of the three ponies. Every changeling in the nest stopped moving and began watching these intruders pass beneath them, regarding them with hungry expressions and curiosity that such creatures would so willingly march right into their midst. The buzzing of their many wings grew more urgent, anticipating what was to come.

A few hovering changelings grew bold and approached Star Swirl, testing to see how easy it would be to take this one. The unicorn gave them a cold stare and the light from his horn suddenly grew in brightness, accompanied by a fierce wave of heat that sent the changelings scurrying back in alarm. Even Humble Pie and Swift Cloud, despite being behind the magician, could feel the intensity of the heat from his spell.

“Don’t even think about it,” Star Swirl said coldly to the changelings before him, though by this point his warning was quite unnecessary as the creatures didn’t seem to want to draw any closer then they had to. “Tell your leader I wish to speak with her,” the unicorn demanded. There was a moment’s hesitation on part of the changelings before a couple of them flew off to carry out Star Swirl’s demand.

The three ponies continued on through the nest, emerging out of the trees into the clearing they had sought all this time. What they saw there gave each of them pause. Each of their pegasi companions were lounging on clouds positioned at the very center of the clearing, expressions of pure bliss evident on their faces. They were being tended to by a group of handsome pegasi stallions and beautiful pegasi mares, each dressed in a toga and with a wreath of leaves in their hair, strongly reminiscent of the palace servants of the Pegasi Empire. It took Humble Pie a moment to realize that these pegasi were in fact changelings in disguise. These changelings too regarded the newcomers with surprise but continued about their task.

It was then that Humble Pie finally spotted the creatures responsible for bringing them all into this forest. The sirens were only a half-dozen or so in number, but they were so hideous that their very presence lent them an aura of domination in this clearing. Each of the sirens was a grotesque combination of bird and pony. With a horrible revelation Humble Pie and Swift Cloud realized why the singing they had been hearing sounded so familiar and yet alien at the same time: the lovely singing and poetic lyrics of a pony’s voice mingled with the soft chirps, whistles and harmony of a birdsong. They had the body and rear hooves of a pony, with the feathery wings of a great bird of prey. Their front legs ended in sharp talons that looked lethal yet were handled with delicate care over the stringed instruments they currently held. The head was the most grotesque feature; equal parts pony and bird, with a mane along the neck that gave way to feathers atop its head and a muzzle which morphed into the beak that delivered their beautiful singing. Each of the sirens leered at the three new ponies, shying away from the light of Star Swirl’s horn but continuing to sing regardless.

“Hey! Look who finally showed up!” a voice came calling over to them. General Hurricane lifted herself off her cloud, looking at the three newcomers with surprise. The other pegasi gave small mumblings of recognition at the arrivals, but only Hurricane seemed interested. She fluttered off her cloud, waveringly flying over to them. She seemed unsteady, but her expression was one of pure bliss, with a large smile and a half-lidded gaze. “Private! I thought you wouldn’t be joining us!” she laughed, giving Swift Cloud a strong slap on the shoulder.

Swift Cloud nearly buckled under the force of Hurricane’s slap. “General Hurricane…” her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words. “You appear to be…inebriated,” she remarked.

“Oh ho! Does the little private think she’s better than her superior?” Hurricane replied mockingly, her tone immediately darkening. “Don’t speak like that to me, Private Swift Cloud. You are the worst excuse for a soldier I have ever known! Wait, no…” she paused, struggling with a thought. “No, Private Pansy. She’s the worst excuse for a soldier I have ever known. But you’re the second.”

“Thank you, General. I haven’t been made to feel inadequate enough today,” Swift Cloud said coldly, but Hurricane failed to pick up on her sarcasm.

“You’re welcome, private!” she exclaimed heartily, giving Swift Cloud another powerful slap on the shoulder. “And at least you’re a pegasus. But you,” she went on, turning to Humble Pie and swaying slightly, “are just a groundling. You and your crops and your rocks...we pegasi work day and night to gift you with suitable weather and we receive no respect from you whatsoever! Well, you can have your ridiculous rocks, earth pony.”

“As if I give a flying feather what you think, Hurricane,” Humble Pie spat.

“You watch yourself, groundling,” the general growled, now fluttering just in front of him and forcefully shoving a hoof into the earth pony’s chest. “You’re speaking to the next commander of the Pegasi Empire, and you will respect me as such.

“And you,” Hurricane continued, now turning to Star Swirl, “are a freak. All you unicorns are freaks, with your magic and high-mindedness, but you’re the freakiest of them all.”

“Then you’ll have to forgive me for this,” Star Swirl said. His horn glowed slightly brighter and suddenly a similar glow appeared around Hurricane’s mouth, which sealed close as if the lips were held together by an invisible adhesive. The pegasus struggled to open her mouth a bit before making a series of forceful, angry gestures at the unicorn. She looked ready to attack, but then a couple of the disguised changelings fluttered over to her and gently pulled her back to the cloud. Hurricane obliged, apparently forgetting her anger in her current state.

“Not to say that General Hurricane isn’t known for her forcefulness,” Swift Cloud remarked, “but she’s never been quite that…honest.”

“She is merely experiencing euphoria,” a silky voice from behind them said. The three ponies turned to see a changeling larger than the others emerge from the depths of the nest. She was slightly taller than the other changelings, with green eyes, a blue mane and tail, insect-like wings that were riddled with holes and a spiky horn atop her head. Of all the changelings she looked the most like a pony, albeit a dark and twisted version of one. “The feeding has begun,” she went on, teasing her fangs with a hungry lick of her tongue.

“What have you done to my fellow soldiers?!” Swift Cloud demanded, staring down the changeling.

“Offered them bliss,” the changeling leader answered in a smooth tone. “As you can see, we have a delightful mutualism with our local sirens. They lure in any unwary travelers with their song and when our guests arrive we complete the illusion to make them feel even more at ease,” she explained, gesturing to the changelings disguised as pegasi servants. “Then we drain their emotions; we feed until there’s nothing left but an empty husk.

“We show them all their happiness and love in their final moments before they slip away. It truly is the most peaceful way one can die, in my opinion,” she remarked, a faint smile curling her lips upward. “And then after we’ve had our fill, we let the sirens enjoy our visitors while they are still…fresh. A beautifully symbiotic relationship, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, very efficient,” Star Swirl stated coldly. For his part, Humble Pie was amazed the unicorn could hold so well together in light of what he was witnessing; the earth pony felt like being sick after hearing this explanation.

“Ah, and you must be Star Swirl the Bearded,” the changeling said, turning her attention to the unicorn.

“I am, but I’m not sure if we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before.”

“Oh, we haven’t, but every changeling knows of you,” she muttered, her tone becoming more threatening with each word. “If I could have my way, you would pay dearly for your crimes against our queen.”

“Ah, and here I thought I was addressing the new queen,” Star Swirl smirked. “Then again, I suppose you couldn’t call yourself a proper queen when you lead over such a paltry group of pathetic weaklings.”

“You watch your tongue!” she snarled, leaning towards the unicorn. “I did not come here to be insulted by the likes of you! Instead, I have come with an offer.”

“Oh? Am I to take it you will let our companions go?” Star Swirl inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“I have come to offer that and something far greater,” she whispered, a devilish smile creeping across her face. “You’re quite well-known among the changelings, yes, but there are other creatures who know of you…who respect your power…who fear you.” Her eyes were practically gleaming with anticipation as she spoke.

“What of it?” he asked sharply, fearing that he had an inkling of where this conversation was going.

“Our land is gripped by anger and hate,” the changeling continued. “The ponies fight amongst each other and our kind is left with little to eat. All is so dark…so cold.” Humble Pie and Swift Cloud felt a chill go down their spine as she spoke that last word.

“Winter is coming, Star Swirl. But you already know this, don’t you?” She began pacing around him, regarding the unicorn thoughtfully. “That’s why you’re leading this motley group of soldiers and this simple farmer, isn’t it? And that’s why they fear you.” Star Swirl stiffened at this and drew himself away slightly from the changeling, the first crack in his stern exterior. The changeling chuckled softly.

“Star Swirl the Bearded. The only one the Windigoes fear.” She stood before him now, looking into his eyes. “I’m sure you regard us changelings as little different from them, but we and the Windigoes have always been mortal enemies. They feed off anger while we feed off joy. So long as one of us is present, the other can not survive.

“Here is my offer: I will let your companions go free, and you may all pass through this forest unharmed. In return, you and your fellow ponies agree to fight with us in our war against the Windigoes. The ponies may have the advantage of numbers, but your fellow ponies fail to notice the Windigoes’ approach. They continue to fight amongst themselves, oblivious to the fact that they are hurtling towards devastation. With us on your side, we can lead you to the Windigoes.

“Think of it, Star Swirl,” she whispered excitedly, her eyes gleaming once again. “Ponies and changelings, fighting side-by-side for the good of us both! A mutually beneficial partnership, wouldn’t you say?”

Star Swirl was silent for a moment as he considered her words. The thought of joining these foul creatures was downright revolting to him, but he also recognized that this changeling spoke the truth. A partnership with these creatures could finally give him the proof of the Windigoes he so desperately needed to illustrate the danger to the unicorns.

“No, I would not say that,” Star Swirl finally replied. “The ponies of the three tribes are misguided and filled with hate, but deep down they are good creatures. They will find harmony one day. There is no room in our society for foul, repulsive filth that seeks only to feed off the love of our kind,” he spat.

“How disappointing,” the changeling sighed. “But not altogether unexpected. Very well Star Swirl, but I’m afraid the pegasi are staying here.”

“And I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter,” the unicorn stated forcefully.

“Oh? And do you honestly expect to be able to defeat us all to do it?” she sneered. A small swarm of changelings began hovered up behind her, readying themselves for a fight.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Star Swirl snarled. “That was the mistake your queen made.”

The changeling growled furiously as her horn began to glow a bright green. Flames of the same color suddenly leapt from the ground, quickly forming a ring around the three ponies. Humble Pie yelped in fright and Swift Cloud fluttered up into the air, readying herself to pick up the two stallions and carry them across if need be, but Star Swirl merely stood still, calmly regarding the green flames as if they were a mildly interesting show.

“Very flashy,” he remarked before his horn began to glow brightly. Great flames of orange and red sprung up to engulf the green fire, consuming it before vanishing, leaving the three ponies still standing unscathed. “But you’re far too weak for that spell.

“However, if it’s fire you wish for, then you brought the right pony for it.” Star Swirl gave the changeling a savage grin as his horn began to glow brightly again.

“Feed on them!” the changeling shrieked to her fellows, pointing a hoof at the three ponies. The changelings behind her dove at them just as Star Swirl sent out a burst of fire that radiated outwards from the unicorn’s horn. The changelings tried to dodge out of the way, some narrowly missing the flames while others got badly singed, dropping to the ground in pain.

“GET TO THE PEGASI!” Star Swirl bellowed at his two companions, rearing up on his hind legs as he charged another spell. Humble Pie and Swift Cloud were too stunned to refuse, nodding quickly and racing to the center of the clearing, where the disguised changelings were already trying to extract the pegasi soldiers in the midst of this chaos.

Star Swirl stood before another swarm of changelings, his body crouched and knees bent as he continued to build up power in his horn, which grew brighter by the second. The changelings, fearing his power, were wary of coming nearer. The unicorn reared up on his hind legs as his horn glowed with a blinding light, and many of the changelings dove out of the way for fear of what was to come.

But Star Swirl’s spell wasn’t intended for them. In the middle of rearing up he spun around and aimed his spell at the edge of the clearing, sending a great ball of fire hurtling towards the group of sirens. They promptly screeched in alarm and took flight, dropping their instruments in their haste, which were quickly engulfed by the sudden flames that spread across the spot they had all just been sitting.

The second the siren’s music stopped, a strange expression came over each of the affected pegasi. Commander Tempest swayed uneasily on the spot, putting a hoof to her head as she tried to maintain her balance in mid-air. “Oh…what the…” she muttered as she waited for the world to stop spinning.

“Commander Tempest!” Swift Cloud hollered, diving at one of the disguised changelings and barreling into it, knocking it to the ground before it could dodge her attack. She wheeled around to face Tempest. “Don’t listen to these ponies! They’re changelings in disguise!”

“Commander Tempest!” another, very similar voice came from behind the pegasi leader. Tempest turned around to see Swift Cloud standing where she could have sworn there was a pegasi servant a moment ago. “Don’t listen to her! She’s one of the changelings!” Tempest opened her mouth for a second, then closed it and rubbed her forehead.

“Alright, whatever I had it must have been something fierce. I’m seeing double,” she groaned, still reeling from the effects of the siren music and the feeding. Swift Cloud dove at Swift Cloud, knocking her off her hooves and forcing her to the ground. The force of the impact caused her to lose control of the disguise, and now there was only one Swift Cloud, standing atop an unconscious changeling.

“Ha!” Swift Cloud cried triumphantly. “You may look like me, but you can’t match my speed!”

“SWIFT CLOUD!” Humble Pie cried out from the center of the clearing. “I could use a little help here!” The pegasus looked up to see the earth pony fending off a few changelings, a couple of which had taken on his appearance.

Swift Cloud turned back to Tempest, placing her fore hooves on the commander’s shoulders in order to gain her full attention. “Commander Tempest, I understand that you’re probably very confused and weak at the moment. But you have to listen carefully and trust me. You’ve been through a lot and we need to escape from here, and we’re probably going to have to fight to do it.”

Tempest nodded numbly, still with a hoof on her forehead. “Private Swift Cloud, you have my trust.” She grasped the hilt of the sword strapped to her side with one of her hooves, letting it slide into the holding strap before she unsheathed it in one swift motion, steadying herself as a determined frown crossed her face.

“Help!” Humble Pie sputtered, caught in the grasp of his double, who had the earth pony locked in a stranglehold. Another changeling approached, readying itself to strike, and it was only by the desperate flailing of his hooves that he managed to knock the changeling’s attack away. But that still left him in a dire situation.

Something collided with the changeling holding him and he suddenly felt himself being released from its grip. Humble Pie spun around to see Swift Cloud wrestling himself to the ground.

“Okay, I’ve had about ENOUGH-“ she head-butted the changeling, catching it on the head with her helmet and causing it to revert back to its regular form, “-of you things impersonating my friend!” Swift Cloud looked up from the stunned changeling at the real Humble Pie, who was staring at her with an alarmed expression.

“What?” Swift Cloud shot at him.

“I…” Humble Pie stammered for a moment. “It’s just somewhat disturbing to see yourself beat up.” He managed a small smile. “Much less by a friend.”

“Oh, get over it,” she chuckled, springing to his side to help him face off a new group of changelings. “Tell you what, if any of them impersonate me, I’ll let you take that one down.”

“I’m not sure I can do that,” he mumbled.

“Pfft. Earth pony,” Swift Cloud teased, but she gave him a sincere smile as she said it, which Humble Pie returned.

A horrible screech from above put an end to the two ponies’ banter as they looked up to see a siren swooping down from the sky at them, its claws outstretched and its beak open, as if ready to snatch them off the ground. It never reached its mark however, as Commander Tempest chose that moment to dive into its way, swinging her sword wildly at the siren. She missed by a wide margin, but the sight of the blade was enough to intimidate the siren, who now hovered in mid-air, warily eyeing the armed pegasus.

Despite her unsteadiness, Tempest had a look of utter fury on her face that gave pause even to the siren before her. Rage contorted her features and her eyes had a slightly glazed-over appearance to them due to her exhaustion, which only served to make her look even more unhinged. The siren hissed at Tempest, and she growled in response as she raised the sword in her fore hooves. No words needed to be exchanged. With a snarl, each leapt at the other. The pegasus swung her sword as the siren swiped with her talons. Each made contact with their target.

But it was Commander Tempest who remained as the only one still aloft. She had received a couple of deep cuts to her side from the siren’s talons, but she had also managed to slice through several of the feathers on one of its wings. Unable to stay in the air with only one flight-capable wing, the siren spun to the ground, landing painfully with another loud screech.

“Commander Tempest!” Swift Cloud cried out. “You’re hurt!”

“I am?” Tempest muttered, looking confused. She glanced down at her side, where a few drops of blood were leaking from her cuts. “Oh, I am.” She chuckled and swayed unsteadily. “I didn’t even feel it.”

“Come on, it’s time we left,” Swift Cloud insisted, receiving a nod from Tempest in response.

Fire raged all around them. Star Swirl’s magic had set multiple trees aflame and charred sections of the grassy meadow. They cast a flickering orange light over the entire clearing and many changelings were now scrambling to put out the flames, spitting out a sticky green substance that clung to anything it touched and proved effective at smothering fire.

Nevertheless, the unicorn proved prolific with his fireballs and the weakened creatures struggled to do battle and put out the fire at the same time. The moist wood caused smoke to pour into the clearing, mingling with the fog and causing the sirens to cough and flee in panic, fearful of damaging the lungs that gave them their most powerful weapon. It was the perfect moment to escape.

“Star Swirl!” Humble Pie called out. “We’re going!” The unicorn nodded and sent out another blast of flame that caused a nearby group of changelings to dodge out of the way. The earth pony and Swift Cloud led the group of weak pegasi out of the clearing. Thunderhead and Silver Lining, despite still recovering, had gotten the idea to utilize some nearby burning branches as torches, which they initially used to brandish at changelings but now found useful for lighting their way through the trees.

Star Swirl remained in the clearing. At some point it had occurred to him that this could very well be the last time he encountered changelings and he decided he would make it count. Straining and hunched over, he cast one last spell; his horn glowed with such intensity that several nearby changelings dodged away in fear. Leveling his horn at the edge of the clearing, the unicorn unleashed an intense jet of fire that blasted into the heart of the nest, instantly igniting the treetops and sending flames leaping into the sky. Even from the clearing he could hear the sound of cocoons detaching from branches and smashing on the ground below.

The unicorn panted from the effort for a moment before turning and galloping after his companions into the trees. Screams of anguish and fury followed him as he fled into the darkness.

Act II: Chapter VI

The next morning the sun rose from behind the mountains to the east, its golden rays cutting through the fog and casting their light on a weary group of travelers resting in the foothills of the Southern Peaks. From their position amongst the craggy, mossy rocks that covered the ridge, the ponies looked out over the misty forest that lay beneath them.

“I can still make out smoke rising from the trees,” Tempest announced to a nearby Silver Lining and Star Swirl. “But it seems to be fading. They must be putting the fire out.” The second she finished talking she grasped her forehead in her hooves and swayed slightly on the spot. “Curse this illness!” she sputtered, reaching for her flask to take a swig of water. “My head is pounding, my mouth is dry, I’m dizzy and inside I feel a sense of…longing. Are you sure this will pass soon, Star Swirl?”

“I’m not sure of anything, commander,” the unicorn answered. “Very few ponies can honestly claim to having survived the song of sirens. But I believe your symptoms are a result of your euphoria caused by the changelings. In time, they should fade.”

“I certainly hope so,” Silver Lining commented. Despite the cloudy weather, he was squinting as if a bright light was being shone into his face. “This is most unpleasant. Then again, I suppose it is a small price to pay for being alive.”

“Spoken like a true optimist.” Tempest chuckled heartily for a moment before her laughs turned to groans and she began clutching her forehead in her hooves again.

***

Nearby, Humble Pie was laying on a mossy rock, catching his breath as Swift Cloud sat nearby. Of all the pegasi she was the only who had flown out of the forest the night before; the others had partially flown, partially galloped, but mostly stumbled on their way out of the woods. Swift Cloud had been the one to take the lead and kept Commander Tempest close by, while Humble Pie galloped alongside the group, occasionally stopping to yank one of the pegasi to their hooves after they tripped over themselves for the umpteenth time. The earth pony still felt amazed that they had made it, and even more so that they hadn’t needed to fight their way out; Star Swirl had seen to that.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked Swift Cloud. The pegasus smirked back at him.

“That must be the third time you’ve asked me that in the last hour. I told you, I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than fine. We managed to save Commander Tempest and my fellow soldiers! I was so afraid we wouldn’t succeed, but we did!”

Humble Pie nodded. “This must be a very proud moment for you. I imagine the Pegasi Empire gives out medals for saving their leader.”

“Oh…yes, I suppose they do.” Swift Cloud gave a small laugh. “I wasn’t even thinking about that. I’m just happy we’re all alive. I don’t want to have to do anything like that ever again.”

The earth pony smiled and laid his head against the mossy stone, still looking at Swift Cloud. “I never said thank you for saving my life from those things. So…thank you.”

“I owed you for saving my life. And, err, comforting me,” the pegasus replied, looking sheepish at the memory of her emotional outburst.

“You don’t need to thank me for that. What sort of pony would I be if I didn’t help somepony in need?”

“Regardless, you did. So thank you,” Swift Cloud insisted, giving Humble Pie a warm smile, which he returned.

“Hey, Swift Cloud!” The pair turned to see Thunderhead approaching them. The private was walking cautiously towards them, which Humble Pie was grateful for; given Thunderhead’s bulk and the pegasi’s present condition recovering from the changelings, he would likely be a hazard if he flew.

“Private, why don’t you come join me and General Hurricane?” Thunderhead said in a rumbling, though friendly tone.

“Um, thank you Thunderhead, but I’m content to keep talking with Humble Pie.” Swift Cloud gestured towards the earth pony, nudging slightly closer to him as she did so.

Thunderhead gave a sharp, barking laugh. “Him? Honestly Swift Cloud, I thought you’d appreciate talking with some pegasi after having to put up with this groundling for so long.”

Humble Pie stiffened, but did not rise to defend himself. He was tired and in no mood to get into any more entanglements. “Least of all with a dumb brute like this one,” the earth pony thought to himself. However, it turned out he didn’t need to go on the defensive; at Thunderhead’s words, Swift Cloud promptly lifted into the air, placing herself directly in front of him with a stern expression on her face.

“I’ll have you know that this ‘groundling’ saved my life last night. I suggest you show him the proper respect, private.” Her forcefulness caused Humble Pie to raise his eyebrows, but he at least had the benefit of seeing this new side to her last night. Thunderhead stepped back a few paces, eyes wide and mouth agape as he struggled to comprehend this change in her behavior.

He cast a quick glance at Humble Pie before giving Swift Cloud a dismissive shrug. “Suit yourself,” he said as he turned around to walk away. As he left, the pegasus mare fluttered back down onto the rock the earth pony was resting on.

“Nice pony,” Humble Pie grumbled under his breath.

“Actually, he is,” Swift Cloud commented, drawing a skeptical look from the earth pony. “I know he can be gruff sometimes, but he can really be very kind. In fact, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even be where I am now.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh yes. He was the one who recommended me for this job. Nopony else seemed to think that I was cut out to be a soldier, but Thunderhead came through for me.” She smiled fondly at the memory.

