Cheerful Golden Apple looked at the rustic farm. It was similar to some of the nicer homes she’d seen before going to work for Stargazer the Elder. There was glass, actual glass, in the windows, and this home was actually less impressive than the magical library she had been teleported to earlier. It just so happened that a mare that looked like her sister, Bailey Sweet Apple, happened to be there.

She’d insisted that Cheerful come home with her. After all she was obviously family, and Apples took care of Apples. The trip through the town had been a little unsettling. There was an Unicorn married to an Earth Pony, a Pegasus married to an Earth Pony, and no pony was pitching a fit over it. It was surprising, unsettling, and getting out to the farm, being around other Earth Ponies, it helped some. Or at least until she heard the wagon outside. The wagon was similar to a Vardo in what it seemed to be designed for, but at the same time it looked more refined.

The deep greens and golds of the wagon could be seen easily, and she looked at the Earth Pony pulling it. He was a hill pony, that much was certain. She’d met more than a few, those that went to the hills to learn about new cures, cultivate new land, and prepare it for other ponies. Her Dam had insisted that she treat all hill ponies with respect because they were doing the work other ponies couldn’t do.

A moment later the wagon stopped, the door opened and she watched as an Unicorn and another pony stepped out. The ground told her he was an Earth Pony, and that he wasn’t one. It felt weird, almost as if he had been a mixture of an Earth Pony and an Unicorn. That just didn’t make sense though. She didn’t have a problem with it, but Unicorns were snobs. Everypony knew that. They were snobs and they liked to hold their muzzle up higher than everypony else and pretend that their plot didn’t stink.

She saw the Unicorn hug and kiss the big Earth Pony and her eyes widened. Again, no problem with it, but that was an Unicorn kissing the Earth Pony, and that made no sense!

“Y’all ‘right?”

She turned to see her very distant relative behind her. She’d filled them in on who her family was, and it was discovered that her younger sister was in fact one of their ancestors. This entire thing was taking some getting used to.

“I suppose, but that Unicorn was kissing that Earth Pony!”

AJ looked outside and smiled, “Eeeyup, that there is Moodancer and Muddy. They’re good ponies, right nice and neighborly.”

The pair came in and Cheerful could smell it on them. They were clean, meaning that they’ve certainly bathed, but she smelled it anyway. The two of them had been mating like mad. Additionally she smelled the strong scent of an oncoming estrus. She looked out to see a thinner, scrawnier, and weaker looking pony. He looked like an Earth Pony, but he didn’t quite feel like one. The ground claimed him, and didn’t claim him at the same time. She could feel it from inside of him.

He was a mixture of tribes, and that was enough for her to shake her head. An Earth Pony and an Unicorn had mated, had this stallion, and proved that tribes could indeed become one. Uncertain of what to think, she walked toward the table, took a quill, dipped it into some ink, and began to try to compose her thoughts. The Prince, who seemed to be attractive in his own way, had mentioned that if she had questions, or wanted to talk, that they’re home was open. She believed that this might be the time to take him up on that.

Waking up Celestia looked at the mirror. Her soft pink and gold ethereal main floated much like her sister's. Luna... During her absence Luna had changed so much. She was still smaller than her, but just barely. Yet her sister's mane contained hints of pink and gold to it. Evidence that she had taken up the slack while on her own.

She felt so sorry for her. Luna had been alone for so long, and she had taken the idea Celestia had proposed for a magic school and ran with it. Although to be honest Celestia had originally thought to take a single student, somepony with exceptional magic, and help them learn more about control.

She would have other ponies teach the others, but have that one that would almost be a daughter, or a son, to her.

It was almost selfish, yet her sister turned it into a very accomplished place of learning. It was truly a magic school that not only taught magic, but produced some of the greatest magi Equestria had ever seen.

The Black Cloaks, Luna's secret guard, were both fearsome and dangerous. It was something she feared that her own hubris would have never let her create.

The door opened, and she saw her sister, along with somepony she had come to know, and trust.

