Author's Notes:

This chapter was difficult for me to work on. Real Life had to come and punch me in the gut. During the start of September, a few days ago, I got a call from my mother that my brother had overdosed and had been taken to the hospital. She told me that I needed to go down and say my goodbyes to him. He was unresponsive and was kept on a ventilator for the night and died the next morning.
For those of you who may think that drugs won't hurt you, think again. Sooner or later it will get you too. It will take you, chew you to pieces and leave you dead without a single care for what it has done to you and your family.

In memory of my Big Brother.

Following the group into the center of the community, Starless gazed around in amazement. Unlike the surrounding settlement they had passed through, this part was cleaned of webbing and spider remains. Long fire pits had been set up to guard various approaches while ponies, with their legs wrapped tightly in rope, stood ready with hammers and axes for anymore surprise raids by the spiders. Further to the north, large pyres burned, sending thick black smoke up into the air as ponies tossed dead spiders into them. The wretched stench of it filled the air.

Approaching a large, stone structure, many of the ponies that had come to their aid broke away and joined the others who were standing guard. The stallion wearing the carved wolf head took it off and slipped inside the large building, quickly followed by Dark and Comet, who was still carrying the unconscious Precious Rose on his back.

Suddenly, a light yellow-orange filly with a striped black mane and three lilies on her flanks, dashed out of the longhouse and leapt up to wrap her tiny hooves around Ground's neck. "Ground, I'm so happy you're back!" she shouted as her hooves dangled above the ground. Starless nearly giggled at the sight, guessing that the filly was Ground's little sister.

Dropping back to the ground, the filly suddenly gasped when she noticed Ground's injuries. Scowling up at the stallion, the filly started to angrily jabbed her little hoof into his chest. "You're hurt! How could you let that happen!? I thought you knew how to duck better than that! I swear, you're just like your father! Foolish and thickheaded as a log! It must be all those muscles you both have softening your brains. Making you both think that you can't ever be hurt!"

Starless felt her ire rise at the fillies harsh words to the stallion and she found herself angrily stomping up to her. "Hey! Don't talk to him like that! Ground is a good stallion! He bravely charged in and saved me from a hydra!" She glared down at the filly who stood a full head shorter than she did. "He also stood strong atop a massive rock-slide and helped save the remaining stallions from drowning! And when we were coming here, he gallantly jumped in front of me to face a massive Gigas Arachne that was about to snatch me up into its maw! His injuries were because he was saving me!"

The filly lifted one of her eyebrows as she considered her with a hard eye. "Ground. Who is this filly?"

Starless gaped down at her in outrage. "Filly! I'm not a filly! I'm a grown mare! You'd best learn to treat your elders with more respect, or else I'll have to give you a lesson in respect!" Her magic was still weak from the battle but she still managed to ignite her horn with a bright light.

If she was expecting the filly to suddenly cower before her, Starless would have been disappointed. Gazing up at her with interest, the filly suddenly smiled at her. "I like you. You've got spirit. Your tongue needs to learn to control itself better though. If I wasn't so happy that Ground returned back home safely, I may have taken the time to switch your rump raw for speaking to me so rudely."

Starless's horn began to crackle as her temper rose. Who did this filly think she was!?

Suddenly Ground shoved himself between the two as they glared at each other. "Please you two, don't fight."

"Stay out of this. This is between me and the young filly here."

"You're one to talk," Starless scoffed. "You look like you should be running off to your mother to have your nose wiped!"

"Starless, please stop!" Ground pleaded with her.

"Why!?" Starless snapped at him angrily. "Who is she to you? Huh? Your bratty little sister?"

"She's my mother!"

"Your mother!" Starless stared up at him in shock, her magic vanishing from her horn with a cracked-snap. Slowly her mortified gaze fell down to the filly who met her eyes with a hard look as cold as stone. Mother!? How could this little filly, a full head shorter than she was, be his mother!? He was a mountain and she was.... a mouse!

"Ground, dear," the tiny mare said. "I want you to go inside and have Dove look at your injuries while I see to this lovely filly."

Ground looked unsure as he glanced worriedly back at Starless.

"I won't repeat myself. Now go and do what I say," she snapped at Ground, her hard tone saying she would take no arguments on the matter. "Oh, and be a dear and find your sister and give her a hug. She’s been awfully worried about you since you left."

