Chapter XIII- Par-TAY!!!

Bastian stared blankly at the growing flames before him. They flicked across him like scarlet tongues, singeing his clothes and scorching his flesh. The ground quaked beneath his feet as great flaming meteors fell from the sky and slammed into the earth with shattering force.

Helgen was in flames.

The roof of the Inn caved in on itself with a splintering crack and thatched roofed homes went up like kindling. He saw men and women and children flee for their lives as flaming death rained down on their heads. A great shadow passed over Bastian’s head and an ear splitting roar echoed through the cold morning air.

I am your death

“BASTIAN!”

Someone called his name, their voice nearly drowned out over the roar above. Bastian’s head slowly turned towards the source of the noise as if he was in a trance. Bartleby Bellrend stood in the doorway of the guard tower nearby. His hands were bound and his eyes were wide in fright.

“Bastian! We have to go NOW!” He screamed.

The ground began to split apart but Bastian stayed rooted to the spot. Large chunks of earth began to fall away revealing a starless void of darkness that seemed to stretch on forever.

My hunger will never be sated.

Piece by piece large chunks of earth fell away as Helgen plummeted into the abyss. Soon the only ground that remained was the bit that Bastian stood on and the tower. Bartleby stood in the doorway with his hand extended to his younger brother. His face was desperate as he called out to him again but his words were muted. Fear prickled on the back of Bastian’s neck as he suddenly became aware of something behind him. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand clasp down on his shoulder. Bastian slowly turned and saw a tall Nord looking down at him. The Nord’s eyes were hollow and emanated a ghostly blue light. The flesh of his face was gray and cracked in places revealing the skull underneath. His light brown hair was a tangled mess and hunks of it were missing from his scalp. His steel armor was sundered and covered in dried blood and gore. Clenched tightly in his skeletal hand was a sword that glowed blue in the darkness.

“B-Braum?” Bastian gasped.

You will die like all of the others. You and every other mortal is nothing more than fuel to feed my fire.

“We must go little brother.” Braum said. His voice was faint, as though it was carried on the wind from a great distance.

And even in death you will find no peace. No haven exists that can protect you from my wrath.

“Bastian?”

The ground suddenly fell away beneath him and Bastian plummeted into the void as the last light of the world above went out forever. A shadow moved in the darkness below and a massive mouth bearing fangs the size of spears rose to greet the mage.

“Bastian!”

Alduin roared and flames hotter than the fires of the Deadlands spewed forth from his mouth. The jaws snapped shut with a crunch and Bastian was pulled back into the waking world like a fish being jerked from water.

The screams of terror and the roars of dragons were replaced by the sounds of merry laughter and music. What had once been flames were now streamers that fluttered gently in the cool evening breeze and the meteors had turned back into paper lanterns and balloons that came in every color of the rainbow. Helgen was gone. Bastian was back in Ponyville, or as it was known as at the moment, party central. Tables of all kinds had been brought out of businesses and homes so that Man, Mer and Pony alike could sit and enjoy the festivities. Sugar Cube Corner and the Ponyville Café had been hired to cater the event after Princess Celestia had told them to send the bill to Canterlot and the Cakes were doing their best to bring trays of tea and sweets to whoever could get their attention over all of the commotion as waiters from the café delivered food as fast as the chefs inside could cook it. Bastian was sitting at the head of a very long wooden table surrounded by friends old and new. Above him hung a banner that read “Welcome!” in glittery gold letters but the mage could not read it. Lielle was sitting to his left and looking at him in concern.

“Bas?” She asked. “Are you all right?”

The mage’s eyes settled on a stallion and a Nord sitting at the next table over. The Stallion was nodding at whatever the Nord was saying as he puffed on a long wooden pipe. The ember flared and clouds of gray smoke leaked from the stallion’s mouth.

“I’m sorry Lielle.” Bastian said reaching for his own pipe in his robes. “I was miles away. What were you saying?”

“Twilight.” Lielle said. “She asked you a question?”

