Twilight’s mind was completely engrossed in the book, and the real world was only a distant memory to her. However, a mental voice whispered to her. It was Spike’s, the last thing he said to her before he left an hour ago.

“Remember to stay healthy, and have a good day.” His advice echoed through her mind.

Despite her mental resistance, her body pulled her glance off of the book, and towards the nightstand. A whole sandwich and full glass of water was there, waiting to be consumed.

It can wait, Twilight thought to herself, and continued reading.

“…and that’s when my friend here had the brilliant idea to drink our own pe-”

Twilight’s stomach gurgled. Her eyes snapped back to the sandwich, still in one piece.

After a short mental debate, Twilight decided that she needed to eat. Moving the book an inch back, Twilight grabbed the sandwich and took a bite.

It was Dandelion Daydream, her favourite.

Twilight continued to eat while reading.

“Hmm… That’s quite a story.” Silver Chord declared, finishing the tuning of his guitar.

“Yeah,” Ace agreed. “Any advice?”

“Not really, sorry. You mares seem to be in a bit of a rut. Here though, take this.”

A pair of apples were thrown from his saddlebag and landed in the waiting hooves of Ace and Ebony.

“Thank you.” Ebony said.

Silver replied. “You’re welcome. I’d best be off this land before this invasion hits Centura. Good luck on that quest of yours though.”

Silver then got up from his seat and walked away from the mares, playing his guitar and singing his songs. Ebony immediately began to eat her apple while Ace held onto hers for later.

The bard sung until his voice could no longer be heard. “There once was a stallion, whose name be forgotten, that became a hero in a night. When his village was in peril, by a demon of great power, its ponies were lost and confused. The demon had powers, beyond comprehension, and no weakness except for one. The hero set off, along with four friends, to find it and save his land…”

Ebony asked her friend, “Well, what no-”

“Wait, wait,” Ace interrupted, having actually paid attention to Silver’s song.

“What?”

“Follow him.”

The two mares crept behind Silver Chord silently, listening to the faint echoes of his singing.

“And there they found it, a blade buried in black sand, forged by the gods themselves. They took the blade home, and the hero slayed the demon, and the land was safe evermore. The hero and his friends, forever became legend, and-”

“Excuse me!” Ace exclaimed.

“Yes?” He asked.

“What was that song you just sung?”

“Uh…”

Silver took a moment to think. He had difficulty remembering the songs he practiced when not in his immediate singing vibe, and was mostly only able to recall them when he played.

He eventually remembered though, and told Ace, “That one was titled, ‘Amplecti Mortem’, a very popular one in the Far East.”

“Not really, not sure anypony does. It’s just a song that’s been passed around a lot.”

“Is it true?”

“…Rumours say yes, but…”

“What?”

“Well, I can’t really recommend that you and your friend try to search for it.”

“Oh.” Ace responded, defeated.

Silver then clarified, “Without a little help that is.”

“Really?!” Ebony exclaimed.

“Sure.” He nodded. “This seemed pretty fun. Besides, you two would probably be dead without me.”

“Hooray! Thanks Silver!” Ace cheered.

Without any warning, Ebony instantly froze in place.

“Ebony?”

Ace waved her hoof over her friend’s frozen eyes, only to be given no response. A sense of dread and panic quickly hit.

Silver noticed Ebony’s ears, twitching whilst aiming directly at the road ahead. He flew up to see something approaching in the distance, a dark unicorn with a banner and sword on his back. The black banner had a red eye in its center, a clear indication of the pony’s alliance.

“It’s one of Lord Thanatus’s! A scout!” He exclaimed as she flew down to Ace and Ebony.

Ace almost froze in place as well, but snapped out of it when she realized this was her chance to become the knight she dreamed of.

“Get your friend off the road!” Silver shouted at Ace.

She nodded and quickly carried her still frozen friend to the side of the road. Silver pulled out his bow and arrow and aimed it at the charging pony. He’s had firsthoof experience with Thanatus’s stallions, they were mindless killers that listened to their leader and no pony else. Clearly, this one was seeking blood.

Still, he attempted to persuade the stallion from attacking.

“Stop or I’ll shoot!” He declared.

“For Thanatus!” The soldier roared in return, not stopping.