"Flintheart," she said softly.

"Your highness, I was informed that my skills may be needed."

She looked at Luna, "Perhaps, yet, would thou mayhaps..."

"I shall step out for a moment. If either of you need me I'll be in the hall."

When he stepped out Celestia looked at her younger sister.

"Thou art bold, sister mine,"

Luna took a seat at the end of the bed, "Perhaps, but Flintheart is a good pony, a dedicated stallion, and I believe he would buck you until your eyes rolled into the back of your head if you could win his heart," she laughed, "Celetia, please do not be upset, but you need to get laid."

Celestia glared at her sister, "That is none of thy business!"

Luna groaned, "Maybe, but I know that having somepony to care for, somepony that would love you, rut you, and make you feel like a wanted mare would certainly help you get past Solar Flare."

"She resides inside of us still. She is destroyed, ruined, but there is pieces of her... Her essence, her darkness, that seem to remain."

"And that's even more reason to have somepony."

"Sister... How can thou jest?!"

Luna looked at her, "I'm not Celestia. Mother help me, I'm not. Look, I understand... I've taken consorts, over the years, and even be part of herds, but I know how important it is to be at peace. Sometimes that can only happen after a good rutting. Perhaps even letting somepony have your tail hole."

"Neigh! No stallion, or mare, shall place anything there!"

Riling up Celestia was indeed fun, but it wasn’t what Luna wanted to do this evening. She wanted her sister to feel welcomed, to understand that others would want to be friends, and of course to learn that she and Solar Flare were no longer one in the same. She touched Celestia’s hand.

“Sister, I’m going to make another suggestion, and I will not take no for an answer. How long has it been since you’ve been among our ponies?”

Celestia looked at her in a confused state, “Sister, We’ve traveled only when needed, as the laws dictated.”

Luna rolled her eyes at that. The first royal council had deemed it inappropriate for either of the alicorn sisters to travel among the commoners unless it were a situation that directly called for a supreme judgement. Princess Platinum, preening and fussy pony she was, had fought against the decision. She felt that it was every royal’s responsibility to walk among their subjects, to see first hand and hoof how all of those outside of royalty lived.

It hadn’t happened until after her sister had been banished, and well after she let Moonlit Rose become the chairpony of the council, that she revoked the law. It had been hard removing Moonlit’s family from power, to take back the throne, to establish that it was her, and her sister’s, place to rule. Endymion didn’t realize the near wars that happened between the tribes, he didn’t know that there was times she had to do questionable things in order to maintain a peace between her ponies.

Yet, that peace had led them here, and she felt this peace being as unstable as any before it. But more than the question of how long this peace would last, or the question of if this was the right road to a lasting peace, was the decision and understanding that her sister needed perspective. Twilight, her most faithful, and advanced, student had sent her word over the teenage mare that had been returned to her true form. The mare undoubtedly would know much of Stargazer’s library, she would have an understanding of his thoughts and ideas, and she could share that information. But she needed help adjusting to the new world, and so did Celestia.

“Sister, I shall make the arrangements for you to travel to Ponyville. While there you shall be given a place to stay, your services to the temple shall continue, after all, there is a local temple that would love to boast that the head priestess has come to commune with them. While there I wish for you to meet with, and speak to, a Cheerful Golden Apple. Like yourself she is out of her element. I believe the two of you should be able to help guide one another. Of course I shall send somepony with you.”

“Sister…”

“Neigh my sister, Professor Flintheart shall accompany you as both protector and guide.”

The older Unicorn stuck his head in the doorway, “Your highness, while I would never dare question your decision, I do have my classes to teach.”

She smiled, “and that shall remain, however, I believe that you have advanced your students to the point of practical practice?”

He nodded, unsure of where she was going.

“Then there is no better practice than the Everfree Forest. Students who are focused in Defense against the Dark Arts will help you set up and reestablish the old castle in the Everfree. They shall be responsible for ensuring the traps are in working order, keeping the grounds clear of dangerous magical creatures, and of course you shall aid them in this.”