Bastian looked at the purple unicorn that was looking at him nervously. Twilight couldn’t quite place it but there was something familiar in the mage’s distant eyes just then. Bastian raised an eyebrow at her questioningly as he loaded his pipe.

“Bas is that Master Aren’s pipe?” Lielle asked.

“He loaned it to me before I left to look for the heart. Didn’t get a chance to return it.” Bastian muttered. “Is there any of the flin left?”

“Yeah I think I brought a bottle or two from our stock.” Shahk said. “Though I think J’Dado cut it with some of that rotgut of his.”

“To make it last longer!” The Khajiit said defensively. “That pathetic case of twelve bottles would never have gone around!”

“There were eighteen bottles in that case.” Shahk growled. “And a bandit damn near took my head off over it.”

“Mm, no. No, I’m sure there was an even dozen.” J’Dado said. “I counted them myself.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda my point.” Shahk grumbled as he rummaged around a nearby wooden crate.

He pulled out a tall glass bottle of amber liquid and passed it down the table. Though the party had not been going on for very long the Orc was already rosy in the face from drink as was the raspberry colored pony sitting next to him. She hicced and laughed heartily as he topped off her wooden tankard with mead.

“I like it!” She hicced. “Ish really good!”

“Did you have a question Miss Sparkle?” Bastian asked again as he filled his own cup.

“Uh-“ Twilight stammered. “Yes, sorry. You were saying earlier that you’re a wizard? A-uh, a mage?”

“Yes.” He said lighting his pipe with the tip of his finger. His eyes lingered on the flame for a moment before he looked back up at Twilight. “Is that so unusual? You were using magic yourself earlier were you not?”

“Yes I was.” She nodded. “But that’s because I’m a unicorn. I’ve never met somep- er, something before that could use magic that wasn’t.”

“So what you’re saying is that, at least in your experience, is that it is only unicorns can use magic?” Bastian asked.

“Well, yes.” Twilight said. “Unicorns and Alicorns like the Princesses. And you don't need horns to use it? That's so weird!”

“Magicka is an energy that all the races of Nirn feel and experience in some way. It bleeds down from the stars and sun and gives a mage their power. A mage can learn to harness and control this power and use it to alter reality to a lesser or greater degree. Some races are more inclined towards magic than others particularly the Elvish races such as the Altmer or the Dunmer. Other races like the Nords and Redguards shun magic and disregard it entirely.” Bastian explained.

“Shun it?” Twilight asked. “But why?”

“They are both a warrior culture.” Bastian said. “The Redguards don’t trust magic, thinking that the power corrupts and messes with people’s minds. The Nords think magic is a coward’s weapon. There isn’t a lot of love for elves and magic users in general in their societies.”

“Magic ain’t a substitute fer good ol’ fashioned hard work an’elbow grease.” Applejack said. “We Earth Ponies have always gotten on just fine without it.”

The mare took a long drink from her wooden tankard and caught Twilight’s frown.

“But uh- Not to say that magic’s a bad thang through and through!” Applejack said sheepishly. “Why Twilight’s probably the smartest pony I ever met!”

“Everyone has their own path.” Lielle said. “Some people just have a harder time accepting the paths that others walk.”

“Right?” Wally asked. “Like, it doesn’t matter if you like reading comics or studying magic or whatever. Nopony should have a problem with somepony else’s activities or interests just as long as they aren’t hurting anypony. It’s not like it affects them personally or anything!”

A Pegasus pony flew over their table but went unnoticed. She flew to a nearby table and hovered in the air as she reached into her mail bag and fished out an envelope.

“Message!” She said hoofing the letter over to a mare.

She then flew away, getting her mail bag caught on a Nord’s horned helmet. The bag split open and letters rained down on their heads.

“Whoops!”

Back at their table, J’Zargo chuckled as he refilled his goblet with milk. He over turned a sugar bowl and dumped it contents into the milk before stirring it with a clawed finger.

“It is ironic that though the Nords shun the clever craft they flocked to us in droves once they heard that the wizards of Winterhold were working on a solution.” He purred.

“Winterhold?” Twilight asked. “That was your school right?”

