The capital of the Isle of Goats, and honestly of all of the Shetland Isles, was nothing like Canterlot. In truth it was easily half the size, and had none of the creature comforts one would hope or expect in a capital city. The Unicorn mare pulling the wagon Endymion had been on stopped right at the foot of a large moat that surrounded an older looking castle. The Canterlot Palace, or castle, had been created by a group of Unicorn artisans. It was obvious that Earth Ponies and Pegasi had put this castle together.

The front was heavy with various vines and moss, but the huge drawbridge gained Endymion’s attention. It had carved depictions of Jolie Maison fighting the Terror Wolves engraved all across the front of it. Endymion could see how they showed this mage, barely a level four mage, to be some kind of national hero. The engravings were when he had the spell cast on himself to make him as powerful as any Earth Pony.

Each scene he was tearing the wolves apart, or blasting them with his magic, and in some it was a combination of the two. After a moment the bridge lowered and a Pegasus that easily dwarfed him strolled out. He was a mustard yellow, his mane and tail dirt brown with hints of gray peppered throughout. And he was built like that Pegasus nobel he had faced in Filthy Rich’s tournament. Somehow he believed that his muscular frame wasn’t there for show.

“Wayward Sparrow! Ya Daft arsehole lickin’ cunt! Ya take off with me daughter, me daughter! And then ya don’t tell me that ya married her. No, I find out from that drunken first mate that tried ta feck me second wife!”

Celestia looked toward the Captain who at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed.

“To be honest Barrel, we both did a lot of drinking that night.”

“Dad, lay off me husband!”

Eyes turned toward a crewpony from the Dawn Breaker. There was a shimmering of light and what looked like a scrawny stallion was actually a fairly beautiful mare. Her coat was a soft brown, her mane and tail a honey blond, and she had the most stunning blue eyes. Her horn was a little undersized, but Flintheart could feel the potential in her. She had managed to disguise herself as a stallion, using a glamor to do it, and no pony, not even him, had felt the magic she was using.

There was little doubt that with proper study she would be a fantastic asset anywhere she went. Still, this beautiful, but lithe, mare strolled forward. Her clothing hanging loose off of her small frame.

“I got me a good stallion, he ruts me like a mare proper, and he even ruts me tailhole. Not to mention he occasionally gets another mare for us both to enjoy! Ya ain’t got a reason one to hold nothin’ against him. Sides’ I wanted off the Isles!”

Endymion wasn’t sure what the mare had been expecting, but to be gathered up into a bone crushing hug most likely wasn’t it. Barrel Crusher held her, obviously happy to see his daughter once again. He slowly let her down and then looked at Celestia and Endymion.

“Figure ya need a welcome proper. I’m Barrel Crusher, Lord of the Shetland Isles, Defender of her ponies, and leader of the same. This is the Isle of Goats, and if what my page, who watched you being chased and then land, is to be believed you’re in need of help. That’s all fine and good. We need it as well.”

Celestia looked at him, “What kind of help?”

He looked toward her, “The kind hunts the ponies I protect. Come, we’ll talk inside.”

The wagons unloaded, and the group moved in behind Barrel Crusher. Every single inch of the castle looked to be in need of repair. Yet there was tapestries, multiple tapestries, that seemed to depict Jolie Maison, his wives, and his foals. Endymion studied them as they walked.

“This is the most tapestries I’ve ever seen for someone that’s not a royal.”

Barrel Crusher laughed, “Boyo, here on the isles old Jolie was the closest thing to Royalty, and about the only pony any of my ponies would actually respect. To hear it told his herd was fifty mares large, and each one wanted to give him as many foals as he wanted. He was a good sort, stopped the wolves for a good long while, and now we have his descendants trying to do the same for what has decided to terrorize us.”

“What has come to the Isles?”

Barrel looked at Professor Flintheart.

“I don’t rightly know, but it sucks the life out of my ponies. They ain’t but walking corpses afterward. All of ‘em have been dried out, husks, all except for one.”

He stopped and looked at the ceiling, “Well called him Starry, Whatever it was didn’t kill him, but it did something to him,” Barrel Crusher turned toward them, “Wiped away everything, even his mark. All of it gone in a second. We got him here, in a room, his mind is like a foal now. Dunne know what that thing is, but I canne have it harmin’ my ponies.”