Silver took the shot, right in the chest. The soldier didn’t stop however, and continued to charge. Silver shot again, and again, and again, each one less fruitful than the last.

“Why won’t he stop?” Silver shouted.

The soldier sprang up from the road and high into the air, going in for a slam attack.

“Get back!” Ace yelled out.

She ran from Ebony and dived into Silver, pushing him away before the stallion smashed into the ground. The following shockwave caused the entire forest to shake. Ebony tripped over and finally snapped from her fear paralysis.

“Ebony!” Ace called out.

“What happened?!” Ebony asked.

Ebony’s eyes were shut as she rubbed her head, not yet noticing the massive soldier stallion. The stallion pulled out his large broadsword and swung it at her. Ebony heard the blade slicing through the air and dodged just in time, joining alongside Ace and Silver. The sword smashed into the ground at full force, causing another quake.

“Looks like it’s going to take a lot more to take out this pony.” Ace declared.

She then pulled out her sword and shield.

“A bad guy huh? About time,” Ebony remarked.

She then clicked her shoes together, causing their blades to pop out.

“I knew that they were durable, but this is not normal.” Silver noted.

He then pulled out his bow and set in another arrow.

The three ponies charged forward at the soldier, and attacked.

The sound of snapping wood ruptured throughout the quiet forest. Spike examined the twig he just took and played with it as he walked to his destination. He wrote in wide letters along the dirt path.

It was a fairly stormy day, but the land was still bright from the sunlight seeping through the clouds. A small raindrop pecked Spike’s nose, a warning of the upcoming monsoon. He looked back at what he had written before it washed away.

He was not impressed with his rather crude vocabulary.

Thunder then came to the baby dragon’s ear from afar. Not wanting to get wet, he hurried along to his destination. He simply had to get to Fluttershy and Discord to deliver something.

He wasn’t told where it was specifically, just how to get there. It was deep within the forest, far away from any well-paved roads.  Luckily, Spike found Fluttershy and Discord.

They were at a thin creek, at top of a very short cliff where the water dropped down from. A few woodland creatures were with them as well, probably enjoying the peace.

“Fluttershy, Discord,” Spike called out from below.

“Hi Spike.” Fluttershy responded.

Discord then asked, “Did you bring it?”

“Yep.” Spike nodded.

Spike reached into the bag he brought with him, feeling around until he found it.

It was a small white box, barely bigger than Spike’s hand. What did Discord want with such a tiny thing? Spike had no idea.

With a strong toss, he threw it up to the two.

“Oh Spike,” Discord tsked at him. “Why so shy?”

He then snapped his claws, and Spike was teleported right next to Fluttershy and Discord at the top.

“The monsoon is going to hit soon.” Spike explained. “I gotta go home before-”

Discord pressed a claw against Spike’s lips, shushing him. He grabbed the white box and snapped it in two. In an instant, Spike, Fluttershy, and Discord were in a small, whitewood gazebo, seated at a small table with chairs.

“At least stay until the first downpour ends.” Discord gestured.

He then proceeded to materialize a teacup from the thin air and drank the cup, leaving the actual tea floating in the air.

“Wait,” Spike realized. “If you can just create stuff out of thin air, why did I have to bring you the box?”

“You really think I can control my powers that easily? Look at this. This tea looks great, but I can’t seem to get a good grasp of it. Controlling certain aspects of chaos is, well, chaotic. Ho-ho-ho!”

“Moral of the story, always have a gazebo-box for when the time comes. That’s an episode right there.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy remarked.

Discord quickly replied, “Forget that.”

In a minute’s time, the rainfall escalated to a full downpour. The creek doubled in size and the autumn trees rustled wildly, but the animals, pony, dragon, and draconequus inside the gazebo were unfazed.

As Fluttershy stared out into the rain, entranced by the sight, Discord turned to Spike with an almost stern, yet still mischievous look on his face.

“You know Spike,” Discord whispered. “There is a reason I had you come here outside that box.”

“To see this place?” Spike guessed.

“No, but I will admit, Fluttershy has a nice taste in locals… Hmm…”

“Discord-”

“Right, right. The other reason is that I want to talk to you about something. It has to do with Twilight-”

“Can we not talk about her? I already know where this is going. Just leave her to her book, she learned from her mistake.”