“Yes.” Bastian nodded. “The College of Winterhold. It’s ironic still that though the Nords despise magic that the College was arguably the best institution for studying it left in Tamriel.”

“How so?”

“Well, the Mage’s Guild dissolved towards the end of the third era.” Bastian said. “From it came two splinter factions that called themselves The Synod and College of Whispers. Both were recognized institutions by the Empire but all they cared about was gaining political power. The Synod hoarded magical artifacts and studied them while the College of Whispers consorted with Daedra and practiced Necromancy to divine secrets.”

“Cool!” Wally gushed.

“N-Necromancy!” Twilight gasped. “But- but that’s dark magic! It’s evil!”

Bastian smirked humorlessly at the young mare.

“Twilight, am I correct in assuming that since you are a unicorn, you yourself study magic?”

“Well, yes.” Twilight said, not sure where the mage was going with this. “But that’s only because my special talent IS magic. Every unicorn gets a little magic that has something to do with their special talent.”

“Their… talent?” Bastian repeated.

“She means a pony’s cutie mark!” A small voice said.

A little yellow head popped up from between Bastian and Lielle. Applebloom looked at them both and frowned.

“Why do ya’ll wear so many dang clothes?” She asked. “I cain’t tell if ya’ll got yer cutie marks er not!”

Lielle’s pale cheeks flushed scarlet as she suddenly became uncomfortably aware of the ponies nudity.

“Their- their what marks?” Bastian asked.

“Cutie marks!” Another voice cried.

Scootaloo popped up between Heciri and Haala while Sweetie Belle appeared between J’Zargo and J’Dado and Candy appeared next to her brother.

“You know?” Scootaloo asked. “It’s that special mark that a pony gets when they discover their own unique talent?”

“Right here?” Applebloom asked waving her right hind leg.

“It’s what makes a pony special!” Sweetie Belle said.

Bastian noticed that while Applebloom’s flank was bare of any such mark that the older ponies did have marks like the ones that she was describing. He assumed them to be tattoos or brands, maybe identifying their family or clan.

“Really, girls.” Rarity scolded them with a frown. “Don’t be rude to our guests! They’ve had a very long day and I’m sure that they do not want to spend their evening of celebration talking about a pony’s flank!”

“No, it’s okay.” Bastian said. “The quicker we learn about each other the better I think and no, we don’t have those. What exactly are they? Does everyone get them?”

“Not everyone no, just the three different races of ponies.” Twilight said. “The Earth ponies like Applejack, Unicorns like me and Pegasus ponies like Rainbow Dash. Ponies aren’t born with them however. They only appear when a pony discovers their unique talent, the thing that makes them special and separates them from everypony else. All cutie marks are unique to the pony in question so no two are ever exactly alike.”

Shahk belched loudly and Berry Punch giggled into her cup.

“I knew a girl in Riften that had a cutie mark on her hip.” Shahk said.

“That wasn’t a cutie mark.” Lielle said disapprovingly.

“What was her special talent?” Applebloom asked.

Shahk chuckled lecherously, caught Lielle’s look of doom and murmured something into his tankard.

“So cutie marks.” Bastian said clearing his throat. “Are they magical?”

“Yes.” Twilight said. “A cutie mark defines the pony as much as the pony defines the cutie mark and Unicorns can actively tap into that magic to an extent depending on what their special talent is.”

“And your special talent is magic.” Bastian said.

“Right!” Twilight smiled. “But a pony’s talent can be anything from farming to dress making and no matter what a pony’s talent or cutie mark is it’s always something special.” She said smiling at her friends.

“I see.” Bastian said thoughtfully. “Interesting... What force is there in this world I wonder that grants these cutie marks?”

“That’s what we’d like to know.” Scootaloo sighed. “It sure would save us a lot of trouble.”

“How’d you get your cutie mark Wally?” Applebloom asked.

“Don’t get him started!” Candy moaned.

