"Thanks mom!" Raven praised and thanked gleefully as Celestia rested a delightful looking plate of pancakes in front of the teen. The mare in question smiled warmly at her daughter before she leaned in and kissed her little girl on the head.

"You're welcome sweetie," Celestia replied before she set another plate down in front of Copper, who simply gargled, a small line of drool escaping from the corner of his lips. His stack was much more elegant than his marefriends. His was stacked high with chocolate chipped pancakes and smothered in a generous amount of whipped cream, some sprinkles, and a single cherry.

"I feel bad for ruining such a stack…"

Raven's fork slowly eased its way over and into his line of sight, hooking onto his plate and pulling it away.

Copper quickly grabbed his plate, glaring at his giggling girl and her silly antics. Opposite them, Celestia rolled her eyes as she sat down in front of her own plate of banana covered cakes. "Well," Celestia started as she delicately cut into her breakfast. "I assume you found what you were looking for. Since you're home so early."

Raven nodded, her cheeks bulging from the delicious delight before she swallowed her mouthful. "We did. But it only seemed to lead to more questions."

"Like what?" Copper asked, finally cutting into his own meal.

A true travesty to destroy such a creation.

It was at that moment that the doors to the dining hall opened and Luna stumbled inside, looking like a mare who was suffering from a very bad hangover. Her mane and tail were a tangled mess and it appeared as though she was still in her sleep wear -a black tank top and tiny black shorts. Like a zombie she shuffled into the room and towards her seat, unceremoniously plopping down on the plush cushion with a loud fwamp. Her head hit the table like a brick, causing plates to clatter and drinks to swish.

Just a moment after that, a waiter entered the room from the kitchen doors, approached the seemingly dead mare, and gently rested a fresh cup of brewed coffee onto the table before making his leave.

Celestia continued to eat like nothing was out of the ordinary. Raven eyed her aunt with a raised brow. Copper looked rather concerned.

The light wisps of steam wafted through the air by the gentlest of breezes and towards the mare of the night, sneaking its way towards her nostrils. Luna sniffed once, immediately lifting her head just far enough for her eyes to spot the cup of life giving brew. Her orbs sparkled with child-like wonder. Slowly -and much like the king they had found- her arm shook violently as she reached out for the cup.

"Anyway…" Raven said slowly, turning both the conversation and her confusing gaze away from her aunt. "We ended up with a riddle. I'm positive we figured out the last part of it, but we are yet to figure out the bit before it."

"What's the riddle?" Celestia inquired.

"The answers you seek. You will find through the mist. Only then will you find the will of the wisp," Raven repeated.

There was a loud tinking noise next to the human, causing her to turn her head, only to see her aunt whimpering like a lost puppy, her mug of coffee spilled across the table. The poor pricesses life blood flowing away without her consent. Celestia rolled her eyes, holding her hand to her head with an exasperated sigh. "I swear Luna… I'd say act you age but you are still technically seventeen…" Resting her fork and knife onto her napkin, Celestia clapped her hands twice.

A pair of waitresses entered the hall and were quick to get into gear. Like a well-oiled machine, the two mares quickly cleaned up the mess with some rags and spray bottles. Within probably a minute -if not less- the table was cleaned, and a new mug of coffee was placed before the still depressed lunar princess.

"Sit up and act mature Luna!" Celestia firmly chastised, her inner mother showing. Luna wilted under the intense glare and harsh tone, fully sitting up in her chair and actually grasping her mug with both hands and gently sipping from it with a blush and averted gaze. Celestia sighed before turning her attention back to her daughter. "So what part are you not getting?" she asked, grasping her knife and fork and cutting back into her food.

"The second sentence," Raven answered as she cut into her now half eaten cakes and taking a big bite, her words a little muffled as she pushed the food to the corner of her mouth. "Through the mist. I don't get if it is a place or a metaphor."

"Hmmm…" Celestia hummed in thought, pausing her cutting. The mare closed her eyes, her horn igniting as the precursor to the book that appeared not a moment later. The princess eased it onto the table next to her plate before she used her magic to open it and shuffle through its pages.

"I thought I told you no studying at the table?" Cadance teased as she entered the room with Shining Armor in tow. Both Raven and Copper waved their greetings since their mouths were stuffed full while Luna inclined her head. Both Shining and Cadance were quick to grab their own seats next to Celestia. "What are you looking for?" the nosy pink princess asked as she leaned forward to examine the tome before her.