He looked at the shadows forming, “Blast it all, I got court, I ask that our visiting royals sit in. I’d like ya to see what we’re dealing with.”

A few servants came and began showing several of the others to their rooms, but Celestia, Endymion, Wayward, Professor Flintheart, Twilight, and Pinkie followed Barrel Crusher to the throne room. The throne itself was carved from stone, the back of it snapped toward the head, something that looked as if it had happened some time ago. Once they were settled ponies began to be shown in.

Celestia noticed that unlike Canterlot there was no nobility there to whine and cry about imagined slights. She saw ponies that worked hard, and most of them appeared to be scared, angry, and beyond upset. The first four walked forward, obviously a herd, and one of the mares put a small bundle down. The blanket opened to reveal what had been a foal. Endymion heard Pinkie gasp, he felt both her and Twilight grab his arms, and he looked at the angry, but distraught face of the mare.

“The wolves! That thing brought the wolves! They dragged me colt, my little Comet out from the field inta the woods! I heard ‘im screamin’! I heard ‘im and I canne do a thing! It needs ta stop! There more than ten families this happened ta!”

The waxing/waning warble of the general quarters klaxon was setting Helmsman Cealis teeth on edge. Bad enough that the lights had dimmed due general quarters being sounded, but the red tint was washing out all the colors in his console, making it difficult to steer the Intrepid-class airship. He had piloted the vessel numerous times in hazardous situations, that’s what a helmsman does on an expeditionary ship, but never before did he have to do it with half of the ship’s starboard thrusters inoperable.His Pappy would’ve described it as steering a half-dead whale into the surf.

“Helmsman, hard to port!” The Captain commanded, “What in the Ninety and Nine Hells is taking so long?! Damage control?”

A deep voice echoed over the bridge’s intercom system, barely audible over the klaxon’s wailing and the din of electrical conduits sparking and piping shearing off it’s moors. Commander Scott’s voice was a mid-tenor, so something must have happened to most accomplished engineer in Imperial Fleet Services.

“Lt. Cmdr. Deautroix reporting, ma’am. We’ve been bisected.”

“How bad is it?”

The lieutenant commander replied, “several compartments at midships have been compromised. Emergency bulkheads have sealed off those areas,but with internal sensors suffering a loss of efficiency, we can’t rightly tell if all the seals are completed. I have teams going to the compromised compartments now.”

“In addition, the ventral and dorsal plasma beam emitter arrays on both sides are heavily damaged. I don’t think we’ll be able to fire on anything until we can get them repaired. Lastly, the lateral thrusters on the starboard side have taken tremendous amounts of damage. From here, we’re reading that 35% of the thrusters are inoperable, with an additional 40% sheared from the hull. It’s some profound luck we’ve managed to get away from whatever was tearing us apart as intact as we are.”

“Luck?” The Captain sneered, “I’ve never had need of luck, when I have Helmsman Cealis keeping us aloft.”

“He’s right about the thrusters, though, Captain,” the helmsman called back, “we’re treading through molasses right now. The majority of the nozzles are barely giving me twelve percent of power, let alone twenty. It looks like we still have main engines, but from what I’m reading, we won’t be going full tilt for some time. Mains will need to taken off the line at some point.”

“Is the helmsman recommendation astute, Engineering?” The Captain asks.

“It’s on the nose. We still have auxiliary power, the battery and the energizer, but until we can get the mains offline, we’ll be fortunate that The King Arthur doesn’t implode upon itself.”

“Solid copy, Engineering. Keep me posted and send my regards to Commander Scott.”

“Will do, Captain,” Lt. Cmdr. Deautroix replied before the line went dead.

“Tactical, Cartography, talk to me. What the Hell happened to our ship?”

Two men rose from their stations on the bridge and approached the Captain, Both wore grave faces: the whiskerless face of the cartographer slicked with sweat, the tactical officer betraying no sign of fear or exertion.

“The island has some sort of field that repelled us, Ma’am,” the Cartographer said, “according to Ecumene archives, similar instances have happened with Imperial scout ships passing through this area. The Edmond Fitzgerald being the most famous of those that fell to this archipelago’s magic.”