“Glad you asked baby cuz!” Wally said loudly. “It’s a harrowing story full of struggle, fighting and- what’s that other thing that’s not very important- PLOT! You see, it all started many moons ago! I wasn’t very much older than you three fillies when my momma and poppa went out to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Little Candy was asleep in her crib (I broke her bed practicing my karate) so it was up to me to bring in the harvest from the melon patch all by myself before sundown! I had almost completed the day’s work when… when they came…”

“When who came?” Applebloom asked.

“The cabbage weasels.” Wally said darkly.

The table was silent as they all stared at Wally questioningly.

“I uh- I’ve never heard of a… a c-cabbage weasel?” Twilight said.

“Wally’s just spinnin’ one’a his tall tales.” Applejack said rolling her eyes.

“First of all, you’re welcome.” Wally said seriously. “Second of all, no I’m not! Cabbage Weasels are the most feared creatures in all of Equestria! They come to ponies farms late at night and eat up everything in sight and can grow as big as a house!”

“You’re making things up again Wally!” Candy said. “That didn’t happen! You made it all up so that Pop wouldn’t paddle you tearing up the farm!”

“Nuh uh! It did happen! I was out there working in the field all by myself when suddenly the very ground beneath my hooves began to shake. Suddenly they burst forth from the ground and I was surrounded! There must have been a dozen of them in total! Big ol’ leafy monsters with red glowing eyes, tentacles and fangs as sharp as pitch forks!”

“But you said that they eat fruits and vegetables.” Bastian said.

“Yeah? So?” Wally asked.

“If they eat fruits and vegetables then they would be herbivorous.” Bastian said. “They wouldn’t have fangs if that were the case.”

“Huh. That’s a good point.” Twilight said.

Wally scoffed and shrugged his shoulders at the wizard.

“Bastian, j-just… okay?”

“What happened next?” Applebloom asked in awe.

She and her friends were sitting in front of him, completely captivated by his story. Candy could feel a migraine coming on. It was odd but most, if not all of the females on her side of the family seemed to suffer from horrible headaches. Wally continued his tale.

“There I was, surrounded on all sides! The Cabbage weasels had been planning a raid on our farm for weeks and with my parents gone it was the perfect time for them to strike! They circled me slowly, hissing and gibbering to each other as they thought of what to do to me, like a cat plays with its food!”

“I thought you said they only eat plant matter.” Bastian said.

“Well apparently, Bastian, if they have sharp teeth they’re coniferous, Bastian!”

“I think you mean carnivorous.” Twilight said.

“I’ve heard it both ways! Anyway! They figured that they had me right where they wanted me so I did the only thing I could to catch them off guard; I attacked them first! I grabbed a nearby watermelon and smashed it over one of their heads, knocking him out cold! Splat! Then the true battle began. They lunged at me but I dodged their attacks, waiting for them to tire themselves out before I could launch my counter strike! Using the nearby watermelons as ammo I spat seeds like there was no tomorrow! I must have eaten a hundred melons that day and spat thousands of seeds but I knew that I couldn’t fail, for my family's lively hood was at stake! We’d never make it through the winter if the Cabbage Weasels ate up all our crops! My life flashed before my eyes. Would I ever get to grow up and have a farm of my own? Would I ever get my hooves on a special edition issue of Knight Stallion number 4? Would I ever get to see my sweet baby sister grow into a strong independent mare that don’t need no stallion?"

“All these questions and more went through my head as I fought and I stand by the thought that this is what made me victorious! I focused not on the fight but what I was fighting for and trusted my natural instincts to keep me safe. Before I knew it the last of the cabbage weasels had fled back into the forest and I was alone stood victorious in our war torn field. Not only had I saved the farm but I had also found my true calling! To safeguard not just my family but all of Equestria from the blood rage of the Cabbage Weasels!”

“Wow!” The CMC exclaimed, their eyes shining in wonder.

“You didn’t get your cutie mark fighting Cabbage Weasels!” Candy shouted. “Pop came home, found the entire western melon patch destroyed, you were grounded for a month, and then you got your cutie mark a week later!”

“Okay so maybe my cutie mark didn’t appear, like, right then and there! Maybe it came when Pop and I harvested the northern patch in record time but I still know my destiny is to be the hero that Equestria needs!” Wally argued.