Ground quickly left, ducking inside the longhouse, leaving Starless in the company of his diminutive mother. Starless felt like she wanted to throw up. She had never been so embarrassed before. "I... am so sorry. I had no idea who you were."

"Whatever did you get all over yourself?” the little mare suddenly asked, ignoring her apology. "You're a complete mess!"

Starless grimaced when she realized how filthy she was. She reeked of burnt spider and her mane felt crusty and stiff from the fluids that had drenched her head and neck. Trying to brush her mane with her hoof only made things worse.

"Never mind," the little mare said with a dismissive wave of her hoof before marching past her. "Come with me."

Starless followed after the little mare as she lead her to a small structure that had been built next to the longhouse. Unlike the longhouse and all the other huts around, this structure didn't have a roof. It was made of stacked stones supported by wooden poles driven into the ground. Stepping inside, Starless found that the floor was made of carefully arranged flat-stones with river-sand filling in the seams.

"This was made a few days into the attack when many of the young mares started to complain that the stallions liked to watch them as they bathed," the little mare explained. "Now, sit there," she said pointing to a spot on the stone floor.

Starless immediately did as she was told and planted her rump down on the indicated spot. "I really do apologize for the way I acted towards you."

The small mare snapped her hoof out and smacked her across the back of her head. "Stop apologizing! I heard you the first time. You were defending Ground and that is very commendable, so there is nothing to be apologizing for." Taking up a gourd, she went over to a large log sitting by the wall that had a basin carved into it, and scooped out some water that it had been filled with. "What is your name, sweety?" she asked as she poured out the water over Starless' head.

Starless shuddered as the cold water soaked into her coat. "I'm Starless Night. Caster of the great Unicorn tribe of the Black Mountain."

"Hmm. Such a pretty name," Ground's mother said as she poured out more water over her head. "My name is Tiger Lily and I am Ground's mother." Taking a wad of something fibrous out of a water filled gourd, Tiger Lily used it to scrub at the mess in Starless' mane.

Starless felt her face flush in embarrassment as she was washed by Tiger Lily. "I can wash myself," she complained.

"I'm sure you can," Tiger Lily murmured as she continued scrubbing her. "Just as I'm sure you can properly feed yourself as well," she said with a frown as she poked Starless in her exposed ribs to emphasize her point.

Strange foaming bubbles slowly ran down her muzzle as Tiger Lily scrubbed her mane, and her nose was filled with a pleasant softly-sweet, earthy scent. "What is that you are using? It smells nice."

"We make it from Yucca roots," Tiger Lily said. "It can be eaten, but we find it's more useful to wash with." Taking a fresh one out of a gourd, Tiger Lilly resumed her scrubbing.

Not being satisfied with just washing her mane, Tiger Lily insisted on scrubbing down her entire body. Despite her complaints, she even cleaned in places that Starless was glad the stallions weren't able to watch be cleaned. In the end, Tiger Lilly thoroughly rinsed her down by pouring gourdfuls of water over her. Water ran off the stone ground under her, disappearing into the river-sand that was set between the joints. The last rinse she gave her was drawn from a special trough that had been filled with flowers to give the water a pleasant, floral scent.

With the warm late day sun drying her out, Tiger Lily took out one of those combs Starless noticed mares like to use, and began to work out the tangles in her mane. Complaining did nothing to stop the little mare, and any attempt to move away from the painful tugging resulted in her lightly being smacked and sternly being told to stop acting like a foal. Despite her best efforts, she still continued to whimper whenever Tiger Lily raked her comb through one of her tangles.

Tiger Lily

"The spiders attacked a few days after the long night ended." Meadowlark explained to Dark as they sat closely together. Their joyous reunion was marred by terrible news. Nearly a dozen spider bit ponies were laid out in the recently made sickroom, which was set off the side of the longhouse. Several homes had been demolished so it could quickly be built to house them. And five ponies had been taken by the spiders during the first night of the attack. "If it wasn't for Bell's wolves giving the alarm, it would have been much worse."

"What about Hoof Strike?"