“Oh…” Humble Pie’s reply trailed off as he considered this new information. “…I guess you must be very close friends, then.”

Swift Cloud chuckled. “I wouldn’t say very close, but he’s like a brother to me. I mean, we’re all brothers and sisters in the military, but Thunderhead especially so.”

***

General Hurricane sat alone, resting her head against a boulder and staring off into space, grimacing once in a while as a fresh wave of pain crept through her head or her stomach. The sound of hooves trotting snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Thunderhead slowly approaching, looking as disconcerted as she felt. They silently nodded at each other before Thunderhead sat down beside her.

“Private Thunderhead, I am ashamed.”

“…General?” Thunderhead asked hesitantly, fearing he had done something wrong and readying an apology for it.

“Not at you, private,” Hurricane grunted, squeezing her tired eyes shut and irritatingly rubbing them with a hoof. “Be honest, Thunderhead. We are the most pathetic excuse for soldiers that ever were, aren’t we?”

Thunderhead gave a sharp laugh, filled with relief that what was bothering Hurricane wasn’t of his doing. However, the stallion’s laugh was quickly stifled when he caught sight of the fierce glare the general was giving him. He cleared his throat. “Okay, I grant that last night wasn’t our finest hour, but-“

“Now there’s an understatement if I ever heard one,” Hurricane muttered darkly. “Being the first in our company to be captured by changelings and then later needing to be rescued by an earth pony and a hornhead in a silly hat: ‘not our finest moment.’ Thank you private, that puts everything into perspective.”

“At least the unicorn has magic. A lot of it.” Thunderhead looked over at Star Swirl with a thoughtful expression. “I can see why your mother sought to bring him along. With power like that willingly offered, I take no shame in accepting his help.”

“Hmph,” Hurricane grunted, crossing her forehooves and determinedly looking away from the unicorn.

“No, it’s the groundling that bothers me,” Thunderhead said, his tone darkening.

“Humble Pie?” Hurricane inquired, raising an eyebrow at the stallion. “I’m not fond of him myself, but he hardly seems worth worrying about.”

“Haven’t you noticed how much time he spends with Swift Cloud? Ever since that earth pony came into the picture, she has changed. Why, just now she had the gall to speak back to me! Me!”

Now it was Hurricane’s turn to laugh. She momentarily tittered before succumbing to groans once more as her stomach churned. Placing a hoof on her forehead, she managed a smirk at Thunderhead. “You’re her recommender, private. Not her superior. If anything, I’d say she’s finally becoming the soldier you promised she would! Honestly, I don’t know what you saw in her, but she definitely came through for us last night.

“I know she’s always followed your word,” the general added, “but you couldn’t expect that to go on forever.”

“It’s more than that,” Thunderhead insisted, waving a hoof dismissively.

“Is it, though?” Hurricane asked, giving the private a level stare. “I grant that she and the earth pony seem rather…close, but that’s just Swift Cloud for you. She’s always been friendly. I think you’re just disappointed that your underling has finally grown a backbone.”

“I…I suppose,” the stallion relented, now unsure if there was anything to his suspicions or if he had simply been blinded by personal bias.

“Birds have to leave the nest eventually, Thunderhead. She couldn’t be your underling forever.”

***

After they all finally felt rested, the group of travelers began making their way up into the mountains, climbing high above the forest and leaving the misty landscape behind at last. A layer of fog clung to the rocky slopes, but where in the forest the fog felt heavy and stale, here it was accompanied by a cool breeze that felt refreshing to the ponies after spending so much time in the dense trees. The pegasi in particular were reveling in the change of scenery, even if they were still too ill to fly.

Humble Pie trotted forward at the head of the group. He was smiling inwardly to himself; with the pegasi grounded, he was now proving to be the fastest in the group save for Swift Cloud, who remained nearby anyway. A part of him wanted to openly point this out to the winged ponies behind him just to antagonize them, but he held back that urge and decided to savor the moment while it lasted. He fell back a few steps to trot beside Commander Tempest.

“I’m still not entirely clear why you wanted us to climb the ridge. I understand getting away from the forest if that’s your intention, but the pass through the mountains is a little further on,” Humble Pie pointed out.

“We’re not going to the pass,” Tempest replied. “At least not yet. We’ve lost too many supplies to continue all the way to Fortune’s Peak, so first we need to restock.”

“Ah. So you pegasi have a base somewhere around here?”

“Well…almost,” Tempest answered, smiling slightly. “You’ll see.”

“I suppose I will.” Humble Pie shrugged before glancing down at the weapon still hanging on the commander’s side. “Err…Temp-Commander Tempest I mean, may I ask you a question?”

“Of course you may, Humble Pie. But whether I will be able to answer it is a different matter entirely,” Tempest said, winking at the earth pony.

“…Right. Well, I was curious about the sword.”

“What of it?”

“You said that sword of yours was fashioned from a dragon’s tooth. But when I asked, you told me the story behind it was for another time.”

“And you want to hear it?” Tempest smirked.

“Well, you’re grounded, I’m in the mood for a good story, and we’ve got a long walk ahead of us. This seems as good a time as any.” Behind them, Silver Lining stiffened at hearing somepony addressing the commander so casually, but Tempest chuckled heartily.

“I’m not much of a storyteller, but there is an interesting tale nonetheless. Many years ago when I was still just a filly, if you can imagine that,” she added with a snicker, “a pegasus warrior on a scouting mission traveled far afield, deep into the mountains to the north. She was on her own and didn’t know what lay in those formidable peaks. Lost in the snow and ice, she sensed heat coming from a distant cave. Freezing, she followed the warmth and entered the cave, not realizing that she had flown into a dragon’s den.

“As can be expected, the dragon was not pleased and tried to chase this pegasus out. But the dragon was old and its eyesight was poor, and the warrior was very clever. So she taunted the dragon and lured it outside. Despite its size and strength, it could not keep up with the warrior’s speed and became lost in the blizzard raging outside. But it could still hear the pegasus’ taunts and became enraged, crashing into the snowy slopes in its anger. Finally it wore itself out and collapsed on the mountainside, where it shortly died from exhaustion. The brave, clever warrior took a fang from the dragon’s corpse as a trophy of her victory and brought it back to Peasopolis, where it was fashioned into a sword.”

“…Wow,” Humble Pie muttered quietly, in awe of what he had just heard. “That’s incredible! A single pegasus laying waste to a mighty dragon!”

“Yes, it is a very impressive feat,” Tempest agreed, nodding. “It’s also complete nonsense.”

“Ye-wait, what?”

“The warrior from this story had a penchant for self-aggrandizement. In fact, when I was young she was occasionally used as an example to teach foals of the risks of an inflated ego. That is why she was allowed to roam about alone in the first place; nopony wanted to work with her, and I imagine that she preferred it that way.”

“So there was no dragon?” Humble Pie inquired, bewildered by this new information.

“That’s what makes it confusing, because clearly there was a dragon; the tooth I now carry is indeed authentic. However, I believe she overstated her bravery and cleverness. I have no way of confirming my suspicions, but my guess is that the dragon was already dead when she arrived, and taking the tooth was a simple matter of plucking it like a flower. But my kind were so excited at the prospect of a single pegasus downing a fierce dragon and gifting our empire with an indestructible tool that she became a folk hero and her story accepted as fact.”

“Well, it sounds like everything worked out for her in the end,” Humble Pie commented.

“Actually, she perished when a certain dragon attacked her cloudpost on Fortune’s Peak,” Tempest stated matter-of-factly.

“How…ironic.”

“Needless to say it didn’t help morale very much, to have the world’s only known dragon slayer killed so swiftly by said creature. Soon she became something of a martyr for the pegasi, her flaws and pompous nature quietly forgotten as her gift became the empire’s most treasured possession,” she finished, gesturing to the sword hanging off her side.

“You mean to tell me that you pegasi hail a pony who only rose to fame because of a lie?” Humble Pie asked incredulously.

“It is not who she was in life that matters, it is what she became after death that is important,” Tempest patiently explained. “Her sacrifice touches our souls, her gift is our key to victory and her tale of slaying a dragon, however fabricated, gives us faith that we shall succeed in doing the same.”

Humble Pie was silent for a moment. “This quest…this is about more than reclaiming territory for you pegasi, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Tempest confirmed. “This is about giving hope to my kind. This is about avenging the dragon slayer.”

***

Noon came and went as the group of travelers continued to ascend the ridge, heading eastward as they did so. The fog thinned as they climbed further away from the forest, slowly replaced by large, pillowy clouds that drifted by, pushed by the stiff breezes that buffeted the slope. To the north was a vast expanse of fog interrupted by the occasional hole in the clouds which gave them a view of the greenery below. From above the treetops the forest looked serene, belying the dangers held within. To the south, majestic peaks rose high above them, their tops covered in snow and ice; another blanket of white that seemed to reflect the clouds shrouding the forest below. And between these two expanses of white was the strip of stone gray and mossy green that the ponies now traveled along.

By this point the pegasi had largely recovered from their illness and could now fly without being in danger of crashing immediately. Humble Pie and Star Swirl were once again the only ponies in the group walking upon the ground as their winged companions took to the air, a few of them scouting ahead but never straying out of sight.

“Commander Tempest, we’re approaching our destination,” Swift Cloud reported, flying back to join the main group.

“Thank you private,” the commander responded. “Accompany Silver Lining while he goes ahead and formally announces our presence.” The private nodded as the advisor flew on ahead, joined swiftly by Swift Cloud.

“Formally announce?” Humble Pie muttered to Star Swirl in an undertone. “What, are we going to get attacked otherwise?”

“I think it’s more a matter of politeness,” the magician suggested.

“Politeness? We’re with the leader of the Pegasi Empire!” the earth pony exclaimed. “I don’t think we need to worry about politeness with a cloudpost.”

“I don’t think this is a cloudpost,” Star Swirl said, gesturing up the hill with one of his hooves. Humble Pie followed his gaze to see what looked like the mouth of a cave at the top of the ridge and a creature coming out to greet them – a creature that had wings but was most certainly not a pegasus.

“Commander Tempest!” a griffon called out to the pegasi leader, managing to pull off a deep, sweeping bow while remaining aloft. He lifted his head, grinning broadly at the visitors. “An honor t’ meet ye! Welcome t’ our humble den. Allow me t’ introduce myself; name’s Gregor.”

“Gregor the Griffon, it is a pleasure.” Tempest offered a salute. “I trust you’ve already met my advisor, General Silver Lining, and our youngest and most eager member, Private Swift Cloud. This is my daughter, General Hurricane-” here she pointed out Hurricane, “-and my loyal guard Private Thunderhead,” she finished, pointing out said pegasus.

“Charmed.” Gregor nodded at each of them in turn, before turning to the two grounded ponies. “And ye’ve got a unicorn an’ a pony with ye! I like yer hat,” he commented, pointing a claw at Star Swirl’s pointed cap. “What are ye, some kin’ o’ jester?”

“I am Star Swirl the Bearded,” the magician said in a commanding voice. “The greatest conjurer of our time!”

“Star Swirl the Bearded! Ye don’t say…” Gregor placed a claw on his chin and gazed at the unicorn with a thoughtful expression. “My word, Star Swirl the Bearded…” The unicorn adopted a smug expression at this recognition.

“Nope. Ne’er heard of ye.” The griffon shrugged and Star Swirl looked momentarily stunned before glaring at Gregor as if he had insulted him.

“So who are ye, then?” the griffon asked, turning to Humble Pie.

“Oh, nopony important,” the earth pony said quickly, feeling slightly intimidated by Gregor.

“Oh? Well then, soldiers, beardy, unimportant one, all of ye, come in! Come in!” he exclaimed enthusiastically as he began leading the ponies up the slope to the den.

Humble Pie followed along. Unlike Star Swirl, he wasn’t insulted by the griffon’s jibe. For that matter, he wasn’t sure how to feel about the whole situation. On one hoof this creature seemed friendly enough, but on the other hoof those claws and that sharp beak couldn’t be just for show. Pegasi actually got along far better with griffons than they did with the other pony tribes, probably because they both could fly and had a certain ferocity about them; griffons as dangerous creatures and pegasi as warriors.

“Yer a quiet one,” Gregor commented, now hovering beside the earth pony and placing a claw on his shoulder. Humble Pie suppressed a shudder at his touch, glancing down at the sharp talons that were now but an inch away from piercing his flesh should their master choose to wield them thusly.

Gregor must have noticed Humble Pie’s unease. “Don’t fret yerself now, I’ve no quarrel wit’ yer kin’. Or th’ unicorns fer that matter. Griffons don’t bother wit’ th’ weather or feed on pony crops; all th’ fightin’ between you ponies aren’t any o’ our concern.”

“That’s…good to know,” Humble Pie replied meekly. Gregor chuckled and gave the earth pony a friendly slap on the shoulder before flying ahead to speak with Commander Tempest.

The griffon’s den was a simple abode consisting of a small, rocky clearing near the top of the ridge that had several caves opening onto it. Overhead were several clouds that served as watchposts, each with a griffon atop that was keeping an eye on the surrounding landscape. Humble Pie noticed them keeping a close eye on their visitors, their sharp eyes watching his every step. Their gaze wasn’t hostile, but it certainly kept the earth pony from making any sudden moves.

As they walked across the clearing, Gregor and the pegasi landed and began to enter one of the caves. Looking around, the earth pony could only think that ‘humble’ had been an apt descriptor for the griffon’s home. The clearing was little more than a collection of large boulders that looked like suitable resting places for a lounging griffon. A few of the boulders were littered with what appeared to be the bones of small rodents, fish or other such animals you would expect a creature that was half-eagle to eat. Humble Pie grimaced at the sight before following his fellow travelers into the cave.

However, while the exterior of the caves suggested a simple, no-frills and perhaps harsh lifestyle, Humble Pie was stunned by the treasures held inside the cave. Within was a spacious room that was sparsely but elegantly decorated with busts of griffons, wooden shelves filled with goblets, collections of spears neatly arranged in fan patterns on the walls and a massive table in the center of the room that was covered in maps and charts laid out between plates and goblets full of food and drink.

But there was one feature of the room that immediately captured the earth pony’s interest. In the center of the room positioned on the wall was an intricate carving of a pair of griffons shown from the side, holding between them an elaborate coat of arms. Extending from this carving along both sides of the room was a painted frieze on the uppermost portion of the wall depicting griffons in flight or battle, frequently swooping down upon dark, shadowy creatures.

One section of the frieze caught Humble Pie’s eye; it showed a trio of griffons doing battle against a massive pony-like creature, and at first glance the farmer thought it was an earth pony the griffons were fighting, but he shortly realized that this thing was no pony. For one, it was at least twice the size of any of the griffons depicted, but more importantly was that it appeared to be flying, despite lacking wings. The griffons’ wings were outstretched to suggest that they were airborne and the strange creature was positioned above clouds. ‘No…it is clouds,’ Humble Pie realized as he examined the painting further. One griffon was painted upside down and in a state of alarm, encased in some sort of trap as curving lines that represented harsh winds threatened to topple the remaining griffon warriors. They fought boldly but the creature looked unperturbed, its visible eye inlaid with a small sapphire that shined a cold blue-

“Humble Pie!” The earth pony started at being snapped out of his thoughts and turned around to see Star Swirl calling him over to the center of the room. Casting a final glance at the frieze he approached the table where the group of ponies and several griffons were presently assembled.

“Humble Pie, this is Gwendolyn the Fair, leader of this village,” Star Swirl introduced the earth pony to the head griffon, who nodded at him but remained expressionless, gazing down at Humble Pie as if considering him. The pony bowed toward her as Star Swirl continued. “She has offered room for the two of us in this homely dwelling.”

“Plenty of room here,” Gwendolyn commented, offering the two a small smile. “We don’t play host to the wingless very often, but we should be able to house you. Gregor, see our guests to their quarters.” Gregor nodded and led Humble Pie and Star Swirl deeper into the cave as Gwendolyn turned to face Commander Tempest. “I know you’re going to refuse, but I still want you to know that you and your soldiers are welcome to spend the night inside, should you choose.”

“Thank you, but we prefer sleeping by our own means,” Tempest answered. “I will take my soldiers outside and set up our sleeping quarters for tonight. General Silver Lining, I leave you to recap our situation to Gwendolyn and bring her up to speed.” Silver Lining promptly saluted as Tempest gave him a small smile and a wink before leading the rest of the pegasi out the cave, leaving her advisor alone with Gwendolyn.

“Good to see you again, Silver,” the griffon said, giving the pegasus a genuine smile before pulling him into a strong hug.

“Same to you, Gwendolyn,” Silver Lining replied, returning her embrace. He nuzzled against her, his head resting on her feathery shoulder before they broke apart.

“So, joining together with a unicorn and an earth pony? That’s a bold move for you pegasi. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’ve gotten desperate.” The griffon chuckled.

“Oh, we have grown desperate; there is little doubt about that. Commander Tempest worries so... But I would venture that you are even more desperate than we,” he added, looking around at the room. “This room seems rather sparse if my memory serves me well. Either the griffons aren’t as interested in guarding treasure as they used to be or,” the pegasus turned to Gwendolyn with a stern expression upon his face, “you’re actually leaving.”

“We can’t stay here.” The griffon gave a heavy sigh and looked fondly around the room. “Much as I have come to love this place, we have to leave. As you can see, we’ve already moved much of our possessions to a safer place. We’re preparing to migrate into the West; there may be good lands in the mountain ranges beyond the known world. There is nothing left for us here.”

“You can stay and fight with us! Gwendolyn, please,” Silver Lining pleaded, grabbing the griffon by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. “The pegasi have no quarrel with the griffons. Let us take up arms together, as we did before!”

“Always the optimist,” Gwendolyn said with a chuckle before her tone grew darker. “You can’t fight this.”

“So you know what this is? You know what threatens my kind?” the pegasus inquired urgently.

“We have a hunch,” the griffon replied, picking up a goblet to take a sip from it before continuing. “But we’re not staying here to find out. Our food sources are depleting and we don’t have the means to stay here much longer. The animals know, Silver. They know something draws nearer and so they flee this land. We have to follow, for our own survival.”

“I implore you to change your mind. After everything we’ve been through together-“

“This is not a matter up for debate,” Gwendolyn said, cutting Silver Lining off with a fierce glare. “Do you think that this was an easy choice for me? I am leaving behind the life I built here! I’m bidding farewell to my husband!” she cried out as she gave the pegasus a significant look, which caused him to look down at the floor in shame. “And what about our daughter? Do you think this will be easy for her?” The griffon stopped and breathed heavily for a few seconds to hold her emotions in check as a thick silence fell between the two.

“…How is Harriet?” Silver Lining asked, finally breaking the silence.

“She…” Gwendolyn had to pause, as the next word briefly got stuck in her throat. She inhaled deeply before allowing herself a proud smile. “She is the most beautiful hippogriff I have ever laid eyes on. Her writing gets better with each passing day and she takes such an interest in the world. You remember her curiosity,” she added, receiving a smile and a nod from her husband. “She needs to eat meat just as I do, so I had her leave on one of the first groups to depart. The reports she sends back sound promising. I can let you read them, if you wish.”

“I’d like that,” Silver Lining answered, giving his wife a grateful smile. Gwendolyn’s expression softened and she leaned in to embrace him once again.

“Come with us,” she whispered gently. “Come see your daughter again. She misses you so.”

“You can’t ask me to leave Commander Tempest’s side, especially now.” He broke out of the embrace and met the griffon’s eyes with his own. “You haven’t seen her as I have, Gwendolyn. She would drive herself mad with worry if I wasn’t by her side, and the empire needs her wisdom now more than ever.”

The griffon sighed deeply. “When did we take on such responsibility? When did we become stewards to our kinds? Heh, sometimes I think I should have married another griffon like a normal girl so we could both do away with this heartache.”

“Don’t say that.” Silver Lining gave her a stern look. “Don’t even joke like that. I don’t regret any of the times we spent together.”

“Oh Silver, I’m sorry,” Gwendolyn apologized, regret evident in her voice. “...Are you sure you won’t come with us?”

“This...” The pegasus paused for a moment before giving a heavy sigh, laden with emotion. “This is not a matter up for debate.” The griffon nodded and the two became quiet once more. Silver Lining looked down at the floor, fiddling with one of his hooves while Gwendolyn avoided looking at her husband, idly scratching one of her arms to keep her claws occupied.

“We’re the last group remaining here,” Gwendolyn explained. “As soon as we dismantle the rest of the settlement and secure what’s left of the treasure, we’ll leave as well.”

“I’ll follow you someday,” the pegasus stated confidently. “I can’t now, but someday I will.”

“I’d like that,” Gwendolyn said, returning Silver Lining’s grateful smile.

Another silence fell as memories of the past came flooding back and the two reminisced on the times spent with each other. Silver Lining looked thoughtful for a moment before reaching onto the table to grab one of the goblets.

“Then let’s make good of what little time we have left together in this land. A toast to our future! To Harriet! And to the griffons! To the West!” Silver Lining proclaimed, raising the goblet into the air.

Gwendolyn smiled warmly and took the goblet beside her, lifting it alongside her husband’s. “To the Pegasi Empire. Long may it prosper.”

Act II: Chapter VII

The following morning was a rather subdued affair. Humble Pie couldn’t quite place it, but there was a lingering bitterness in the air as they prepared to leave the griffon village. The griffons weren’t hostile; far from it in fact, but there was a gulf between them and the ponies that the farmer didn’t understand. He was doubly confused when he noticed Silver Lining and Gwendolyn emerge from the griffon’s private quarters, both smiling and apparently enjoying each other’s company, but with a sort of sadness as well. Ultimately, Humble Pie shrugged it off, deciding that whatever was going on was beyond him and probably none of his concern anyway.

Standing just outside the entrance to the cave, the earth pony stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyelids. It had been the first time he had slept since the run-in with the changelings, and despite his exhaustion he found sleep difficult. His rest had been uneasy and constantly interrupted by nightmares involving scaly black creatures reaching out to grab him and Swift Cloud weeping on his chest once again. He had woken up to find the tears he felt on his skin were in fact his own and was grateful he had a room to himself where he could once again silently relieve himself of his emotions.

“Sleepy?” Swift Cloud asked, fluttering down to stand by Humble Pie’s side.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, I am,” Humble Pie mumbled. He stifled another yawn before shaking his head furiously in an attempt to wake himself up. “Had some bad dreams.”

“Yeah, so did I.” The pegasus and the earth pony shared a knowing glance as the other pegasi and Star Swirl emerged from the cave along with Gwendolyn.

“Take care, friends,” the griffon offered. “The greatest dangers you face are yet to come.”

“That’s comforting to hear,” Humble Pie grumbled, evoking a giggle from Swift Cloud. Hurricane and Thunderhead grunted in annoyance, but Gwendolyn smiled warmly.