"You cousin has discovered a riddle and cannot seem to solve it," Celestia clarified, not taking her attention away from the parchment.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Cadance inquired, turning towards the woman in question.

"The answers you seek. You will find through the mist. Only then, will you find the will of the wisp."

Both the pink mare and the white stallion shared a look of confusion as they tried to think about any leads of their own. No one at the table could seem to figure out what it meant except for Celestia who was lost in her book search. As they thought, Shining and Cadance had made an order for their own meals. They missed out on Celestia's glorious hot cakes.

"Well…" Celestia started as she lifted her head away from the tome and towards her daughter. "The mist means two things, if I had to hazard a guess. The first one pertains to Canterlot Mountain. Before I established Canterlot after…" Celestia glanced at Luna briefly, the lunar mare closing her eyes out of shame. "Well, anyway. The Canter was known as the misty mountain."

"It was?" Shining questioned as he munched down on his strawberry smothered toast.

Celestia confirmed it with a nod. "Before we implemented a weather team, this part of the mountain would be in the clouds. It looked like something out of a crime novel." Everypony made their own little noise of interest at the declaration. "But there is nothing here. The mountain was once mined for gems but was abandoned a century ago. Then there is the fact that the mountain is so steep, that no pony would dare climb it."

"So, what is the other possibility?" Raven asked.

"Luna, you remember Mistmane?" Celestia asked her sister, causing the dark mare in question to look up from her drink before nodding her head. "Mistmane was one of the few mares that was crucial with defending Equestria a millennia ago."

"She was one of the Pillars," Luna added. "Along with Somnambula."

"You mean the town we visited?"

"I think you mean the mare the town was named after," Celestia clarified. "Anyway, Mistmane was one of Somnambula's acquaintances. Together they-"

Just then, the dining hall doors opened yet again, and a very exhausted and disheveled Nightmare Moon stumbled inside. She didn't even pause to say hello, just opting to grab a pineapple -a whole pineapple- from the stack of fruit on the table that had been ignored up until this point and bite into it, peel and all, before making her leave back out the door she entered from. Just before the door closed entirely, a bright orange and yellow blur flew in, gliding around the table once before she came into land with a couple of graceful flaps of her elegant wings.

Philomena squawked excitedly as she happily bounced her way across the table and towards Raven. The large avian was eager to see her human, cooing happily at the fingers as they scritched her neck and head. Once she received her fill of attention after a little while, the phoenix hopped her way towards the fruit pile, briefly examining her options before settling on a single grape. With meal pinched delicately in her beak, the bird hopped back towards her person, settling within arm’s reach for more needed -an very necessary- pets.

"So, about Mistmane?" Raven said, easing back into the conversation as she idly rubbed her hand through Philomena's soft feathers.

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that Nightmare went to town on that pineapple? Peel and all?" Shining questioned as he held up a bagel.

"We are not a morning pony," Luna added.

"We, as in you?" the stallion asked.

"We, as in both of them," Raven clarified. "They are technically the same pony."

"Mistmane is the Element of Beauty. The precursor to the Element of Generosity. Perhaps that is the link you are looking for. Monarch butterflies are very beautiful, so it would make perfect sense to start a search with her," Celestia finished, seemingly ignoring the previous three statements.

"But where would I find her?" Raven questioned, pausing only to hold up her hand away from Philomena. The pheonix's head immediatly snapped towrads the human, she never said stop.

"Perhaps you should start with her home. The mare has been dead for some time," Celestia clarified. "I'll make sure to get you a map. Do you plan on going with anypony?"

The human girl in question shrugged her shoulders as she looked around the room. "I know you want Aunt Luna here and you're probably too busy to want to come." Celestia nodded to both. That left Raven with a couple of options. So, the human turned towards Shining and Cadance. "You probably have plans."

Cadance nodded as she chewed her cereal. "I just can't drop my foalsitting job in a heartbeat."

"Flare probably has you doing all her paperwork," Raven said to Shining Armor jokingly. "Even though I could order you to come."

The stallion shrugged. Basically, a yes to both statements.

She turned to the bird.

"What about you Philomena? Would you like to go with me!" Raven said playfully as she ruffled the phoenix's head feathers. The bird seemed to be smiling at the playful tone, chirping away happily. "Guess it's on me." The human had offered it initially to Copper as well, but he was unable to get away from his job to go. "Guess it's just me then," she mused. Philomena hopped away to grab another grape while the human watched her.