"He lead the defenders during the first night's raid and gallantly held them off while ponies made it back to the safety of the longhouse," Meadowlark said. "When he saw that ponies were being taken, he recklessly rushed out to save them. He fought valiantly and was bitten several times, but he managed to rescue a single pony, a filly, and return with her before he finally succumbed to the spider’s venom. He has such a strong heart."

Dark glanced around, wondering where his foals were at. "Where's Celestia and Luna? I would have thought you would keep them close."

"Luna is in Dove and Bell's care at the moment." Meadowlark answered. "Aurora absolutely loves being with her."

"Aurora?" Dark had never heard of that name before.

"She's a newborn unicorn foundling that Dove discovered in the woods just after you all left," Meadowlark explained. "She, Bell, and Strongbuck have taken her in as one of theirs."

"A unicorn foundling? Well that's interesting," Dark mused. "And where is Celestia at?"

"Celestia's in the sickroom." Meadowlark said with a note of sadness mixed with pride. "She spends a lot of time in there helping Dove care for the afflicted ponies. Magpie Crackle is working really hard trying to find a cure to the spider’s venomous bite, but she still hasn't discovered one yet. Our hope for their survival lies with their good care and hard work."

"I wish I had stayed here," Dark said mournfully. "I could have done something."

Meadowlark scowled and shook her head. "Don't say that. There are twenty ponies alive right now because of what you did, including your own mother. Don't wish away their lives because of something you could have done here. I am proud of what you and the ponies with you have done. You were all amazing! Facing down flying snakes, manticores, and even a terrible hydra—though I'm not terribly thrilled you did that. Not to mention also finding an enchanted pool!" Meadowlark suddenly blinked as she looked around. "Oh, that reminds me. You said that Morning came back with you, right? Where is she- I mean he at? I would most like to see him."

"Oh, he's around somewhere," Dark said with a grin. "He was looking really nervous when we arrived so he's probably hiding somewhere from both his, and Mustard's mothers."

"I wonder how they are going to take the news?" Meadowlark mused out loud. "I can't even imagine how I would react if it had happened to Celestia and Ash."

"You would love them just as you always have." Dark answered with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Meadowlark nodded. "Though it would be strange to braid Ash's mane instead of Celestia's," she said with a chuckle. "That pegasus you came across. Flutter Fly. Do you think she will be able to convince the other pegasi to accept your idea?"

Dark thought about it. "I hope so."

Suddenly, the room around them went completely silent. Looking back across the room to see what had caught the attention of all the ponies there, they saw two figures that had just entered together.

"Oh my. So that's the unicorn you told me about," Meadowlark murmured, looking at the taller of the pair with interest. "You never told me how beautiful she is."

Dark wasn't able to answer her as he gaped at Starless in shock. Her once dingy coat was now clean and shiny. Her mane and tail were freshly brushed and now cascaded freely down the side of her neck with her tail flowing nearly down to the ground. Her long horn on her forehead practically sparkled in the firelight. Next to her, Tiger Lily held her head high as she looked over the silent room with a challenging look. Dark was almost positive that somewhere in Tiger Lily's lineage, an ill-tempered badger had somehow slipped in. "Looks like our little tigress has gotten her paws on the poor mare."

Looking around nervously at all the ponies that were gawking at her, Starless hesitated. Tiger Lily scowled and jabbed her in the ribs to start her moving.

Turning, Meadowlark took an artfully crafted, feathered creation out of a basket and carefully slipped it over her head.

"What is that?" Dark asked, admiring the bright red and yellow plumage that now adorned her head.

"It's a headdress," Meadowlark answered taking another out. "Some of the younger mares made it for me to wear, and I liked it so much I asked for them to make one for you too," she said, holding another out to him.

Dark seriously thought about refusing to put the ridiculous thing on, but after meeting her earnest gaze, Dark knew he couldn't turn it down. With a sigh, Dark allowed her to slip the blue and black feathered headdress over his head.

Slowly crossing the room, Starless approached the raised platform that Meadowlark and Dark stood waiting on. Her elegant steps were light and smooth as she glided across the room. Coming to a stop before them, she bent her knee and lowered her head down until it almost touched the ground. "Greetings, Matriarch of the Mighty Earth Ponies. I am Starless Night, Caster for the Great Unicorns of the Black Mountain."

Meadowlark gazed down at the prostrated unicorn with a look of mild surprise. "Welcome, Starless Night. I am Meadowlark. Herd Mother to the Earth Ponies of Yore."