The siblings glared at each other as Wally sipped juice from a very long and intricate green silly straw.

“It would seem that the meanings of a cutie mark are er- open to interpretation?” Lielle said attempting to break the tension.

“It would appear so.” Bastian said. “Anyway, what were we talking about before?”

“Magic.” Twilight said turning back to the mage as Candy and Wally made faces at each other. “Uh, N-necromancy?”

“What is that anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Necromancy is magic that deals with controlling and manipulating the dead.” Twilight said. “It’s dark magic and has been outlawed in Equestria even before the Princesses rose to power.”

“Undead?” Spike shuddered. “Like- like zombies?”

“Yes.” Twilight said. “Five hundred years ago there was a whole coven of Necromancers that were trying to gain immortality and build an army to take over all of Equestria but Princess Celestia managed to stop them. There haven’t been any recorded Necromancers since.”

“And no doubt that those Necromancers were what you would consider “evil”.” Bastian said. “All I am saying is that things aren’t always as simple as good and evil. Life is too complicated to be simplified in terms of black and white. Even the dragons of our homeland weren’t inherently evil.”

“From what ya told us about’em they sounded pretty darn rotten.” Applejack said.

“They killed thousands. Enslaved us and burned our homes to the ground. Yes they did these things but they only were following the will of the dominant dragon at the time. Alduin. To the dragons being right and being strong is the same thing. Alduin was the dominant dragon at the time, the alpha of the pack, and the others had to bend to his will.”

“Yeah. Just sucks that his will was to destroy all creation.” Shahk said. “But we gave’em hell huh?!”

He raised his tankard and all nearby Blades cheered, some more enthusiastic than others.

“What I am saying is that an “evil” wizard could use what you would consider “good” magic to heal himself in battle just like a “good” wizard could use a spell to end another’s life. Necromancy is just another tool for a wizard to use for better or ill.”

“I… guess I see what you mean.” Twilight said though she didn’t sound completely convinced. “As one student to another I respect your opinion Bastian but I just don’t see how anything good could ever come from something so awful.”

“What if I told you that through necromancy mages have been able to learn more about how our bodies function, curing diseases and treating ailments? Necromancy isn’t just about death but life as well. The line between what we call necromancy and restoration magic can become blurred at times and as I said, trying to categorize something as powerful and mysterious as magic can be helpful in understanding it but it can also limit your perceptions on what it truly is.”

“Well I agree with Twilight.” Applejack said lightly pounding a hoof on the table for emphasis. “Ain’t no good can come from playin’ with dead thangs. Now can we change the subject please? All this talkin uh black magic’s gunna give the fillies nightmares.”

“No it won’t!” Applebloom protested.

“Y-yeah we aren’t scared!” Scootaloo said.

“Mm-mm-hmm!” Sweetie Belle nodded.

All three fillies were visibly shaking at the thought of zombified ponies tearing themselves out of the moist earth and creeping into their homes at night when everypony else was asleep, of their doors slowly creaking open in the darkness of their bedrooms and a rotting, shadowy figure standing in the doorway looking at them with hollow, hungry eyes.

“Dinner time!”

The three crusaders screamed and leapt in the air. Standing behind them was Pinkie Pie who watched their ascent. Balanced on her head was a large jug of cider and on her back was a huge platter piled high with cupcakes.

“Oh! Are we having a screaming in terror and jumping contest! I love those! My turn!”

Pinkie let out a blood curdling shriek and leapt high into the air, returning to the ground perhaps a full minute later. The empty jug landed on her head, followed by the cider itself. The platter landed on her back and every single cupcake landed exactly where it had been before her flight.

“I win!” She cheered. “Sorry if I scared ya.”

“W-w-w-we w-w-weren’t s-scared!” They chattered.

“Uh huh.” Applejack said frowning at them, the veteran big sister/guardian clearly not buying it. “Sit down an eat yer supper.”

“Same for you Sweetie Belle.” Rarity demanded. “Come, come.”