He nodded, “Thy will be done your highness.”

She tittered, “And I have one more request of you. Help show my sister a good time.”

“Y...Your highness?!” Flintheart stammered, then with a cheeky grin, he added, “Oh, of course. I do hope she can keep up.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, she looked at Flintheart, and then she turned back toward Luna. Her sister’s expression was fairly passive, Flintheart had a gentle smile, but the idea that their interaction almost made it sound like she wanted them…

“Sister, we have no need to be guided.”

Luna looked at Celestia, closed her eyes, and thought of Endymion. He’d been similar when he was younger. He wanted to be on his own, experience things for himself, and she did try to give him as much space and room as she could afford while at the same time keeping him safe. Celestia had power, in truth of the two she knew that Celestia was indeed more powerful. Her defeat of Solar Flare had only happened because of the Elements of Harmony. Over the years, being forced to raise the sun, then set it only to raise the moon had made her more powerful, narrowing the gap, but it was still there.

If she and Celestia were to ever come to blows again it would take her years of experience in war and deception in order to defeat her sister, not straight power. That was part of the reason for sending Flintheart. Compared to either of them Flintheart was sorely lacking, at least magically, but he more than made up for it in resourcefulness, cunning, and flexibility.

Did she want to see something happen between them? If it did, she would not hinder it. Flintheart himself deserved to have a special somepony, Celestia needed to be laid in the worst of ways, and honestly being away from Canterlot might be the best chance for her to let her mane down.

“Celestia,” Luna began, “Tia, I would not presume to tell you how to live your life or how you should conduct yourself. That is a struggle only you can address. But much has changed in the thousand years you have have been- away. And before you say it, yes, I sent you there, into your beloved sun. Did you not think I would mourn your loss, as if you were dead, not merely banished? I did, and for a long time, I allowed none near me, nor did I give myself of any companionship, so great were my responsibilities…”

Celestia then whispers, “‘Tia,’ Faust Beyond, it hath been ages since We last heard Our diminutive nomenclature! But surely, Luna, thou had aid in thine duties, no?”

“Aid?” Luna replied, “Yes, I had aid, but friends, I had very few. When the nascent nation you command is on the precipice of panic and dissolution after one of the rulers has a- hysterical pregnancy- (And forgive me if I have made light of your time as Solar Flare, but there are no modern words for that condition. Not yet, anyway.) Neigh, it wasn’t until the last two centuries when I decided I could not effectively rule the kingdom without some companionship… Then, nigh unto twenty years ago, Endymion came into my life… I would not suggest you take the first stallion you see for a rutting, but I would- ask you, kindly, open your heart and allow some companionship to happen for you. Everypony, even yourself, needs love, or even a little kindness.”

“A little kindness,” Celestia repeats, “Sister mine, is to Ponyville the domicile of one mine priestesses, the fedderledder† Fluttering Shywing?”

“Yes, yes, I do believe she has a home there,” Luna answers, “her cottage is also home to her wonderful little menagerie of woodland creatures.”

“Ah, excellent!” Celestia beams, “We shall prepare for travel, post haste!”

Luna expected a few things when she arrived with Celestia. She expected to see son, and soon to be daughters, engaged in something that most ponies would wait to do in their bedroom. She would half expect to see Spike, the dutiful drake he is, thinking about that prim and proper unicorn he seemed to be so fixated on, and causing a small accident because of it. Instead what she saw was nothing short of something that Scandalous Eye would have published in that magazine of his, Working Mare.

She was certain there was a reasonable reason her son, his brides, Ms. Jacliquine Apple, Cheerful Golden Apple, the two swamp ponies she had been told about in the report, and a young researcher unicorn were standing around, completely nude.

“P...Princess, I…”

She held up her hand, looked to Endymion and shook her head, “Son, your aunt is coming to stay in Ponyville, she is outside, please, take the next few seconds to get dressed, and we shall discuss this later.