“A ‘mistake’ she called it? Hm…”

“What?”

“Did she, seem okay with this mistake?”

“What do you mean?”

“Let me put this another way… Did she go nuts when she said it was a mistake?”

Spike took a moment to recall. “…No. But then again, she was mad at me for being so rude to her.”

“Rude?” Discord raised an eyebrow.

“Twilight just wanted to read her book in peace, and I was being too nosy about it. I disrespected her boundaries.”

“Perhaps you weren’t being nosy enough.”

“Is this some sick joke to you? Are you trying to annoy her?”

“Sheesh, the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, does it?”

“…”

“Look, that book she has something up with it. I can sense it.”

Spike slowly placed his face into his open palms.

“I’m serious.” Discord quietly barked. “When I examined it, I felt something off about it. I don’t know how to describe it, but it didn’t feel right to me, so you know it’s a big something.”

“…”

“Spike?”

“What do you want from me in all of this?”

“Just give me the book so I can more thoroughly examine it.”

“…Twilight is very confident in what she’s saying, and will hold onto it. I don’t want to cause any more trouble or escalated beyond what it already is. I will just keep an eye on her, keep her safe in case something happens.”

“Very well then. If that’s how it is, that’s how it is. Just remember, my offer’s always available.”

“I’ll keep note of it.” Spike nodded.

“What are you two talking about?” Fluttershy asked, having recently rejoined the group.

“Oh, nothing that urgent it seems.” Discord casually replied.

“Look out!” Ace exclaimed.

The three ponies darted in the bush as the shockwave of the sword reaped across the dirt path. Dust blanketed the area as the three fled.

“For Thanatus!” The mad stallion’s voice roared through the area.

“We can’t beat him!” Ebony whimpered.

“Yes we can!” Ace immediately interjected, clutching her side with her hoof.

Silver gently set his wing on Ace’s shoulder, and told her, “We have to go. There’s a town nearby where we can flee to.”

“Heroes never fle-” Ace retorted before being cut off by her own body.

Ace’s insides began to shut down and her vision began to blur. As hard as she tried to shake them off, her body continued to ache and tire.

“We’re going.” Silver declared.

“How?” Ebony asked. “That scout is just going to follow us.”

“We need to lure it away then.”

“With what?”

“Gah…” Silver thought for a moment.

With Ace’s collapsing body on one side, a panicked bat-pony on the other, and a bloodthirst soldier at the behind, he could barely think straight. But there was one sure-fire way he could get his thoughts in check.

“There once was a stallion, named Biggles of Worth, he survived the Wrath of Chaos by sailing away…”

“Are you singing?!” Ebony hollered.

“I’m thinking!” Silver barked before returning to his singing. “It is all a big scheme, a tree of many stories, all connected and destined to reach a finale…”

Silver cycled through the millions songs in his head, looking at his surroundings.

“She bore a circlet of abnormal power, which blessed her of trickery, and silver finesse…”

“A circlet?” Ebony asked to herself, looking up at her headpiece.

Silver continued to rapidly sing in panic, “No unicorn, nor pegasus, nor pony of Earth, could use the power that she had once earned… No-no-no-no! Think, Silver!”

“Hmm…”

Suddenly, with only the idea needed to come to her mind, a shadowy figure appeared right next to Ebony. It looked just like her, but drenched in complete darkness. The figure then veered off to the right and fled from her and the others before disappearing on the spot.

“What was that?!” Silver asked.

“Our ticket out!” Ebony exclaimed.

She jumped into the air and hovered just above Silver and Ace. She then closed her eyes and channeled all of her thought into her circlet. She thought hard about herself and her friends, and imagined a mirror next to the running three, casting its illusion.

Three more shadows appeared next to them in a puff of smoke, with two of them side by side and one in the air. Silver was stunned at the sight, while Ebony was still locked in thought. The three shadows then fled to the right, and continued deep into the forest beyond.

The sound of grinding hooves and metal shorty follow behind, alongside the war cries of the seemingly mindless body. Eventually, all turns silent in the forest once more.

Ace, Silver, and Ebony were safe, for now at least.

“Phew!” Twilight sighed in relief. She was only halfway through the fourth chapter, and she was already at the edge of her bed. She pulled the book away from her face and examined her surroundings while continuing to read on the side.