"I do need you to help me with something before you go sweetie," Celestia requested, grabbing the teen's attention. Philomena hopped over to her owner and dropped the grape in front of her before hopping away. "Thank you, Philomena," the princess giggled as she took the grape and popped it into her mouth. "While you were gone, we had a massive influx in recruits to join the new branch of the royal guard."

Raven furrowed her brow in confusion.

So did Luna.

"New branch, sister?"

"The Lunar Guard!" Celestia excitedly declared with a beaming smile. "Tasked with the protection of the night."

Luna was hanging on every word her sister spoke and leaning in closer and closer as well.

"I want you to take your aunt to the barracks and inspect the new troops. They arrived yesterday and I haven't had time to visit yet. I know how much you enjoy harassing the guards," Celestia said with a playful smirk before turning her attention towards her sister. "And I thought you might enjoy the sight of our newest contingent."

Celestia paused, smiling warmly towards her younger sister, tears of joy threatening to break free.

"Welcome back Luna!"

The mare in question was a blue blur that shot off across the table, sending her chair sliding across the floor as she nearly tackled her older sister off her own seat. Raven and Cadance shared a glance, each sharing a pleasant smile, half smile. Celestia eased her way back towards the table with her much smaller sister still holding her tightly and sobbing tears of joy into the alabaster fur on her neck.

"You two best get dressed," Celestia suggested as Luna sat up.

She is like a child… Raven mused at the sight of her smaller aunt in her mother's significantly larger lap.

Luna -now dressed in her usual and elegant dark blue dress- followed along excitedly as ~Raven~ lead the way towards the training grounds. The human was rather eager to harass some new recruits by embarrassing them on their first day. Luna was practically bouncing on the tips of her hooves. All they had known at this point was that there was a waiting company of guards for the Lunar Guard. ~Raven~ spared her aunt a glance, smiling within her warframe as they rounded the final corner.

The castle training grounds were just as they had always been. Many ponies were training, some were running, and others were working out, all while under the gaze of their drill instructors, Sergeant's Dawn and Longbow. The two ponies watched on, occasionally chatting between one another about a recruit’s performances. ~Raven~ drew her Javlok just as they entered the room, holding it firm before she lifted it just far enough to rest the spiked head of the weapon against the stone floor with a resonating bang.

Dawn and Longbow paused their conversation, furrowing their brows in confusion at one another as they turned to look over their shoulders. Both guards of them might as well have died with how pale they turned as their eyes went wide. "COMMANDER ON DECK!" the instructors bellowed in unison, grabbing the attention of every recruit withing the training grounds. Much to their chagrin, every recruit froze in fear, causing both instructors to look like a pair of morons. "NOW!"

Dozens of ponies finally got it in them to run towards the two ponies. In was a ten second frenzy as ponies of all colors and backgrounds ran as if their life depended on it as they quickly got into formation. The recruits were sweating like mad under the intense glares of their instructors.

"That was sloppy recruits," Sergeant Dawn chastised as she glared her way down the line.

"They clearly need work," ~Raven~ mentioned as her attention moved to Longbow.

"You have no idea," he replied with a sly smirk.

Dawn marched his way down the line, glaring at his newest batch of recruits. The poor pones never felt so small as many of them began to sweat more and more under the harsh scrutinizing glare. Once she reached the end of the line, she nodded towards the princesses.

~Raven~ nodded in acknowledgement as she transferred from her warframe. "Everypony! Say hello to your charge!" She turned, holding out a hand towards Princess Luna, who stood stoic. But the mare was struggling to hold in her glee at having her own personal guard again!

"HELLO PRINCESS!" the collective unit shouted.

Luna waved.

"She will be you're new commanding officer!" Raven continued, turning back towards the new recruits. "Your job is to protect her, the castle, the royal family, Canterlot, and her night as the Lunar Guard! Can we trust you to uphold your oath and protect Equestria and her people?"

"YES PRINCESS!"

"Good!" Raven began to walk the line and inspect the front line of troops. A good majority of them were thestrals and it was good to see that they were branching out from their usually uh... 'shy' demeanor. If Raven's time in Thestralshire was anything to go by, this batch of recruits might be the hardest yet. But there were also several unicorns within the ranks. But the tenno swore she saw a snaggle toothed fang poking out from a lip of one of the unicorns in the ranks.

She wondered how that type of crossbreeding worked.

She didn't think too hard about it as she suddenly pressed her nose right against a stallion’s muzzle, glaring at him with her one good eye. "You want to know how I got these scars?"