Dark gave a surprised jump. From what little he knew of the old pony tongue, Yore meant Harmony. When did she come up with that?

"I wish to thank you for the aid in fending off the spiders, earlier," Meadowlark added. "From what I heard, you were instrumental in holding them back and keeping my loving Dark and the other ponies from being completely overrun."

Ponies began to cheer behind her as Starless flushed with embarrassment. "Please. I don't deserve such praise. If it weren't for Ground, that giant spider would have eaten me when it charged me. He's the one who deserves our gratitude, most especially mine."

Tiger Lily gave a satisfied nod behind her with a proud look on her face.

Smiling down at Starless, Meadowlark gestured with her hoof. "Please. Come sit with us and tell us about the Unicorns of the Black Mountain. We are eager to hear all about you and your ponies."

Starless was hesitant about stepping up onto the platform, but when Tiger let out a tisk behind her, she jumped forward and hurriedly plunked her rump down. Taking a breath, Starless considered where she would start. "Umm... Long ago, when the sun and moon were guided by the Great Pattern of the Heavens, we lived wild on the land. Monsters and common predators hunted us for food and we were too weak to fight back. One day, a young mare named Fata Morgana, came across a strange, crystal tree.

"She was hungry and she saw brightly colored fruit hanging from its branches. Picking one, she bit into it and her eyes were suddenly opened. Continuing to eat the fruit, new understandings about magic came to her and filled her with new knowledge about its mysterious workings.

"Returning back to the other unicorns, she began to instruct them with her new knowledge. Now armed with their new power, the unicorns were able to rise up and conquer those that hunted them before. Fata Morgana became our first Great Matriarch of the unicorns, settling them into the Black Mountain and making it our home.

"Later, a dark spirit of greed tried to take the sun and moon. Two great spirits, angry at what she had done, came and fought with the dark spirit. Defeating her, they sealed her away forever inside a prison of crystal. Even though the dark spirit was defeated, the damage had been done. The sun and moon had been broken from the Great Pattern of the Heavens and they wandered lost and without guidance across the sky.

"Fata Morgana gathered her most talented unicorns together and lead them in trying to correct this tragedy. With winter, spring, summer and fall, all coming and going within hours of each other, terrible storms raged across the lands. Fata Morgana and her unicorns fought through the chaos and brought order back to nature. Many brave unicorns died in the valiant struggle, including Fata Morgana herself. As she lay dying, her children gathered around her and they all vowed to her that they would continue to safeguard the heavens and to never allow chaos to reign there again." Starless ended her story and the entire room was silent.

"That was a very interesting story," Meadowlark said, nodding her head thoughtfully. "I would have liked to have met Fata Morgana. She sounds like an amazing mare."

"Indeed," Starless agreed. "She was our greatest unicorn. We grew up with stories of her greatness and every filly like me wanted to be just like her when we grew up."

"That sounds like a worthy goal." Meadowlark commented. "What about your current Matriarch? What is she like?"

Starless paused as she considered her answer. "Matriarch Astral is a great mare of enormous skills and power. She’s a direct descendant of Fata Morgana herself. She cares for us and sees that we are fed and sheltered."

Meadowlark carefully examined Starless as she spoke. "Is that why she decided to start exploiting others like the Pegasi for food?"

Starless’ eyes grew alarmed. "That is something we have been forced to do! Food has been growing more scarce over the years and things have become desperate. We are near to starving! Every day, Unicorns are sent further and further out to search for food. I was part of a gatherer's team that had traveled further than we have ever done before. We had some luck early on and found a few pear trees, but our senior caster, Flare Bolt, wasn’t satisfied and wanted to find more, so we continue on. Our need for food is great and Astral saw that others were benefiting from the hard work we are doing to keep the heavens moving. Without the Unicorns, the world would perish in chaos! It's only right that those who are prospering from us also give us our fair share!"

"So the Pegasi refused when the Unicorns came to them and asked for help?" Meadowlark asked, her tone held no accusation.

Starless blinked in surprise. "Well no. We didn't see a reason to ask. What we're doing to keep the day and night cycles going, should be more than enough for them to see that they should give back some of what we have provided for them."

