Author's Notes:

Well. It took me a while to finish this chapter. I feel so tired now. Okay. Back to work.

"What do you mean, Herd Father?" Starless asked, her chest tightening up. Dark's eyes were hard. He gazed steadily at her without a hint of mercy. Starless couldn't help but feel like a mountain was about to fall on her.

"Don't give me that!" Dark snapped. "I leave for a few months to help Tangled Burr build his settlement, and while I'm away, you do... this!" Dark waved his hoof off to the side, indicating the encampment around them. "You knew what I was planning with the Unicorns! You knew, and still you did this!"

The mountain of doom loomed lower over her as Starless' ears wilted down. "I-I'm sorry. I know this was not how you planned it."

"You're stomping right!" Dark barked angrily. "My plan was to use our supply of food to create a relationship with the Unicorns. My wish is to see ponies of the earth, sky, and stars working together, not driven apart!"

"But I want to see that too!" Starless clutched her hoof to her chest.

"Then why are you trying to ruin everything I'm working for!?" Dark roared.

Starless flinched. This was the first time he'd ever raised his voice to her.

"I thought you had changed! I thought you could be trusted!" Dark exclaimed. "Was I wrong about you!?"

"No!" Tears filled Starless' eyes.

"No?" Dark's eyes narrowed. "Then why did you go behind my back to undermine my work? You knew I didn't want a confrontation with the Unicorns, and yet you still do this!?" He stomped his hoof down, angrily.

"But, you don't understand!" Starless burst out. "I was trying to help!"

"How!?" Dark exclaimed angrily. "How is this helping!? You are raising a force against the Unicorns! You are doing exactly what I don't want!" Dark finished with a shout. "Now I have to fix this. You've forced me to do this. I'm sorry."

"No! Dark please don't!" Starless pleaded.

"I don't have a choice," Dark said, sounding regretful. He looked at the stallion next to her. "Ground. Tomorrow, I want you to take Starless back home with your mother and the others. Let the Unicorns here keep the supplies that were brought."

"No. He won't be doing that," Tiger Lily said, cutting in firmly.

"No?"

"That's right," Tiger Lily said, shaking her head. "I won't be leaving, and neither will these two." She nodded to Starless and Ground.

Dark gaped at her in shock at her open defiance of his order.

"You've been doing a lot of talking and not a whole lot of listening," Tiger continued. "I think now would be a good time for you to shut your mouth and listen to what she has to say." Tiger turned to Starless and nodded for her to speak.

Swallowing, Starless looked across at Dark. She had been dreading this moment since she started out on her actions. Beside her, she felt Ground lean closer to her as he softly offered his words of support.

Taking a breath, Starless let it out. "Herd Father. I'm sorry. I know I am going against your plan, but I have a good reason."

Dark leaned back, his expression as unreadable as stone. "I'm listening."

"Your dream is for all three races to come together in solidarity. The Pegasi would manage the weather, the Unicorns would keep the seasons in their proper cycles, and the Earth Ponies would tend the land," Starless said. "Your plan to withhold the food tributes until the Unicorns agree to this idea would hurt a great many ponies you never intended.

"Oh?"

Picking up her Enchantress mask, Starless put it on as she moved to the door. "Come with me."

Stepping outside, Starless led Dark and the others to the training ground. There, they saw Unicorns training under the tutelage of Earth Pony instructors. Coming to a stop, Starless directed Dark's attention to one of the sparring ponies. "His name is Shadow Play. Among the Unicorns, stallions are kept under strict control. Their seed is bartered and fought over by mares in their pursuit to bear Higher Blooded offspring, while deficient stallions like him are made into geldings so that they can work hard, menial tasks for the rest of their lives."

Dark's gaze darkened.

"Over there is Daylight Delight and Dipsy Daze," Starless said, pointing to two mares resting together. "They are low bloods just like Tranquil and Grand are. They are treated harshly, beaten, and starved. They toil with whatever tasks they can, just so they can eat what little is tossed their way. They are so malnourished that their bodies have stopped going into heat."

Tiger nodded. "Since I have met them, I have not seen either of them smile or laugh," she added, a note of sadness in her voice. "Not once."