Nodding Endymion turned to Twilight who swallowed, lit up her horn, and after a flash everypony had clothes on. Thankful it worked Luna moved to allow her sister to enter. Celestia had admitted, freely, that she took more after the Pegasi where Luna tended to take more after Unicorns. She felt that her sister didn’t smell, or sense, what she smelled.

Looking from one pony to another, trying to figure out what was going on, she tried to pinpoint the location of the ponies that had been buggering. Instead the smell was almost as if the entire room had been full of it, but that was silly. That would mean all of them were rutting each other at the same…

A look of uncertainty crossed Celestia’s face. Were they? Was everypony in here having a breeding party? It was a savage ritual from pre unification days. A ritual where a mare would be with foal, and to bind the village, or township, together there would be a breeding party where she would rut every stallion, and in turn all of the other mares would do the same. It was disgusting, terrible, and something she was happy to see gone.

“Sorry, I… Ummm… That is…” Twilight tried explain.

“Twilight was trying out a new spell, to make things even more funtastic for the three of us, when she had a surge and suddenly everypony just appeared in the library at the same time!”

Celestia breathed out in relief. It wasn’t a breeding party. It was a magical mishap, and something that caused a little awkwardness, some embarrassment, but nothing damaging. She could live with that.

“I see, Twilight, perhaps you should try casting the spell before engaging in such activities,” Luna said.

“I will, I’m sorry Princess.”

Endymion saw the slight smile on the corner of her mouth, and he knew that his mother was doing everything possible to keep from busting a gut laughing. He also knew that right now she was attempting to torment Twilight. He was about to say something when he saw Professor Flintheart.

“P...Professor?”

“Ah, Endymion, just the stallion I was hoping to see. Your mother has entrusted me with the cleaning, and restoring, of Princess Celestia and her castle out in the Everfree. As such I am making every student that has declared defensive magic as their major put this as their final. Every student will be aiding in the restoration of the traps, charging the batteries, and of course returning the castle itself back into a livable area.”

“Livable?! Why?” Twilight asked.

“Ms Sparkle, it is Princess Luna’s wish for the castle to be used by defensive magic students as a hands on training, and living, area. Per her own words, what better place than the Everfree forest for hands on defensive magic.”

“Wait… Does that mean that Trixie is going to be out here?” Endymion asked.

“Of course. Ms Lulamoon is a gifted member of the defensive magic class, she is your superior, and she is going to be over the library within the castle.”

Twilight almost looked like someone had slapped her, “Wait… You’re going to put Trixie in charge of the ancient royal library of magic?!”

Professor Flintheart turned toward her, his eyes looking like they were digging into her very soul, and she automatically regretted questioning the older Unicorn.

“Ms. Sparkle, you are in charge of Ponyville’s library, currently you’ve increased the magical theory section to include several texts that have been recovered from ancient nobility, and royalty, dwellings. This library is a shining example of what can be done under the direction of a knowledgeable bibliophile. But the library at the Castle of the Two Sisters is not a standard library, nor even a standard royal library, it is now going to be a functioning school library. So, the question is do you want to be demoted to being a school librarian, or would you rather close your muzzle and think before you question your superiors?”

She swallowed and looked away from him, “I… Ummm, I’ll be fine here.”

“Very good, now, as I understand it you’ve also got access to Stargazer’s entire library?”

Twilight nodded leading him to a door frame that if pulled away from the wall would be nothing more a very small indent between two shelves, and yet somehow when she opened the door there was a massive library inside of it.

“Ah, just as I was told. The most complete collection of Stargazer’s books on all of his studies. Of course, this library is under your jurisdiction as well, but the school may be requesting a few of the teleportation and portal spell books that Stargazer wrote,” he said.

“Wait, wait, wait just a minute. You just gave my fiancée a dressing down, and then you want her to do you a favor?”

Flintheart turned on Endymion, and instantly he wished that he would have kept his mouth shut.