He gulped, wilting under her intense gaze as his own drifted towards the marks and the patch covering her bad eye. "N-No... ma'am..." he squeaked in a tone that seemed to be much higher than one would assume for a pony of his build. Her gaze narrowed before she pulled and turning away, causing the stallion to let out a sigh of relief. But he immediately snapped back to attention when she spun back to glare at him further. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she headed back down the line.

Her watchful eye drifted over the sea of colored ponies before she saw one standout. There was a brint pink, tiny mare somewhere in the middle. She was much shorter than the rest of her allies. Raven cocked her head and narrowed her eye in though. She had to make sure.

"You, pinky in the middle. Front and center!"

The little pink mare went stiff, her ears perking at the order before she disappeared in the crowd. Raven waited patiently as the soft clip clop of hooves on the stone floor as the little mare came trotting around to the front. She ran straight and right in front of the young princess and right at attention.

"Princess!"

Rave stared down at the smaller mare as she racked her brain. It took her a second, but then it hit her.

"Rosey?"

The adorable little bat mare beamed up at the princess with a big, fang filled smile. "Hi princess! It's really good to see you again!"

"Holy shit it is you!" Raven beamed as she reached out and pulled the smaller mare into a welcoming hug. Rosey was more than eager to reciprocate the affection before they separated, holding each other by their biceps. "What are you doing here?" she whispered. THey hadn't seen each other since that time in Thestralshire a few years ago.

"When I heard that the lunar princess had returned, I had to join!" Rosey explained eagerly.

Raven glanced towards her aunt and friends before turning back towards Rosey. "Look, I have something I have to do. So, I am going to be out of a town for a while, but when I get back. I have a job opportunity for you when I return."

Rosey's eyes sparkled with gleeful excitement. "Really!?"

"You know it," Raven smiled. As they pulled away, the princess pointed back towards her gathered troops. "Now get in line!"

Rosey immediately snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes princess!" she acknowledged before scurrying back into line.

Raven decided to call it there. She wandered back towards her aunt and the two instructors and crossing her arms. "They need work, but that's the point of training." She gently slapped Longbow on the arm. "Keep them in line for me?" she asked before transferring back into Frost.

"Will do!" he smiled.

She stepped away from him and began to head for the door before a though came to mind. She spun her Javlok around, closing the shield that protected the barrels. "Oh, before I forget?" she asked, looking towards Longbow, causing his ears to perk. "Does this hurt?"

She smashed the closed head of her weaponright onto Longbow's right hoof.

Luna gasped in horror as the rest of the recruits did the same, flinching in shock and horror at the sound of metal resonating throughout the training grounds. Longbow screamed at the top of his lungs, grabbing at his leg with both hands and hopping around like an injured rabbit. He continued to scream out in agony for several more seconds.

Dawn wasn't fooled as she rolled her eyes, but smirked knowingly.

"AH! AH! AAAAAAAAAAH- I'm okay," Longbow suddenly stated as if nothing had ever happened, leaving everyone in different states of confusion and shock as he rested his leg back onto the ground. They continued to stare with wide eyes and covered faces as he wandered back towards his own group with a knowing smirk. Reaching down, he grasped at his right pant leg and pulled it up to reveal the metal prosthetic underneath. He knocked on it twice with his knuckles. "Wrong leg."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief...

~Raven~ wandered through the little town she had found from the map her mother had shown her. It had been a short journey towards the southwestern town, but the place was as lively as ever. Supposedly, long before Equestria was as large as it was today, the land had been ruled by a number of different royals, kings and queens, each in charge of their own city state before eventually merging with Equestria as a whole somewhere within the last five to eight hundred years.

The town of Sable, named after its last ruler, was about -if not larger- than Ponyville. Actually, it probably was larger the closer the human got to the settlement's city center. Nope, it was on par with Somnambula, a town not as big as Canterlot, but still bigger than the quaint town of Ponyville. Ponies of all walks of life, along with some other unfamiliar creatures wandered the town and marketplace. But ~Raven~ was not there to shop, she was after Mistmane's former home.

The walk was nothing special, at most all she received was a curious glance before she finally approached the ornate mansion. Surrounded by an ornate, stone wall with red overhangs and gold accent, it was clearly ancient Japony in design. Resting before the gate, ~Raven~ rested the mace head of her Javlok against the ground. She expected guards, but it was clear that the structure was nothing but a relic of a bygone era. Much like the Tomb of Inaros.

But she was shocked by the rather decrepit state.