“Come on kid, you can sit next to me.” Rainbow said scooting over and patting the seat next to her where Scootaloo appeared half a second later grinning from ear to ear.

The waiters had finally made it over to them and soon their table was overloaded with food, with Pinkie’s tray of cupcakes serving as a center piece. Bowls of fresh fruit containing apples as big as a Nord’s fist sat around loaves of freshly baked bread and jars of jam. Wheels of cheese and trays of raw vegetables sat among jugs of juice and bottles of fruit wines for drink. It was an amazing spread and more than the people of Nirn could have ever hoped for.

“Finally!” Shahk said as a waiter sat a covered dish down in front of him. “I’m so hungry I could eat a ho-“

CLANG!

Bastian’s leg lashed out from underneath the table and struck the Orc’s armored shin. Though the blow did nothing to harm the Orc, Bastian was sure he felt his big toe go. He hid a grimace of pain behind his hand and gave Shahk a look of hate that caused the Orc to pause and look at him questioningly.

“A hor- a hor-“

He caught Lielle staring at him with wide panicked eyes. She slowly shook her head and it finally sank in on the Orc.

“A ho- a whole bunch of… f-food.” Shahk finished lamely.

“Excellent recovery.” Heciri said sarcastically raising his glass to Shahk’s quick wit.

“Huh. That’s kind of an odd way to put it.” Pinkie said. “But I TOTALLY get it. I mean, I work in a bakery, surrounded by delicious treats so I’m snacking like, all day long but nothing beats a delicious home cooked meal every once in a awhile you know?”

The Orc nodded nervously and mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to Bastian. If the daggers that the mage was staring at him were real, Shahk would have been nailed to the tree behind him. Shahk rubbed his hands together and grinned widely as the waiter gave him a curt nod and removed the cover from the dish with a flourish. Steam billowed out from underneath and Shahk licked his green lips in anticipation. However when the steam cleared and he saw what the dish contained, the Orc’s heart fell into his chest.

“V-vegetables?” Shahk stammered in disbelief. “Vegetables?!”

It was true. Before the Orc sat a plate of steamed vegetables lightly drizzled in a butter sauce along with a fluffy dinner roll.

“What the hell is this?!” Shahk barked at the waiter.

“The-the-the entrée?” The waiter stammered suddenly fearing for his life. “A v-vegetable platter?”

“Do I look like… the kind of guy… who eats a vegetable platter?” Shahk growled softly, his tusks glinting in the harsh red light of a paper lantern overhead.

“N-no?”

“Thank you sir that will be all.” Bastian said politely. “I think the next table over asked for more water.”

The stallion nodded and quickly trod off leaving Shahk to sigh in defeat. He stared down at his food as if he knew for a fact it were poisoned.

“Figures.” He said softly as he shook his head. “I survive bandits, monsters, and dragons only to starve to death in a land of plenty.”

“You will not starve to death you big oaf!” Heciri said in disgust. “You have literally eaten five of those cakes the pink pony brought with her since she sat them down. I think you’ll do just fine!”

“They are clearly a vegetarian race Shahk and they are really going out of their way to make us feel welcome.” Lielle whispered to him.

Shahk sighed bitterly and grabbed another cupcake from the platter in front of him.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked chewing a bit of oat biscuit in her mouth. “You don’t like dandelions?”

Shahk looked like Twilight had just slapped him in the face. He smiled politely at her before turning to Bastian.

“Dandelions!” He whispered to Bastian. “Did you hear that?! They are literally serving us weeds!”

“They’re bitters.” Bastian said picking up his fork. “My mother used to send me out to collect them for dinner in the summer. She’d cook them in oil and garlic.”

“Mine did as well.” Lielle said smiling softly at the memory. “But they were much more common in High Rock. You could get them by the bundle in the market along with all of the other produce.”

Shahk scoffed.

“This. Isn’t. Food!” He whispered. “This is what food eats!”

“We should have plenty of dried skeever tail left in the stores.” Bastian said tearing up pieces of bread and dropping them into his soup.

Shahk growled and grabbed another cupcake from the platter.