"When you have the Pegasi hold back the food tributes, it will be they who suffer the most. Unicorns that cannot fight back, or even call out for help," Starless said. "They would starve to death while the High Bloods and Purebloods fail to even notice their loss." Starless took a steadying breath. "I know this because... I was one of those High Bloods. I looked down on them and saw them as nothing. Things for me to use and discard as I wished."

"During my time with you, I learned how wrong I was. You have shown me what true strength really is." Starless looked back at Dark. "This is something the Unicorns have forgotten in their quest for power." Reaching up, Starless touched her mask. "At first, when I became the Enchantress, I did it to protect myself. Now, I'm using her to help my ponies learn the same strength I've discovered from you. The rule of the Bloods needs to end. Do you understand now why I am doing this? Why we must protect those who need our help?"

Dark stood unmoving as he gazed steadily ahead at the unicorns. Sitting next to him, with his face set into a serious expression, Ash shifted quietly by his side. Starless held her breath as she waited.

"You have chosen a dangerous path to follow,” Dark finally said. “A path I now see that needs to be taken. You'll have whatever support you need from me."

Starless let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

"No," Dark said, shaking his head. "Don’t thank me for this. I was blind to their plight, and I’m ashamed of that. I’m sorry for the harsh words I spoke to you. Thank you for opening my eyes.”

Starless felt her face flush under her mask. She was unsure how to respond.

"Yes, yes," Tiger said, interrupting. "Now that that's been taken care of, we can move on to the easy part; overthrowing the ones with the power to raise the sun and moon."

Mustard Seed gripped the sunflower blossom and pulled it free of its stem. Shuffling her bulk over to her carry pack, she tucked it with the others before moving to the next sunflower. Her belly was swollen with her advanced pregnancy, making her move awkwardly as she worked. Taking the last sunflower, Mustard hummed a happy lullaby she had learned from one of the Pegasus mothers, as she brought it back to her carry pack.

She felt the foal shift inside her as it kicked her in her gut. It had been amazing when she had first felt the new life move inside her, but now she was happy if it stayed still long enough to allow her a short nap. Why did mares choose to go through this? Mustard wondered as she rolled her sore back and shoulders with a sigh. Seeing how large her belly was, Skye had joked to her that she might be carrying twins. Several hours later, she and Tranquil finally managed to calm Mustard down from her abrupt panic attack.

Morning Sky was excited about becoming a father, and he now trotted around with his head practically in the clouds. Mustard's temper grew shorter every day, as the strain of her pregnancy wore on her. Just that morning, Mustard snapped and shouted at Morning, furious at him over something she couldn't even remember anymore.

This is why she was out gathering sunflower seeds. They were Morning's favorite treat and she wanted to bring them back to him as an apology for how harshly she'd been treating him recently. Morning had been wonderfully attentive to her, always going off to fetch her food, or rubbing her sore back and shoulders when they were hurting her.

The rumble of distant thunder caught her ear. Looking up, she saw the sky darkening to the south. That's odd, Mustard thought. She didn't hear about a storm due today. Picking up her pack, Mustard settled it onto her back as she turned to head back home. Hurrying her steps, she tried trotting, but quickly gave that up when her sides began to ache. Slowing, Mustard labored to catch her breath as the foal shifted and rolled in her.

Suddenly, a deep ache gripped at her as she stumbled to a stop, gasping for breath. The ache grew more intense as Mustard clutched at her belly, moaning. She could hear the rumble of the storm approaching and knew that she needed to hurry. Fighting through the discomfort, Mustard awkwardly shuffled her hooves forward, slowly making her way down the path. Slowly, the ache began to ebb, releasing her from its painful grip.

Moving as steadily as she could, Mustard kept an eye of the growing storm as it bore down on her. It was massive, much too big for the Pegasi to break up. The trees around her began to sway as the approaching storm started to buffet them with wind. The ache suddenly returned, tightened her insides and forcing her to stop to lean against a tree to rest.

Wet droplets of rain began to pepper her flank. Looking back in alarm, Mustard saw that the storm was nearly upon her! Gritting her teeth from the pain, Mustard forced herself to move. Her steps were awkward and slow as she waddled along the pathway. The rain started to come down harder, drenching her coat. Mustard screamed when the air suddenly shook with a thunderous crack, as a lightning bolt stuck down onto a nearby tree, burning a path down its trunk to the ground with an explosion of bark that shot out over her.