“Take heart, pony. At least you know what your journey holds for you.”

“Gwendolyn the Fair, I thank you once more for offering us shelter and supplies,” Tempest said gratefully, bowing towards the griffon. One by one, the pegasi took to the air as Humble Pie and Star Swirl began trotting down the ridge, leaving only Silver Lining with Gwendolyn.

“Farewell, my dearest.” The griffon’s voice was heavy with emotion. “I shall await the day I will be able to see you once more.”

“As will I,” Silver Lining promised, embracing his wife. “Give my best to Harriet, and tell her I’m sorry I can’t be with her now.”

“She’ll understand,” Gwendolyn said, pulling him into a close hug. “She already does.” They broke apart to take in each other’s eyes for a moment.

“Goodbye, my love.”

***

“You know, it’s a good thing we’re not making this journey in the winter,” Humble Pie muttered through chattering teeth. He and Swift Cloud had taken the lead in the climb up the hill towards the pass that would lead them through the Southern Peaks. A brisk wind rushed down the rocky slope at them, harsh enough that the pegasi were having difficulty flying forward and took to hoofing it along the ground. Each of them were slowly making their way up, but the earth pony was having the worst time of it, his mood worsening with each step he took.

Swift Cloud chuckled. “Cold, Humble Pie? This is nothing; you should see some of the storms we soldiers have had to battle through!” She turned to him only to find her mane blown over her eyes and had to turn her head back into the wind to get it out again. “Although granted, this is a tad annoying.”

“Blast this wind!” the earth pony cursed as another freezing gust stung his eyes and sent a fresh wave of shivers through his body. “Can’t you pegasi do something about this weather?”

“Hey, we can move clouds around but this is wind. You would need a whole team of pegasi to take on a gust like this.”

“Great,” Humble Pie spat. “What I don’t understand is why it’s this cold to begin with! It’s summer and there’s still snow on those peaks!” he cried.

“Quit bickering, groundling,” Thunderhead grunted from just behind them. “You don’t hear any of us complaining about the cold.”

“That’s because you pegasi practically live in this stuff!” Humble Pie hollered back.

“Everypony, quiet!” Star Swirl suddenly yelled. His tone was urgent and he was looking around carefully, as if trying to spot something. “Do any of you hear anything?”

The group was silent for a few seconds, but the only sound that greeted them was the rush of wind. The unicorn strained his ears; he could have sworn he heard a familiar howl in the distance, and the fact that it came when the others had been arguing struck him as no coincidence.

“I don’t hear anything,” Hurricane stated dismissively.

“Just wait a moment!” Star Swirl urged. “I know I heard something.”

Humble Pie shook his head and continued trotting forward. “Star Swirl, look around. There’s nothing out he-AAAGH!” The others turned at his shriek only to find the earth pony had vanished. In his place, what had been a collection of small rocks on the ground was now a dark hole. The ‘thump’ of boulders striking the sides of the tunnel below mingled with the pained cries of the pony hitting the ground within.

“Humble Pie!” Swift Cloud cried out in alarm, rushing to the hole and peering inside. “Can you hear me? Are you hurt?”

“…Just my pride,” Humble Pie’s voice came meekly up to meet the pegasus’ ears. She gave a sigh of relief as the other pegasi and Star Swirl gathered around the hole.

“Can you see what’s down there?” the unicorn shouted.

“I...I think it’s some sort of tunnel,” the earth pony called back. “Definitely not hoof-made, but it doesn’t quite seem natural either. It seems to open up down here, but there’s not enough light to tell for sure.”

“Well, climb on out already,” Hurricane yelled, a frown crossing her face.

In the faint light that shone into the tunnel, the group could see the outline of a figure come into view and scramble up the slope of the tunnel, only to fall back down. “No good, it’s too steep. I don’t suppose any of you have any rope?” he added with a hint of sarcasm, knowing the chances of any pegasus carrying rope were slim.

“Hold on, we’ll come down!” Swift Cloud called. “Thunderhead, come on; we can carry him out.”

“I’m not carrying any groundling!” Thunderhead retorted, looking disgusted at the very thought.

“And I’m not getting carried by any pegasi!” Humble Pie hollered back.

“Oh, just come on,” Swift Cloud groaned, tugging a reluctant Thunderhead towards the hole.

“Wait, you two.” Star Swirl reached out a hoof to hold them back. Using his magic, he levitated two thick wooden sticks out of his saddlebag and, with a few seconds of focus, caused the tops of both to burst into flame, making a pair of torches. “Use these to light your way,” he offered, levitating them in a glowing aura hovering in front of the two pegasi.

“Perfect!” Swift Cloud exclaimed cheerfully before grasping one of the torches in her mouth. Thunderhead hesitated briefly as he leaned toward the glow of magic before clutching the other between his teeth and following his fellow private through the hole.

It was a short journey down to where Humble Pie was standing. As the light from the torches illuminated the tunnel, he began looking around. He had been right in saying it opened up; the tunnel he fell through emerged onto a ledge at the edge of a cave that was too large for the torches to fully illuminate. A couple of faint glimmers from the cave walls caught his eyes.

“Pass me the torch, will you?” he asked Swift Cloud just as she landed. She offered it to him and a thrill went through Humble Pie when their muzzles touched as he grabbed the part of the handle the pegasus wasn’t biting down on. She gave him a sly grin, causing the earth pony to blush slightly before she let go of the handle.

Humble Pie took the torch and brought it closer to one of the glimmering objects on the wall. He reached up and scraped a hoof over it, dislodging it from its place on the wall and causing it to fall to the ground.

“Look!” he grunted through the torch held in his mouth. “Itf a gem! Thif whole cave muf be full of ‘em! I think we’re in fome kind of mine.”

“But who would be mining out here? You yourself said this tunnel wasn’t hoof-made,” Swift Cloud pointed out.

“I don’t know, but look at all thif!” Humble Pie cried out, his enthusiasm building as he reached for another gemstone on the wall. This one was perched on the wall just over the side of the ledge they were standing on, and right as the earth pony grasped it he slipped on the smooth rocks and tumbled down further into the cave. He lost his grip on the torch as he rolled painfully across a boulder and came to a rest on the floor of the cave.

Humble Pie groaned as he slowly picked himself up. He had a few choice curse words ready as he lifted his head, but they all died in his throat as he caught a glimpse of a pair of outstretched claws reaching out towards him and a hideous face with bared teeth glaring down upon him. With a panicked yelp the pony leapt backwards, bracing himself for a fight.

He stood, panting heavily for a few seconds with his body lowered towards the ground, ready to turn around and buck this creature once it made the first move. But it never did. For that matter, it didn’t make any move. In the flickering light of the torch he had dropped, Humble Pie could now just make out a sheet of ice that covered the creature’s whole body, freezing it to the spot. It was a large, hulking figure that stood on two legs, hunched over with long arms that ended in filthy claws and a broad head with pointed ears and yellow eyes.

“What is that?” Swift Cloud gasped as she and Thunderhead came down to investigate.

“I think,” Humble Pie muttered in an astonished tone as he finally relaxed his guard, “that might be a diamond dog! I’ve never seen one, but anypony who works with gemstones is warned about them at some point.”

“There are more of them,” Swift Cloud stated, bending down to pick up the fallen torch before fluttering up into the air. From the center of the cave, the light shone down upon several other frozen diamond dogs scattered around the room. “What could have done this to them?” she wondered aloud.

The thought that whatever was responsible for the icy fate of the creature before them could still be nearby sent a shiver through Humble Pie that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. He gazed at the frozen diamond dog for a second before turning to Thunderhead.

“You know what? Suddenly being carried by pegasi doesn’t seem so bad.” The pegasus curtly nodded in agreement.

“Swift Cloud, we’re leaving,” Thunderhead ordered, turning towards the tunnel entrance.

“Hold on, do you two hear that?” the pegasus mare asked, a frown on her face as she concentrated on something. The two stallions listened for a second and were able to pick up a faint scuttling sound coming from above.

“What-“ Humble Pie was cut off as a thunderous crash echoed throughout the cave and an avalanche of boulders and soil crashed through the tunnel. He and Thunderhead quickly retreated to the other side of the cave as several of the boulders tumbled towards them. A cloud of dust momentarily filled the cave, and when it finally settled the three ponies stared with wide eyes and slackened jaws at the tunnel entrance, now buried under several tons of rock.

Humble Pie turned to face Swift Cloud. What little light that had made its way down from the surface was now gone, leaving only the orange light of their torches which cast long, flickering shadows across their faces. A last few crumbles of rock could be heard before total silence reigned in the cave.

The earth pony remained quiet for a moment before the reality of the situation finally struck him and he rushed towards the blocked entrance, followed closely by the two pegasi with him. “Star Swirl!” he cried out. “Star Swirl, can you hear me?!”

“Humble Pie?” The faint voice of the unicorn came through a crack remaining in the buried tunnel. “Is that you?”

“Yes!” the earth pony shouted back. “Yes, we’re here and we’re all safe!”

“I beg to differ,” Thunderhead grumbled.

“What?” Humble Pie retorted, shooting him a sideways glance. “Are you hurt?”

“No, but I don’t think we’re safe.” Thunderhead glared intensely at the pile of boulders before them, as if considering it. “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that of all the moments for a tunnel blockage to happen, it occurred at the very moment when we were all inside the cave?”

“Uh, Thunderhead?” Swift Cloud mumbled, facing away from the blocked entrance. “You might be onto something there.”

The two stallions turned towards the cave only to freeze in horror at what they saw staring back at them. Another diamond dog, this one fully alert and not frozen, leered at them. A thick helmet that obscured both eyes was perched on its head and its body was covered in bruises, cuts and scars, most of them recent and a few of them still bleeding slightly. As it drew closer the heavy odor of sweat mingled with blood slammed into Humble Pie’s nostrils, making him wonder how they had not noticed it before.

“Poniesss…” the diamond dog hissed. “Ponies come to hurt us…ponies come to freeze us…” His strange method of speech probably would have been funny to the three travelers if it wasn’t for the fact that he was breathing heavily and his voice carried a strong hint of madness.

“No, we’re not!” Humble Pie yelped quickly. “We were actually just on our way!”

“Ponies try to trick me. But I know better…ponies try to hurt us diamond dogs!” he snarled, taking another step closer as the ponies retreated against the pile of rubble behind them.

“Hold right there!” Thunderhead commanded, flaring open his wings and hovering in front of the approaching diamond dog. “We are soldiers of the Pegasi Empire, and should you attack you will have to answer-“

“FLYING PONIES COME TO HURT US!” the diamond dog bellowed, lunging at Thunderhead and sending him flying backwards into the wall. “FLYING PONIES FREEZE MY FRIENDS, BUT YOU SHALL NOT GET ME!” With that he let out a howl and charged straight at Humble Pie and Swift Cloud.

With only a second to react, Humble Pie acted purely on instinct. He dived to the side, shoving Swift Cloud out of the way just before the diamond dog smashed headlong into the wall. The creature wobbled for a second, briefly stunned from his impact with the wall, but quickly recovered and was soon facing down the two ponies again. This time the diamond dog had them cornered and the earth pony didn’t see another escape route as he backed up against the wall. Swift Cloud placed a hoof on the ground in front of him and flared her wings, readying to defend Humble Pie. He prepared himself to throw her out of the way again if the diamond dog charged again.

It never got the chance. Thunderhead came barreling at the diamond dog, slamming the creature off its feet and into the wall once more. As the bulk of the diamond dog and the pegasus stallion collided with the pile of rubble, several rocks were dislodged and fell to the ground. The diamond dog lifted its head just in time to see a particularly large boulder fall upon him, smashing over his head with a sickening ‘crack!’

Silence fell in the cave again, and the three ponies stared wide-eyed at the motionless diamond dog lying on the floor. Humble Pie became aware of the breath he had been holding in and slowly let it out. Thunderhead was panting heavily, nursing a few bruises as he stood hunched over with his wings hanging unfolded. Swift Cloud merely gaped at the unconscious creature before them.

“Humble Pie! Privates, report! What’s going on down there?!” Commander Tempest’s faint voice reached their ears, her tone stern and filled with urgency.

“Commander, Star Swirl, you have to get us out!” Humble Pie shouted back. “There are diamond dogs down here!”

“Correction, there’s a diamond dog,” Thunderhead pointed out. “Unless you’re counting the frozen ones, and they’re no more of a threat than this one now is.”

“What did it mean?” Swift Cloud whispered, still staring at the diamond dog. “What was it talking about, flying ponies freezing them? No pegasus can do this, no matter how many snow clouds they bring in. …Right?” she added, looking over at Thunderhead.

“Frankly, I think it was unhinged,” Thunderhead muttered darkly. “Perhaps its fellows here were frozen and it went mad in its solitude.”

Humble Pie opened his mouth to respond but stopped as they heard another faint scuttling sound, this one seemingly coming from the depths of the cave. The three ponies turned to face it, staring into the darkness beyond the light of the torches that lay forgotten on the ground.

“I’m not so certain about that,” the earth pony said quietly.

“Commander Tempest!” Swift Cloud called out hurriedly, fear creeping into her voice. “We have to get out of here!”

“Give us some time!” the commander hollered back. “We’re trying to clear these boulders!” They heard the sound of rocks scraping against each other and realized the unicorn and pegasi above them were pulling each boulder out of the way. A loud scampering suddenly came from somewhere behind the cave wall to their left and they turned towards it with alarm.

“We don’t have time,” Humble Pie muttered quietly. He bent over and picked up one of the torches lying on the ground before galloping back into the cave, looking around frantically.

“What are you doing?!” Thunderhead yelled.

“There’f a tunnel over here!” the earth pony announced before transferring the torch he held from his mouth to one of his forehooves. “Listen, this is very porous rock, which will make tunneling through it very easy for these things. They will be here soon, and once they show up we won’t have a chance.”

“So your plan is to venture further into their territory?!” the pegasus stallion exclaimed incredulously.

“If we’re lucky, we might find another way out,” Humble Pie offered.

“Good enough for me,” Swift Cloud said quickly before Thunderhead could give another objection. Her fellow private gaped at her as she turned back to the pile of rubble. The scuttling sound of something burrowing towards them grew louder. “Commander Tempest! We’re under attack and taking evasive maneuvers! We shall seek another exit; continue up the mountain!”

“Wait! What-” Swift Cloud didn’t hear the rest of Tempest’s answer as she dashed away from the blocked entrance, picking up the torch as she did so and following Humble Pie as he raced into the tunnel leading out of the cave. Thunderhead followed closely behind as the scampering sounds became ever louder as their unseen assailants drew nearer.

Act II: Chapter VIII

Humble Pie galloped frantically through the tunnel, his legs burning as the flame of the torch he still held in his mouth flicked at the side of his face, stinging his skin as it singed his fur. Regardless, he pressed on, desperate to outrun the diamond dogs that would surely be closing in from behind.

Even as he ran, the earth pony made notes of his surroundings. The tunnel didn’t proceed straightforwardly; rather it twisted and turned with many ups and downs. It was obvious the diamond dogs dug it without regard to the rock formations they would come across. Each time they had come across a tougher formation that would take more time to dig through, they had simply dug around it. Up, down, right, left, right, right, down…Humble Pie kept a running tally in his head as they plunged further underground. If they were going to find their way out, he figured, they would need to have at least a rough idea of where they were.

Suddenly, Humble Pie felt nothing but air beneath his hooves. Before he could get past his abrupt sensation of panic he hit the floor of a small cave, just a couple lengths below the tunnel that he had just exited out of. Swift Cloud and Thunderhead followed shortly, opening their wings too late to avoid landing on top of the earth pony, who let out a loud, pained grunt.

“Okay…” Humble Pie groaned as the two pegasi slid off of him. “Next time, if you’re falling, try putting those wings to use instead of crushing me.” He looked up, expecting a retort from Thunderhead, but noticed that both of his companions looked deeply alarmed; even frightened. Thunderhead had a grimace and was sweating profusely, casting his gaze frantically about the cave with his wings folded tightly against his sides. But he looked calm and composed next to Swift Cloud, who was hopping from one hoof to the other, flapping her wings rapidly like a chicken trying to take flight. Her eyes were wide and she was taking heavy, ragged breaths, her chest heaving as if each breath was her last.

“What…” Humble Pie blinked. “What’s wrong with you two?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Thunderhead snapped, though his expression betrayed him.

“I can’t breathe…” Swift Cloud whispered fearfully, taking deep gulps of air. “It’s so stale down here, I can’t breathe!”

“What are you talking about? It’s fine!” The earth pony looked from one pegasus to the other, at a loss for what was going on. Sure, being on the run from diamond dogs wasn’t the most comfortable situation he had been in and the air down here wasn’t exactly fresh, but the way Swift Cloud was acting it was as if the walls were collapsing in on her. Surrounded by rock, Humble Pie felt like he was in his element, whereas the pegasi-

“Oh my word,” he gasped. “You’re both afraid of enclosed spaces, aren’t you?”

“NO, I AM NOT!” Thunderhead shouted, causing Humble Pie to forcefully shove a hoof over the pegasus’ mouth.

“Shh!” the earth pony whispered urgently as Thunderhead pulled away. “Are you trying to attract the diamond dogs?!”

“No, no, no, no…” Swift Cloud muttered quietly, curling into a twitching ball on the ground. “I can’t feel the wind, I can’t breathe…there’s no escape! We’re trapped here!”

“Get a hold of yourself, private!” Thunderhead commanded sternly, his demeanor slightly returning to normal. Humble Pie glanced at Swift Cloud before pulling Thunderhead to the other side of the cave.

“Look Thunderhead,” the earth pony said determinedly, “as disagreeable as it is for all of us, you’re going to have to listen to me. All of this – rocks, mining, caves – this is my domain. If we’re going to get out of here, we’re going to have to work together. And right now, that means getting a hold of yourself.”

“Don’t you-“ the pegasus began angrily.

“Please,” Humble Pie interrupted, his tone becoming desperate. “I need your help in this. You need to set an example for Swift Cloud,” he added in an undertone, jerking his head towards the twitching mare behind him.

Thunderhead gave Swift Cloud a long look before closing his eyes and taking a deep, long breath. He exhaled slowly, and when he finally opened his eyes Humble Pie saw a newfound determination in his expression. He trotted over to Swift Cloud and knelt over her figure.

“Swift Cloud?” Thunderhead said in a gentle tone, placing a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “Swift Cloud, listen to me. This place is just getting to us. But I assure you, this is all in your head. We’re fine. The air is fine.”

“No, it isn’t…” Swift Cloud was still shaking and the irises in her eyes had shrunk to a fraction of their normal size. “Can’t you feel how stale it is? Can’t you feel that awful heat?”

Humble Pie glanced at Thunderhead. The pegasus’ brow was drenched in sweat. For a second Thunderhead looked as scared as Swift Cloud before he gulped and gave his fellow private a level stare.

“No. No I don’t, private. And neither do you. It’s all in our heads.”

“I-I can’t…” Swift Cloud mumbled, trailing off before she could finish her thought.

“Swift Cloud, close your eyes,” Thunderhead commanded. “And take a deep breath.” Swift Cloud did as he said, inhaling slowly. “Now, imagine you’re flying. Unfold your wings and glide through the air, just like normal.” The mare grimaced as she kept her eyes shut, slowly extending her wings out as she remained lying on the ground.

As she did so, Thunderhead unfolded his own wings and gave them a soft flap, just strong enough to lightly rustle the feathers on Swift Cloud’s wings. “Do you feel the breeze?” he asked softly.

“Yes!” she cried, her voice suddenly filled with joy and relief.

“Good. Keep your eyes closed. Just keep gliding.” Thunderhead gave his wings a few more flaps as Swift Cloud softly exhaled and her body relaxed. Humble Pie watched on in astonishment as she folded her wings and opened her eyes. Her gaze wandered around the cave for a moment before settling on Thunderhead.

She gave him a small smile. “Thanks, private.” The stallion returned her grin, helping Swift Cloud to her hooves. “Now tell me, am I going insane or is there a lantern hanging on the wall?”

“Don’t be silly,” Thunderhead chortled. “There isn’t-“

“A lantern!” Humble Pie yelped in surprise, staring at it. In all the panic, it had gone completely unnoticed by any of the three ponies when they entered the cave. The lantern consisted of a large glowing red stone embedded in the wall. The light it gave off wasn’t particularly pleasant, but it was a welcome sight from the constant flickering of their torches. It sat above the entrance to another tunnel leading out of the cave.

The sound of something large coming towards the ponies reached their ears, and they turned towards the tunnel they came out of, hearing the scraping sound of claws racing along the ground.

“Hurry, behind here!” Humble Pie whispered urgently, pointing at a space behind a large boulder. The two pegasi promptly hid there as he grabbed their two torches and tossed them into the tunnel beside the lantern before hiding himself.

The three of them held their breath as they heard a trio of diamond dogs scamper into the cave, only a couple of steps from where they were hiding. “The ponies are close!” one of them said excitedly. “They were here, I can almost smell them!” Humble Pie gritted his teeth and tensed himself, hoping against hope they wouldn’t look behind the boulder. But if these things could smell them, it looked like he may have just doomed them…

“Look! Their torches!” another cried out. “They must have gone this way!” This was met with grunts of agreement and they all promptly continued on their way down the other tunnel.

As the sound of their steps faded, the three ponies sighed with relief. Swift Cloud peeked over the boulder. “They’re gone,” she confirmed. “Good idea with the torches, Humble Pie. They didn’t even take them or put them out, they just left them there.”

“Diamond dogs aren’t supposed to be the smartest of creatures,” Humble Pie muttered. “Now, if the lantern is here that means we’re venturing closer to the heart of the diamond dogs’ territory. But if they’ve lost track of us, we now stand a chance. If we proceed quietly, we might evade them yet.”

“Then it’s a plan,” Thunderhead stated, picking up one of the torches in his mouth and nodding at the earth pony. “Lead the way, groundling.”

***

Humble Pie proceeded down the tunnel, torch in mouth, as Swift Cloud and Thunderhead followed behind. They trotted slowly and softly, careful not to make any sounds that could reverberate through the rock in case the diamond dogs would hear. Neither of the two pegasi felt comfortable, but Swift Cloud at least wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack now. Thunderhead was still more standoffish than normal, but he too had calmed down. He was now glaring at the earth pony walking ahead of them, an activity he found himself growing used to on this journey.

“What do you see in him?” he grumbled, quiet enough that Humble Pie wouldn’t hear.

“Sorry?” Swift Cloud replied, looking bewildered.

“The groundling,” Thunderhead muttered in an undertone.

“Oh, for crying out loud. Look, he’s nice, okay? Why won’t you give him a chance?”

“I don’t trust him,” the stallion answered simply.