On her chest was a sandwich was a single bite in it and a full glass of water was on the nightstand. Her bedroom window had been open since this morning, and a small pool of water had accumulated on the floor.

“Shoot…” She moaned.

With a flick of her horn, Twilight motioned for the window to close. However, much to her surprise, nothing happened. The shutters remained open, and rain continued to pour in.

Twilight tried again, only to meet the same result.

Her attention turned to the book again, which was hovering in a thick magic aura. She gently set it down on the bed and tried again.

The shutters promptly closed, and the storm was sealed outside.

“Hmm. Must have dedicated a bit too much magic to holding this. Oh well.”

The tiny pattering of hoofsteps echoed into her room.

Spike. Twilight thought to herself. Probably checking to see if I’m possessed or something…

Slowly, Twilight slipped out of bed, grabbed her book, and approached the source of the patter, ready to confront the dragon. As she walked however, something quivered inside her. Was it hunger? Was it thirst? Was it a demon from the book?

No. Twilight realized what it was.

Her pace slowed down and her head dropped down, ashamed. I don’t want to shout at him again. That was so stupid of me. When I meet him at the end of this hall, I’m going to apologize. Heck, I could invite him to a reading session-

“Hi Twilight!” A voice at the end of the hall cheered.

Much to Twilight’s surprise, it wasn’t Spike, but Rainbow Dash, dripping wet with rain.

Twilight asked her, “What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping by,” Dash replied. “Waiting it out for the storm to clear,”

“Oh. Well make yourself at home. Just please clean yourself.”

“Gotcha. Hey, have you finished that new book of yours yet?”

“No. It’s a surprisingly long book.”

“Well, when you finish, be sure that you read the new Daring Do book as soon as possible, it’s amazing. Daring Do and Wolf are joining forces to fight against Ahuizotl Reborn!”

“Spoilers!”

“Sorry!”

With a flick of her wings, Dash darted away before she accidently revealed anymore spoilers. Twilight tried desperately to forget what she just said, but it was ingrained into her memory in seconds.

Wolf and Daring Do? Together?! Amazing! Twilight practically squeed at the thought. But first, I need to finish this book.

Quickly, Twilight ran back to her bed and tucked in. She raised the book to her face once more, grabbing the sandwich with her hooves before fully engaging in her reading once more.

It was surprising how much she could read even when her focus was on something else.

“Here we are!” Silver declared.

In front of the three heroes, at the center of the small mining town of Southeros, was a small tavern. It looked abandoned and decrepit from the outside, but sounded lively from the inside, with roars and shattering glass echoing from the windows.

Ace asked, “So, this is the place?”

“Yep. If you need to find a pony who knows a thing or two about ancient artifacts and weapons, look no further than Crooks’ Canopy. And besides, the alcohol in this place will help disinfect Ace’s wounds.”

“This doesn’t seem all that secure...” Ebony remarked.

“Oh please,” Silver rolled his eyes. “You should see Thieves’ Hold. It’s out in the middle of the ocean and just screams trouble. Trust me, we’ll be fine.”

As Silver Chord approached the door, it suddenly swung open and a small, green pegasus stallion in a blue sailor’s cap suddenly burst out from inside and collapsed onto the dirt.

“And stay out!” A mare’s voice screamed out from inside, leaving the heroes outside speechless for a moment.

“We’ll be perfectly fine.”

Upon entering the tavern, the sounds of the bar erupted into their full volume. At each of the twelve round tables spread out across the interior, there were at least three stallions. They came in all shapes, races, and sizes, but even more notable was what they were carrying. Swords, maces, chains, treasures, armour pieces, and other massive items poked out from their clothing, creating a net that spanned across the entire area.

At the far end of the tavern was the bar counter, which was barren save for a few stallions sitting there. One of the stallions looked especially notable. He was massive compared to the others, dressed completely in black armour, with the only part of his body visible was his long, black mane. On his back sat a massive Zweihander, with a blade was roughly a third of a metre thick.

“He looks good.” Silver remarked before approaching him.

Ebony and Ace followed and each take a seat at the counter.

“Three high-orbs for me and the mares,” Silver addressed the barmaid at the other side.