The gardens were overgrown and the plants wilting. Vines and weeds devoured what they could, even going as far as to lay across the path that led to the palace. If she was going to be honest with herself, ~Raven~ was appalled. It felt like she was stumbling through some of the worst jungles that nation had. The girl immediately lost sight of the external wall and barely saw any of the buildings that populated the land. Somewhere along the line, she paused, leaning in to examine a pink and white, four leafed flower in a very sad looking pot. The only life this place seemed to have.

~Raven~ sighed as she looked around.

This was going to be a bust unless she found somepony lost in this maze of detritus. She was lost in her thoughts for so long that she failed to notice the being that descended behind her.

“Who are you?” a gentle voice inquired.

~Raven~ slowly turned around and was surprised by the sight before her. The butterfly-like being was nearly exactly as the name implied. She was orange and black in color, bright white emanating from her wings. But the cloaked and almost skeleton-like face of her helmet and the pair of twisted, burning pigtails added to the air of menace.

It was her; it was Wisp.

She found her.

Raven transferred from her warframe but before she could say a thing, the female warframe was quick to draw her Fulmin rifle, pointing it maliciously at the human.

“Woah woah woah!” Raven was quick to protest, immediately holding out her hands defensively before transferring back into Frost. “I already dealt with Inaros! I don’t want to deal with you too!”

Bad choice of words, now that she thought about it.

“You killed Inaros!?” The warframe demanded in shock, fully raising and shouldering her rifle.

“No no no!”~Raven~ quickly back pedaled. She really needed to reel her words back in in order to salvage this conversation. The girl paused, planning her next words carefully. She spoke softly and slowly, “Inaros sent me here to find you. We did battle, yes. But I did not kill him. I’m only looking for answers!” ~Raven~ wanted to make that explicitly clear first and foremost before she moved on towards a different topic.

"You are human! You are Orokin!" Wisp accused, floating forward threateningly. "You cannot be trusted!"

This again?

"I am not of Orokin descent," ~Raven~ stated before she decided to be bold and transfer from her warframe a second time, hands still held high and palms out. She took a few tentative steps away from her own warframe while the one opposite her tightened her grip on her rifle. "I was made by their knives-" the human lifted her shirt to reveal numerous scars. "-not by choice. Just as you were."

Wisp lowered her weapon briefly, as though she believed the words the human spoke. "You lie!" she suddendly accused yet again, raising her rifle and taking aim.

Raven tightened her lips into a tight line. That's when she felt something that could possibly change the warframe's mind. The tenno didn't have to wait long as Frost suddenly appeared between her and Wisp, the frozen king palming the weapons silencer, forcefully jerking the gun away and out of Wisp's hands. The female warframe could only stare up in shock as the bull loomed over her like a titan.

"F-Frost! You're… alive?"

He tilted his head in confusion at her.

"What?"

Raven's words, or just one word to be precise, knocked the warframe from her stupor. The armored creature looked past the ice titan and towards the waiting and confused woman. Wisp then glanced back towards Frost and towards Raven yet again. Wisp gently reached out towards her weapon, only for Frost to splay away from her holding out a hand to stop her while his other held the weapon over his head.

Wisp paused.

That's when the god queen decided to ease herself forward, resting her hands flat against the frozen king's breastplate. As though she was embracing a long-lost lover, she pressed the part of her helmet where her mouth should be against his own, the faintest of blue sparks arching between them.

"I will help you..."

Frost seemed to relax, lowering his arms and offering her matching colored weapon back to her. Wisp grasped her gun by the barrel and slipped it over her back. Floating past him, the Monarch finally presented herself to the operator in a much less hostile manner this time. Her Etheria chest plate flowed with pure, reddish orange energy. The life blood. On each shoulder was a bright orange lotus emblem with a tassel attached at the base. Lastly, her Vetala leg armor at her ankles seemed to keep her aloft along with her twisted, branch and vine like ends of her legs. Lastly, she was armed with a Pangolin Prime sword. An elegant, S style, hooked blade. A trusted starter weapon of many clans.

"I need answers," Raven bluntly stated.

"Then we must find Harrow," Wisp replied.

Raven let out another exhaustive sigh, glancing to the side. "What riddle do I have to solve…"

Wisp cocked her head to the side curiously. "What do you mean? I did say I would help you. In order to get the true answers, you seek, Harrow is the oldest of us all. He can help you. But we must find him first."

Turning, Wisp began to float away towards the gate. Raven transferred back into Frost and began to follow. "Where do we find him?"

"We will start with his last known location," Wisp replied, glancing over her shoulder. "At the tree of life."