“Commander Tempest does,” Swift Cloud pointed out.

“Commander Tempest trusts him to be smart enough to take what we’ve so kindly offered him. Not to save our lives.”

“He’s already saved my life.”

“And I just saved his from that thing back there.”

“Your point?” the mare retorted, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s a tool to be wielded against the dragon, like the sword or the unicorn’s magic. Not a friend to play with.”

“And what’s so wrong with making friends, huh?”

“What do you think is going to happen when our mission is complete?” Thunderhead growled. “Do you think you’re going to keep contact? Are you going to try to visit him? Once we’re done he’ll take his farm and we’ll go back to Pegasopolis. That’s how it has to be.”

“I…” Swift Cloud swallowed. She hadn’t given any thought to what would happen when this journey was over, but now that it had been brought up she couldn’t think of an argument against what Thunderhead was now telling her.

“We’re military ponies, private,” Thunderhead continued. “We don’t have time to make friends outside our ranks, something you’ll learn in time. Don’t get too close. Before you know it you’re going to have to leave them forever.”

***

“Can you still sense them, Star Swirl?” Commander Tempest asked while following the unicorn as they continued to climb up the mountain, coming closer to the steep summit of the ridge.

The magician had his horn pointed straight down towards the ground, glowing softly as he concentrated. “Yes, but it is very faint. They…wait…” He paused, focusing on his spell as he waved his horn back and forth across the ground for a bit, but finally the glow subsided. “It’s gone. I’ve lost sight of them…they’re too far underneath now.” He looked up at the pegasi fluttering alongside him. “They’re beneath the mountain itself.”

“If they continue on the direction they’re traveling, they would emerge on the other side of the mountain, yes?” Tempest inquired.

“It’s the only logical possibility,” Star Swirl muttered in agreement.

“Assuming they make it that far,” Hurricane stated evenly, drawing uneasy looks from the other three ponies.

“We must maintain faith, General Hurricane,” Silver Lining offered.

“Faith is one thing, General Silver Lining, but reality is another. Look, I don’t want to lose anypony; Private Thunderhead is a close companion of mine. But they are now apparently in the heart of a diamond dog mine; we must at least consider the possibility that they won’t make it and what it would mean for the mission.”

The other three exchanged glances as Hurricane went on. “We have the sword and we have the magician. Are those not our keys to defeating the dragon of Fortune’s Peak?”

“We also need the pony from Fortune’s Peak, so that he may show us the safest route in,” Star Swirl pointed out.

“But do we?” Hurricane asked, raising an eyebrow at the unicorn. “Yes, his knowledge was going to prove very valuable, but was it truly necessary?”

“We are not leaving Humble Pie here!” Star Swirl thundered. “Nor the two pegasi!”

“Not yet, anyway,” the pegasus replied. “And hopefully not ever. But we must consider what will happen if we don’t find them. We’ve come too far to give up the mission and turn back now.”

There was an uneasy silence for a moment, which Tempest finally broke. “I must admit, you are a braver warrior than I am, for considering the worst. I do not think I can bring myself to ponder the loss of my soldiers.”

“Let’s ponder it only if it becomes necessary,” Silver Lining insisted. “There’s still hope yet.”

***

Humble Pie continued down the tunnel, examining the rock walls as he walked. The walls, which had been made of fairly porous rock when they started, were now becoming more dominated by hard granite. This kind of tough rock was rare on the surface in this area, so he knew they had to be underneath the mountain by this point. The earth pony marveled at the sight; the crystals embedded in the granite seemed to sparkle in the torchlight and Humble Pie felt a thrill at the thought that he was seeing something no other ponies had laid eyes on. How many ponies could claim to have plunged into the heart of a mountain? Humble Pie only wished he had different companions to share this moment with; the idea that there were thousands of tons of rock sitting above their heads was unlikely to give the pegasi any comfort.

He rounded a corner only to stop short. “Hey!” he whispered to the pegasi behind him. “Snuff your torch!”

“Why?” Thunderhead asked.

“Just do it!” the earth pony insisted, taking the torch from his mouth and shoving the flaming end against the wall until the flame was snubbed out. Darkness fell in the tunnel as the pegasus extinguished his torch and their eyes slowly acclimated to the dark, when they began to notice a faint glimmer of light coming from up ahead.

“What is that?” Swift Cloud wondered aloud.

“Shh,” Humble Pie said softly, creeping forward. The tunnel opened into a large cave that was lined with lanterns, giving the whole room an eerie reddish glow. The three ponies peeked inside to see a massive cavern with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and piles of gleaming gemstones scattered around the room. Most noticeably, however, were the several diamond dogs pacing through the cavern.

“Look!” Humble Pie whispered, pointing at the other side of the cave. “Tunnels! Lots of them!” Indeed, the walls of the room were lined with entrances to passageways that led out of the cavern. “We must be near the center of the whole mine!”

“Yes, yes, all well and good,” Thunderhead muttered absentmindedly, “but which of those tunnels lead to the surface? For that matter, do any of them lead to the surface?”

“Careful,” Swift Cloud breathed, pulling the two stallions back into the tunnel as a pair of diamond dogs emerged out of a tunnel and turned in their direction. The three ponies watched as the diamond dogs met with the guards in the center of the cavern.

“Have the ponies been found yet?” one of the guards inquired.

“No,” the new arrivals grumbled in unison.

“Do you think the ponies already made it back up?” another guard muttered.

“They may have! You two!” a guard ordered, pointing at two diamond dogs who promptly stiffened and stood more upright. “Stay here! The rest of us will go to the surface to stop them!” The rest of the diamond dogs nodded and grunted, most of them following the leader as they made their way through one of the tunnels.

“…Well, that was simple,” Thunderhead commented, looking astounded.

“Bless their stupidity,” Humble Pie whispered, grinning widely. “Now all we have to do is follow them!”

“How? The guards are still there,” Thunderhead pointed out. “They’ll see us if we cross the room.”

“We could rush them,” Swift Cloud suggested. “There are only two of them. Just take them by surprise and make our escape!”

The pegasus stallion shook his head. “Too risky. We would have better luck creating a diversion.”

“Actually,” the mare muttered thoughtfully as she glanced at Humble Pie, “I might have a better idea.”

***

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Humble Pie grumbled under his breath.

“You told me earlier you were open to this idea,” Thunderhead growled.

“Would you both you be quiet?” Swift Cloud whispered urgently. “They’ll hear us!”

Lacking the power to overcome the diamond dog guards and unable to come up with a suitable diversion that would buy them enough time, the two stallions had reluctantly agreed to go along with Swift Cloud’s plan: flying over the diamond dogs, which required carrying the earth pony between them; something said pony was not at all happy about.

Both of the pegasi had their forehooves tucked under Humble Pie’s, holding him upright while his hind legs dangled uselessly below him. It was an awkward position and the earth pony shifted uncomfortably. They were now hovering near the ceiling of the cave, having silently flown up out of the tunnel when the diamond dogs had their heads turned.

“Stop squirming,” Swift Cloud admonished, gripping Humble Pie slightly tighter to hold him steady. “You’re making it harder for us.” His ears folded against his head and he swallowed, trying to hold himself steady. They were passing by a stalactite at the top of the cavern, out of sight of the two guards on the ground.

Suddenly, Swift Cloud’s grip failed and she released Humble Pie, allowing him to fall towards the ground for a few inches before catching him again. The earth pony, not expecting her fumble, let out a small squeak of fright as he fell.

“Did you hear that?” one of the diamond dogs rumbled. The three ponies froze, pressed against the stalactite as they waited. Humble Pie began sweating, his teeth gritted as he held his breath. If they were discovered because of him…

“…Nah. I don’t hear anything,” the other guard said. All three of the ponies let out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry,” Swift Cloud mumbled, giving the earth pony a guilty smile as he glared fiercely at her.

“Private Swift Cloud, would you mind not scaring the groundling?” Thunderhead muttered, a small grin crossing his features. “If he squeals like a pig again we might find it difficult to escape.”

“I did not squeal like a pig!” Humble Pie whispered indignantly. Swift Cloud was now almost shaking with mirth, desperately trying to hold back her laughter.

Thunderhead leaned around the stalactite, carefully taking a peek at the diamond dogs below. He nodded at Swift Cloud and they quietly made their way across the ceiling, waiting a moment before dropping silently towards the tunnel entrance and darting inside before the guards could spot them.

Once they were safely in the tunnel, Humble Pie promptly flopped onto the ground and let out a long, relieved sigh. He patted the ground reverently, looking like he never wanted to part with it again.

“Oh, get a hold of yourself,” Swift Cloud chuckled. “You were in the air for only a couple of minutes.”

“Never…again…” the earth pony muttered.

***

The end was close now; Humble Pie could almost feel it. The granite had given way to the more porous rock he had seen earlier, indicating they were closer to the surface. Not that he could really see the rock; lacking the torches they had earlier, he had to feel his way along the tunnel and judge solely from the stone’s texture.

It was slow going for the three ponies. Save for the occasional lantern they were fortunate enough to come across, there was very little light for them to go by and they had to proceed carefully to avoid slamming into the walls. The pegasi were actually at a slight advantage, as their outstretched wings made it possible to feel the walls of the tunnel while still walking on all four legs.

However, the pitch blackness they were blindly stumbling through soon began to take its toll on all three of them, particularly the pegasi. Behind him, Humble Pie could hear Swift Cloud began to breathe rapidly again before she bumped into him for the third time in the past couple of minutes.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s fine,” Humble Pie replied. “Maybe we should stop for a moment and rest-“

“No!” Swift Cloud yelled abruptly. “I mean…no, let’s keep going. I want to get out of here.”

“But we’ve been walking for hours,” the earth pony pointed out. “I’m not even sure how many hours. It may have been a whole day by this point.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Thunderhead grunted. “We’re leaving this wretched hole.”

“Suit yourself,” Humble Pie said, deciding to drop the subject. They remained silent for a moment before the earth pony collided into the wall for what felt like the hundredth time in the last couple of hours. “Blast it!” he cried out, nursing his snout. “If only I could see!”

“Here, let me help,” Swift Cloud offered, draping one of her wings over the earth pony’s back as she extended the other to reach out to the wall. She began steering him, her outstretched wing brushing against the rock as the other held Humble Pie close. At her touch, his heart began to beat faster.

“Th-thanks,” he mumbled before clearing his throat. “I appreciate it.”

“Thank me if we get out of here,” she responded, her voice carrying a hint of fear. “I don’t like this. There’s nothing to see, but I know the walls are still there. I’m trapped in and I can’t even see it.

“I can’t fly and I can’t see,” she continued, taking faster as she went on. The earth pony could feel her beginning to shake as her fear of this place threatened to take hold again. “What good am I down here?”

Humble Pie leaned his head over and nuzzled it against Swift Cloud’s. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to be so forward – until now it had been the pegasus who had initiated the few times they had touched – but in that moment it seemed like the obvious and natural thing to do. The mare trembled for a second before resting her head against his, her wing holding him tighter as she calmed down again.

“We’ll make it. You’ll see.” Humble Pie was glad Thunderhead couldn’t see them as they walked side-by-side, plunging further into the darkness before them.

Act II: Chapter IX

There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Humble Pie, Swift Cloud and Thunderhead could see the faint glimmer of daylight from where they stood in the rocky cave. They were so close they could almost taste it. They could certainly feel it; the air was much fresher this close to the surface.

Unfortunately, the light wasn’t the only thing they could see. There were also the hulking figures of the diamond dogs guarding the entrance, facing outwards.

“Now we rush them?” Swift Cloud asked. Since they had first spotted the entrance, she had been shaking with excitement, eager to finally leave the tunnels behind.

“Now we rush them,” Thunderhead nodded. “You take the one on the right and I’ll take the one on the left. There might be more just outside though, so we’ll need to make a quick escape. Which means getting airborne.” The two pegasi looked at the earth pony standing between them, who merely glared back for a moment before finally sighing.

“I’ve no choice, do I?” Swift Cloud and Thunderhead shook their heads, the former grinning slyly. “Alright. But…can we not go so high up?”

“No promises, groundling.” Thunderhead crouched into position, getting ready to gallop at the entrance. Humble Pie stood between him and Swift Cloud, both also readying themselves. At the pegasus’ signal, they rushed up the tunnel.

The diamond dogs standing at the entrance were alerted by the sound of galloping hooves and turned towards the tunnel just in time to get clobbered by the charging pegasi, who had their heads lowered and smashed their way outside using their heavy helmets.

The moment they were out of the tunnel both pegasi took to the air, grasping Humble Pie with their forelegs as they did so. The earth pony was aware of another diamond dog lunging for him before they were suddenly above it, soaring into the air. The mingled yells and roars of fury from the diamond dogs were shortly drowned out by the rush of wind as the pegasi caught a current and flew high above the slope.

“Yeeeeeeeeah!” Swift Cloud hollered in delight, gleefully flapping her wings as they flew even higher. Thunderhead too seemed to be reveling in the feeling of being outside once more.

“Yes yes, very exciting, now could we please land?!” Humble Pie yelped, his eyes shut tightly.

“Come on, Humble Pie!” Swift Cloud cheered. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

“YES I AM!” the earth pony squealed, keeping his eyes clenched shut. “So please, PUT ME DOWN!”

“Not yet!” Thunderhead yelled over the wind. “We need to get safely away from the diamond dogs before we can land!” Humble Pie whimpered and tried to close his eyes even tighter.

“Ah, open your eyes already!” Swift Cloud insisted. “It’s beautiful! Come on, we’ve spent enough time seeing the world from your perspective; it’s time you saw it from ours!”

The earth pony swallowed and cautiously opened one eyelid. A flicker of light caught his eye and he looked down to see a small lake reflecting the sunlight. Below him were the rocky slopes of the mountain ridge, gray and speckled with tufts of grass, which swept down into the tall evergreen trees that lay beneath them. In the distance were some isolated mountains that seemed to glow orange from the light of the sun sitting on the horizon. It was spectacular, and now that he’d seen it, Humble Pie couldn’t take his eyes off it.

“We must have spent all day in those caves,” Thunderhead commented. “The sun’s already setting!”

Humble Pie looked around at the surrounding landscape. “No…the sun’s not setting, it’s rising. Look around, everything is completely different! There’s no misty forest and the hills are different; we’re on the other side of the mountain!”

“You mean to say we were down there all night?” Swift Cloud said incredulously.

“So if we’re on the other side, then that means…” Humble Pie trailed off as he began scanning the horizon. “There! That’s it!” he suddenly hollered, pointing a hoof at something in the distance.

“What?” the pegasi answered in unison.

“Fortune’s Peak!” The two pegasi looked over and spotted the mountain their companion was indicating. It was a solitary, jagged peak that rose high above its surroundings. Even from this distance the three ponies could make out smoke wrapped around the top that snaked up into the sky, giving the mountain a grim, foreboding appearance. They stopped and hovered in place for a moment to view it.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Swift Cloud whispered.

“It has to be,” Thunderhead commented, frowning as he looked at the mountain.

“I can’t believe it,” Humble Pie muttered, staring wide-eyed at the peak he once called home. “It’s been so long, and now we’re so close…” His thoughts were interrupted as they suddenly dropped a short distance, a fall the earth pony felt particularly in the pit of his stomach. “What was that?!” he yelped.

“We’re landing,” Thunderhead grunted. “We can’t hold you up forever.” Humble Pie tensed and bit his lip as they approached the ground at, in his opinion, far too great a speed.

Just as they were about to touch the surface once again, the earth pony shut his eyes and braced for impact, but it did not come; at least, not in the way Humble Pie had been expecting. Rather than crashing into the ground, the two pegasi slowed to a hover just above the ground before clumsily but harmlessly dropping the earth pony onto his rear, which startled him into opening his eyes and giving another fearful yelp. Realizing he wasn’t in any danger, he looked sheepishly up at Swift Cloud, who was laughing partly out of amusement at Humble Pie and partly out of the sheer joy she was now feeling.

“Finally!” she cheered, spreading her wings and throwing her forelegs wide, as if to embrace the air itself. “I thought we’d never get out of there!”

“We need to find the others,” Thunderhead ordered, pulling her back to the severity of the moment. “Assuming the groundling doesn’t want to keep flying,” he smirked before turning to Swift Cloud, “one of us will have to stay here with him while the other searches for our companions.”

“I’m not staying here!” Humble Pie exclaimed. “We have to keep moving if the diamond dogs decide to follow us.”

“He’s got a point,” Swift Cloud commented, nodding in agreement. “You go find Commander Tempest and the others. I’ll stay with Humble Pie as we move down the mountain.”

“But this land is vast!” Thunderhead exclaimed, sweeping a hoof towards the horizon. “How are we supposed to find each other if we separate? What if where you wind up is far away from where Commander Tempest will be?”

“But I do know where she will be. Isn’t it obvious?” As the two stallions looked on with blank expressions, she sighed. “She’s going to Fortune’s Peak!” the mare explained, gesturing towards the distant mountain. “In the end, we’re all going to be there. We might as well move in that direction.”

Thunderhead nodded. “In that case, I will stay with the groundling while you search for Commander Tempest and let her know we are safe.”

“I have a name, you know,” Humble Pie grumbled. Swift Cloud glanced at him before turning back to the other pegasus.

“I’ll stay with Humble Pie,” she offered. “If I leave you with him, you two will probably wind up killing each other,” the mare said, chuckling.

“…Are you sure?” Thunderhead replied. “I mean, you are the fastest of all of us.” But as Humble Pie watched him, he got the impression this was just an excuse for covering a different reason he wanted to separate Swift Cloud from him. Why, the earth pony wasn’t entirely sure.

Swift Cloud, however, wasn’t having any of it. She smirked at her fellow private. “Why Thunderhead, I thought you’d appreciate some time alone after having to put up with this ‘groundling’ for so long,” she commented, parroting the stallion’s earlier statement. Thunderhead merely scowled in response.

“Fine,” he grunted, spreading his wings to take to the air. “You two continue south. Private Swift Cloud, try to leave behind the standard signals for the rest of us to follow. With any luck, we’ll meet you on the way to Fortune’s Peak. If not, we’ll meet you at the peak.”

“What if you don’t find Star Swirl and the others?” Humble Pie asked.

“That won’t be a problem.” Thunderhead said confidently before kicking off and flying into the sky, leaving Swift Cloud and Humble Pie once more. The two watched him soar high into the air and pass over the ridge of the mountain. After he finally passed out of sight, the two began making their way down the slope towards the forest of trees below them, the pegasus hovering alongside the earth pony.

“Hey,” Swift Cloud began, hovering low enough that she nuzzled her neck against Humble Pie’s, “thanks for getting me through those tunnels. That’s the second time you’ve saved me on this journey.”

The earth pony blushed lightly at this. “My pleasure. Of course, I should be thanking you for accompanying me instead of having your…err, brother do it.” The pegasus smiled in response.

Humble Pie looked back up at the jagged peak in the distance. “Can you believe it?” he said excitedly. “My home! The end of our journey is finally in sight!”

Something in Swift Cloud seized up at Humble Pie’s statement. Once we’re done he’ll take his farm and we’ll go back to Pegasopolis. She had almost forgotten Thunderhead’s words, but now they came back in full force. “Yeah…so it is…”

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic,” Humble Pie noted. “I understand. I’m scared too.”

“You…you are?” Swift Cloud replied, somewhat confused. ‘Scared’ didn’t quite seem to fit how she felt about this whole situation.

“Of course! Taking on a dragon? I’m downright terrified,” the earth pony remarked.

“Oh, the dragon!” The pegasus laughed and brought a hoof to her forehead. “I wasn’t even thinking about that!”

“Well, what then?” Humble Pie inquired, raising an eyebrow at Swift Cloud. She faltered.

“Oh…um, it’s just that…well, you and me…when we’re done…” The pegasus paused and cleared her throat. “You see, I like you. …A lot.”

“The feeling is mutual, I assure you,” the earth pony grinned at her. “I’ve…well, I’ve never met a mare quite like you.”

He pulled his gaze away from her and looked bashfully at the ground. “This might sound silly, but my mother once told me the best pony you could ever have in your life was the one who brought out the best in you. And I think for me, you are that pony.”

Swift Cloud gulped. Humble Pie wasn’t making this any easier for her. “Yes, well…see, when we are done with this journey, you and I will have to…um, we won’t be able to see each other.” The last part came out as a quiet mumble, but it was loud enough for the earth pony to hear. He froze in his tracks, realization coming over him as he considered her words.

“I mean…I’m a soldier, and you’re a farmer,” the pegasus continued. She feared she was now just driving a dagger further into Humble Pie’s heart by going on, but she needed to make her point clear. “I have a duty to Commander Tempest, and you have to take care of your kin. Once we finish this journey, we’ll have to go our separate ways.”

Humble Pie stared at the ground for a moment in silence. “…I forgot,” he admitted.

“So did I, until just now.”

“I…yes, that makes sense,” Humble Pie muttered. “It’s…it’s silly of course. I mean, I’m an earth pony, and you’re a pegasus.”

“What’s wrong with being a pegasus?” Swift Cloud shot back, hurt by the insinuation.

“N-Nothing!” Humble Pie quickly replied. “It’s just…” he trailed off. ‘Nothing’ was not the answer he would have given to that question just one week ago. Now he stared at Swift Cloud as if truly seeing her for the first time. His gaze fell to the wings at her sides, flapping as she hovered in the air just in front of him. Hovered. He had become so used to it without even realizing it, and now the strangeness of it was coming back.

“…it’s just…I started to think of you not as a pegasus but as…well...as a pony.”

Silence reigned between the two for a while as both looked away from each other, Humble Pie down at the ground and Swift Cloud to the side, idly rubbing a foreleg with the other as she hovered in place. It was as if something between them had been exposed, and now that they had to regard it, the awkwardness was quickly becoming unbearable.

“Perhaps…we should just deal with this when we have to,” Swift Cloud suggested.

“Yes,” Humble Pie quickly agreed, sounding relieved. “No sense in worrying about the future so much that we can’t enjoy the present.”

Nevertheless, as they continued down the mountain in silence, they now found it difficult to enjoy each other’s company. Fortune’s Peak seemed to call out to them, a constant reminder of what they would inevitably have to face.

***

The rest of the day passed slowly for Humble Pie and Swift Cloud, with relatively little conversation between them. As they traveled, the pine trees of the mountain slope soon gave way to a scrubby landscape of short bushes and sparse grass. Where the north side of the mountain range was wet and lush, the south side was almost bone dry, lacking the cloud cover that dominated the other side of the high peaks.

However, as it turned out, the scarcity of clouds proved advantageous as Swift Cloud left behind the signals Thunderhead had asked her to. The signals themselves were made out of cloud, crafted by the pegasus from what little material drifted by and pressed into a smaller, denser form that wouldn’t drift so easily. Then she would give it a clear mark, like a large hole in the middle; something that could be seen from a distance and looked unusual enough to serve as evidence of a pegasus passing through.