“With the Goddess do they rest,” The Captain said and all three bowed their heads for a moment.

“That said,” the Tactical Officer explained, “these islands have been a thorn in the Empire’s side for some time. The best our long range sensors can tell is that these isles are inhospitable to most beings. All but the two northernmost islands show any sign of arable land; the last isles are almost constantly blanketed with sleet.

“The entire chain is lucky to have more than six inches of topsoil, seeing as the majority of them are old balsamic and vulcanite layers interspersed with granite. It’s wonder any flora or fauna developed there and I know The Farm Houses would have a field day if they could a foothold onto them. The most interesting of these isles is that field of energy we rammed into, literally.”

“How is it interesting?” The Captain asked.

“It repels ships,” the Tactical Officer replied, “but apparently not all, if that that privateer vessel could get in. From what we can tell, the field can discern what ships are native or not. How and why is unknown. At this moment, it matters little, other than The Major’s target has slipped past that veil.”

The Captain glanced at the other captain on board, Praetorian Captain Lindquist, who lead the Sparta Unit leading this expedition into The Wild Lands. Had it not been from some genteel persuasion by Chairwoman Serenia, this whole misadventure would never happen. The steely glare of the ship’s captain met the Imperial Expeditionary Corps officer; there was no love lost between the two given how quickly this operation had gone tits up.

“So, Commander,” The Captain began, “are you absolutely dead set to pursue your target at the expense of all else?”

Captain Lindquist replied, “The targets have Imperial tech on them. They lifted it when we were still stationed at the mountain settlement. We can’t have such valuable tech in the hands of the enemy. We also need to fulfill our primary directive. We cannot return to Pivot without doing so. My squad is proceeding on mission, whether you approve or not.”

“Fine by me,” The Captain stated, “but you’re swimming there.”

“Wait, what?”

The Captain explained, “I am barely keeping this ship together with what remaining crew and equipment are on board. Your squad is an allotment of weight that exceeds what our quartermaster recommends and we have no transit for you to borrow. So, if you wish to proceed, as you put it, ‘whether I approve it or not,’ then you will be swimming to those islands. I can’t afford to take my half crippled ship on a suicide mission.”

“But-!” Captain Lindquist started before she was halted.

“The very least I can do is give you what remaining supplies and rations we have,” The Captain continued, “sure, we may need to make landfall, but that’s going to happen sooner rather than later. And I’d rather it be done while we have a decent excuse for touchdown than, ‘we allowed a ground pounder to dictate where we ran and it got us our asses handed to us.’ Capishe?”

Captain Lindquist nodded, whispering, “You’re sending us to our deaths.”

The Captain replied, “I thought that’s what your people do, serve Your Matron and die for Your Empire. In any case, I want you off my ship before you cause any further harm to her.”

“You’ll regret this, Captain,” Lindquist growled, “Chairwoman Serenia is going to hear of this.”

The Captain laughed, a full sound of much merriment, “Really? Do you think Serenia is going to do anything against me, Capt. Jamie Tabitha Kirk?! Her own DAUGHTER?! Fuck you. Seriously, just- fuck you.”

“You want I should show them the gangplank, ma’am?” Asked a young junior grade lieutenant.

“It would bring me immeasurable pleasure if you did so, Lt. Sulu,” Capt. Kirk answered, “get these bitches off my ship.”

Flintheart looked at the few scant books the library had. Most of them had been brought with Jolie Maison himself when he came to help the Shetlanders. He lifted a single book, opened it, and noticed something odd. One of the inner coverings seemed to be a little too thick. He pulled it loose, and there he saw a letter. Knowing that the letter must have belonged to Jolie Maison, and his descendants by default, he considered putting it back. Yet, a small part of him wanted to see into the mind of this Unicorn that was so willing to leave everything behind.

He opened the letter, thankful that it had been read before, and looked at the words written in everlasting ink.

My student, nay, my son,

I write this hoping that you are well. It pains me that you will never again sit foot in Equestria, but I realize the reasoning behind it. The nobility that was so desperate to lay claim to the poor ignorant foals you have accepted leadership over are cursing you. They saw nothing but goods to be sold, and yet my son you saw ponies that needed your protection. My truest regret is that I did not make the adoption official. I am proud of you my son. Royal Pin, your dear friend, understands what has happened, and she wishes to pass along her most heartfelt well wishes.