She nodded and went into the back, leaving the four ponies alone.

The massive Earth pony stallion grunted as he set his mug down on the table. His cold, grey face turned to the tiny pegasus beside him.

“Hey! Huntsmen!” Silver laughed. “How’s it going?”

“Not good, thanks to you.” The stallion known as Huntsmen grumbled.

“She said she was 18!”

Huntsmen simply rolled his eyes and returned to his drink.

“Alright, I’ll cut to the chase. We need your vast knowledge of weaponry to help us locate an ancient blade-”

“Here we go again…”

“-to slay Lord Thanatus.”

At that moment the entire bar turned silent. Everypony turned their attention to Silver.

Huntsmen quietly turned his whole body, looked at Silver in the eyes, and simply said one word.

“No.”

An awkward moment of silence ensued before the other patrons returned to their own business, including Huntsmen. However, Silver would not take no for an answer.

“Come on.”

“No.”

“At least give us a lead or something.”

“…” Huntsmen stayed quiet.

Silver saw this as an opportunity and explained, “We know a thing or two about this sword. One, it’s said to be made by the gods. Two, it was to slay a... what was it…”

“A demon,” Ace answered.

“That.” Silver noted.

Huntsmen quietly stared at the wall for a moment. He reached a gloved hoof up to his head and brushed the white highlight in his mane.

“Eh? Anything come to mind?” Silver asked.

The large stallion waited a moment before answering, “The only blade that would fit that description is the Glacadh An Bháis, otherwise known as the Olc Sword.”

“Great! Where can we find it?”

“You can’t. If it were so easy as for me to tell you where to find it, I would have already found it and sold it off. The only evidence that it even exists lies in a vastly unknown folktale known as 'The Four Knights Tale'.”

“Well, how does it go?” Ace asked.

Huntsmen cleared his throat, took another swig of his drink, and cleared his throat once more.

“Oh, here we go.” Silver groaned.

Huntsmen began, "A long time ago, in a faraway land beyond Centura, there were four knights. They were brave, strong, and loyal to their kingdom and king. They defended their land from all whom invaded and that wished ill will to its ponies. One fateful day however, in the cover of night, Death himself snuck into the kingdom, invaded the castle, and robbed it of the life of the king's daughter. Devastated, the king sent out the four knights to retrieve the lost soul of his daughter.

At the break of the next dawn, the four knights immediately set out and searched high and low, across mountains, valleys, and dangerous lands, looking for Death and the princess. It took six days and six nights, but they eventually found Death in the form of a massive magic dragon in a cloak, hiding in a cave with the soul of the princess at his side. They battled Death, never giving up despite what injuries they've sustained. Death himself was shocked of their willingness to continue fighting on with, it almost frightened him.

Finally, after a long and furious battle that lasted for more than a day, the four knights defeated Death upon twilight, and cornered him in the cave. However, Death was crafty, and new how to deal with those that tried to fight him. Pretending to congratulate the four, not only did Death offer them the princess's soul without resistance, but also one wish from each in which he will grant with his powerful magic.

The first knight, the youngest of the four, therefore being the most foalish, wished for riches beyond measure as well as to marry the princess. Death granted that wish and in the blink of an eye, a wagon filled with gold appeared before the first knight. The first knight was content and left with the princess's soul in tow.

The second knight, the strongest of the four, wanting to humiliate Death even further beyond just strength, wished for the power to bring back loved ones. Death granted that wish as he offered a small black diamond that he held beneath his cloak. Death offered this crystal to the knight, claiming it will bring back one life that he has taken. The second knight was content and left.

The third knight, the only mare of the four, knew that Death was cunning, and tried to be smart with her wish. She wished for a creature that would protect her from Death. Death granted that wish as he promised her that the beast she desires shall come in a fortnight, drawing a knife and crossing it over his black heart for good measure. The third knight was content and left.

The fourth knight, the wisest of the four, was the final one to remain in the cave with Death. Death knew of the final knight's intellect, and knew that the knight knew that Death has tricked his three allies. He confronted the lone stallion, asking him why he didn't warn his friends. The fourth knight stated that they deserved the fates Death has given them.