The terrain flattened as the slope they descended turned into a rolling, rocky plain that stretched out before them. By the time they started making their way across the desolate landscape that marked the beginning of the Badlands, the sun had reached the peak of its climb across the sky. Fortune’s Peak seemed to grow with each step they took, as well as Humble Pie’s weariness with the hot sun beating down on him.

However, if the earth pony felt tired it was nothing compared to the pegasus. He looked up at Swift Cloud only to be taken aback at how utterly exhausted she looked. Her legs merely dangled below her, her head hung low and her wings flapping just enough to keep her airborne. Her eyelids were almost entirely closed and she threatened to plummet to the ground as her last bits of energy left her.

“Swift Cloud, are you okay?” Humble Pie asked, startled.

“Huh? Oh yes, I’m just-“ She was interrupted as she stumbled in mid-air, catching herself before she could fall too far. “…just tired, is all.”

“You’re exhausted!” the earth pony exclaimed. He looked around and spotted a large boulder with a suitably shady spot beneath it. “Come on, you need rest.”

“I don’t want to hold us up,” the pegasus replied, stifling a yawn.

“We’ve been moving non-stop for over a whole day now. I think we can afford to stop,” Humble Pie insisted, pulling Swift Cloud by the hoof towards the boulder. She complied, less out of a wiliness to do so and more because she currently lacked the energy to resist.

They reached the boulder and Swift Cloud landed, removing her helmet and wiping a hoof at a sheen of sweat that glistened on her forehead. Humble Pie settled on the ground; it was dusty, but the shade provided a welcome respite from the heat. The pegasus set her helmet carefully on the ground before glancing at the earth pony.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked, offering him a small smile. “There aren’t many clouds around for making beds.”

“Of course,” Humble Pie answered, smiling in return. Swift Cloud lay down beside him and rested her head just above his chest. He curved his neck back towards his body, nestling her head in place against his. The earth pony heard her give a sigh of contentment before he quickly drifted off to sleep.

***

When Humble Pie awoke, the sun had long since set and it was the middle of the night. The moon shone down on him through a cloudless sky that was covered in twinkling stars. The earth pony admired the spectacular sight for a moment as he regained his bearings. He had slept soundly; so soundly, in fact, that he felt a stiffness in his muscles as his body refused to acknowledge his mind’s current alertness.

His side felt warm, as if a blanket had been draped over him. Humble Pie glanced over to see Swift Cloud still nuzzled up against him, her head resting against his chest and one of her wings draped over his side. As he moved his head, she stirred slightly, sighing contently.

“Swift Cloud?” Humble Pie whispered.

“Mmm?” she replied, keeping her eyes shut.

“Are you awake?”

“Mmm-hmm,” the pegasus murmured, smiling as her eyes flickered opened. She considered Humble Pie for a moment before giving another sigh, this one more laden with emotion. “Is something wrong with me? I know we’re going to have to say goodbye soon, but…I just don’t want to think about that now.”

“Sounds natural to me,” the earth pony commented, giving her a warm smile. “We might as well enjoy this moment while we can.”

“That’s a nice way to put it,” Swift Cloud laughed. “I think we’re just in denial.” She rose to her hooves and stretched her limbs, extending her wings fully before folding them back in. “We should create some kind of signal in case the others are still following our trail. If only we had Star Swirl, we could make a fire,” she grumbled.

“I can make a fire,” Humble Pie said, drawing a curious look from the pegasus. The earth pony looked around at their surroundings for a moment before walking over to a small pile of rocks and sifting through it. A moment later he let out a small cry of triumph as he retrieved a dark grey stone and lifted it up for Swift Cloud to see. One side had a glassy appearance that reflected the moonlight while the other was a lighter color with a rough, uneven surface that made it easy for him to hold.

“It’s a flint stone,” he explained. “This whole region is covered in them, because of the limestone deposits in the area. If you strike a piece of steel against this, it will create sparks.”

“Really?” Swift Cloud replied incredulously.

“Of course! Surely you pegasi know how to make a fire, right?” Humble Pie asked with a slight grin.

“Not like that. We don’t have rocks or wood up in the clouds, and…well, clouds themselves aren’t the best things to hold fire.”

“So how do you pegasi forge steel to make weapons, then?”

“Well, we use lightning, of course,” Swift Cloud answered as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

“…Oh,” Humble Pie said shortly, coming to terms with this realization. “…That actually makes sense, now that I think about it.”

“Anyway, I still don’t see how your rock will help, because we don’t have a piece of steel to strike it against,” the pegasus pointed out.

“Hmmm. That’s a good point,” the earth pony admitted, pausing to think for a second before catching sight of Swift Cloud’s private helmet still lying on the ground. “What’s your helmet made of?”

“I think it’s made of-“ Swift Cloud stopped abruptly as she caught on to what her companion was suggesting. “Oh no. No, you are not. That is not happening.”

Humble Pie gave her a sly grin, which only served to alarm the pegasus further before he lunged at the helmet. He underestimated her speed, however, and it was snatched out of his grasp before he could get a good hold on it.

“Come on! I won’t break it!” he pleaded.

“No! You are not scratching my helmet!” she retorted, clutching it to her chest as she hovered in the air above him.

“It’s just a hat! All-“

“It is NOT just a hat!” the pegasus yelled forcefully, startling Humble Pie into silence. “This helmet represents everything I worked for to get here! This is the mark of a warrior! To wear this helmet is to bring honor and strength to the Pegasi Empire. And I will not have anypony scratching it up!” she finished resolutely, forcing it over her head and leveling a cold stare down at the earth pony, who flinched before her gaze.

“Alright, I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “But what else are we going to use?”

Swift Cloud was silent for a moment, before giving a heavy sigh. “Here,” she said, lifting a hoof to undo the strap across her chest that held her armor on. “You can use my armor plate. It’s designed to take impacts anyway, so it might as well serve its purpose.” She removed her body armor and handed it over, which Humble Pie gratefully took.

“In that case, I’ll treat it with as much respect as possible, given the circumstances.”

For the next few minutes he set up a small pile of sticks and dry grass, then held up the armor as he struck the flint against it, raining sparks down on the wood pile. It took a few attempts, but soon Humble Pie successfully ignited the fire.

“Not as efficient as Star Swirl’s magic, but it still works,” he said proudly as he threw some larger sticks on the flames to sustain the fire. The two ponies sat down beside it, taking in its light and warmth in a pleasant silence as they sat together, simply enjoying each other’s company. Humble Pie stared into the fire for a long while, seemingly lost in thought.

Finally, he spoke. “I’ve come to a decision,” he announced.

“Huh? Decision? About what?” she replied, utterly perplexed.

“I have decided,” Humble Pie began, “that it doesn’t bother me that you’re a pegasus.”

Swift Cloud snorted, dissolving into a fit of giggles before giving the earth pony a smirk. “Oh, what a difficult decision that must have been. So tell me, what brought about this revelation? Was it just you falling for me, or was it the fact that I saved your sorry skin?”

The troubled expression on Humble Pie’s face caused the pegasus’ smirk to quickly vanish. “No, you don’t understand. Farmers simply don’t like pegasi. At all. Remember how some of them looked at you when we passed through the valley?” Swift Cloud did remember, and she looked down at her hooves as she recollected their suspicious glances. “As a general rule, earth ponies and pegasi aren’t supposed to mix any more than necessary. Sure, we hate the unicorns too, but they’re generally too snobbish and high-minded to bother with us. Beyond arguing over the prices for food, we don’t have to deal with them very much.

“Pegasi, on the other hand, we constantly struggle with. The weather teams work for the benefit of their empire, not the farmers. Not that we are blameless,” he added as Swift Cloud opened her mouth to retort. “If we have a good harvest, we praise our own hard work and fortitude. But if we have a bad year, we blame the pegasi. It’s not fair, I know. But when you’re at the mercy of the weather, nopony feels like being fair.” His ears flattened against his head as he went on. “I heard stories all my life about things that were the pegasi’s fault. Whether they were all true or not I can’t say, but I still grew up hating pegasi.”

Swift Cloud was quiet for a moment as she considered this information. “I can’t speak for my fellow pegasi, but I never thought badly of earth ponies. Frankly, I didn’t think about them at all. You were supposed to just be one more exciting and new thing to see on this epic journey.” She gave out a light laugh. “I never thought it would go like...well, this.”

The stallion swallowed hard. “And ‘this’ is okay, right?”

Swift Cloud giggled and nuzzled against Humble Pie. “This is wonderful.” The earth pony breathed a sigh of relief as he nuzzled her back. “Who knows? Maybe we won’t have to say goodbye forever,” the pegasus continued. “Maybe when the Empire rebuilds the cloudpost on Fortune’s Peak, Commander Tempest will let me work there. And then I can visit you on your rock farm. You never know; it might just work out.”

The two of them looked to the south. The silhouette of Fortune’s Peak, only visible due to the lack of stars against the sky, still seemed to watch over them even in the dark of night. But now as the two ponies looked upon it, the mountain seemed less a sign of danger to come and more a symbol of hope for the future.

“Maybe you’re right,” Humble Pie murmured, leaning his head against Swift Cloud’s. “Maybe it will all work out in the end.”

Act III: Chapter I

Star Swirl, Commander Tempest and the other pegasi caught up with Humble Pie and Swift Cloud the following day. Their reunion was accompanied by great cheer as each of the pegasi praised Swift Cloud for once again surviving terrible danger. The unicorn and the earth pony greeted each other warmly, each giving the other a recount of their experiences since they were separated.

Compared to the two privates and Humble Pie, the other ponies had a rather uneventful time. They only encountered diamond dogs once and easily repelled them, quickly making their way through the pass over the mountains before descending into the Badlands to the south. Star Swirl adopted a worried frown when the earth pony told him of the frozen diamond dogs within the cave, which only grew more pronounced when Humble Pie repeated the words of the maddened diamond dog that attacked them.

“Then they are growing more bold,” the magician muttered to himself.

“What are?” the earth pony asked, snapping Star Swirl out of his thoughts. “Are you talking about the pegasi? They might fly, but I don’t think they know how to freeze something like that. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”

The unicorn sighed. “There is indeed something I’m not telling you, but it was not the pegasi who committed this act. I believe it was windigoes.”

“Windigoes? Why does that sound familiar?” Humble Pie paused for a moment, trying to place where he had heard the word. “Hold on, didn’t that changeling say something about that?”

Star Swirl nodded. “Like the changelings, windigoes are vicious creatures which I have had some...experience with in the past. They would be capable of the things you saw in that cave.”

“And when you say that these ‘windigoes’ are growing more bold, is this something I should be worried about?”

The unicorn faltered for a second. “...No. We’ve got a mission to see to right now.”

The two trudged on, eyeing the steep mountain that loomed above them. Fortune’s Peak stabbed into the sky, its jagged rocks ascending to a dark, swirling cloud of smoke that obscured the top of the peak and spread out across the surrounding landscape. A small breeze picked up from the direction of the peak, causing the ponies to catch their first scent of what lay in the mountain.

“Blergh!” Hurricane exclaimed, gagging slightly. “Oh, horsefeathers...I’ve heard all about how dangerous dragons are, but nopony told me what they smelled like!”

The scent elicited a rather different reaction from Humble Pie, who froze in place as a sudden flood of memories accompanied the smell of the dragon. It was strange how so small a thing could evoke such a strong reaction, but the earth pony suddenly found himself recalling the fear he felt as a colt, the waves of heat that accompanied the overwhelming flames of the dragon when it first arrived and the sheer terror as he watched the ponies he looked up to being helpless before this cruel invader.

Star Swirl noticed the unmoving farmer beside him. “Courage, Humble Pie. This is when we shall need you the most.”

The earth pony snapped out of his thoughts and resumed trotting towards the mountain, but he remained wide-eyed, his gaze fixated on the mountain before him. “Look at it, Star Swirl,” he muttered softly. “Ten years, and look at what has become of my home. The air is foul and the landscape is devoid of life...It’s as if the mountain itself has died.”

“I thought you said the landscape was already devoid of life,” Hurricane remarked.

“I said it appeared to be devoid of life,” Humble Pie snapped back. “What it lacked in plants and animals it thrived with gems and precious stones. But now with nopony caring for the rocks, the gems we sought to harvest haven’t ripened. Look,” he added sadly, picking up a solitary stone and splitting it open to show to the others. Inside was a dull, red crystal. “This poor fellow could have been a glistening ruby with just a few more years of rolling and tender care. On its own, it could take hundreds, maybe even thousands of years before it can ripen.”

He set the two halves of the rock back on the ground and gave both a gentle roll, positioning them carefully so that the exposed surfaces of the crystal weren’t exposed to the sunlight. “Shh,” he cooed, “it’s okay. Daddy Pie is back.”

“Are you talking to the rocks?” Thunderhead asked incredulously, sounding like he was on the verge of bursting out in laughter.

“Don’t laugh at him, private!” Swift Cloud scolded, though she seemed to be suppressing a grin herself. “He’s the rock farmer, after all.” Thunderhead looked taken aback for a moment, still unused to being scolded by his fellow private, and he quickly fell silent.

“Rocks like it when you talk to them,” Humble Pie explained. He looked back up at the mountain and gave a weary sigh. “It’ll take years to undo all this damage. We won’t even be able to harvest anything for the first few seasons.”

“Then let us waste no time getting started,” Silver Lining offered, gesturing at the mountain before them. The earth pony nodded and they proceeded towards the peak once more.

***

The sun dipped below the horizon as the company of travelers came across the charred ruins of Humble Pie’s family home, resting at the foot of Fortune’s Peak. Commander Tempest announced that they would make camp on the site; Star Swirl and Swift Cloud expressed reluctance at the idea, fearing it would depress the earth pony further, but Humble Pie declared his support, agreeing with the commander that it would make for the most defensible spot should anything happen during the course of the night.

Here at the base of the mountain, the air was heavy and choked with smoke from the sleeping dragon above them. The pegasi attempted to blow some of it away to create a small clearing of fresh air, but the smoke hung so thickly in the air that there was only so much they could do. It clung to everything, deposited soot on any surface, got stuck in the nostrils and left a foul taste in the mouth. A few of the pegasi were constantly ruffling their feathers in a never-ending effort to rid their wings of the black dust that accumulated on them.

Faced with a lack of acceptable clouds for sleeping, the pegasi reluctantly decided to sleep on the ground. They set up on a small bluff over the remains of the house proper; Humble Pie wryly noted to himself that even on the ground the pegasi sought to retain height. The last rays of the sun vanished from the western horizon as Commander Tempest called for everypony’s attention.

“Soldiers!” she declared. “And trusted companions,” she added, smiling at Star Swirl and Humble Pie. “I have known some of you for only a short time, while some of you I’ve known for years. But in these past few days you have all become dear friends of mine. We’ve fought together, struggled on together and tomorrow we face our greatest challenge together.

“Here, on the eve of victory, let us remember that we are making history. My friends: tomorrow we will bring glory not only to the Pegasi Empire, but to all ponies!” Tempest unsheathed her sword and brandished it towards the peak. “Let us face down our foe in the name of all of ponykind! Let us dive into this mountain’s depths and reclaim what is ours! Let us wield the tool of the dragon slayer! As she died to bring honor to her empire, let us live to avenge her!” A great ‘hurrah!’ arose out of each of the pegasi at these words, and even Humble Pie felt buoyed by the jubilant spirit of his companions.

Tempest smiled down at the group. “Rest well tonight, my friends. Tomorrow, glory awaits us.”

***

Swift Cloud slept uneasily, twisting and turning as she lay on the sooty ground. She couldn’t get to sleep, in part due to the excitement she felt after the commander’s speech, but also in part to the discomfort she currently felt.

She rolled over on her back and sighed, catching sight of the faint glimmer of stars through a hole in the cloud of smoke overhead. A rumbling sound came from the mountain as the dragon within snored, and soon the smoke obscured the stars once more. At first the sound had been alarming, but as it repeated through the night she had quickly grown accustomed to it.

A completely different sound then met her ears; a sort of scratching noise coming from nearby. She stood up and peered over a large boulder, where she saw Humble Pie standing by an edge of the ruins of the house, standing beside a pile of charred wood he had shifted aside and digging at the ground with his forehooves. Swift Cloud watched on in curiosity for a moment before fluttering down behind him.

“Can’t sleep?” She asked it softly, but she still managed to startle the earth pony. “Sorry,” she added quickly in an apologetic tone before trotting up beside him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something,” he answered, returning to his digging. “If I remember correctly, it should be right...here,” Humble Pie finished as he unearthed a small, gray stone. He carefully brushed aside the dirt around it before gently picking it up. He held it with both of his forehooves, but it was small enough to fit neatly within a single hoof.

“What’s that?” Swift Cloud inquired. The earth pony examined the rock carefully before twisting it in his hooves. It opened with an unexpected ‘pop!’ to reveal a hollow interior that was lined with sharp, brilliantly purple crystals. Even in the dark they glistened and the pegasus gasped at the sight of their beauty.

“This is a geode,” Humble Pie explained. “More specifically, it’s my geode. Finding this is what got me my cutie mark. Father let me keep it, so I buried it under my bed when I was a little colt.”

“Your bed?” Swift Cloud glanced around at the charred timbers that lined a small section of what was once a house. “So this was your bedroom?”

“Well, not my bedroom. I shared it with my brothers...but yes,” he finished, giving her an awkward smile.

“So if it’s so important to you, why’d you leave it behind?” Swift Cloud inquired.

“I simply forgot it,” the earth pony shrugged. “Left it under my bed, didn’t think about it much after I got my mark and when the dragon attacked we had to flee before I could grab anything. It was only after we left that I remembered it.” He held the stone in his hooves, gazing down at it intently and seemingly lost in thought.

“...You know what?” Humble Pie asked, gently putting the two halves of the geode together. His expression was unreadable.

“...What?” the pegaus replied, feeling somewhat hesitant given the strong memories and emotions the stone was likely evoking in her companion.

The earth pony was silent for a moment. “...It’s a lot smaller than I remember.”

Swift Cloud snorted and dissolved into a fit of giggles, which she quickly tried to stifle. She smiled at him as he now held the geode in one of his hooves. “Are you going to take it with you?” she asked.

“Nah, I just wanted to see if it was still here.” Humble Pie placed the stone on the ground. The faint smile he wore on his face slowly vanished as he looked around at the ruins of the house. “Nothing stays the same, does it? This...all of this,” he muttered, gesturing at their surroundings, “it’s familiar, and yet...it doesn’t resonate with me. Which would make sense, considering that it has been burnt to the ground,” he said bitterly. Swift Cloud’s smile promptly vanished.

“But this,” he continued, picking up the stone in his hoof again, “this was supposed to remain the same. But now I hold it and it feels...different. And all I realize is how much older I am.” Humble Pie shut his eyes tight, clutching the geode in his hoof. “It’s as if everything I know about this place is somepony else’s memories, and...” he trailed off, his eyes clenched shut as if desperate not to let anything escape.

The earth pony took a deep breath to calm down, and a sound that was half sob, half cough came out. He swallowed hard, then made a successful attempt at clearing his throat. “Ahem...I’m sorry,” he said, opening his eyes again and looking at Swift Cloud.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” the pegasus assured him, offering him a gentle nuzzle on the cheek before taking a step back and looking him in the eyes. “Now listen, all of this will go back to how it was before. It will take a lot of work, but I know you can do it. And what’s more, I’ll be here to help you,” she offered, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

Humble Pie’s eyes became watery, but he quickly blinked any potential tears away. “Thank you,” he said, offering her a grateful smile. Swift Cloud pulled him into a hug.

“Now get some sleep already!” she gently scolded as they broke apart. He nodded and she took wing and fluttered back to the top of the bluff. As she flew off, the earth pony deposited the stone back into the hole and began softly burying it once more.

Swift Cloud made her way back to her sleeping spot, her mind occupied by the pony she had just comforted. Warm, tender thoughts circled about in her head, and she prepared herself for an enjoyable rest where she could dwell on them even more. So consumed was she by these thoughts that she didn’t notice the alert pegasus standing out of the corner of her eye.

“Did you just nuzzle him?” Swift Cloud started and turned to face Thunderhead, who was looking at her with a mixture of sternness and appall.

“I...that...none of your business,” Swift Cloud sputtered angrily. Her mind was moving a mile a minute. She considered lying to him, but if he had really seen them then there would be no lie that would convince him otherwise. She looked around and saw with relief that none of the other pegasi were awake or within earshot. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” she snapped.

“I’m on watch,” he replied simply.

“Oh, watch, huh?” the mare whispered furiously. “Watch means watching out for the dragon, not me!”

“You nuzzled him!” Thunderhead repeated, speaking in an undertone so as not to awake the other pegasi. “And then you hugged him! You hugged a groundling! What is wrong with you?!”

“What is wrong with you?!” she growled through her teeth, shoving a hoof into the stallion’s chest. “If it wasn’t for that pony, neither of us would even be standing here!”

“So you coddle him? He...is...a...groundling!” he hissed, thrusting a hoof in the direction of said pony with each word he spoke.

“And I love him.”

“You love him.” It wasn’t a question; rather Thunderhead was repeating her words with an incredulous tone.

“...Yes.” A slight blush tinged her cheeks, but Swift Cloud looked determined nevertheless.

Thunderhead stared at her for a moment, his mouth hung slightly open, before he sighed and put a hoof to his forehead. “Look, perhaps you are too inexperienced to realize this, but in the course of our duties we meet a lot of ponies. And in the end we have to bid each one farewell-”

“Why can’t you just accept him?” Swift Cloud pleaded. “I think of you as my brother; why won’t you support me in this?”

“I am like a brother to you,” Thunderhead retorted. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection, I want your acceptance!”

“Of this? Your alleged love with a groundling? What has happened to you? What thoughts has that pony been putting inside your head?!”

“If you won’t help me in this, then I’ll do it myself,” the mare snarled before turning around on the spot and stomping away. A few paces later, she stopped and glanced back at the stallion. “Are you going to tell the others about this?”

“Of course not,” Thunderhead replied, taken aback as if she had insulted him. “I would never betray the trust of a sister.”

“Good.” With that, Swift Cloud trotted back to her resting spot and laid on the ground, facing away from her fellow private. She could feel Thunderhead’s glare boring into the back of her head before he finally took flight and resumed his watch. The mare sighed, realizing that all the warm and comforting thoughts she had carried back from her conversation with Humble Pie were now gone. Anger, frustration and disappointment would be her companions tonight.