Whimpering in fright, Mustard clutched a hoof around her belly as she stumbled on. The rain was coming down hard, making it even more difficult to make her way as her hooves sank in the mud. More lightning bolts thundered around her as the wind whipped at her mane. Desperately, Mustard searched for a place to shelter herself from the fury of the storm.

Blinking her eyes through the rain, she noticed what looked like a dark hollow in the base of a large oak tree. With her heart leaping up in hope, Mustard stumbled to the oak and found that it indeed was a hollow. Setting her pack to the side, Mustard dropped to her knees and stuffed herself into the hollow, working her way inside. It was tight, her swollen belly scraping at the sides as she pushed her way in. Suddenly, the hollow opened up into a chamber in the center of the tree that was just big enough for her to lay down without touching the walls.

Shivering with the cold, Mustard listened to the storm raging just outside. The ache that gripped her insides continued to bother her. Shifting herself around, Mustard tried to find a comfortable position to lay. Morning must have noticed that she was missing by now. She figured that he was probably worried out of his mind.

The sudden sensation of warmth cascading down her backside caught her attention. Leaning herself around, Mustard tried to see what it was, but stopped when she noticed a flow of fluids coming out of her marehood. At first, she thought she was urinating, but something about it didn't feel right. The ache inside her suddenly tightened into a painful cramp that caused her to gasp. Fighting through the pain, a frightening thought suddenly came to her. She was having the foal!

Her heart started pounding in her chest as she whimpered in terror. "This can't be happening! Not here all alone!" Digging her hooves into the ground, Mustard tried to drag herself to the exit, but quickly stopped when a painful cramp suddenly tightened around her belly.

Crying out in agony, Mustard felt an intense pressure pushing at her marehood. Panting for breath, Mustard bore through the pain until it finally began to fade back down. A few moments later, the pain returned. The pressure in her marehood suddenly became unbearable as Mustard felt an irresistible urge to push.

The pain was beyond anything she had ever felt before. With each labored contraction, Mustard felt the urge to push. She could feel her marehood stretching wide as something started to come out of her. It was happening so fast! For brief moments, Mustard was able to rest as she caught her breath before the pain returned. Gritting her teeth, Mustard pushed and felt the foal slipping out.

Pausing a moment to take a deep breath, Mustard bore down as hard as she could. She felt the pressure build until the foal suddenly shifted and slipped out in a gush. Gasping at the sudden release, Mustard quickly turned and found a soft, pink form, wiggling on the ground. A moment later, the sound of a foal's wails filled the hollow.

Whimpering in sudden joy, Mustard quickly gathered her newborn up. Crooning wordlessly to it, she cradled the foal to her chest and smiled down at her. She couldn't believe it. She was a mommy! Nuzzling her muzzle into her foal, Mustard began to clean it, working her tongue over the foal's soft pinkish coat.

When she was finished, Mustard set the filly to her swollen udder to nurse. Smiling, she watched as the foal sniffed and mouthed around until she found her ready teat. Opening her mouth, she took her teat in and quickly began to suckle greedily. Mustard sighed happily. All her worries and fears of this moment seemed to vanish as her heart swelled with overwhelming love for the tiny new life.

Even though she was exhausted, she still couldn't take her eyes off her nursing foal. Curling her head about, she settled it down and listened to the rain outside as she examined and memorized every adorable detail of her newborn daughter. The tiny hooves she had pressed against her udder, her tiny ears that were already turning about to listen to the new sounds around her. The softness of her tongue as she drew at her teat, mashing it up into her gums with every suckle she took as she drew in her nourishing milk.

Mustard couldn't bring herself to truly believe it. She had created a new life! Her and Morning, together. More than ever, she wanted him to be here with her sharing this moment with her. She couldn't wait to see his surprise when he saw her for the first time.

The foal's suckles were growing slower. Mustard carefully took her off her teat and softly patted her back until she heard a sharp, wet burp. Setting her back down against her side, Mustard curled her head around her and watched her sleep. Her coat was a soft, pale pink and her mane and tail was a deeper rosy color that swiftly faded to a near white at the tips. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Slowly, her eyes drifted shut as she fell asleep. Outside, the storm continued raging, battering the old oak tree that sheltered the pair within.