“What I did, Mr. Everfree, is to address a student of mine. Who she is outside of that is not of consequence. Furthermore, Ms. Sparkle is a research Magi, granted she is very versed in defensive spells, but her chosen path was research. Which is another reason why Ms Lulamoon is to be the librarian. But please, continue to speak and insert your hoof right into your mouth.”

Something about Flintheart’s last statement triggered something deep in Endymion. Princess Luna was certain the room was several degrees warmer and many lumens brighter before Flintheart spoke; now it was nearly twilight (the time of day, not the pony mage) and crisp autumn breeze had come up. She looked to her sister, saw that Celestia had felt it as well, a shift in temperate paradigm, but neither knew of it’s origin. Then her son began to speak…

“My apologies, Professor Flintheart,” Endymion seethed, “I didn’t realize that members of academia had an intellectual imperative to be rude! In case you didn’t get the fucking memo, The Library of Stargazer the Elder is the property of Mage Twilight Sparkle, because I gave it to her; your patronizing attitude about material that is in her possession is an affront not only to my fiancée, but also to me. Now, if you be so kind, restate your interest in the Stargazer Library as a request or Goddess help me, I WILL FREEZE THE VERY BLOOD IN YOUR VEINS!”

Everypony present, even his mother, were shocked by Endymion’s rant. Even more surprising was the frost that had begun to creep onto the Golden Oaks walls as he spoke. The nominally dispassionate Flintheart even quailed as Endymion railed against him; never before in his time, either as a Black Cloak or as a professor, had he seen anypony call on ice as readily or easily as what Endymion had just done. If he wasn’t already frightened out of his wits, he would already be settled in a defensive position, spell ready at his horn tip. The aged Black Cloak was only beginning to wonder if maybe Prince Everfree really had been bottling up his true magical abilities all along.

“Endymion,” Luna said, in a calm and loving manner, “Endymion, my son, becalm yourself, please.”

“Wait, what?” Endymion asked, as if dazed.

“Nephew,” Celestia answered, “art thou not aware that thou hast cast a freezing hex and threatened a member of the Black Cloaks?”

“I’m- I’m-” Endymion stammered, “I think I need to lie down…”

Getting to the old castle hadn’t been much of a challenge. A few Manticores, a stray timber wolf, and of course a couple of other beasts, that roamed the Everfree. Professor Flintheart certainly could see the potential of the entire forest as a training ground, but more than that he understood what Princess Luna was truly doing. Every since the Princess had returned from her diplomatic trip to Mount Gloom she had been preparing for a war. His training of the Black Cloaks had increased, and this was the best hands on training available. She wanted them ready, and what better way than to make them restore and repair the old castle.

He heard the sound of hoofsteps and turned to see Trixie, Flash Sentry, and then he saw Celestia herself. He was surprised that she wanted to come out to the castle. He watched as she stood at the great doors, and her head hung low.

“So much damage,” she whispered as she touched the giant doors.

He looked at the castle itself, remembering what Princess Luna had said about that fateful day, the ancient texts, and touched her arm.

“What I’ve learned about what happened here has pointed to the fact that you attempted to contain something so it couldn’t harm your sister. The result was your transformation, but I can assure you that none hold you responsible,” he said.

“Perhaps, but we hold ourselves responsible.”

Another set of hoofsteps caught their attention and they saw a young mare. She neared them, and while she didn’t look old in truth she was easily the third oldest pony alive, “It appears that Applejack wasn’t kidding. I’d never gotten to see the ruins, and the castle in Canterlot was just being finished. Still, this is amazing.”

“Ms. Apple, while I am not wholly surprised to see you, I must question why you are here,” Professor Flintheart said.

She grinned at him, “Well, I understand that you need help, and I recorded every experiment that Stargazer did. I might not be able to perform magic, but I can tell you how to reproduce several of his experiments. One of which was the creation of protective golems.”

He smiled at her, “Very well, then as such you shall be hired as a lab assistant and recorder. Ms. Lulamoon, you and your friend are to secure the library, check the books within, and then ensure that it was capable of being used. I shall see what kind of constructive workforce this small township has. Perhaps within a fortnight we shall have this castle returned to its former glory.”