***

The next morning came early and with nopony having gotten much sleep, nor with a desire to try to sleep. The mood was steely and resolute as they began to scale the mountain, with very few words spoken between them. Swift Cloud and Thunderhead were determinedly ignoring each other, the mare hovering alongside Humble Pie at the front of the herd as the stallion flew beside General Hurricane near the rear of the group.

The plan was straightforward: the dragon slept in a huge cave high up on the peak, which had a entrance large enough for the creature to enter and depart easily. But Humble Pie knew of another entrance to the cave, this one entering the rear of the cavern and big enough for ponies to slip through but far too small for a dragon to notice, let alone use. The group would enter the cave and take the dragon by surprise and if it refused to leave they would push it out by force.

The earth pony scaled the peak carefully, climbing over the large boulders and navigating the narrow crevices with purposeful intent. The pegasi and the unicorn followed, slowly making their way up the mountain. There were moments when Humble Pie would pause, examining the slope before him with a thoughtful expression as he tried to recall what the easiest way up was. The going was slow but steady as they ascended the mountain. The further they went up the thicker the smoke became and the more intense the putrid, sulfuric smell of the dragon was. The rumbling of the dragon’s snores grew so loud that the mountain seemed to shake beneath their hooves. The sound of Star Swirl’s bells were conspicuously absent; he had removed them from his cloak and hat so that they could approach the cave without giving away their presence.

At last, Humble Pie clambered over the top of a tall boulder and suddenly slipped out of sight. Swift Cloud looked up, wondering briefly if he had wandered into the cloud of smoke, but a moment later Humble Pie reappeared, leaning out of the cliff. She fluttered closer and saw that the earth pony was standing in a small alcove in the cliff wall. Behind him was the dark opening of a cave.

“I think I found it!” he whispered excitedly. “Tell the others to enter one at a time, and be careful; the rocks are slippery.” The pegasus nodded and gestured at the others in the group, telling them to approach carefully. Commander Tempest landed beside her and saw the earth pony emerge from the cave, which was so short he had to hunch over. It was so small she couldn’t see how they would have found it on their own, especially if they were flying; from the air it would be virtually invisible.

“This is it,” he confirmed in a low voice, though the dragon’s snores were so loud it seemed unlikely that anything inside the mountain would hear him. Humble Pie backed into the cave and the commander followed, all senses on the alert for what she would find inside. The ground was coated in pebbles and small stones, making it tricky to get a proper hoofing. “The main cavern is just around that bend,” he muttered, pointing ahead. Tempest could just make out a faint glow coming from the end of the tunnel. “Inside is where the dragon sleeps.”

“Excellent.” A sly grin appeared on her face, accompanied by a mad glint in her eyes that sent a chill through the earth pony. She turned to Silver Lining, who was standing behind her at the entrance to the cave. “Simple enter-and-sweep tactics then. We force the dragon out into the open, secure the cave and retreat to this tunnel if we ever need to.” Her advisor nodded and relayed the instructions to the pegasi behind him as she turned back to Humble Pie. “You’ve fulfilled your role, my friend, but I would like to ask one more thing of you.

“With all due respect, you don’t strike me as much of a soldier,” Tempest said, eliciting an awkward chuckle from the earth pony. “But there is a duty I will ask of you: after we enter the cavern, we will then be exposed to danger. I need you to keep the tunnel secure so that we can fall back here if we need to.”

“I think I can do that,” Humble Pie replied, nodding.

“I’m not finished,” the commander continued. “This tunnel is our safe spot, and should any of my soldiers become injured, they will need to come here. Even if they can’t make it on their own.” Tempest gave him a hard, cold stare. “Do you understand me?”

Humble Pie swallowed. “Yes,” he answered, feeling considerably more anxious now.

Tempest nodded and soon each of the ponies followed her into the dark depths of the mountain.

Act III: Chapter II

Humble Pie proceeded through the tunnel carefully, sandwiched between Commander Tempest in front of him and Silver Lining behind. From the rear of the group, Star Swirl’s horn illuminated the passageway, casting a soft light on the rocky walls. The earth pony found his legs shaking beneath him as his anxiety grew exponentially. The heavy smoke in the air assaulted his lungs, making breathing a suddenly far more difficult task. He glanced at the other pegasi and saw tension in their faces, but unlike Humble Pie it wasn’t of fear but of...anticipation. Excitement, even.

The glow from the end of the tunnel grew brighter to the point that Star Swirl could extinguish his light. The ponies rounded the bend of the short tunnel and silently clambered over a large boulder to behold an incredible sight.

Before them was a vast cavern, the size of which none of the pegasi had ever witnessed. The room was so high that even the grandest of buildings in Pegasopolis could have easily fit inside. Columns of rock, thicker at the base and top, held the ceiling up. At the base of each column was a massive pile of glittering items: gems, jewels, armor, scraps of metal, gold bits and anything else that glittered, casting the entire cavern in a glimmering light. Each pile seemed to overflow onto the surrounding ground, to the point that the entire floor seemed to be covered in one giant hoard of objects.

None of them could see the dragon, but they could certainly feel it. Each breath of the creature rumbled throughout the cave, causing the smoke in the air to swirl menacingly. Commander Tempest looked around for a second before silently gesturing to each of the other ponies to come closer.

“Remain hidden here,” she whispered to her soldiers. “There’s no sense in revealing our numbers just yet. Let us see if that dragon knows reason. If not...you know your duty.” Each of the other pegasi nodded as their commander turned to the unicorn. “Star Swirl, will you accompany me?”

“But of course,” he replied. Together they trotted forward with a confident stride, boldly entering the vast cavern. Each step echoed off the walls of the cave and Humble Pie cringed as he watched; neither of them were making any effort to be stealthy, practically announcing their presence.

Soon enough, a great rumble could be heard throughout the cave. Tempest and Star Swirl stopped in their tracks as a huge, lumbering form suddenly emerged before them, picking itself up off the ground where it had been laying alongside its horde. Jewels and pieces of armor fell from its red, scaly hide as it pulled itself upright to its full height and scanned the room with fierce yellow eyes, quickly spotting the two equines who stood in the center of the cavern with no trace of fear on their faces.

“I see we have your attention,” Tempest remarked, giving the dragon a cold, level stare. She flapped her wings to hover just off the ground, if just to put herself at a slightly more equal eye level with the creature. “Allow me to introduce myself: I am Commander Tempest, ruler of the Pegasi Empire and leader of its glorious army. Years ago you stole this mountain from my kind, slaughtered my soldiers and claimed our treasures.” She unsheathed her sword, strapping it around a forehoof and pointing it at the dragon. “We have come to reclaim what is rightfully ours. I demand that you leave now or face the consequences.”

A deep, guttural sound erupted from the dragon, loud enough that the entire mountain seem to shudder with its force. It took the ponies a moment to realize that the dragon was laughing. “Go home, little pony,” he rumbled, giving the pegasus beneath it a savage grin. The sight of the sharp, gleaming teeth within its mouth did not move Tempest.

“I am warning you, beast,” she growled. “Heed my warning now, or you shall regret it.”

The dragon took no notice, instead choosing to stretch his limbs for a second before flaring his nostrils at the pegasus, sending a thick cloud of smoke at her figure. His point made, he flopped back onto the ground, rocking the mountain and causing the horde to rattle violently. In the tunnel, Humble Pie found himself thrown off his hooves, and some of the other pegasi also had trouble maintaining their hoofing. General Hurricane managed to stay upright, seething with rage at seeing something so callously disregard her mother.

A few strong flaps of her wings were all it took for Tempest to clear the smoke cloud that hung around her, and as everypony else could now see, it had done nothing to change her cold, determined expression. She glared at the dragon for a moment before glancing at Star Swirl and nodding. The unicorn nodded back and closed his eyes, concentrating on a spell as his horn began to glow with a blinding light and tongues of flame appeared from thin air, swirling violently around a ball of fire forming at the tip of his horn. Humble Pie and Swift Cloud immediately recognized the spell and braced themselves.

Suddenly the unicorn whipped around and hurled the ball of fire at the base of a nearby column, where there lay a jumbled pile of objects. The resulting fiery explosion made short work of the pile, throwing gems, armor plates, shields and all manner of metal objects into the air. The dragon sat upright with a start, watching the precious items of his horde rain down around him. Many of the objects were destroyed beyond repair, some charred and blackened while others were severely cracked to the point that they shattered when they hit the ground. The two ponies stood in the midst of this chaos, barely acknowledging the falling debris as they calmly regarded the stunned dragon standing in front of them.

“Perhaps you didn’t understand our intent,” Tempest announced in an even tone.

The dragon bared its teeth at the ponies, its eyes now filled with hatred for these puny creatures that dared to defy its presence...that dared to touch his horde. He reared back and let loose a fiery breath into the air, drawing his claws and whipping his spiked tail around in a show of force. He glared back down at the pegasus and was further infuriated when he saw that she looked thoroughly unimpressed.

The unicorn stepped forward, his horn glowing as he charged a new spell. “Leave now, or you shall face our wrath!” he declared, his cloak flapping behind him from the force of the building spell.

The dragon responded with a blast of flame aimed at both ponies. Tempest dove out of the way while Star Swirl cast the shield spell he had been preparing. Despite the force of the dragon’s breath, the unicorn held his ground, his shield causing the flame to dissipate harmlessly around him. The pegasus commander swung around the jet of fire, her sword drawn as she narrowly dodged the flames the dragon tried to catch her with.

“Now!” Hurricane roared, racing out of the tunnel into the cavern, followed swiftly by the other three pegasi. Humble Pie remained in place, fearfully poking his head out as he watched the soldiers instantly take formation, two to each side of the dragon. The creature blinked in confusion, trying to come to terms with the appearance of all these new ponies. Star Swirl took advantage of the distraction to lob another ball of fire from his horn at the base of the pile in front of the dragon. The pegasi saw it coming and flew out of the way just in time for another fiery explosion to rock the cave, this one blasting the remnants of a pile directly into the dragon’s front. The objects bounced harmlessly off of him, but he still winced as a shield flew into the air and struck him between the eyes.

Tempest saw her opportunity. Swooping down at the dragon’s exposed belly, she swung the sword in her forehooves and struck the creature’s underside. Her aim wasn’t perfect, as she only managed to graze the dragon’s skin, not cutting deep enough to draw blood. Nevertheless, the dragon felt the impact and started, looking down in surprise as he tried to figure out what could have possibly caused the sudden sting of pain he had felt.

Roaring with fury, he swatted at the air with his claws and lashed out with his tail, trying in vain to catch one of the pegasi. Each of the soldiers were skilled flyers, nimbly dodging out of the way and occasionally striking the dragon with a kick or with a flung object plucked from the pile. Swift Cloud seemed to be everywhere at once, moving erratically and without the grace of her more skilled companions, but her quickness made it impossible for the dragon to get at her as she kept up a constant barrage of objects flung at the monster. Hurricane and Thunderhead jeered and taunted the dragon as they rushed past, hurling insults along with the objects they threw and keeping the creature’s attention as their commander waited for another opportune moment to strike.

Another of ball of fire struck his front, dangerously close to the scratch on his belly, and he looked down to see the unicorn conjuring another spell. Settling on this single target, the dragon bellowed and unfolded his giant, leathery wings before giving them several powerful flaps. The resulting gust of wind caught a couple of the pegasi off guard and knocked them off course, sending them spinning backwards into the center of the cavern. Star Swirl’s cloak whipped behind him and his hat blew off, but he managed to hold his hoofing on the ground, catching his hat with his magic and levitating it back onto his head before glaring at the dragon.

The creature reacted by lunging forward and smashing the ground in front of Star Swirl with his clenched fists. The unicorn conjured another shield, but as the floor buckled beneath his feet the magician was flung backwards, skidding across the ground a short distance from where Humble Pie stood. The earth pony yelped and made a dash for the unicorn, pulling him towards the tunnel. Seeing that the two grounded ponies were in trouble, Tempest dove at the rear of the dragon’s shoulder and made another swipe with her sword. The scales were tougher here and once again she was unable to draw blood, but another chunk of the dragon’s thick skin was torn off as she sliced past it, causing the monster to howl in pain.

The dragon spotted a flash of light out of the corner of his eye and turned to see the blade of Tempest’s sword reflecting the morning glow coming through the cave entrance. Normally he would have dismissed any puny pony tool, but his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the gleaming blade. The simple scratches it had inflicted hurt far more than they should have; they had left a stinging sensation, like those he had experienced as an adolescent centuries ago in fights with other dragons. The memory of that pain made him realize this was no mere pony stick, but something far more dangerous.

He let loose another fiery breath at the oncoming pegasus, but she dodged out of the way, spinning around in mid-air as the dragon tried to catch her. As she drew nearer he swiped out with one of his claws, but this proved to be a costly mistake. Just as his outstretched hand raced towards her, Tempest held the sword above her head and swung down.

Her aim was true. Just as the dragon’s claw was upon her, the sword sliced through one of the dragon’s fingers, separating it entirely from its owner in one clean swipe. The impact very nearly knocked the pegasus out of the air, but it was the panicked fury of the dragon in the next second that proved the greatest danger. The monster thrashed about in pain, whipping his tail at a nearby column of rock and smashing it to dust, scattering a sizeable portion of his horde and unleashing a breath of fire so massive into the air that Tempest briefly wondered if it would melt the ceiling. Blood had certainly been shed this time, and while not a sizeable amount given the scale of the dragon, any amount was proving alarming to the huge, supposedly indestructible beast.

The dragon began lumbering towards the entrance to the cavern, taking care not to step on its injured claw. At the mouth of the cave he unfolded his wings and launched into the sky, quickly disappearing out of sight. Tempest watched him depart with a surprised, then extremely satisfied look on her face.

“The mountain is ours, soldiers!” she declared, turning to face the other ponies in the cave and holding her sword aloft as she spoke. Silver Lining approached her, gazing out at the cave entrance before his eyes suddenly widened in fear.

“Commander, get down!” he hollered, diving for Tempest and shoving her towards the ground. The pegasus leader was able to catch a brief glimpse of the dragon outside, having not fled at all but merely readying for a new assault, before he inhaled deeply and blasted a massive jet of fire into the cave. It was only due to Silver Lining’s foresight that Tempest avoided being enveloped in flames, though her advisor paid dearly for his heroic action.

While Silver Lining wasn’t caught by the fire of the dragon’s breath itself, the heat from it was so intense that the hairs of his tail and the feathers on his wings burst into flame. Unstrapping her sword and dropping it to the side, Tempest quickly wrestled a panicking Silver Lining to the ground and stamped out the small flames eating away at his wings while he frantically beat his tail against the stone floor to put it out. The stallion shrieked in pain as the fire managed to burn at his skin, but a few flaps of his wings were able to finish it off.

“It’s alright now, it’s out!” Tempest cried, holding her advisor down to stop his struggles. He stopped and both of the ponies looked down at the pitiful remnants of Silver Lining’s wings; nearly all the long feathers had been burnt down to a short stub, and even what was left was blackened and probably beyond saving. The pegasus had been lucky in that his skin and tissues had been spared anything more than a singe, preventing this injury from becoming permanent. However, it was clear Silver Lining would not be able to fly for a long time.

“Oh Silver Lining,” Tempest muttered softly, a hoof placed over her mouth. “I’m so sor-”

There was a sudden explosion of noise and the cavern shook violently, throwing the commander off her hooves before she could finish her thought. The sound of crumbling rock was accompanied by the sight of a hail of boulders tumbling outside the entrance and a few sizeable chunks of rock falling from the ceiling of the cavern.

“He’s trying to bring down the mountain!” Silver Lining yelled, leaping to his hooves and pulling Tempest towards the rear of the cavern, where the other ponies were currently positioned. The commander stopped to pick up the handle of her sword with her mouth and replace it in its casing before following her advisor, staying low to avoid another fiery breath the dragon unleashed into the cave.

“Fall back!” Tempest ordered, gesturing frantically at the tunnel entrance. “The dragon is trying to bury us in here!” This much was already obvious to the rest of the group as another impact shook the mountain and caused more rubble to plummet from the ceiling. “Back into the tunnel!”

“NO!” Star Swirl bellowed. He bore a few scratches from when he hit the ground, but looked otherwise undeterred. There was a fury in his eyes, a grim resoluteness that was downright alarming. “We must hold our ground!”

“Are you mad?” Tempest shrieked. “We must get out before the cave collapses!”

“No! We must stop the dragon now, while we have the chance!” the unicorn insisted.

“Who’s the military leader here?!” Hurricane yelled angrily, rising in defense of her mother.

“You have a defensible position!” Star Swirl hollered as he began to gallop for the cave entrance. “Now defend it!” The pegasi exchanged uneasy looks before following the seemingly crazed unicorn, leaving Silver Lining in the care of Humble Pie.

Star Swirl emerged out of the cave just in time to witness the dragon smash his tail against the mountainside, shaking Fortune’s Peak violently once more. The unicorn conjured a ball of fire and hurled it at the dragon, not so much to injure it but merely to get its attention.

“Leave, beast!” Star Swirl hollered, rearing up on his hind legs as his cloak billowed impressively behind him. “This mountain is not yours to destroy! Go back to where you came from!”

The dragon roared before blasting the unicorn with another fiery breath. Star Swirl conjured a shield, deflecting the attack easily. He stood upon the ledge of the mountain, staring coldly at the monster before him.

“You dare attack me with fire, beast?” he growled. His horn began to glow brilliantly as orange flames began to circle rapidly around his form and waves of heat pulsated outward from his being. “I am Star Swirl the Bearded! Look upon this mark!” With his cloak whipping in the air behind him, the unicorn’s cutie mark was clearly visible upon his flank. It depicted a swirling galaxy; a spiraling collection of stars that circled around in on itself.

“This mark represents the cosmos and all the magic held within! I am the most powerful conjurer ever known! A Keeper of the Circle of Day and Night! All creatures of the dark fear me, and so shall you!” The dragon bared his teeth at Star Swirl, snarling before inhaling deeply to try and blast him with another breath of fire.

“YOU CAN NOT DEFEAT ME WITH FIRE!” the unicorn bellowed. “I AM FIRE!” With that he unleashed his spell, firing a jet of flame from his horn just as the dragon exhaled a massive fiery breath. The two collided in mid-air, exploding outward and sending spits of flame raining down on the mountainside. The force of the blast dissipated the smoke cloud around them as neither pony nor dragon relented, keeping up a steady stream of fire aimed at the other.

Tempest saw an opening. Zooming out of the cave, she drew her sword and flew towards the dragon with the intention of catching it while it was preoccupied with Star Swirl. The unicorn was faring well, straining to maintain his attack on the dragon but nevertheless holding up. He knew that a dragon couldn’t simply exhale forever; eventually he would have to catch his breath. Unicorns, meanwhile, could maintain power just on energy and sheer force of will. Star Swirl smiled, knowing he could outlast the dragon in this battle.

What Star Swirl had forgotten was that fire was not the only weapon at a dragon’s disposal. As he focused on holding back the dragon’s breath he managed to catch a glimpse of the creature’s spiked tail rise into the air and lash through the air directly at him. Realizing with a start that he wouldn’t have the time to dodge it, Star Swirl abruptly terminated his fire spell and conjured a shield. But he lacked the time to summon it fully and as the dragon’s tail struck the shield shattered, smashing the unicorn into the rocky slope. While he had been protected from the dragon’s deadly spikes, the impact against the boulders was forceful enough to knock Star Swirl out cold.

It all happened too fast for Commander Tempest, who swung out of the way as her perfect opportunity for attack was lost. The dragon spotted her and swung his massive tail back towards her. Hurricane yelled a warning, but in the chaos of the fire, Star Swirl’s defeat and her own failed attack, Tempest didn’t see it coming until it was too late.

The dragon’s attack was swift and complete. The thick, scaly tail collided with the pegasus, smacking her out of the air. One of the large, bony spikes clubbed her over the head, smashing her helmet to pieces as a smaller spike sliced through one of her wings. In one terrible second, the great commander of the pegasi plummeted helplessly to her doom, her sword still strapped to her hoof.

Tempest was dimly aware of her daughter’s scream before she crashed into the rocky ground. The impact tore the sword from its strap and she went limp, rolling across the jagged boulders before coming to a rest on her back. Her head swam; she could see a patch of sky above her through a hole in the smoke cloud, but couldn’t remember how it got there. She could hear distant voices, roars and screams, but couldn’t tell who they belonged to. Tempest felt no fear or sadness; only terrible pain and a dim awareness of what was happening around her.

“MOTHER!” Hurricane screamed, landing beside the commander and taking her body in her forehooves. Her eyes were widened in horror and her whole body shook as she tried to comfort the fallen pegasus. Tempest was covered in serious injuries; several cuts were bleeding profusely, one wing now resembled a bloody pulp and a couple of her limbs were protruding at odd angles, evidence that they were now broken. Her eyes were unfocused, staring off into space as her mouth hung slightly open.

“I’m going to die.” The commander said it very matter-of-factly, almost pleasantly, as if coming to a realization that had been eluding her. Hurricane started when she heard it, her lip quivering as she tried to find the words to tell her mother that she wasn’t going to die, that they would make it out just fine, but they didn’t come.

A shadow passed over them and Hurricane remembered the dragon. Swift Cloud and Thunderhead, seeing what had happened, desperately tried to distract the dragon from pursuing the commander, but they had little luck. Hurricane looked up to see the dragon’s head leering down at her, glowing yellow eyes narrowed as it inhaled deeply to unleash another breath of fire and leave no trace of the pegasus that had managed to inflict pain on it.

Hurricane acted without thinking. She grasped the sword lying beside Tempest between her teeth and sped upwards, the blade protruding out of the side of her mouth as she clenched on the handle. The dragon saw her approach and prepared to exhale, figuring he would roast this other foolish pony, but this time it was the dragon who was too slow.

Hurricane moved faster than the dragon could react, flying at the monster’s face and gripping the sword tighter as she came closer. The dragon mistook her aim and lowered his head, figuring the pegasus was flying for his exposed neck, a mistake that quickly proved devastating. Hurricane swung her sword, her expression one of pure rage, before driving the blade into the dragon’s right eye. There it embedded itself, yanking out of Hurricane’s mouth as she twisted around to avoid crashing into the dragon herself. Flying suddenly became difficult and the pegasus looked down to see her wings coated in blood.

The dragon howled with such fury that his anger could be heard from miles away. He thrashed about, the breath of fire he had been preparing suddenly choked off as he grasped at his bleeding face, utterly blind and dazed by the pain. He could only see, smell and taste his own blood and he could feel only the excruciation of his injury. He couldn’t comprehend anything around him, and it terrified him to the very core of his being. Forgetting his pride, he acted on instinct, unfolding his wings and taking to the air in a desperate bid to flee the pain that had been inflicted upon him. The dragon bellowed in fright, abandoning the mountain he had claimed as his own and flying to the south.