This surprised Death. However, what surprised him even more was the final knight's wish to serve as his apprentice, and kill all who deserved an abrupt end. Under Death's command, the fourth knight would become a living harbinger of death and destruction, to be hated and feared by most, and the knight very well knew that. Hesitantly, Death granted that wish. The fourth knight was content and stayed.

With the princess's soul returned to her body, the three returning knights became heroes across the kingdom. A great ceremony was held, and all seemed right with the world. However, Death had planned for this to happen, and what came after.

The first knight married the princess, and with his vast amounts of gold and fame, he overshadowed his friends and any others that he didn't like in his impulsive mind. His gold rapidly depleted within the month, and so the knight became desperate and robbed from even the king. Everyone turned against the first knight that they once loved. He was cast out of the kingdom and died in the burning fires of the barren wastelands. And so Death took the first knight for his own, outsmarting him in the end.

The second knight traveled to a cemetery and looked upon the grave of his love who died before he had the chance to propose to her. He spun the black diamond thrice in hoof and summoned her, where she appeared to him as if she had never died. However, she turned mad as she no longer belonged, nor desired to stay in the mortal world. As hard as the knight tried to keep her happy and sane, his love killed herself out of insanity. Driven mad as well, he soon followed in her wake and killed himself to join her in death. And so Death took the second knight for his own, outsmarting him in the end.

The third knight waited for days and nights for her wish to be granted. However, during her time in waiting, she saw her friends die, and began to question her choice in making a deal with Death. She came to the conclusion that she has made a terrible mistake, and set out to sea to avoid the beast or hurting any of the innocent lives she cared for in the kingdom. When the end of the fortnight came though, she was greeted by the monster of her wish, a massive beast of the sea that transformed her into an immortal being with the power of the beast.

However, for the cost of this protection from Death, she had to bring Death to others under the beast's orders and bare the appearance of a hideous hag. In fear of creating a grimmer deal if to come across Death again, the now hag followed the beast's command and brought death to many both innocent and guilty. But in time, there will be no more souls to rid of the living world, and she will eventually die, unable to keep her promise with the beast. And so Death took the third knight for his own, outsmarting her in the end.

As of the fourth knight, he became the most powerful force of Death's army and the world, and even befriended his master. In return for his loyalty and friendship, Death gave the knight many gifts, ranging from some of his own great powers, including agelessness, to weapons he fashioned from his indestructible cloak, including five blades, each able to down an entire army without dulling.

Death and the fourth knight worked together for many, many years, bringing death to millions across the world. However, Death eventually realized his mistake in giving these gifts. Now the fourth knight being practically Death's equal, the only way to kill him was to destroy every part of his body, all the way down to his soul, which would then become unobtainable to Death. Infuriated, Death broke four of the five blades, but could never bring himself to destroy the fifth, which had been named, Glacadh An Bháis.

And so Death never truly took the fourth knight for his own, nor will he ever in the future, and the knight outsmarted him in the end."

“Wow…” Ace, Ebony, and Silver remarked.

“As you can tell, it’s impossible to know where it is now, let alone if it’s real or not.” Huntsmen explained.

Silently, Huntsmen climbed off of his stool and proceeded to walk out. The remaining three were left to think. The barmaid eventually returned with their drinks.

“Put it on my tab.” Silver said to her.

She quickly replied, “Your tab is maxed.”

“Whoops… Eh-heh, you see, I don’t really have much on me now and-”

“You do know what we do to bottom-brokes now? Don’t you?”

“Oh come on, we’re all buddies right? Right? I really don’t want to hurt you guys and gals…”

The sound of hooves pounding into the ground roared throughout the bar, in an almost rhythmic pattern. It was the drums of war for the tavern, as several of the larger patrons got up from their seats and approached Silver. Silver took a gulp of air on the spot, knowing what’s going to happen next. He closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Silver opened his eyes in confusion, seeing three coins spinning on the counter in front of him. He looked above to see the face of Huntsmen looking over him.

“Hunter?” Silver asked.

The large grey stallion answered, “You’re lucky you’re niceness is contagious.”

“Oh. Phew. Thanks for having my back, Hunter.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Gulp.”

“And besides, somepony has to keep you and your ladies safe on this journey to the Olc Sword.”

“You mean, you’re coming with us?”

“Yep.”