Radiant Sunset crouched hidden in the shadows. Her mother was having one of her secret meetings with her Casters and she'd been hoping to hear something new about the rogue Unicorn, called the Enchantress, and had snuck close to listen.

Despite her mother's threat of dire punishment, word of the Enchantress continued to spread through the Unicorn herd like a storm. Radiant was fascinated by the Enchantress. A lone Unicorn appearing from the wilds to stir up rebellion among the Unicorns, speaking of abolishing the Bloods and allowing Unicorns to live as they wished, no matter their bloodlines. This, of course, did not sit well among the High and Pure Bloods. There was talk about increasing the punishment for those spreading the derisive teachings to casting them into the Beast Pool, letting them live on as animals for the rest of their days.

Radiant felt disappointed when she heard that they were not speaking of the Enchantress, but instead of the unknown magic-user she'd been searching for for over a year.

"I don't want to hear excuses!" her mother screamed. "I want that vandal that ruined my perfect night found and brought to me!"

"We've been searching for over a year," one of the Casters said, holding her head low. "None of the other Unicorn tribes we've talked to knows who did it, let alone know one who even has the talent to do it."

"You lazy, useless donkeys!" Her mother's horn flashed and the group of Casters were thrown back to the ground. "I give you a simple task and you're unable to do even that! I should have your horns shattered for this failing!"

"Matriarch, please," the lead Caster pleaded, cowering back from her. "We're doing the best we can."

"Not good enough!" Her mother turned away and fiddled with her necklett, its blood red gem flickering in the light of her horn. "Perhaps all you need is more motivation?"

The Caster's face went pale under her coat. "No. That won't be necessary. We'll redouble our efforts, but... it would be helpful if we had more to go on. Something more for us to search for."

Her mother stood quietly for a time, then she slowly nodded. "Very well. Return to me tomorrow."

Radiant watched as the Casters all hurried out. When the chamber was clear, Glittering Crystal quietly stepped over to her mother. "Are we going to see her?"

Her mother scowled at her as she started for the exit. "Come along and don't embarrass me this time. You know how much that annoys me when she's amused at my expense."

Curious, Radiant quietly followed. Who was this ‘her’ her mother had such disdain for? Keeping herself in the shadows, Radiant trailed after the pair as they made their way deeper into the mountain. Having explored many of them when she was younger, Radiant was familiar with many of the tunnels and lava tubes that honeycombed the old volcano, but even she had never been this deep.

She remembered the old stories she had heard about some creature that was being kept captive in the heart of the volcano. When she was younger, she asked her mother about it. Her mother flew into a fury and forbade her and all her other sisters from ever speaking of it again.

Radiant was finding it increasingly difficult to follow after them as she was forced to fall back and trail after the soft glow of their magical horn-light.

Suddenly, she heard hoofsteps approaching her from ahead. Her heart leapt up to her throat in fright. She was going to get caught! Frantically, she searched the walls for a place to hide. Working her way back, she felt a crevice along the wall and quickly squeezed herself inside. Working herself as deeply as she could, she held her breath as two Casters passed by.

Letting out a relieved breath, Radiant carefully extracted herself from her hiding place. Looking back, she saw the light of the two Casters receding away. Hurrying on, Radiant tried to catch up to her mother. Rushing along the dark tunnel, she searched for any glimmer of their horn-light ahead. Coming to a branch in the tunnel, Radiant's heart sank. Which way? Lighting her own horn to see, she failed to find any signs of their passing.

Radiant considered what she should do. She knew that if she continued, she'd risk becoming hopelessly lost down here, or worse yet, she could blunder right into her mother. Seeing no other choice, she turned to head back. Backtracking, she followed the tunnel back. Turning a corner, Radiant gasped when the tunnel suddenly ended. Hoping that she had taken a wrong turn she had failed to see, she went back to search for another way.

She knew that she was truly lost when the passage she was following narrowed to a point she could hardly fit through anymore. Her heart sank. Pausing, Radiant thought about what she should do. In the total silence of the passageway, Radiant noticed a murmur of voices echoing down the passageway. With a surge of hope in her heart, Radiant followed the sound of the voices.