Hurricane stumbled about in mid-air, weighed down by the thick dragon blood on her hide and fighting to stay upright as the dragon launched itself off the mountain with its mighty wings that created great gusts of air when flapped. Finally she made it back to the ground, tripping over her own hooves as she came to an uneasy landing beside Swift Cloud and Thunderhead, who were staring at their general with a mixture of fear and awe.

“General-” Thunderhead began, but was cut off as Hurricane promptly marched past him, a shocked expression on her face as she made her way back to the body of her mother. Tempest was still laying in the same spot, looking up at the sky. She was wracked with pain, but her expression didn’t betray it, instead putting off an aura of supreme calmness and peace. Her sea-green coat and wavy blue mane, though battered and beaten, still retained a soothing dignity.

Humble Pie and Silver Lining emerged out of the cave just as Hurricane collapsed beside her mother. Tempest was taking slow, ragged breaths, turning her head slowly to see her daughter weeping beside her. Hurricane’s body shook with sobs, tears streaming down her face as she placed a hoof within the grasp of her mother’s.

“...I lost the sword,” Hurricane breathed. She shut her eyes tight and leaned her head forward, cursing to herself. “I l-lost the sword...” she repeated, choking back a sob.

“Shh,” Tempest soothed her, rubbing her daughter’s hoof softly. “The dragon slayer has been avenged. And Pegasopolis will have a glorious commander to lead them.”

“Mother, please...” Hurricane whispered, her tone fearful but also resigned to her fate. Tempest caught sight of the other pegasi crowding nearer to her. Swift Cloud sobbed uncontrollably while Thunderhead remained in a stunned silence.

“Silver Lining, my dear friend...will you do the honors?” she requested. Her advisor had tears running down his face, but he remained silent as he sat beside Tempest opposite Hurricane. He looked down into her kind face, taking strength in it before breathing deeply and facing the pegasus sitting across from him.

“Please salute, General Hurricane,” Silver Lining requested. Hurricane hesitated for a moment before rising to her hooves and lifting a forehoof in front of her, holding it parallel to the ground.

“Repeat after me: ‘I, General Hurricane, in the service of the Pegasi Empire...’”

“I, General Hurricane, in the service of the Pegasi Empire,” Hurricane recited, the tears continuing to stream down even as she adopted a determined expression.

“‘And the glorious army that fights beneath her banner...’”

“And the glorious army that fights beneath her banner...”

“‘Do solemnly swear to carry her banner forward...’”

“Do solemnly swear to carry her banner forward...”

“‘In place of the commander who can no longer perform her duties.’”

“In...” Hurricane paused, closing her eyes and hanging her head before continuing. “...In place of the commander who can no longer perform her duties.”

“‘And shall now assume her title, in lead of my glorious empire...’”

“And shall now assume her title, in lead of my glorious empire...”

“‘As Commander Hurricane.’”

“...As Commander Hurricane,” she finished. Silver Lining initiated a salute to his new commander, followed by Swift Cloud and Thunderhead as the new commander looked to the old. Tempest’s eyes were closed and a small smile remained on her face even as her last breath left her body.

Act III: Chapter III

“The dragon slayer has been avenged and Fortune’s Peak is ours once again. And yet...we return in shame.”

Commander Hurricane was addressing her companions at the base of the mountain, near the remnants of Humble Pie’s old home. At her hooves lay the body of Tempest, tenderly wrapped in some fabric they salvaged from the ruins of the house. They had used the same fabric to bandage the pitiful remains of Silver Lining’s wings.

“There’s no shame in a warrior dying in battle,” the advisor offered.

“But there is shame in failing to save the commander we swore to protect,” the commander replied. Silver Lining hung his head, followed by Swift Cloud and Thunderhead, none of them able to think of a proper response. Befitting her new title, Hurricane’s tone had become more commanding. It had always carried that hint of authority, honed from years of training for this day, but until now Tempest’s presence had kept it in check; a wise, calming tone that acted as the foil to Hurricane’s brashness. Now that it was gone, there was a distinct gap in the conversation.

Star Swirl, who had remained at the rear of the group, now trotted forward. He looked pale, the color of his face showing an alarming similarity to his beard, and was covered in cuts and bruises. When he began to speak, his tone was slow and deliberate. “Commander Hurricane, I’m deeply sorry for your loss-”

“Save your breath, unicorn,” Hurricane grunted, not lifting her gaze to meet Star Swirl’s. “This is a pegasi matter.”

“No. This is a matter of concern for all ponies,” the magician insisted.

“Huh.” The commander raised her head to give Star Swirl a cold glare. “Funny, I doubt any of your freaky unicorn friends are going to be offering their condolences.”

“Commander...” Silver Lining muttered in a concerned tone.

“Commander Tempest was a friend of mine as well,” Star Swirl retorted, glaring back at the pegasus. “We shared a vision for all of ponykind.”

“It’s just ‘Tempest’ now,” Hurricane said bitterly, looking down at her mother. “Unlike your unicorn royalty, our leaders don’t retain their title after death. She now belongs to the ages and I am the one commander.”

The magician remained undeterred. “Tempest and I agreed that at the end of this journey, she would spread word that a unicorn and an earth pony aided you in the defeat of the dragon and the reclaiming of Fortune’s Peak, to foster respect between the three tribes.” Humble Pie stirred uneasily in the background, uncomfortable at being mentioned given the grim reality of the situation.

Commander Hurricane gave a sharp, bitter bark of a laugh at Star Swirl’s remark. “Haven’t you been paying attention? Today was not a triumph, but a defeat. But if you want me to tell everypony that a pair of groundlings helped us in the mission that killed my mother, I’ll be pleased to accept your request.”

“If I may, I believe that would be counterproductive,” Silver Lining quickly advised, cutting off Star Swirl before he could offer a retort. “Nevertheless, Commander Hurricane makes a compelling argument. This is a sad day for the Pegasi Empire and to inform our citizens that a member of each of the other tribes was involved is unlikely to evoke good will towards them.” He looked from his commander to Star Swirl. “I think it would be best for all if we forgot you were here.”

“This is not what we agreed to,” the unicorn growled, putting Silver Lining on the spot, who shifted uncomfortably.

“You made an agreement with a mare who is now dead,” Hurricane said pointedly. “A death, by the way, you played a role in.” Star Swirl looked pained and offended as the commander went on. “You are in no position to be demanding anything of us, unicorn. If you had listened to Tempest when she ordered us to leave the cave, she’d probably still be alive right now.”

“Don’t try to blame this-” Star Swirl began hotly.

“Don’t try to skirt your responsibility!” Hurricane interrupted, now taking a fully aggressive stance as she faced the magician down. “You unicorns are all alike, high-minded to the end! You think you know best, only this time my mother placed her life in your hooves. And now the entire empire has paid the price,” she finished, stepping back to afford him a view of the pegasi behind her.

For a moment it looked like Star Swirl would continue to argue. He opened his mouth to speak, but then caught a glimpse of the cloth that covered Tempest’s figure and his words suddenly died in his throat. His face became even paler, his face sinking as his eyes began to reflect the terrible sadness he felt, looking upon his fallen companion. Suddenly his age began to show; he no longer looked like a cunning and brilliant magician but a weak, feeble old stallion. His will failed him and he hung his head shamefully.

“Frankly, you should be grateful I’m letting you off this easily,” Hurricane grumbled, turning away. “And you!” she suddenly shouted at Humble Pie, who jumped at the commander’s abrupt yell and looked back fearfully. “You can have your mountain. I have no interest in it. With all that must be done now to ensure the safe transfer of power it will be a long time before we can return to build a new cloudpost here.”

Humble Pie grew more alert at this statement and glanced at Swift Cloud, who was looking back with widened eyes. Thunderhead had noticed the earth pony’s glance and gave his fellow private a curious, slightly suspicious look. Hurricane, on the other hoof, missed all of this, having turned toward the figure of her mother before addressing the other pegasi. “I do not wish to stay any longer! Soldiers, we leave immediately! Privates, take grip of Tempest; we shall carry her home.”

“W-Wait,” Swift Cloud stammered. “Now? But can’t I say farewell before-”

“That was an order, private!” Hurricane yelled, startling Swift Cloud into quickly standing beside the body of Tempest and preparing the cloth for transport.

“Hold on!” Humble Pie exclaimed before faltering under the stern gaze of the commander. “Err...when will you return, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Hard to say. It could be years,” Hurricane answered dismissively. “We have to assure stability to our citizens and assert our authority over any colonies who may see this as an opportunity to rebel. In that time, expansion of the empire will be unlikely.”

“Well, err, feel free to come back sooner. If you, uh, want to, of course,” Humble Pie said hurriedly, smiling awkwardly. “After all, I am in your debt for having my old home back.”

Commander Hurricane, however, was paying the earth pony no attention, watching as the two privates wrapped the ends of the cloth around themselves and secured it with their teeth. “Right, then. Let’s leave this place,” she grunted, glaring at the mountain for a moment before launching into the air.

“But...” Swift Cloud hesitated, casting an anxious glance over at Humble Pie.

“PRIVATE SWIFT CLOUD, IF YOU DO NOT MOVE THIS INSTANT, I WILL HAVE YOU COURT-MARTIALED FOR INSUBORDINATION!” the commander exploded, her patience at an end. Swift Cloud squeaked with fright and promptly began flapping her wings as she and Thunderhead lifted into the air, carrying the body of their old leader between them. Humble Pie’s mouth hung open; he tried to think of a proper farewell to shout out, but nothing came to mind as they started to fly north, heading back to Pegasopolis. Swift Cloud didn’t dare look at the earth pony, shrinking under the harsh gaze of her commander.

Hurricane, still hovering in mid-air, turned back to Humble Pie and Star Swirl, reserving her coldest, most hateful glare yet for the unicorn before she turned on the spot and followed the two privates. Silver Lining trotted along the ground after her, his wings too weak to allow him to fly; he would have to be carried up to Pegasopolis by his companions as they drew closer.

Humble Pie watched the pegasi leave, crestfallen at their abrupt departure. He fell back on his haunches, his gaze following the retreating form of Swift Cloud as she flew off. The earth pony sat in the midst of the remains of the farm that was once again his, but as the pegasi faded out of sight he felt nothing but a painful sense of loss. Beside him, Star Swirl remained silent.

***

It took the unicorn and the earth pony a couple of hours to prepare their things for the long trek back. Star Swirl moved slowly and now looked paler than ever; Humble Pie had suggested he get some rest, but his mind was too occupied to push the matter, so when the unicorn declined the issue was quickly forgotten. The two managed to procure a pair of saddlebags from the ruins and took the rest of the fabric they had used to wrap Tempest’s body as well as a few charred timbers from the house that they could use as firewood. However, the site yielded little else of use. Humble Pie climbed up the mountain to the cave to retrieve some precious gems that he could show to his family as proof that he had been to Fortune’s Peak and lived to tell the tale.

As he clambered down the slope, the earth pony absentmindedly looked up at the sky. He had a faint hope that he would be able to catch one more glimpse of the pegasi flying away into the distance, but that wish was quickly banished as they were too far away by this point. What he saw instead was the great cloud of smoke already breaking up, a process that was started by the explosion that happened when Star Swirl had battled the dragon but now aided by the free-flowing winds that swept across the Badlands, dissolving the smoke and allowing sunlight to grace the mountain once again. It was a hopeful sight, but for Humble Pie it merely reminded him of how much work there was still to do before the mountain could be ready for farming again. And now the mare he had been hoping to share that time with was gone.

The earth pony sighed, resuming his trek downhill. “The family. There will always be the family to help out. Nopony is going to make them disappear from my life,” he thought to himself. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but glance up at the sky again. Once again, he was disappointed by the lack of pegasi in it.

***

Star Swirl trotted forward slowly, placing one forehoof in front of the other as he made his way back across the plain, the bells attached to his cloak and hat chiming softly with each step he took. Humble Pie was a short distance ahead of him, his head lowered sadly. Fortune’s Peak was well behind them now, but there was still a long way to go before they made it back to the Southern Peaks.

The unicorn’s mind, normally full of complex plans and nuanced analyses which fit his scholarly pursuits, was unusually empty at the moment. All he could think of was the battle, his last memories before the dragon knocked him out, and later coming to terms with the fact that Tempest had been struck in the moment he had let his guard down. The idea that he, Star Swirl the Bearded, the only unicorn who was actively seeking peace between the three tribes, had now made matters worse was absolutely sickening to him. Rather than his usual clarity and thoughtfulness, everything felt clouded by emotion.

Clouded...strange, everything was clouded. His surroundings suddenly seemed hazy as the air became thin and a strange lightness came over him. Star Swirl had just enough presence of mind to note how unusual this was before he felt hard rock pressed against his cheek.

A great clatter of bells pulled Humble Pie out of his thoughts as he turned around to see that the unicorn had collapsed. “Star Swirl!” the earth pony shouted in alarm as he galloped back to where Star Swirl lay, breathing rapidly and laboriously. His hat had fallen off and his complexion was even whiter than ever, as if all the blood had drained from his face. Despite this, he chanced a small smile up at Humble Pie.

“I think I...may have...exerted myself...” he mumbled between breaths. The earth pony was not comforted by this and promptly began pulling Star Swirl into the shade of a large boulder nearby. He retrieved the fabric out of his saddlebag and set up a canvas that would shield the unicorn from the elements.

“You need to rest,” Humble Pie insisted, though Star Swirl looked so weak the earth pony doubted he was going to try to move. “You might be dehydrated. I’ll get you some water; there’s a spring nearby. Just stay here, all right?”

“Humble Pie...I’ve made a terrible mistake...” Star Swirl mumbled, barely paying attention to what his companion was saying.

“Just stay here and rest!” the earth pony yelled before darting out of the makeshift tent and galloping off to retrieve the promised water.

***

Swift Cloud flew silently, the weight of her old commander an emotional and literal burden on her as she made her way across the foothills of the Southern Peaks. Night had started to fall but Commander Hurricane showed no sign of wanting to stop and nopony felt like suggesting otherwise.

She absentmindedly flapped her wings, her mind focused on things besides flying. While she felt a great sadness, there was also a clarity to her thoughts. Swift Cloud glanced over at Thunderhead, who was staring straight ahead, not for a second pulling his gaze away from what lay in front of him. This was nothing unfamiliar to Swift Cloud; what was different was that his eyes were strangely distant, showing that he was still coming to terms with what had happened. She glanced down at the wrapped body cradled between the two ponies; the body of the pony who, while not close, had welcomed her and been her leader and moral compass, the very model of a soldier and all pegasi.

“No...” she muttered aloud.

“Huh?” Thunderhead asked, snapping out of his thoughts and turning towards Swift Cloud.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” the mare said, more to herself than anypony else. Thunderhead opened his mouth to inquire further, but she turned to him before he could say anything. “We need to land.”

“Wha...are you crazy?” Thunderhead hissed. “You’re going to get us both in trouble with Commander Hurricane!”

“I’m landing,” Swift Cloud insisted, falling a few inches in altitude to prove her point. Thunderhead, more alarmed for the safety of Tempest’s body than winning an argument, reluctantly followed. They carefully made their way to a flat ledge on the slope of the mountain, just shy of the pass they had come through on their way to Fortune’s Peak. Both pegasi were exceedingly cautious as they set the body of their old leader on the rocky ground before Swift Cloud landed and untied herself from the wrappings. She removed the last of them just in time to hear the beating of wings which signaled Commander Hurricane’s arrival.

“What is the meaning of this?!” she yelled. “Why have we stopped?” Behind her, Silver Lining caught up with the group and gave a curious look to the two privates. Thunderhead stood back, looking ill at ease with the commander practically glowering at her. Swift Cloud swallowed hard before speaking.

“Commander, with all due respect, I believe we are making a terrible mistake. We can’t leave Humble Pie and Star Swirl like this.”

Hurricane stared at Swift Cloud for a moment, her mouth agape before she gritted her teeth and a look of deep malevolence crossed her face. “Private, we are not discussing this now. Retie yourself and get back into the air, now.”

Swift Cloud gulped. If she went any further now, there would surely be consequences; she would get court-martialed for sure. But it seemed foolish to stop now that she had already landed. She thought of Humble Pie and decided this was the moment to make her stand, repercussions be damned.

“I...I can’t do that,” Swift Cloud mumbled, standing strong but avoiding Hurricane’s gaze. “This isn’t what Tempest would have wanted. She invited them along, and they were her friends too. She trusted them. We shouldn’t abandon-”

“You are going to tell me what my own mother wanted?” Hurricane’s voice was calm, but the cold rage behind it caused Swift Cloud’s heart to sink in her chest. Fear bubbled up within her as the young mare tried to continue, knowing she had crossed a line.

“W-we shouldn’t abandon them like th-this,” she stammered, visibly shaking and still too frightened to look Hurricane in the eye. “Th-they were T-Tempest’s friends too, and I think they sh-should have the chance to say good...goodbye.” She swallowed, trying to contain her frantically beating heart.

“Oh, is that what you think, Private Swift Cloud?” Hurricane growled in a mocking tone. “Then let me ask you this: WHY SHOULD I GIVE A FLYING FEATHER WHAT YOU THINK?!” she screamed, causing Swift Cloud to sit down quickly, cowering in fear. The commander flared her wings, looking like she was ready to strike her private, but Silver Lining stepped between them with a raised hoof to calm Hurricane down.

“Private Thunderhead, perhaps you have an opinion on this matter?” the advisor asked. Swift Cloud felt a glimmer of hope; if anypony could help her through this, it would be Thunderhead: the pony that had been her mentor, that had gotten her this position and had always been her brother-in-arms.

But her fellow private was silent, looking down at the ground. Swift Cloud stared at him, but as the silence continued the horrible truth sunk in: she was hoping for him to stand up to Hurricane, his longtime friend and now commander. And now he was being asked to choose between his ‘sister’ and his leader.

“...No,” Thunderhead muttered, avoiding Swift Cloud’s pleading gaze. “I don’t have any opinion.”

Swift Cloud’s head sank as Commander Hurricane turned her attention back to the young mare. “Private Swift Cloud, you disobeyed a direct order of mine. That is a very dangerous place to be. I will give you this chance now to admit your mistake.”

The private was silent for a moment. “...I...I still think we sh-should help Humble Pie and Star Swirl get home.”

A heavy silence descended following her words. Nopony seemed to want to even breathe, fearing what was about to happen. The commander towered over the private, staring down her with a mixture of anger and disgust, practically seething with rage.

Finally, she spoke in an eering level tone. “I do not have any place in my army for pegasi who disagree with their commander. Especially low-level privates like YOU!” she screamed, causing each of the other three ponies to flinch. Swift Cloud’s lip trembled.

“I STRIP YOU OF YOUR RANK!” Hurricane yelled, forcefully snatching the helmet off of Swift Cloud’s head and flinging it to the side. “YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE IN MY ARMY!” The commander tore off the straps that held the private’s armor on, letting them fall to the ground. Swift Cloud merely sat there, her head lowered so far that her mane obscured her eyes as her whole body shook. Hurricane hovered upright just in front of her, glaring down at the pegasus before her.

“I relieve you of your duties, Swift Cloud.” The young mare trembled at the commander’s words; it was the first time she had been addressed by Hurricane without her title. “You are free to do as you wish, but don’t expect to be welcomed back in Pegasopolis.” With that ultimatum, the commander landed and strode past the silent mare, tying the end of the cloth that held Tempest’s body around her figure before she and Thunderhead promptly lifted into the air, resuming the journey back to their home and leaving Silver Lining alone on the ground with Swift Cloud.

Silver Lining looked at the mare for a while, as if considering her. He opened his mouth to speak, but soon found that no words came that could adequately express his feelings. Instead, he opted to reach out a hoof and pat Swift Cloud on the shoulder, letting it rest there for a moment before slowly letting it slide off. He turned around and followed after Hurricane and Thunderhead, climbing up the slope quickly to catch up with the flying pegasi.

Swift Cloud remained in place, sitting quietly on the ledge with her head bowed. Tears began leaking down her face, still half-hidden by her mane. Her body shook, but she couldn’t find the will to move a muscle. Despite her sadness, she remained silent even as the tears continued to flow.

***

Humble Pie sat beside Star Swirl, who was still lying on the ground taking quick, ragged breaths. A container of water stood beside the earth pony, but it proved to be of little use. The magician was still very pale, his skin was clammy and his pulse was far more rapid than normal. His eyes were open but vacant; he at least seemed more aware of his surroundings now, but the unicorn remained distant.

Night had fallen and both ponies were still under the makeshift tent Humble Pie had constructed. He had also built a fire just outside the tent, to bring some warmth and light, but Star Swirl seemed to be in no condition to move and the earth pony felt it best to keep him under the canvas, out of the elements. The earth pony sat by his side, watching the light of the fire flicker and dance across the magician’s face.

“Humble Pie...” he mumbled quietly, his gaze drifting slowly towards the earth pony, who drew closer. “Do you remember...when I said that one does not fight fire with fire?” he asked between breaths.

“Err...yes?” Humble Pie answered uncertainly. Star Swirl was silent for a moment and the earth pony began to wonder if he had forgotten what he had been about to say.

“...I think I forgot my own advice,” he finally muttered, giving Humble Pie a small, grim smile.

“I’m old, Humble Pie,” he continued, giving a weary sigh as he struggled to keep his breath. “Too old to see...his own mistakes. Here I believed I could...unite the three pony tribes, but my vanity prevented me...from seeing the wisdom of anypony but myself.”

Star Swirl stared down at the ground, his energy running low as his voice feebly continued on. “I can’t fail, Humble Pie. There’s too much at stake.”

“Get some rest,” the earth pony insisted, pulling a thin sheet of the fabric over the unicorn’s body as a blanket.

“Humble Pie, I need you to promise me something,” Star Swirl suddenly ordered, his tone becoming more alert even as his voice grew weaker. “You need to do everything in your power to encourage unity between the three tribes. It is of the utmost importance that harmony between ponies is achieved!”

“I...but I’m just-” the farmer began to stammer, but Star Swirl cut him off.

“You must spread this message!” he insisted, his tone alert even as his voice cracked and became more feeble. He reached out to grab the earth pony’s shoulder and locked his gaze onto him. “Without it, all will be lost! Please, promise me this, Humble Pie!”

“Yes! Yes, I promise!” the earth pony exclaimed, more out of an attempt to calm the unicorn down than anything else. “Please Star Swirl, just rest...” The unicorn’s hoof fell from Humble Pie’s shoulder and back onto the ground as his gaze fell to the floor once again. He stopped talking and closed his eyes, relaxing slightly but still breathing heavily. The earth pony took a section of the fabric and draped it over the unicorn’s body like a blanket, patting him on the shoulder before stepping outside to tend to the campfire.