"So, instead of going to them with reason, the unicorns decided to start off with threats instead?"

Starless struggled to answer. Deep inside she knew that Meadowlark was right, but still, Astral was her Matriarch and the keeper of the heavens. Who was she to disapprove of her? "Astral was looking out for the well being of her unicorns and of the world itself!"

"Trees spread out their leaves to the sun, providing cool shade to the creatures below. Should the tree demand that the creatures provide it with water in order to use its shade?" Meadowlark asked. "A foal is totally reliant onto its mother for nourishment," Meadowlark continued. "Would it be right for that mother to deny the foal her teat should she feel that she is owed something from it?" Her words had a hard edge to them that was difficult to miss. "I understand the hard situation the Unicorns have found themselves in, and our hearts go out to them. But despite this, I cannot bring myself or the ponies under my care, to trust unicorns that have broken their oath to their greatest, and beloved Matriarch, Fata Morgana. From your own lips you told of how the Unicorns vowed to continue to safeguard the heavens and to never allow chaos to reign there again. This oath was broken by Matriarch Astral when she held back the morning to demonstrate her power. This is very troubling indeed."

Starless felt her chest tighten and she had trouble meeting Meadowlarks even gaze. Earth Ponies were so different from Unicorns. They were open and honest creatures, showing an uncomplicated view of everything that was very different from what Unicorns were like. Trust, to a Unicorn, was a dangerous thing to have. It was something that others could take advantage of and use against you. But Earth Ponies valued trust even above their own lives!

Staring down at her hooves, Starless felt something she had never really felt before burning in her chest. It made her want to run away and hide somewhere to cry. She hated how it made her feel. Shame. Shame at herself and shame at her own kind gnawed and twisted inside her like a living thing. Being born of a common blood mother, she had felt pride in her higher magical talents that got her raised to one of the high bloods. She had just been a filly when she was taken to be trained as a caster, and as she left to start her new life she never once looked back at her mother. Even now, she couldn't remember her name.

"There is more to your Matriarch's oath-breaking that has been done that you should know." Meadowlark stood with Dark, and she motioned for her to follow. "Come with us."

The entrance to the hastily built sickroom was a simple hole that was made in the wall of the longhouse. Inside was a spacious room that had been meticulously swept clean. Grass-woven mats had been set along the walls for the afflicted ponies to sleep on as they were cared for by others.

Entering the room, Meadowlark and Dark stopped next to a very large moss-green stallion with a tan mane and tail. If it weren't for the slight light rise and fall of the stallion's chest, it would be easy to mistake him for dead. He was laying on a mat that looked much too small for his body, and sitting next to him was Ground Pound with a younger, violet colored filly, leaning against his side. Starless' heart wrenched at the sight of him. Ground's eyes were downcast and his ears drooped with sadness.

"This is Hoof Strike, Tiger Lily's mate." Meadowlark explained as Tiger Lily slipped by to sit down with Ground Pound and the filly. "Ground Pound, and Snap Dragon are their foals." Snap Dragon was the exact same size as her mother while Ground towered over them like a mountain. "Hoof Strike bravely rushed out to save a filly that was being carried off by the spiders. Despite being bit several times, he managed to bring her back before he collapsed."

"My poor little Hoofie, I couldn't be more proud of him," Tiger said, looking down at her massive mate with a soft smile on her lips.

"Look around. All the ponies laying in here are victims of your Matriarch's oath-breaking." Meadowlark said, waving her hoof to indicate all the ponies laying around the room. "Her petty meddling with the natural cycles by creating the long night, caused the Spiders to go into a frenzy and swarm out of their nests to attack everything they came across. Five ponies have been taken by them so far, including that filly's entire family." Meadowlark pointed to a red colored filly laying by the far corner. "Her mother, as well as her mother's sister and their mother were all taken to be consumed by those vile things. If Strawberry Zest survives, she'll be all alone."

Starless's heart nearly broke. She wanted to deny it all. To shout out that they were wrong and that the unicorns were not at fault! How could anypony know that keeping the sun down for just one day cause something like this? Gazing across the room at the prone filly, Starless noticed a white coated filly sitting with her, slowly dribbling water into Strawberry's mouth. Finished, the white filly lowered her water gourd and looked up to meet her gaze.