Following the twists and turns of the various tunnels and passages, Radiant tracked the source of the voices. It wasn't long before she recognized one of the voices as her mother's. Ahead of her, she saw a light coming out of a crack in the wall. Extinguishing her horn and plunging herself back into darkness, Radiant peeked through.

The chamber she saw through the crack was enormous. In the center of the chamber, she could see her mother and Glittering Crystal standing next to a massive crystal, talking. Who were they talking to? Peering closer, Radiant noticed that there was something within the crystal. It was a lithe creature with odd, mismatched limbs.

"I will not have you speaking to me like I am some low blood!" Her mother snapped to the creature in outrage, her horn glowing with power.

"My, my. Step on a hoof, did I?" the creature asked with a mocking smile.

"Enough!" Her mother stomped her hoof. "I have my best Casters scouring the land for this magic-user you desire, but they have been hindered by your lack of insight! I can't help but wonder, Avarice, if you truly want this magic-user."

Radiant wondered who this magic-user was they were talking about.

The creature leaned down within her crystal and waved a clawed talon at Astral. "If you are thinking of trying to wiggle out of our bargain, think again." She lifted a black orb in what looked like a leopard paw, and held it out. "Until I get what I want, this remains mine."

Her mother looked like she was about to blast the creature into a million bits with her magic. With an extreme effort, she managed to calm herself enough to speak. "Then give me what I need to find this magic-user!"

Avarice leaned back and tapped her talon on her chin."Hmm... I'll think about it."

Her mother's ears shot up straight and quivered. "What!?"

Suddenly, the creature brightened as a smile blossomed across her face. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed happily. Leaning down, she pressed her grinning face close to the inner surface of the crystal. "I think I will help you." She paused a moment as her grin widened. "But only if you kneel down and call me Mistress."

A deep rumble suddenly shook the chamber as her mother's horn flashed a brilliant crimson. The stone beneath her hooves cracked and split open.

The creature watched with no sign of alarm. Radiant felt the floor and walls quiver against her as she looked around in terror. She'd never seen her mother this angry before!

"My, my," the creature said, looking around.

"How dare you!" Glittering Crystal shouted, stepping closer. Her body quivered in fury. "You lowly beast! How dare you demand such a thing from our Great Matriarch! You should have your head removed for doing so!"

Blinking at the mare in mild surprise, Avarice flicked her claw at her. Glittering Crystal let out a startled squawk as she was suddenly yanked forward to slam up against the side of the crystal. "Such a delicious spirit you have." Lifting her claw up, Avarice set it on the inner surface right where Glittering had her hoof pressed. "Let's make a bargain. For the price of half your life, I will allow you to hurt me any way you want until the sun sets."

Glittering Crystal struggled against the force holding her pressed up against the crystal.

Avarice licked her lips as she watched the mare struggle. "Just think about it. The pure satisfaction of seeing me punished any way you want. You can have me feel the agony of drowning, or set on fire. Perhaps you would like to see me squirm as my skin is removed piece by slow piece? Anything you want. All it would cost you is just half your life. Such a little thing, really. What do you say?"

Radiant felt her body shivering as she watched the scene. What kind of monster was this creature?

"Release her! Now!" her mother ordered.

Avarice tsked, and a moment later, Glittering Crystal dropped to the ground. Released, Glittering Crystal quickly regained her hooves and hurried back.

Lifting up the strange black orb once again, Avarice turned her attention back to Astral. "And what of you? How badly do you want this back? Just bend your knee and speak the words."

"I would rather pull your guts out and strangle you with them," Astral snarled viciously.

"For the price of all the happiness you ever had, I can make that happen," Avarice said with a smile, tossing the black orb back and forth from paw to talon.

With a look of pure hate on her face, Astral glared murderously at the creature as her body quivered. Blood appeared on her lips as she tightly clamped her jaw shut. Without breaking her gaze, Astral slowly bent herself down until her knee touched the stone floor.

Radiant gasped at the sight. Her mother knelt down!

Looking like she was about to throw up, Astral began to speak, her tone like a frigid glacier grinding over rock as she forced out the word. "... Mistress..."

Avarice smiled broadly, her eyes shining in glee as she looked down at Astral. "Done!"