The moment Star Swirl was out of sight, a terrible realization exploded in Humble Pie’s mind: there was nothing he could do for him. Whatever was afflicting the unicorn was beyond his ability to treat. The shock of getting battered by the dragon followed by the heartache of losing his companion had taken a great toll on the magician, and now it was overwhelming him.

Humble Pie stepped towards the campfire. Now that he wasn’t in the presence of Star Swirl, his carefully assembled calm facade soon broke down. He took a great, shuddering breath before looking up into the sky. The stars shone overhead in a perfectly cloudless sky, their twinkling light reflected in the earth pony’s watery eyes. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, lowering his head before letting out a pained sob. Humble Pie slowly lifted a hoof to his face, collapsing on his haunches as his whole body shook with emotion.

“Humble Pie!” The earth pony bolted to his hooves, startled by the distant sound of somepony calling his name. Somepony with a very familiar voice.

He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and scanned the sky, searching for the source of the sound. He soon spotted it: the faint outline of a figure flying towards him, obscured by darkness. It was clearly a pegasi, but something about it seemed off to Humble Pie. His heart leapt when he saw Swift Cloud’s face illuminated by the light of the campfire, shortly realizing she was missing her helmet and armor. Their absence made her seem smaller, yet somehow she looked stronger without them. The pegasus landed in front of him, near the edge of the circle of light created by the fire.

Swift Cloud folded her wings, looking at the earth pony in front of her. Since the other pegasi left her, she had been feeling heartbroken and depressed, but seeing Humble Pie brought a sense of elation to her. And yet, despite her desperation to see the earth pony again, words failed her now that he was in front of her again. Humble Pie remained frozen in place, staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.

“...Swift Cloud?” he mumbled, asking the question as if afraid of the answer.

The pegasus was very self-consciously aware of her current lack of a helmet; it had become such a regular fixture atop her head that it felt strange for nothing to be there now. She felt herself holding her head higher simply to compensate for the absence of the weight that was normally there. “...I’m, uh, I’m not a soldier anymore. Commander Hurricane...kicked me out,” she finished, looking down at her hooves as her lower lip trembled. She put on a brave face before looking up at Humble Pie.

“So I, uh, thought I’d come back and find you,” she continued before glancing around. “Say, where’s Star Swirl?”

Humble Pie remained quiet, continuing to stare at Swift Cloud. The silence went on so long that it began to unnerve the pegasus. A memory of the changeling version of Humble Pie acting strange appeared unbidden in her mind, but it was quickly banished as the earth pony suddenly raced forward and flung himself on Swift Cloud, wrapping his forehooves around her and burying his face in her shoulder. Despite her strength, the pegasus nearly buckled under the weight of the earth pony, partly due to his height but also just her shock at his action. As she came to terms with what was happening she felt him shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face into her fur as sobs wracked his body.

After a moment she placed a forehoof around him, setting it against his mane and stroking it tenderly as she leaned her head against his. She hadn’t imagined her return going like this. With what had just happened she had thought she would be the one weeping, just as she had in the forest, but seeing Humble Pie like this brought out Swift Cloud’s strength. She would stand this time as the sturdy one the other could hold on to in his time of need. She closed her eyes, a pair of silent tears streaking down her face as she comforted her partner, whispering reassurances in his ear.

***

Star Swirl the Bearded passed away a few hours later. Consumed by guilt and weakened by his illness, the greatest conjurer of magic in his era fell asleep for the last time. Swift Cloud almost didn’t get a chance to say farewell; the unicorn seemed to be barely aware of her presence before his condition worsened, mumbling incoherently as his breathing became more and more ragged until he finally slipped away. Humble Pie and Swift Cloud remained by the unicorn’s side even after death claimed him, both weeping and comforting each other as they struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

Neither the earth pony nor the pegasus slept that night, and the next morning brought the grim task of seeing to the corpse of Star Swirl. Swift Cloud suggested a simple burial, a method apparently common even amongst winged creatures like the pegasi save for the elite. But Humble Pie refused, stating that he didn’t like the idea of laying him to rest somewhere far from any of his fellow unicorns. Additionally, the earth pony privately felt he couldn’t stand to see the grave of a trusted friend so close to the place he wanted to once again call home, but he kept this thought to himself.

So, it was agreed that they would carry Star Swirl back to Unicornia, despite the inconvenience. The fabric they had salvaged from Fortune’s Peak was once again put to the use of wrapping a corpse as they dismantled the makeshift tent and gently placed the unicorn on the cloth before covering him. Swift Cloud added a small flourish by draping the magician’s cloak and hat over his wrapped body before she and Humble Pie tied the fabric around themselves and began carrying the unicorn between them, just as the pegasi had done with Tempest. Star Swirl’s bells rang softly as they moved forward, a sound which despite now sounding solemn rather than cheerful, brought a calmness to both of the ponies carrying them. Hearing the bells, it was as if the unicorn still walked amongst them and Humble Pie could almost convince himself that was the case; so effectively, in fact, that at times he would willfully refuse to glance at the wrapped corpse he was carrying, choosing to indulge in the thought that his friend was still alive for as long as he could.

The journey back, though long, was strangely uneventful. Where their journey to Fortune’s Peak had put them in the presence of many dangerous creatures, the return home was marred by nothing more dangerous than a flock of birds. With each passing day Humble Pie grew more astounded at their good fortune. On the third day, while passing along a ridge in the foothills of the Southern Peaks, just above the Forest of the Mists, the earth pony suggested removing the bells and stowing them away in case the sound gave away their location to any dangerous wildlife. However, Swift Cloud declined, revealing that she too felt comforted by the sound of the bells. Humble Pie promptly dropped the idea and they continued on as before.

It was fortunate that they had the bells, because otherwise their return journey was marked by silence, a far cry from the regular conversations they had shared before. Both had suffered great loss, Swift Cloud especially so, having been thrust out of the life she had always known; her home was now closed to her and the duty she had spent so long training for was no longer hers to follow. She fell into a depression as this stark new reality sank in and it was only the presence of Humble Pie that kept her going. Even when the two weren’t tied together as they carried Star Swirl, they spent every moment at each other’s side, each drawing strength from the other. No words needed to be exchanged when a simple embrace or a gentle touch said all that was necessary.

Eventually they finally made it back to the Mane Valley, where Humble Pie was able to borrow a cart and find a couple of earth ponies willing to help pull it for the final leg of the journey up to Unicornia. Despite their reluctance to travel to the realm of unicorns, the ponies were good friends of Humble Pie who trusted him enough to go through with it. Together they carried Star Swirl’s body to the gates of Unicornia’s great castle, where they were met by a great deal of attention, much of it hostile. Humble Pie quickly grew nervous; a group of earth ponies and a pegasus bringing the corpse of a gifted and noteworthy unicorn was likely to draw great suspicion and quite possibly mortal danger, so they quickly left, staying only long enough to relate what had happened.

Word spread swiftly through Unicornia of the death of Star Swirl the Bearded, and despite the suspicion much of the nobility had developed for him given his suggestions of unity between the three tribes, the academic community and Unicornia’s Guard still held deep respect for the late magician. The former because of his contributions to advancing the understanding and applications of magic and the Guard due to the great battles Star Swirl had fought alongside them, proving his mettle in combat as well as his incredible magical skill. It were these achievements that the organizers of the funeral focused on and any mention of his political beliefs was glossed over so as not to offend the nobility. Despite their recent antagonism towards Star Swirl, none wanted to appear in opposition to such a widely beloved figure after his death.

Nearly all of Unicornia attended the funeral. Unicorns from the surrounding villages traveled up to the castle to take part in the mass procession that wound out of the palace, across the drawbridge that led out of the castle and through a hamlet on the other side of the bridge before climbing up to a cemetery on a picturesque hillside that overlooked the castle. A number of important figures such as King Silver, the Keepers of the Circle of Day and Night and an old Guard Captain named Opal Beam, who was a dear friend of Star Swirl, gave speeches honoring the fallen unicorn. They laid him to rest in a grave near the top of the hill, adorned with a small monument of his likeness gazing solemnly over the kingdom he had protected and called home.

***

A month had passed since the funeral and summer was now beginning to give way to autumn. The nights became cold and gloomy, heralding the coming of the snows that would soon blanket the surrounding mountains. On one particular night, a chilly breeze swept up the slope the cemetery sat on, rustling the tall, yellowing grass and passing between the many headstones that marked the graveyard.

All the windows in the castle were covered to keep out the cold and the chimneys spewed forth thin trails of smoke into the air as the occupants got the fires going for the first time since the previous winter. From the cemetery one could see the occasional flicker of torchlight or the light of a magically-powered lantern coming from the castle, but no eyes were turned towards the graveyard and nopony was outside on a night like this. It was perfect for a creature who wanted to approach the cemetery undetected.

Upon an icy cloud carried by the wind it strode forward resolutely, her cold, blue eyes scanning the tombstones that marked the resting places of these dead equines as the creature searched for the one she sought out, to see if the rumors among her kind had been true.

And there it was. Near the top of the hill was a single, solitary stone rising from the ground, capped by a small statue of the pony the creature had once had the misfortune of meeting in the flesh. Now it was but stone, the bells carved onto its frozen figure mere copies that would never ring. As she looked at it, the creature found a cruel smile forming on her face. The great scourge of her kind now lay dead beneath her hooves.

She leapt into the air, her legs carrying her seemingly incorporeal form into the air as she let out a triumphant howl. It was soon met with similar howls that echoed down from the mountains, all joined in celebration and to spread the announcement to all dark creatures who lay in the shadow of ponykind:

The one with the bells was dead. The windigoes were on the march.

Epilogue

The mood at the funeral of Star Swirl the Bearded had been one of great sorrow on a massive scale, coupled with confusion and, for a few, a desire to avenge their great hero, who they were certain had been murdered. A rumor spread through the kingdom that earth ponies or pegasi had committed the terrible deed and were seen fleeing the castle a couple days prior, but King Silver actively quashed this thought, insisting that Star Swirl had battled against a dragon that had since been driven off by a group of pegasi. This only raised more questions, as nopony seemed clear on whether the dragon itself had killed Star Swirl or what the role of the pegasi had been, and now nopony could ask the pegasi for clarification because they had abruptly cut off communication and isolated themselves due to some internal political matter involving their leader. In all the confusion and vagueness, any thirst for vengeance quickly died when there was no clear murderer and the supposed murderer had apparently been seen to. Some unicorns even began to speculate that Star Swirl was not actually dead but a master of disguise who had now gone into hiding, though this was likely just the result of wishful thinking.

In the midst of all this speculation, King Silver quietly made Star Swirl’s apprentice Clover the new advisor to the throne in a private ceremony after the funeral. Though distraught from the death of her mentor, the pressures and duties of her new position didn’t give her much time to grieve over his passing. Her sharpness and quick thinking soon won her favor by the royalty and she was granted the title that she would eventually become famous by: Clover the Clever.

However, King Silver’s age soon began to catch up with him and the death of his old friend did nothing to help his emotional state. As the winter became the coldest anypony could remember, the king was bedridden with illness. Princess Platinum began taking on the active duties of the king while he recovered, but as his illness lingered the question arose of whether he would ever be fit for duty again and Platinum was increasingly accepted by the populace as the de-facto ruler, even if King Silver remained alive.

Initially the princess promised to carry on her father’s respect for the great magicians of the kingdom, with Clover the Clever by her side as her advisor. But the nobility were suspicious of a pony so closely tied to a radical like Star Swirl the Bearded and began to curry Princess Platinum’s favor with gifts of wealth and treasure, which she found irresistible. Her rule quickly became one of unrestrained glamor and opulence while the academics of Unicornia lost influence. In the midst of this, Clover the Clever found herself being pushed to the side, an advisor to the throne only in name.

***

The news of Tempest’s death was met with grief and horror in Pegasopolis, as she had been a widely beloved figure by her soldiers and generally well-liked by the populace. Her absence the past few weeks had gone mostly unnoticed as it was common for commanders to engage in long missions to the far-flung reaches of the Pegasi Empire. Upon her return to Pegasopolis, Commander Hurricane was immediately rushed into the position of running an empire and quickly asserted her authority, pledging to continue the legacy of her mother and sending a clear message that nothing was to change in the near future and that the power of the empire had not faded.

After the initial chaos of having a new leader finally died down there was a day of mourning in Pegasopolis to honor Tempest, the brave commander who had given all to bring glory to her people. Commander Hurricane stood as the figure who had avenged her own mother in one swift blow and, as her story spread throughout the empire, many soldiers hailed her as the bravest commander they had ever known even as Tempest was martyred alongside the dragon slayer.

Commander Hurricane watched the funeral procession from atop the grand staircase in front of their largest temple, standing alone between two towering columns as she gazed solemnly down at the coffin of her mother being carried behind the soldiers who marched in perfect synchronization. The streets were lined with pegasi who came to give their final respects and glimpse Tempest’s coffin, which was covered in a rainbow-stained cloth, symbolizing the end of the storm; the passing of troubles as one looked forward to a brighter future.

As Hurricane watched the procession, dark, gloomy clouds moved overhead and snowflakes began to drift from the sky.

***

Humble Pie went back to his farm, now joined by Swift Cloud as he tried to resettle into life in the Mane Valley, which now proved to be familiar yet very different with the presence of the pegasus. They decided to hold off plans to return to Fortune’s Peak given the return of winter, and with all that they had gone through they were in no hurry to go back.

Humble Pie felt joy being back amongst farmers and to his enormous relief, they were far more accepting of Swift Cloud than he had expected, though he suspected that her lack of armor aided her in this regard; though physically strong, she simply didn’t look like a soldier without the helmet. The fact that the farmers showed no interest in talking about soldiers helped keep Swift Cloud’s mind off the depression she felt whenever she thought of the life she had lost, and the farmers seemed to enjoy her curiosity in their way of life.

However, almost nopony seemed to grasp the extent of Humble Pie’s and Swift Cloud’s relationship and those very few that did seem to have suspicions, all of whom were in Humble Pie’s close family, apparently remained willfully ignorant. Despite his love for Swift Cloud, the earth pony feared the repercussions of anypony else finding out. On one evening during a family dinner, Swift Cloud casually mentioned that she was thinking of settling in the Mane Valley for a long time to come, which raised a couple of eyebrows before Humble Pie quickly changed the subject, hoping to quash any further suspicions.

Autumn did not last long as winter came early and strong, bringing snows earlier than any farmer could recall in living memory and sowing anger amongst the earth ponies towards the pegasi as the harvest season was cut short. At the same time, Humble Pie thought over what Star Swirl had asked him to do and realized he couldn’t spread a message of unity between the pony tribes if he moved back to Fortune’s Peak, far from civilization. Eventually he decided that there would be plenty of time later to re-establish the rock farm. So when he heard of the impending retirement of Chancellor Breadcircus, Humble Pie saw the perfect opportunity to preach his message.

Entering the race for chancellor early in the winter, Humble Pie gained a quick lead based on the connections he had with many ponies in the towns and hamlets nearby, asking friends who owed him favors and family members to spread word and help his campaign. While by no means a gifted speaker, his humility won him a sizeable audience who liked his simple message. The idea of uniting with pegasi and unicorns was off-putting to many, but Humble Pie was able to convince plenty of his fellow farmers that closer ties with the pegasi could mean a stronger relationship between farmers and weather teams, which would ultimately be beneficial. For a while, it looked like he could win the election.

Then the snows worsened. The winter quickly became the worst in anypony’s memory as harsh blizzards covered the valley in snow and began to threaten the food supply. Now the thoughts of friendlier relations with the pegasi sounded like the mad ramblings of a naive fool to most farmers, and Humble Pie quickly lost favor. An upstart candidate named Puddinghead, who nopony had taken seriously before, suddenly emerged and promptly took the lead. In her campaign she promised ‘outside the box’ solutions to the farmer’s problems, which ironically didn’t include the radical solution of uniting with the Pegasi Empire to find common ground. While Puddinghead herself didn’t attack anypony else, a few of her supporters were not above such negativity and soon vicious rumors swept through the valley that Humble Pie was actually a traitor who had spent considerable time with pegasi soldiers and was currently harboring one in his house. Humble Pie couldn’t entirely deny these rumors given the nuggets of truth they contained, and in the midst of this scandal all he could be thankful for was that they hadn’t caught on to the true nature of his relationship with Swift Cloud. With Humble Pie unable to overcome the rumors and in the middle of a worsening winter, Puddinghead ran away with the election.

However, there was one glimmer of hope for Humble Pie even after all this. A couple of days after the election results were announced, his cousin Smart Cookie stopped by his house. During the campaign she had seen the writing on the wall and publicly endorsed Puddinghead and had now been rewarded with a secretary position. But there in Humble Pie’s house, Smart Cookie told him that she had found his message of unity compelling and would do all she could to fulfill it from within the new government. Humble Pie nearly wept with joy at her news; since his campaign went downhill he had been severely distressed, dreading that he had failed to live up to Star Swirl’s request and fearing for Swift Cloud’s safety. Now there was hope.

***

Spring eventually came but the summer that followed was cool and short-lived before the winter came back, even fiercer than the one before. If tensions had run high the previous winter, it was nothing to what they were now. The food supply was running dangerously low, given that an entire growing season’s worth of crops had been denied the farmers due to the poor weather. Now the winter was becoming a perpetual blizzard with no end in sight, and as it went on it swiftly toppled the tribes’ precarious peace.

A grand summit was called for the leaders of the three tribes to meet and find a common solution to the problem. Humble Pie and Swift Cloud traveled to the summit, only to be dismayed that it ended in disaster. There they met with Silver Lining, whose wings had recovered but still had much feather growth left to do before they were capable of flight again. Though their reuniting was joyful, both Humble Pie and Swift Cloud were taken aback by how much older Silver Lining looked; there were dark circles under his eyes, many more wrinkles on his face, his mane had started to go from silver to white and he seemed worn. Hunger amongst the pegasi likely hadn’t helped, but the past year had been a terrible one to be an advisor.

After the rather violent conclusion of the summit, the three friends found themselves back together in a small pub in the village surrounding the summit building, trying to figure out their next move. The summit had been their last decent chance of peace between the tribes and with its failure there seemed to be no hope left. They sat together at a table inside the crowded pub, which was filled with groups of other ponies who were trying to make something of the gathering even after their leaders had turned it into a disaster. Even in this cozy setting they were unable to fully escape the cold that raged outside. Everypony was discussing what they had heard. Already there was talk among each of the tribes of moving to a new land and Silver Lining confirmed to Humble Pie and Swift Cloud that Commander Hurricane had been considering emergency contingency plans and examining what little info existed about lands beyond the known realm.

“And Commander Hurricane is fine with you sharing this info with us?” Swift Cloud inquired, raising an eyebrow at Silver Lining.

“I doubt it, but I do not care anymore,” he grumbled, and both Humble Pie and Swift Cloud were surprised by his negativity; the optimistic pony they had known seemed to be lost. “I resigned after that brutal display of hers during the summit.”

“You what?!” the other two exclaimed.

“But...what about your duty to the empire?” Swift Cloud asked. Even after being thrown out of military service, that loyalty to her old nation still lived within the pegasus mare.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Silver Lining mumbled, burying his face in his forehooves and looking like he was on the verge of tears. “The stress of this past year has corrupted me, Commander Hurricane barely respects my advice and I want - no, need to see my family again. If starvation wasn’t going to take my life, the duties of my post would have done it instead.”

It was decided that night that the three of them would travel to the west, following the route the griffons had taken into the lands beyond the known realm. For Swift Cloud and Silver Lining this was an easy decision, seeing as they lacked a home to return to, but for Humble Pie it took much convincing. Just one year ago he had taken part in a long and dangerous quest to reclaim his family’s heritage, and now he was being asked to not only give that up but also the home they had made for themselves in the Mane Valley; to abandon everything they had worked for in the faint hope of something better.

But in the end, Humble Pie couldn’t deny the stark reality of their situation. There was nothing for them here but death. Spring was nowhere in sight and if they stayed here they would almost certainly starve. Though it pained him to say goodbye to the home he had known for so many years, he saw no other choice.

***

The Great Migration had begun. Shortly after Humble Pie, Swift Cloud and Silver Lining returned to the earth pony’s house to gather what little supplies they could, reports came back from Chancellor Puddinghead’s company of good lands to the west, in some place they had dubbed ‘Equestria’. Details were fuzzy, but the name had a nice, hopeful ring to it and sounded oddly welcoming. Humble Pie wondered if it had been Smart Cookie who had come up with such a good name; he couldn’t imagine Puddinghead being so original. With a destination now firmly in mind, the three ponies made their way west, joining the stream of ponies who abandoned the houses and farms they had known their whole life for the promise of a new life.

Along the way the three ponies made a detour, traveling north to the land of Unicornia to visit Star Swirl the Bearded one last time before they left this land forever. After asking around with a few of the villagers, who also seemed to be packing their things and migrating westward, they found the cemetery. The snows were so high they had buried the headstones at the bottom of the slope, but the ones at the top of the hill remained visible, sticking out just above the drifts. It didn’t take long for Humble Pie to find the intricate carving of Star Swirl atop his tombstone, despite the statue bearing a layer of snow atop it. The earth pony lifted a hoof to brush the snow off, revealing the statue’s features: the carved bells, the sweeping cloak, the tall hat and the solemn expression.

“Hello, old friend,” Humble Pie greeted the statue, sitting down and looking up at it with a mixture of sadness and humility. “I thought I should come here to say farewell. ...And to offer my apologies.”

The earth pony fidgeted with the snow beneath his hooves, thinking about the pony that lay buried below them. “I failed you, Star Swirl. The tribes are at each other’s throats and now everypony is leaving. Some of us tried to foster peace, but nopony else would listen.”

He looked back up at the statue. “I wish you were still here. You...knew. You just knew what was right. What had to be done. We could really use your wisdom now.”

Humble Pie stared at the likeness of the unicorn for a while, as if expecting a response, before sighing and lowering his head. “But it’s not coming, because I’m talking to a dead pony.” He heard the crunch of snow underhoof coming from behind him as somepony approached.

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Swift Cloud offered, nuzzling Humble Pie gently. The earth pony smiled and gave Star Swirl’s statue a last glance before rising to his hooves and making his way back down the slope to rejoin with Silver Lining.

Humble Pie attached the harnesses of the small cart that carried their meager possessions to himself and started making his way out of Unicornia, Swift Cloud walking at his side while Silver Lining trotted some distance ahead, eager to know that each step brought him closer to the one he loved. Together they left behind the land they had called home and joined the multitudes of ponies traveling west; the groups of pegasi that battled the winds as they flew through the air, the unicorns that trekked down from their mountain castle fighting through the blizzard and the earth ponies that lugged what little they had with them through the massive drifts of snow, all venturing out into the unknown that lay before them.