Starless couldn't blink or look away as the filly's eyes looked deeply into her own. She could feel her examining her, stripping away all her carefully crafted illusions she hid herself behind, smashing through her pride and self-deceptions that shielded her, until her most inner self was laid bare to her. Starless wanted to recoil and hide herself from the filly's intimate scrutiny, but she was unable to break away from her. There was something hidden within that filly. Something greater that was waiting to be born.

Before Starless' eyes, the filly began to glow with a soft warm light that cast no shadows within the room. Her softly colored mane and tail billowed out like rolling clouds in the wind. Stretching up from her back, two wings appeared made of fire as a blazing horn extended up from her forehead to a long point that burned with a sun's blinding radiance. Starless wanted to fling herself down and cower before her.

With her eyes locked open, Starless watched as the filly lifted into the air with a light flap of her fiery wings. Floating across the room, the filly paused before her with a smile and lightly kissed her on her cheek. The terror and fear that had threatened to overwhelm her were suddenly burned away as a fire raged through her body, searing away all her resentment and self loathing she kept hidden deep inside, leaving her feeling accepted and loved. Something she had not felt in a very long time, not since she was very little, snuggled up with her mother had she felt such peace.

Blinking her eyes, Starless suddenly found everything just as it was. Across the room, a perfectly normal white filly looked back at her as she sat by her friend. No wings or horn adorned her body, nor did she shine with any light. Ponies around her were still talking like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. What had just happened? Was that real? Confused, Starless felt lightheaded as she staggered.

"Starless!" Ground shouted as he rushed over to catch her as she fell. Tiger Lily hurried over and checked on Starless as she lay limp in his embrace.

"Is she alright?" Meadowlark asked with concern.

"She is alright," Tiger assured them. "She has only fainted. The poor dear, she exhausted herself. Snap Dragon, show Ground where our sleeping mat is and put her down there to rest."

Getting up from her place by Strawberry's side, Celestia hurried over. "Papa!" she said smiling up at him as she rushed into his warm embrace. "Papa? Who is that unicorn that Ground is carrying away?"

"Her name is Starless Night," Dark answered her as he kissed her cheeks. "We rescued her from a hydra."

"She's hurting inside," Celestia said, looking up at her father.

"I know, sweetie," Dark said with a soft smile. "That is why I have Ground helping her. To give her the strength she needs to find the truth in herself."

Celestia nodded her understanding then looked around expectantly. "Papa? Where's Ash?"

"He's safe. I left him with Mirage and the others in the Western woods where they should be hidden." Dark answered. "It was much too dangerous to try and bring them all in." Standing, Dark lifted Celestia onto his back. "Now, show me where your sister is. I want to go give her some kisses too!"

Ground Pound and Starless Night

Ash sat at the edge of the firelight looking out into the forest. The defenses they had quickly set up were rough, but serviceable. Branches, uprooted thorn bushes, logs, and anything else they could find in the local area, was piled up high around them in a ring that encircled the entire party. Spears and sharpened sticks had been passed around to any pony who could wield one while the foals with their mothers and the other ponies who were unable to fight like Dark’s mother and Grande, with her broken leg, were put in the center near the fire where they would be the safest. They had used the last of their rope to make more torches, but withheld lighting them yet, deciding to save them for later for when they may need them.

Ash sat in the center of the their barrier opening with his ears turned out into the dark. Occasionally, he would hear clicking or the slight rustle of a branch as something heavy moved across it. He had told Mustard, but she assured him that it was just his imagination and not to worry about it, and that he should go to sleep. Despite her assurance, he knew that it wasn't his imagination.They were out there, he knew it. He could feel them out there somehow, moving about but not coming any nearer. It was like they were afraid of coming any closer for some reason. Could it be because of him?

The magic he had felt when he had faced the hydra was still there inside him, waiting for him to summon it to protect the ponies with him. Perhaps that is why they were staying out there rather than attacking them. The spiders somehow sensed that he was there and were afraid. He was worried that they were just waiting for more to come and join them so that they could attack with greater numbers. How much time did they have?

Hoofsteps approached from just behind him. "Ash? What are you doing here? Its not safe to be this far out," Mirage said sternly as she nudged him back with her hoof. "Come away from there and return back to the fire. I want you to sleep with me tonight."