Know that with every decision and gesture you have so far has left me beaming with joy. I could be no prouder of you than the day you set for the Shetland Isles; indeed, I am overwhelmed with pride at seeing all you have accomplished and still have yet to accomplish. Have a wonderful life, several foals, and live knowing that you’ve done a good thing.

Love,

Your Mother,

Luna

Flintheart put the letter back. It was hard to put into words what he had just read. Jolie Maison, the hero of the Shetlands was also the reason for the Shetlands being unaccessible from the rest of the world without one of their own accompanying the ship coming in. Yet, more than that, more than his act in keeping the Shetland Isles separate, Jolie Maison was royalty, or at least was after a fashion.

He looked at the gathered group of ponies here. Having been with Princess Celestia, and Prince Endymion, at Barrel Crusher’s court he knew what his student was thinking. In truth he wanted to go and hunt for this foul creature himself. Whatever it was that was doing this had brought back a terror these ponies hadn’t been forced to face in over three hundred years. Losing anypony was terrible. It was a fact of life, especially a life as a Black Cloak, but a fact of life. It didn’t make it any sweeter or easier to swallow.

But to lose a foal was something else entirely. He wasn’t naive enough to believe that foals dying was uncommon, but that didn’t matter. It was something that should never happen. Looking at the face of his student he saw the determination and understood that Endymion felt the same.

“I’m going out, and I’m going to help put an end to this thing and those wolves. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know where it is, but I’m going to find it and I’m going to end it.”

Endymion could see the confusion of those that hadn’t been with him. He explained what had happened. How the bodies of foals had been brought in, and how he had seen family after family presenting dead that had been caused by whatever this thing was. As he explained Applejack’s grip tightened on her sword. She listened and she felt a fire stirring inside of her. Being an Apple helped make her realize how important family was, but being an Earth Pony mare pulled harder on her toward protecting foals. Foals were the future.

Each Foal meant the continuation of the family line. Each one meant that the seeds of that family could spread out, grow to become a great clan, and those clan members all remember where it was that they came from. The death of a foal took away any chance of that ever happening. It left nothing but heartache and emptiness behind. She had no intention of setting this out.

“I’m going to stand with you.”

Dash nodded, “Same here.”

“Endy.”

He looked toward the voice and smiled at Pinkie Pie. He knew that she was worried, and she had a reason to be. The Isles weren’t a hospitable place anyway. Even without this new danger there was countless others that existed. He knew of them, of the Isles, because he loved the story of Jolie Maison. He wanted to go on adventures, and he wanted to match the grand adventure that Jolie had been on.

He wanted, so desperately, to match the accomplishments of this unicorn that was long dead. In a way he wanted to prove that he was just as much of a champion as Jolie had been. That was before they landed on the isles. That was before he saw what he knew Jolie had seen. Suddenly he realized why Jolie Maison had done what he had done. It wasn’t because he was seeking fortune and fame. No, it was because he realized that these ponies couldn’t protect themselves, and they needed somepony to help them.

He threw away the chance of returning home because he wanted to keep these ponies safe. He understood the decision, and Endymion was making one very similar. He wouldn’t let the wolves have another foal. They would have to kill him first. And it was something that Pinkie could see. She could see what he felt, what he meant, and she wasn’t going to deny him. She wasn’t going to be that pony.

“Endymion no!”

He looked at Twilight, “What else can I do? Twilight, this is who and what I am. I’m a champion, a hero, and I can’t let these ponies go on suffering.”

She shook her head, “No, Sol help me, I waited so long for us to be together! I almost gave up, and now you’re going to go out there… Didn’t you ever read what happened to Jolie Maison?” she was crying openly now, “Didn’t you read what happened his first night out? How those things nearly killed him because he was so overconfident?!”

“Miss Sparkle is correct.”

Endymion turned toward Professor Flintheart, “Jolie Maison was a good deal like you Endymion, and he went in without a plan the first time. It cost him an ear, his left eye, a small section of his collar, and nearly his life,” he said as he neared his student, “Which is why you should learn from his mistakes. Take this time to see what he did, how he learned to fight them, and know that I will be coming with you.”

He looked surprised, “Sir?”