"Where is that?"

"You have got to be kidding me…"

She was back at the castle that she had been at only about a month prior. The fact that she had to double back was one thing, the fact that she had been in the same building was another! The two warframes stared up at the old ruins. After a few seconds of examination, Wisp started towards the door.

"I do not remember such dilapidation," Wisp mused as she hovered through the open doors and into the main hall. "But it has been many moons since I was last here."

"Quite a bit has happened in recent years," ~Raven~ clarified as she followed behind the goddess. "But where is this tree of life? Last time I was here there was nothing but vines and weeds."

Wisp came to a halt, holding a finger to her chin in thought. "The castle was constructed over it as both a monument to its power, but to also house its protectors." She looked to the left, the right, and back to the left. "I believe it is this way," she pointed. Just as ~Raven began to follow, Wisp fluttered past her towards the opposite direction. "My apologies, it was this direction."

~Raven~ groaned…

"But this place is called the 'Castle of the Two Sisters,'" the human clarified.

"It has held many names," Wisp explained as her cloaked head examined the walls and destruction before she headed towards a descending hallway and staircase. "But the purpose has always been the same. It is clear that the meaning has long been forgotten."

"It was abandoned after my mother and my aunt had a bit of a fight here," ~Raven~ explained vaguely.

"They must be powerful unicorns."

"Alicorns," the daughter replied. "A combination of all three races."

"Interesting," Wisp mused under her breath, slowing down only briefly. "This way."

The pair continued to traverse farther and farther into the depths of the castle until they were deep underground. The halls were no better than the outside surface, perhaps even worse. The air and walls were moist and damp, the only thing that seemed to keep the dust down. The occasional rat scurried along the floor and from hole to crack, spiders dutifully guarded their webs while lizards clung to the walls. The squeaking of a bat could be heard somewhere within the darkness.

They were wandering some random hall, ~Raven~ watching the warframe flitter back and forth from wall to wall, rubbing the cold and wet stone, occasionally rapping her knuckles here and there. This went on for some time.

"You have no clue where he is do you?"

"There is a hidden room along this corridor…" Wisp answered. "Or perhaps it was that one back there…I'm looking for his quarter's not himself. I doubt Harrow would be-"

"I think I found him!" ~Raven~ hollered from an adjacent hallway. Wisp blinked in confusion, quickly glancing over her shoulder and fluttering her way back the way she came and around a left-hand corner. The hallway was lined with suit after suit of rusty metal and very outdated armor. About halfway down the line stood a very dusty looking statue.

But to the trained eye, he was more than a statue.

He stood tall and proud, head held high, left hand behind his back while his right held his staff firmly in place. It was almost the mirror image to the golems that guarded Inaros' tomb.

That, and he did not look anything like the battle suits that lined each wall of the hallway.

Raven transferred from her frame as she examined the dormant warframe before her. Well, if it worked with Inaros, she assumed that it would work with Harrow. So, the girl manifested a ball of bright red energy within her open palm before she tentatively reached inside his chest cavity and wrapped her hand around his exposed heart. The organ glowed a bright violet as she felt her unique powers leave her body. Raven squeezed the heart a couple more times before she felt it begin to beat under its own power.

The warframe shuddered, shaking off who knows how many layers of dust from his body, revealing the bright violets and whites of his armor and cloth. He shook his head, the front of his round helmet flowing bright with violet energy as the pointed halo to the rear ignited with the same color energy. The warframe groaned from hundreds of years of pain due to a severe lack of movement.

"Wisp?" Harrow questioned to the Monarch as he stepped down from his pedestal. "What are you doing here?" He then shifted his gaze towards the human next to him. "And why is there a human here?"

"She is seeking answers," Wisp replied as she fluttered closer to the warframe and began wiping dust from his sweeping shoulder pauldrons.

He looks like a priest… Raven mused.

Makes sense, Harrow is often referred to as 'The Void Priest.' But this one was a bit strange. His body was almost split in two, bits of the same energy between the gaps of his upper torso and hips looked a lot like a ribcage and the same sorta went with his arms. They were wrapped in white bandages and split at the elbow. Past the cloaks that covered his legs, she could barely see the portion where his shins were missing. Lastly, a long, black flowing cloak that descended to a tattered violet tip covered his back.

A shattered being bound by void and will.

When he turned back to Raven, only then did she perk up and give him her full attention. "What is an Orokin doing on this planet?" he questioned.

Raven internally sighed for the billionth time. "I'm not Orokin."