Holding up her paw, a light suddenly exploded around her, filling the crystal with color. "Recognize this?" Avarice asked, running her taloned claw through the swirling colors. "It's a part of the magic that filled that night. I managed to preserve a bit of it before you so rudely broke it apart." Twirling her talon in a circle, the lights suddenly began to flow around it. Tighter and tighter it swirled until, with a flash, it became a flower.

Taking the flower, Avarice admired it. It was light lavender with a deeper blue in the center. Running up the center of each of its four long petals was a strong purple stripe. Holding out the flower, Avarice passed it through the crystal where it then floated down to Astral.

Standing, Astral took it in her magic. "This is it? A flower?"

"It's not as easy to make as you would think," Avarice said, admiring one of her claws, "but I think it turned out rather nice. Weaving magic into form isn't one of my strongest skills, after all. I guess I could have made it into a gem or something, but that's just overdone. Don't you think?"

"How will this find the magic-user?"

"It's made from the user's magic. It will recognize its source when it's close," Avarice said. "Just wave it around until it does something."

Astral carefully examined the flower. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"Fine. I'm done here." Whirling about, Astral walked for the exit with Glittering Crystal trotting behind to keep up.

Avarice smiled and waved at the departing pair. "Good luck!"

Radiant quickly shimmied herself through the crack. Her mother was nearly to the exit; she needed to hurry if she was going to follow her back! Crouching low, Radiant tried to keep herself hidden as she followed the wall around the massive chamber toward the exit. She was nearly there when she suddenly noticed two Caster guards standing just inside.

Gasping in fear, Radiant threw herself down. What was she going to do!? If she was caught, they would report her to her mother. If she found out that she had seen what had happened here, there was no telling what she would do to her. Turning back, Radiant headed back to the crack she came in from.

Reaching it, she was about to crawl through when a voice suddenly spoke behind her. "Not that one. Go out that one over there."

Looking back, she saw the creature named Avarice, pointing over to the wall on the other side. She had been discovered! Glancing back at the exit, she was relieved to see that the guards had not noticed. She considered what she should do. Leave the way she came in from, or use the one the creature was pointing too?

"I can assure you that that way is much better." Avarice said, indicating the crack on the other side. "Whenever Unicorns come to me, they sneak in through there."

Radiant didn't know if the creature could be trusted. It was true she hadn't called out to the guards, but that didn't mean she still wouldn't do it. She struggled with indecision. The creature appeared to be trapped within the crystal and she didn't seem to be threatening her. Making up her mind, she glanced over at the guards before dashing across.

As she got closer, she got a clearer look at the creature. It was made up of a hodgepodge of various creatures. She couldn't help but pause a moment. "What kind of beast are you?"

"What a rude thing to ask," Avarice said with a huff. "Did you come here not knowing who I am?" She gave a weary sigh. "The youth these days! Always rushing about without knowing what they're doing. I suppose it can't be helped. You can call me Avarice."

"I didn't mean to come, I only ended up here when I followed my mother."

"Your mother!?" The creature suddenly smiled. "Ah. I see it now. You're the Matriarch's daughter! I can see her in your features." She then leaned down and frowned thoughtfully. "Except for your eyes. They are much too soft. You must have gotten those from your father."

Radiant blinked her eyes. She had soft eyes? She had never been told that before.

"So, why were you following your mother?"

Radiant gave a start. "I ah... I overheard my mother talking to her Casters. She had them searching the land for something for the last year, but never told me what it was. I followed her because I hoped to find out what it was."

"Oh, how very devious!" Avarice snickered in glee, rubbing her owl talon and leopard paw together. "Such an act should be rewarded, so I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with revisiting her sins."

Radiant pondered what that meant. Her sins? That could mean anything!

Avarice snickered in glee. "I can't wait to see her face when she finds out the truth!" Avarice began rolling around as she laughed uncontrollably.

Worried that the guards would hear her, Radiant crouched low and peeked around the edge of the crystal. Seeing that it was still clear, Radiant let out a relieved sigh. Turning back to the strange creature, Radiant was surprised to see her face pressed up against the inside of the crystal, her breath huffing out onto its surface.

"Where did you get that!?" Avarice asked, her gaze locked onto the necklett around her neck.