Flintheart laughed, “I am a black cloak, you are royalty, it is my duty to protect you,” he looked at Trixie, “And Miss Lulamoon, it is your duty to stay here and protect Princess Celestia, and Endymion’s future brides.”

She nodded, “Of, of course sir, Tr… Er… I won’t let you down.”

She looked toward the Solar Diarch who seemed uncertain. She wasn’t sure, but it appeared that she looked concerned for Professor Flintheart. The kind of concern that she’d seen on Princess Luna’s face when worrying about her little ponies, but rather it was the kind of worry she’d seen on some of the marefriends of the guards that were getting sent out to the edge of Equestria. She shook her head. It just wasn’t that likely that the two of them were lovers. After all, Professor Flintheart was getting to be an old stallion.

Endymion walked toward his brides. He felt Pinkie wrap him into what he had begun to call a Pinkie Pie Hug. His bones creaked as she hugged him, and then she let him go. Like Applejack she saw the reason for this. Twilight however grabbed him and didn’t want to let go. She held onto him, her magic wrapped tightly around him. He hugged her back, feeling her smaller frame against him. He wasn’t so thick that he didn’t see Twilight’s point of view. He knew that what he was signing up for was more dangerous than most of the adventures they’d been on. He considered that the closest might would have been the trip to Stargazer’s Tower.

“Twily, I’ve got to do this. I’ve got to. You saw the foals, and we both know that help from the outside isn’t coming.”

She looked up at him, “Why you?”

He smiled that self assured smile of his, “I’m a champion right? It’s what I’m meant to do.”

“May...Maybe I should come with you…”

AJ shook her head, “Twilight, Ah understand, Ah do, but we dun’t know if this is something fer the elements. Cain’t rightly use ‘em if’n they wouldn’t help.”

She glared at Applejack, “Then what should I do?”

Pinkie touched her shoulder, “Help me keep the ponies here from getting scared.”

She looked at Pinkie, “What do you mean?”

She smiled, “Silly, can’t you feel it? Those meanie wolves are feeding off of fear. We keep these ponies happy and they can’t get scared.”

Professor Flintheart looked at her, “And how would you know that?”

Before any more questions could be asked it was Applejack that held her hand up, “Professor, Ah gotta tell ya what Ah told Twilight when she came ta Ponyville. That’s jest Pinkie being Pinkie. Ain’t any explanation fer it, it’s jest how she is.”

He looked toward Endymion who nodded.

“Ah, very well. I shall endeavor to accept what cannot be explained. Regardless, I believe that those going should go with me to Lord Barrel Crusher and see when he intends to go out and face the wolves, and of course this other being.”

With that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Endymion, and Fluttershy followed Professor Flintheart toward the throne room. Barrel Crusher looked at them.

“Yer all daft. Ye need ta know that. Yer daft, but what yer doing is welcomed. My guards, and two of Jolie’s own descendants are gonna go out. The Pegasi coming with us aren’t spell shy. They’re good lads, every last one of ‘em, got wives, foals, and they’re wantin’ ta see those foals grow up and grow old. I’ll be doin’ ev’rthing I can to make sure they caine do just that.”

“What do you know of these wolves, are they the same as the ones Jolie faced?” Flintheart asked.

“Dunne lad. Been told they’re right similar, but that there’s som’thing mere to it. Figure those of ye that caine cast spells, be a good idea ta look over Jolie’s notes and books. Got a whole library full, dunne want ye goin’ out without protection.”

“Sir! The ship is ready!”

Endymion looked at Captain Sparrow.

“I can’t stand by and do nothing. I’m going to hold the ship up, over all of you, offer what support I can. The corrupted cannons might help, might not, but at least it will be a place for the Pegasi to pull all of you back to.”

Studying was never Endymion’s strong suit. He was more of the kind to jump ahead, to go in and let luck, and skill, take the lead and he’d follow it through. However Twilight explained that if he enjoyed rutting her until she couldn’t form sentences, and he was still determined to go out and help these ponies, then he needed to study. She even picked out several of the books that Jolie had written himself. As he read he saw what looked like a loose piece of paper fall and he picked it up.

He read it, and it sparked an ancient memory. One buried within the deep recesses of his mind. He looked back at the paper once more, seeing the words again.