The warframe grabbed her hand and began to examine her skin. Harrow released her arm before he cupped her chin, tilting it slightly to the side to examine her face, his gaze lingering on her missing eye and the oatch that covered. He lifted her shirt, causing the human to blush while he examined the numerous scars that covered her body.

"It would seem you are correct," Harrow eventually spoke. "But you are still not trustworthy."

"Then how can I prove myself?" She asked as the warframe began to make his leave, Wisp in tow.

"Harrow," Wisp decided to cut in. "The world has changed. She has sought us out looking for answers. I brought her here because I knew you could help her."

"We have protected and cultivated this land and its people for the better to spite the Orokin and to prove that we are better than the monsters that created us," Harrow responded with what felt like an air of professionalism. "But it is clear that this human is of their design. She may not be Orokin, but she is of their design. I will allow her to walk free for now, but I do not have to trust her unless she is to prove herself."

"Then what am I to do?" Raven cut in, causing both warframes to turn and face her. "How must I prove myself to be worthy of your trust?"

The two warframes shared a glance before turning back towards the human. "Bring back my squad and I will answer all the questions you have," Harrow replied.

"Who am I looking for?"

"Atlas, Oberon, and Zephyr," Harrow listed, holding his left hand close to his chest. "Bring them to me and we shall talk."

"Where can I find them?" Raven requested. It would greatly reduce her search time. She didn't want to go after another wild goose chase. Her luck might not hold this time, especially not as quickly as it has up until now. Who knew how many other warframes were scattered across the planet.

"You can find them… through… the… erhm…"

Raven gave the warframe a look bemusement. If Wisp had eyes, she would have rolled them before fluttering towards her companion, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It has been a millennium since we have seen one another in one place. Last I heard, Atlas was headed towards the eastern seas. Same with Zephyr. I do not know where Oberon has gone. You best head that direction. As a begining."

Raven sighed exhaustedly as she wilted slightly. "Back to the library it seems…" she perked up and smiled as she thanked them. "At least I'm one step closer."

"I shall escort you to the entrance," Wisp offered.

With that, they were off, Harrow following shortly behind them.

~Raven~ was not thrilled to be back in Ponyville, but it was the closest town in the vicinity to the castle ruins. But the princess really didn't want to be in this little town, the chances of running into Twilight and her new friends had been high. Especially since Twilight had moved to the valley town several weeks prior.

~Raven~ sighed as she passed by the central statue. The place was bustling with activity with dozens of ponies out mingling and being merry. The tenno paid no mind to the occasional stares and reciprocated welcoming waves with one of her own. She only had one thing on her mind, which was get a meal while she waited for her train to arrive. So, the princess headed for what appeared to look like a place to eat.

It looked like a giant gingerbread house as she approached, stepping through the open door and into the little diner/cafe/snack shop place. It was bustling with conversation and excitement. Three little fillies, one orange, one white, another yellow sat around a table slurping away at their respective milkshakes. Couples shared their own milkshakes as well while other ponies munched away at their meals. ~Raven~ stepped in line, patiently waiting for her turn to place her order. The two ponies before her were quick to place their orders before she stepped up and opted to get a grilled cheese with some chips to go with it from a pudgy little blue mare behind the counter.

It wasn't much of a wait, a few minutes at most while she read the local newspaper. The princess could see the three fillies glancing her way and whispering about something, but she didn't bother to investigate.They could have their fun. Eventually the pudgy mare returned and set down ~Raven's~ order, so she fold up her paper and tossed a few extra bits onto the counter. Just as she turned, a frustrated voice called out to her.

"Hey! What are you doing her you big meany!"

~Raven~ slowly turned around and glared at the pony calling her out.

It was the same pink mare from the castle. The pudgy pony glared at the warframe with the disapproving sight of a thousand angry foals. The room went dead silent as ponies watched the bull and the towns premiere party planner stare each other down. The pink mare stormed her way over like an accusatory girlfriend, hunched over and hands balled up into fists at her sides.

"Why I should teach you-"

"Teach me. What?"

Pinkie went immediatly silent as she was cut off by the human partly transferring from her warframe and grabbing a fistful of the mare collar, pulling the pink mares muzzle square against her face, glaring deep into Pinkie's blue eyes.

Pinkie gulped, loudly.

"Uhm… not throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville Party?'" she smiled nervously.

Seriously?