“♪I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, Deely deely, there are a standing in a roll! Big ones, small, ones some as a big as your head!♫”

“Bifrost, I’ve come to ask you some questions.”

“♪It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all! It’s a small world after all! It’s a small, small world!♫”

Serenia moved toward the door of cell Z-29. She looked at the being singing inside of it. If he had been human there was no evidence of it now. His face was a quarter human, and the rest seemed to be equestrian. His right arm looked to be from a dragon, his left from a bear of some kind. His left leg looked to be that of a lion, and right was a minotaur’s. His torso looked as though it believed it wanted to start as a zebra and ended up a great white including the tail. He was… nothing less than a monstrous joke performed by an insane magi with far too much time and power.

“Stop singing and speak to me.”

He looked at her, his mouth opened to reveal not Equine, or human teeth, but sharp shark’s teeth all lined up perfectly in his maw.

“Councilwoman… As I recall, your previous position was that as a mistress of the night, specifically one that serviced the House of Endymion. You’ve done quite well for yourself, don’t you think so, Smoozy?”

She looked to the face in the wall, and her eyes widened as it moved. She wanted to play it off as a trick of light, but no, the smooze, at least in this part of the dungeon, was very much alive.

“I want to know about the heir you kept from us.”

He laughed, looked at her, and shook his head, “Oh you’re doing this all wrong! There should be a wonderful musical number!” He laughed again, “And you should be surrounded by singing bugs!” Something along the lines of… “♪In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning! And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be!♫”

“BIFROST, STOP SINGING!”

He laughed and leaned against the wall, “Then if you’re not going to listen to my singing, I’m not talking. Oh… Well actually, I do have one warning for you. Your entire house will be swallowed by the greatest folly and greatest triumph of the House of Endymion.”

She backed up from the door.

“Oh, I also forgot, Euclides Bifrost is dead. I am Rancor! The very avatar of Chaos itself!”

Running out, she left the old insane creature to itself. His cackling laughter chased her until she was out of the dungeon and out in the landing platform itself. She was relieved to see the House Praetorian corvette, engines still spun up, waiting there.

He was wrong, nothing would harm her house. The greatest folly was here, and the Smooze slept in an eternal slumber. She’d ensure that it never awoke.

From deep back inside of the mountain she heard the sound of Rancor, and another voice, a strange gurgling one, singing again.

“♪Yo Ho All together! Hoist the Colors high! Heave Ho, Thieves and Beggars! Never shall we die!♫”

“M...Madam?”

“Get us away from here, and inform the entire Empire that this outpost, and prison, is off limits until further notice!”

Once they were away from the mountain itself she looked at the gauntlet. When she went into the dungeons the batteries were far more charged, but just being in there caused them to lose at least a quarter of the power they had. Rancor’s punishment, being locked in the dungeon, it was most likely the only thing that was keeping from him escaping. That purple blob was staying alive because it was feeding off of him, and somehow it was able, and willing, to interact with him. She didn’t want anyone to feed it anymore than it already had been. If it were possible she would have had him put down, but all reports seemed to indicate that he was immortal.

Silently, she thought of the surviving heir of Endymion. He was still crucial to her plans, she needed him, his seed, his magic, and then she needed his death. Perhaps it was time to step into the light, to wage war. But first… First she’d send her scouting party, along with Rowena, into the Equestrians. Let them discover their weaknesses.

“When we arrive, I want to meet with our scoutmasters. I have a job for them.”

“Your will be done, madam.”

“And someone get me a playlist of the most classical music The Empire has on record,” Serenia ordered, “scour the entire Ecumene if you have to! Any more of these ‘show tunes,’ and I swear I’ll start breaking some necks.”

Author's Notes:

+10 of Awesome if you can figure out where the title of this chapter comes from.
† Ancient term for half-bat ponies, which is what Fluttershy is, in this story.
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