”…she sleeps, ever still, inside of that capsule of metal and glass. A strange projection appears when I near her explaining that she is of some line I can not hope to pronounce. It will not identify itself when I ask; it merely says that ‘only an authorized member of an Imperial House may deliver orders.’ I am unsure of what the construct, and I can only assume it is a magical construct, means when it makes that declaration. I am certain this mystery will be solved eventually. I pray to Faust that those mana batteries hold.

I know not who, or what she is, but her projected guardian, it glows the same color as the eyes of that creature which is locked away. I fear I will not learn who she is. I've done much, seen much, and now I pay for it. Time and tide, they await for nopony. My body is that of an old stallion, and my candle burns dim. My hours glass wanes, and soon, I shall be as the sands within it. It is not with regret that I must let go of this all… I am happy, I have my herd, my foals, and that is all one needs in life. Everything else is... merely distractions. Family means everything.

He realized what it was, and he could feel where it was. It was below them, near the back wall. He walked toward it, past stacks of shelving, some heavy laden and some sparse with tomes, until he saw his mother’s cutie mark. The sigil called out to him on an instinctual level. Reaching out, he touched it. The mark glowed, for just a moment, and then the wall began to separate. When it did there was a long staircase that lead down into the darkness. He began to walk down it, only to find that the torches began to light as he proceeded. He made it to the bottom, and around him was a lab that would make Twilight orgasm on the spot. All of it had been made through magic. He could tell that. All except for the glass and metal that was a stasis pod. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did.

“Endymion?”

“Down here.”

He heard hooves, and then he felt Twilight near him. He could practically feel the excitement rolling off of her.

“Jolie Maison’s lab! It’s his secret lab! You found it!”

He nodded, but his eyes were still on the status pod in front of them.

“What is that?”

Twilight walked toward it and a small blue figure, oddly about the size of a breezie, appeared in the air over it.

“Warning, this Status Pod’s power supply is running low. Last Mana Battery is unable to support suspended status for more than half a cycle. Requesting orders from ranking house member.”

Endymion didn’t even think, “Open and release.”

“Order to open given by member of House of Endymion, no other member available to countermand order, Order accepted. Cycling down cryogenic stasis… Please wait…”

There was a long, and loud, hissing noise as the seal around the lid broke. From inside there was no sound at all for a few moments, and then there was a terrible scream. The girl inside backed out, her eyes frantic. Twilight looked at her. She was obviously one of Endymion’s kind, but her skin was a soft ebony, her hair curled raven locks, and her eyes the creamiest jade she had ever seen.

She didn’t speak but instead she huddled against the wall, looking small and frightened. She stared at Endymion a moment, her breath coming in a hyperventilated wheeze, then she glanced at Twilight and froze. Her pupils dilated to saucer plates, her skin began to sweat profusely, then she teetered backward once again, landing on the flagstone floor with a soft whimper.

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening…!” She whispered.

“Whoa,” Endymion breathed, “she is out of her mind from fright!”

Twilight nodded and started to approach the young woman, saying, “It’s okay, you’re going to be alright-”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” The Ebony Girl screamed, drawing the attention of everypony upstairs. The thunderous roar of multiple ponies pouring down the now open staircase make Twilight’s ears flatten; Endymion and the Ebony Girl held fast their ears in their palms. When Endymion’s adventuring group arrived in the lab, along with Professor Flintheart, all eyes went wide. The fully stocked lab of Jolie Maison plus one other human in the room, caused much surprise and confusion.

“What the buck-?!” Rainbow cursed sotto voce.

In the back of the lab, the Ebony Girl whimpered more loudly, her verdant eyes swishing every which way, as if scanning for an exit vector. Endymion saw this, feeling a stab of pity for this displaced woman, and knelt down to her level, making direct eye contact.

“Hello, miss,” he said, in a voice so soft,not even Fluttershy could hear it, “you must be confused, scared, after being stuck in that thing for so long. If it helps, I’ll tell you my name. I’m called Endymion Everfree. Can you tell me what your name is?”

“My- my name?” The Ebony Girl asks, as Endymion nods his confirmation, “I’m- I’m Charlie- Charlotte Ann Smith… And, I was supposed to be on a plane to Dallas from Birmingham…”