“Hey everyone.” A soft voice said.

Fluttershy approached their table smiling gently.

“Fluttershy! Hey!” Rainbow Dash cried zooming next to her. “Are you- uh, feeling better?”

“Yes I’m fine now.” She nodded. “I had a long talk with angel bunny and I feel much, much better.”

“That’s good.” Twilight said smiling fondly at her soft hearted friend. “You’re just in time for supper.”

“Oh good!” She said. “I’m famished and this all looks delicious.”

She joined her friends at the table and their group was now complete. It was this night in Ponyville that ponies and the races of Nirn broke bread together for the first time. Eventually, with some insistence from Fluttershy, Shahk buckled and ate his vegetables which he said were “okay” but he did go back for seconds. And thirds. After the plates were cleared away Bastian thought that it was soon going to be time for them to set up their camp but Pinkie Pie would have none of it.

“Over?!” Pinkie Pie gasped. “I pinkie promised you that this would be the best party ever and one does not simply break a pinkie promise! We still have dancing! And games! And-“

Bastian groaned internally as the pony rambled on and on. He smiled, thanked her politely and retreated to find a table off to the side and away from the actual party. He passed by a Nord he recognized as having come from the Bard’s College before Solitude closed its gates to the outside world. He was sitting at a table with two mares, one a unicorn and the other earth.

“The hell is a bass?” The Bard asked.

“The hell is a lute?” The blue maned Unicorn asked.

The gray earth pony sighed, face hoofed and called for more cider.

Bastian sat down at an empty table and massaged his right knee which was starting to itch violently in the dry summer air. He pulled a leather notebook from his robes along with a quill and began to write. If Bastian were to have a special talent, though I couldn’t tell you what the cutie mark for it would be, it was that he could block out all distractions while he worked. Storms, chatter, music, even hunger. All of it went silent as soon as the mage put up his wall to the outside world. He didn’t know how long he had been at it but sometime later Lielle found her way over to him. She slid into a chair next to him and called his name over an explosion of confetti and streamers nearby.

“Bas? Bastian?”

She sighed and dipped her fingers into a cup of water before flicking them at him. The mage blinked and looked up at her.

“What?” He asked. “What is it?”

Lielle sighed and frowned at him. Though she had removed her fur lined cloak and robes long ago, her face was flushed and sweaty from dancing.

“Nothing.” She sighed. “Just seeing what you were doing. Which is sitting here. Alone. Doing your book thing.”

“Lielle-“

“Do you hear that?” She asked.

“Uh-

He heard the sound of rhythmic thumping and bumping that seemed to be coming from a pair of massive metal boxes situated on either side of a metal table. Behind the table, Vinyl Scratch was working her magic bucking tunes and thumping bass, bobbing her head to the beat.

“Is- I think that’s… music?”

“Music? So then that-“ Lielle pointed Twilight’s flailing body. “That must be dancing.”

“I- I would think so.”

“Good.” Lielle nodded. “I thought she was having some kind of fit.”

She smiled and Bastian chuckled.

“This club can’t even handle me right now!” Wally yelled from the crowd of ponies.

“Uh huh! You know it!” Pinkie cheered.

“Bas, what are you doing over here?” Lielle asked. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a pretty amazing party going on. The great Bastian Bellrend can switch off for one night I think.”

“I don’t have time to switch off Lielle. There’s far too much to be done.”

“Like what?” She asked. “We’re safe now! We couldn’t have asked to come to a better place! No more dragons, no more fighting, no more death! I would think the only one that has a problem with that is Shahk but even he seems to be enjoying himself.”

“We need land.” Bastian explained patiently. “I imagine that the Princesses are going to talk to me about it when we meet tomorrow. We need shelter. We have tents and things set back that we can use until we build new homes but to do that we need raw materials. Stone and wood and clay. We have no idea where to get those here from either the land or suppliers. We don’t have any money to buy them. We don’t have jobs, we can’t even read the language, but to be fair not much has changed there. The Nords can work but we’ll have to find employment for them. And what about the people that are receiving medical care? The temple healers back home charged out the nose for their services. We can’t pay their physicians right now. What happens when they find out? This changes everything for us. We made plans for rebuilding our society but we didn’t take into consideration that there would already be a society waiting for us. We have to be able to adapt if we’re going to survive.”