Raven continued to stare the girl down to see what she was trying to hide, but her profuse sweating and nervous look was more than enough to know that was it. The human narrowed her eye at the mare before she released her collar, the human fully stepping out of her suit and forcing the now scared pink mare to take a few cautious steps back.

"That's what I thought."

Turning back towards the door, Raven was quick to exit the building with Frost in tow under the gazes of anger filled glares. She found it best to just head for the station and wait for her train to arrive, because the princess clearly wasn't wanted in this town anymore.

"Hey! You one eyed freak!"

Raven groaned…

She continued walking as if she hadn't heard the insult from the scratchy tomboyish tone of the blue pegasus approaching her. The human continued to ignore the mare as the pegasus continued to storm her way over.

"I want to have a word with you!"

"Just ignore her…" Raven muttered under her breath. But it was all in vain as the pegasus cut her off by standing right in front of her. "What? What do you want?" She was beyond annoyed by now.

"You and I are going to have a bit of a chat," Rainbow threatened as she cracked her knuckles in preparation for a fight.

"Yeah, because cracking your knuckles is what you do before a 'talk,'" Raven replied with air quotes. "Unless you want to see how fast you will end up in the hospital, I suggest you move." She went to step past the pegasus, only for her to block her yet again. With yet another bemused expression, Raven glared at the pegasus. "Move…"

Rainbow leaned in close, her muzzle just millimeters from her opponent's nose. "Make me!" she retorted with challenging smirk.

Raven stepped right through her.

Not around, not over or even under but through.

"Gah!" the pegasus shuddered at the cold feeling of something going right through her body. She felt violated in ways she didn't know she could!

The rainbow maned mare spun on her heels and watched in awe as the princess just casually continued down the road as if nothing had even happened. The pegasus turned back towards the suit and immediately made him her next target. With brow firm and tongue strong, she pressed her hand firm against his chest. "Now see here bucko, you bring her back this- OW!"

Frost quickly grasped her hand, prying it from his chest, her wrist and knuckles cracking as she folded over to her right.

Nobody threatens the operator!

"Okay okay! I give I give!" Rainbow begged as the pain in her hand and arm quickly became unbearable. Frost continued to jerk her around before she was too far to the side that she could not recover quickly, that is when he would release her. When he did eventually release her, she landed on her side with a grunt and a small puff of dust. Rainbow seethed as she propped herself up, glaring at the pair as they continued on their way.

"Rainbow, darling, why are you wallowing in the dirt like a pig?"

The mare glanced towards the direction of the voice and was greeted by a pair of white hooves and dark pants. "Twilight's ex-friend," Rainbow grunted, pushing herself back to her hooves and brushing the dirt from her grey tank top.

Rarity hummed in response as she watched the princess and her armored guard walking away. "You best not antagonize them," the fashionista suggested. "We've seen firsthand what she can do." Rarity glanced towards Rainbow with a skeptical eye. "I suggest you leave them be." Reaching into her pocket, Rarity pulled out a small brush and began cleaning the dust from her brash friend's clothing.

"Should we let Twilight know?"

Rarity paused her delicate strokes as a look of worry graced her features. "Too late…"

Raven was a fair distance from the unruly pegasus when she felt somepony watching her. Her sixth sense had kicked up and at first the human glance to the right but didn't see anything. It was when she shifted her gaze to her left did, she notice who was watching her.

Twilight stood out in the crowd like a diamond in the rough. She held her hands over her heart as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. The little purple mare reached out towards her friend, silently calling out for her best friend to come to her.

It never happened.

Raven did nothing but narrow her gaze, glaring Twilight down as she continued on her way, causing the poor unicorn to lower her head in sadness.

Raven just shook her head in disbelief. Twilight had one thing to do. Just one thing and for some strange reason she would not do it. It was unbelievable. She the princess marched on; her destination partially known. She would need to find Atlas.

The other God King of the Earth.

Author's Notes:

Alright...

I'm going to be honest, I have had little motivation do write due to everything that is going on in the world. So first off as I have mentioned before is that Covid does not scare me. People acting irrationally does, however. But I am sick of how horrendously the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. I'm also sick of hearing about the riots that appear to still be happening. It just pisses me off to no end that people are like this. Because there are times where I just sit here and think that there is no way people are this stupid or such lost causes.

Then I turn on the news and there went that ideology, right out the window.

Just like everyone else, I'm done. At this point, I'd find more pleasure shooting myself in the foot than dealing with yet another video or talk or whatever about the worlds current state of 'nuclear world ending' affairs.

I don't want to bring politics into this, but I just have to at this point.