"What, this?" Radiant asked. Reaching up her hoof, she touched her new necklett. Made of a silver, her necklett had the gem she had found fitted to its center. "I found it in a cave when we were searching for a lost Caster that had been taken by a beast."

"What do you want for it!?" Avarice asked, her tongue slobbered at the crystal as she gazed longingly at her necklett. "Name it. Whatever you want!"

Radiant took a step back as her mind reeled with the offer. Anything? Just for her necklett?

"Do you want power!?" Avarice asked. "I can give you all the power you want. You can crush all your enemies with just a flick of your horn. Every pony would adore you and be at your beck and call for your every whim. Herds of young stallions would kiss your hooves as they ravish your every pleasure for as long as you can endure."

Something about this didn't seem right to Radiant.

"Not good enough? How about immortality then?" Avarice offered. "You can live forever with your youth and beauty, never feeling the touch of decay as the endless ages pass you by!"

Radiant took another step back. Everything inside her was telling her to never make any deals with this creature.

"No, don't go!" Avarice pleaded, pressing herself even tighter against her crystal wall. "Just give me that gem and I'll make you a goddess!" she cried out. "You could wear the stars in your mane like jewels and have wings of gossamer moon-drops! Your beauty would be beyond compare in all the lands. Ponies would bow down and worship you!"

Radiant paused a moment. "Why is this gem so important to you?" she asked, touching her necklett.

"That gem, as you call it," Avarice explained, "is from the one who sealed me here! I may be able to use it to finally escape!"

Pieces began to fall into place. Radiant suddenly understood who she was. "You're the Evil Sprite from the old legend!"

"You do one little thing," Avarice murmured, shaking her head. "How easily one can earn a bad reputation in those days."

Radiant blinked in amazement. This horrid creature was the one who stole the sun and moon!?

"Now that you fully understand who I am, let's talk about that Element you possess," Avarice continued. "What will it take for you to give it to me, huh? Just name it and it will be yours."

Radiant considered Avarice's offers. There was no doubt that she was tempted. Who wouldn't want to be a goddess, after all? But there was another nagging thought that was holding her back. Would her sisters be safe from her if she was freed? She had shown that she could be rather cruel just for the fun of it. Would she turn that cruelty onto the Unicorns if given a chance?

The Element on her necklett flickered started to glow brighter.

Avarice hissed and drew back. "You foolish foal! You have no inkling of its danger! Give it to me before it destroys you!"

Radiant began to back away again, heading for the opening behind her. She was sure, now, that any deal she made with her would end in disaster.

"Give it to me!" Avarice shouted, flinging herself into the crystal. Her claws slashed and swiped at the surface as she fought to break her way out. "Give it to me or I will destroy you! I will rip off your hide and crunch your bones while you watch! You think I can't!? I've done it before, and if your mother fails me, the same will happen to her!" With a flick of her paw, a black orb appeared and dropped into it. "You see this? It's your mother's. I will give it to you if you hand me that Element." Avarice began to wave the black orb slowly back and forth. "You can save her. You have no idea how appreciative she would be of you. Just think of it. She would finally give you the respect you deserve. No longer would you just be the foal she had to settle for."

Radiant hesitated. She was surprised at how tempted she was. She even found that she was considering it. The Element at her neck flickered and the light began to fade. Gritting her teeth, Radiant turned and dashed away.

Behind her, she could hear Avarice screaming at her. Threats and promises of painful vengeance followed her hooves as she slipped into the dark tunnel.

Morning Sky paused to catch his breath. He'd been out since before sunrise, searching for Mustard without rest. Ponies said they had seen her out walking the day before, heading toward the south with packs on her back. What was she doing out here all alone!?

The storm that had rampaged through had caught the Pegasi by surprise. There was barely enough time for them to warn the settlement before it hit. Several ponies had been injured when their hut collapsed from the storm. Luckily, none were seriously injured.

Where was she!? Morning feared that Mustard was hurt and needed help, or even worse, that she was dead. Morning shook his head to clear it of such thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Clover Dance asked, looking at him with concern.

His own mother, Pixie Wink, stepped closer. "Don't worry. We'll find her safe and sound."