“I- I hadn’t thought about it. The Princess gave her word that they will be taken care of.” Lielle said. “Bastian would you please just give it a rest for right now? Please? There’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

“Hey ya’ll.” Applejack said as she and her friends approached their table. “Shoot, ya’ll missed one heckuva game of horseshoes! I got three ringers in a row!”

“Yeah, I’ll go and mark the calendar.” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes.

“Why aren’t you guys enjoying the party?” Twilight asked.

“I’m just trying to be proactive given our current situation.” Bastian said.

“Whadda ya mean?” Applejack asked.

“We have a lot of work that we're going to have to do and not a lot of time to do it. If I were to take a guess that it’s what, midsummer here? Given the temperature and foliage growth?”

“What’s your point?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My point is that we have over two hundred mouths to feed and little food to feed them with. We’ll have to start planting our crop immediately if we’re going to harvest before winter. I appreciate the hospitality but I don’t want tonight’s festivities to set a standard for them. We need raw materials to build homes and to get those we need money.” Bastian said.

Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin and nodded thoughtfully. Her horn glowed and a parchment and quill levitated in front of her. Spike groaned internally and began to sneak back into the party.

“I see what you mean.” Twilight said. “Spike, take notes!”

The dragon sighed in defeat as the quill and parchment were shoved into his claws.

“Now, in order to establish a colony the Princesses are going to want an accurate census.” Twilight said.

“I figured as much.” Bastian nodded. “I kept a list of everyone who came to our camp, updating it as they left or died. However I was gone for weeks before we came here so I’m not sure just how accurate it is now.”

“We can take care of it tomorrow after we see the Princesses in Canterlot.” Twilight said. “Before you can begin to build homes you’ll need to know how many families there are which the census will take care of and then we’ll need to determine how much space each family will need and how much material you’ll need to build their homes. Now in terms of wood, there’s a lumber yard north of Las Pegasus that harvests timber from Whitetail Wood. Once we know how much you need we can place an order on credit and establish a payment plan. They don’t often do this but I’m sure that Celestia would be happy to put in a good word for you.”

“Why bother with all of that?” Rainbow Dash asked frowning. “You guys got plenty of wood.”

“We don’t have any raw materials.” Bastian said. “Not enough to build a town with. No wood, nor clay or stone.”

“No I mean you guys blew up like half of the Everfree Forest.” Rainbow Dash said. “Can’t you just use that wood?”

A silence fell over the group. Twilight’s mouth hung open in shock. Spike sighed and crossed out the word “wood” he had just written on the scroll.

“Can we really do that?” Lielle asked.

“Nobody owns Everfree Forest or the lumber rights.” Twilight said thoughtfully. “Most ponies stay away from it which is why there aren’t any roads that lead through it, just around it. That’s a great idea Rainbow Dash.”

“Well don’t sound so surprised!” The Pegasus frowned folding her hooves across her chest.

“Mark the calendar.” Applejack smirked.

Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry at her.

“Well, we will also need clay.” Bastian said.

“Well shoot we got huge deposits uh red clay out’n the northern fields.” Applejack said. “We cain’t grow out there so the land just goes to waste. Grab a shovel and help yerselves.”

Spike growled and crossed out clay.

“Oh oh me next me next!” Pinkie said bouncing in the air and raising a hoof. “If you guys need rocks I got the hook up!”

Spike blinked once and tore the parchment in half. Lielle smiled at Bastian. More of a smirk really but a nice one.

“You don’t have an excuse now Bellrend.” She said shutting his book with a snap. “Nothing can be done about this at least until tomorrow.”

Bastian sighed. He wasn’t going to win at this.

“Now I know better than to ask you to dance.” Lielle said grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. “But I know that Shahk tapped another keg earlier. If we’re lucky there might be some left.”