The sound of wings drew his attention up as Skye flew in toward him. She had quickly joined the search, once it became clear that Mustard was missing. Throwing out her wings, she cut her speed as she landed nearby. "I found her!"

Morning's heart leapt up. "What!? Where!? Is she okay?"

"I didn't get a close look, but from what I saw, she’s okay," Skye quickly answered. "Come on. Follow me. I'll take you to her."

Skye took off and flew off to the south. Leaping forward, Morning followed, his hooves kicking up dirt behind him as he raced across the ground with Clover Dance, Dandelion Fluff, and his mother just behind him. His breath huffed as he ran. The strain of his frantic search had sapped his endurance. Keeping his gaze on Skye as she led the way, he struggled to keep up with her.

Cresting a rise, Morning skidded to a stop when he caught sight of Mustard as she walked across a field of daisies. The sight of her was an enormous relief, but something seemed different about her. Behind him, he could hear the hoofsteps as the others came up on him. Not wanting to wait for them, Morning ran on toward Mustard.

Seeing him coming, Mustard came to a stop and waited. Overhead, Skye circled her. She came in for a quick landing as Morning came running up.

"Now, before you say anything, there is something I need to tell you," Mustard started to say.

Before she could say anything more, Morning suddenly swept his hoof around her neck and hugged her tightly against himself. Feeling her safely in his hooves, Morning nearly sagged in relief. Pulling back, Morning looked her over for injuries. She looked tired and disheveled, but otherwise, she looked well.

"How could you have been so stupid?!" Morning exclaimed. "Coming out here all alone like you did without even telling anypony! Especially in your condition! I can't tell you-"

Mustard suddenly shoved her hoof over Morning's mouth, halting his outburst. "Now, I know you're angry, and I know you have the right to be. I shouldn't have gone off alone like I did. It was stupid and dangerous. I'm sorry. But if you wake her up, you'll be sleeping outside tonight."

Morning blinked at her in confusion.

Skye, catching the implication of what she said, suddenly brightened in excitement. Rushing over, she stuck her muzzle right into one of her packs and looked inside. A moment later, she suddenly leapt into the air and flew in a quick series of loops and twirls before throwing herself into Mustard in a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

Morning began to understand that something had happened. His mind had gone strangely fuzzy for some reason. He remembered that there was something that looked different about Mustard. Looking at her now, he saw that her belly was not as large as it should have been. Slowly, his mind worked out what this meant. "The foal!? You had the foal!?"

Smiling, Mustard reached around, and carefully extracted a tiny form from her pack and put the filly in the crook of her leg. As Clover, Dandelion, and Pixie arrived, Morning slowly stepped over to his newborn daughter. Tears began to blur his eyes as he carefully gathered the tiny filly into his hooves. "

"What's her name?"Clover Dance asked, as she and the others gathered around to gaze at the foal.

"Peach Kiss." Mustard answered.

Morning nodded. "That's a beautiful name." Leaning his muzzle down, he lightly kissed the filly on her soft head. "Hello, Peach Kiss. I'm your papa."

Skye was hopping excitedly from hoof to hoof, her wings fluttering like a hummingbird. "Oh! I have to tell everypony about this!" Leaping into the air, she shot off like a streak, heading back to the settlement.

"Pegasi," Pixie Wink said with a knowing nod of her head. "Nothing makes them happier than a good bit of news to spread." Suddenly, she noticed something on Mustard's flank. "Hey! You got your cutie mark!"

With everything happening with the new foal, Mustard had forgotten. Turning herself, she showed the mustard flower on her flank. "I got it this morning."

"What does it mean?" Dandelion Fluff asked.

Mustard glanced back at it. "This morning, when I was watching Peach sleep, I was trying to think of a name for her." She looked at her mother. "I remembered a story you told me about how you named me Mustard Seed because of a dream you had. Your dream was of a rock that had a seed stuck in its crack. And despite the harsh burning sun and torrential storms that bore down on the seed, it sprouted and grew into a lush mustard plant full of bright yellow flowers. I realized then that I was very much like that mustard seed. Through all the hardships and challenges that bore down on me, I persevered and flourished, growing into the pony I am today."

"Wait." Dandelion pursed her lips as she thought about it. "Are you saying that your special talent is being stubborn?"

Mustard couldn’t help it. She started laughing.