It slowly arose from its curled up position which it had chosen to sleep in before it underwent the deep ‘sleep’ and revealed instead of having the form of the dominant species of this era, the quadrupedal ponies, instead arose a bipedal figure, dressed in a loose, but not baggy, black sweatpants and dark grey hoodie, complete with dark grey shoes lined with gold paint in an unattractive, but rugged and comfortable design.

The being straightened its back slowly, like a giant slowly awakening before it looked around, its hood and stringy hair covering much of its face, but revealing very small, brown sideburns, which connected to an equally small, unkempt brown beard, and broken, chapped lips.

He gasped and breathed in deeply before tilting forward and placing his hands on the ground in front of him to steady himself. As he steadied his breathing, he looked around again at the other features upon the Ever-Rolling Hills. The male slowly got up, and looked to the sky to see the Ring of Rainbows slowly shooting off into the distance.

He made no movement to chase after the phenomena, but neither did he stay to ponder in wonder.

The bipedal slowly began walking. Stumbling along the way, like a baby learning how to walk after several failed attempts. He stumbled and blundered his way to the nearest 'rock'. This one of fur and leather with small steel plates lining its back and some of its middle.

"... .Mph... ." The being groaned and coughed, his throat parched and dry and unused. He coughed harder, causing him to gasp and pant lightly before he could utter, "Wa—ke up ... ." to the 'rock'. He began lightly shaking it, his strength temporarily atrophied.

The furred and steel-leather 'rock' shifted but did not respond immediately.

The male made a frown before unsteadily balancing on one foot, with the other raised behind him. He then gave a weak, but sharp kick to the side of the 'rock' muttering again, "Wa—Ke up, bas —tard."

This time the 'rock' gave a weak groan before rolling over to reveal a middle-aged male with a prominent cheekbones and several white hairs standing out from amidst the long and dark brunette hair peaking out from beneath the furred hood. He laid out unto the ground on his back, revealing him to be somewhat taller than the younger male.

The elder groaned again and opened his almond-shaped, black-brown eyes and slowly locked them unto the younger.

The male on the ground coughed and grunted a little, before speaking in a language that sounded gibberish, nearly baffling the younger until memories began to surge into him. The younger clutched his head lightly as a headache began to roll with the strength of a migraine, a suffocating force that felt as if it threatened to smother and destroy his existence for several seconds that felt more like hours under the pain.

The younger collapsed and wordlessly screamed in pain and squirmed under the pain filling his mind. Blood, wars, battles, screams of dying, the dead and the despairing. Then came knowledge, wisdom, memories and muscle memory, filling in what was left.

The elder paused and waited for the younger, tensing as he began to wait and expect a similar pain to hit him at any moment. When the younger male relaxed and looked again, the elder spoke, this time he was understood easily, "Boy ... . We've awoken."

The younger nodded slowly, massaging his temples with his returning to color pale, white hands. The memories returned, but this time painless as what the elder said was translated by inherited knowledge.

Mongolian ... . Ancient Mongolian, his memories told him as he began to stand again, his hood falling off and revealing his head completely.

The boy’s hair was colored a light pale blonde, thin, wire-like hair around the front of the forehead before thickening to the sides around his ears and from the middle of his head to the back. His eyes a pale green that lazily looked around, trying to give something that would take the pain off his mind. He had relatively low cheekbone while his face held a rather oval shape.

The elder continued, "What has roused us from our ancient slumber?"

The younger male nodded to the distance, where the Ring of Rainbows had faded out of sight, "A ring of significant disturbance, Oyugun." The elder blinked in confusion, then looked at where the younger pointed.

The words of ... . English. The words of english caused the old male to look back at the younger in confusion before he too was struck by the migraine. His hands flew to his head and he groaned and rolled to his side and tried to ride out the pain.

The younger watched him while he looked around, seeing the Tower of Eternity still painted with the rainbow colors, then looking around the fields and 'rocks' that still slumbered.

The elder male finally stopped and relaxed, panting and sweating from the temporary illness. He looked over to the younger and said "We must awaken the others."

The younger nodded and held out an arm, to which the elder grabbed it and was pulled to his feet. He stumbled and staggered until the elder could hold his own balance, before he went to the next nearest 'boulder' and kicked it. The younger gave a dry chuckle before doing the same to another sleeping human.

As the young male went about his newfound duty, his thoughts quickly went to one certain motto from a toy company for one of their products that felt far too familiar to their current state,

The sentiments were shared by the increasing number of humans awakening and chuckling as the thought crossed through their intertwined link between each other.

The numbers had once been one, but now the number had changed to hundred, then thousands as more and more stirred and awoken around the Tower of Eternity.

Luna opened her sister's door, "Sister! ‘Tis time to arise and raise thy sun!" She looked around the bedroom, realizing it was the first time she had taken an actual look around in her sister's room.

Celestia's bedroom was expansive, which was to be expected since by her account to Luna, she wasn't the one in charge of designing the room when Canterlot was under construction and she was still mourning the banishment of her beloved sister.

It was split into two stories, one being the main princess part of her suite, while two curved staircases would lead to her ‘office’ of sorts, where she could read, handle paperwork, and go out to the balcony to raise or lower the sun or look out onto the Canterlot city and beyond that, Ponyville.

Meanwhile the bedchamber itself was more or less, ‘holed up,’ as there were walls underneath the staircases and left an oval hole as the entrance to the bed itself. There was enough room for a single alicorn, in armor, to walk around comfortably without disturbing whoever was asleep in the bed. The bed itself, where a very large lump of blankets, pillows and a certain snoozing alicorn lay, was a low-rimmed circular bowl.

The whole bed itself was enough to give space to two alicorns, which to Luna's rising suspicion as she was given a similar type of bed size, might have been made as a subtle suggestion from the architect. Its deepest point within the bowl was two feet, which allowed an easier time to curl up and allow the light to shine through the nearby window and on Celestia ... . had she not cocooned herself. The window was large enough that even the bright moon that Luna had left hanging in the sky was able to light the entire bedchamber enough to read a scroll from.

"Sister!" No answer.

Luna moved to the large lump and sighed in annoyance, using her magic to unravel the tangled mass of blankets, exposing a still sleeping Celestia with one wing now open and her on her back with one rear leg rather ungraciously up. The white alicorn groaned first, rolled over her wing and moved her forelegs a little closer to her chest before she smiled and continued to slumber on. Luna silently huffed before noticing that Celestia had a plushie of a white mare unicorn Royal Guard. The sight of that plushie made her eyes widen slightly, as she remembered giving that as a birthday gift to Celestia as fillies, to which 'Tia absolutely loved it and called it Paper Mâché.

Luna giggled softly before she moved over to the other side and nudged her older sister while saying in a sing-song tone, "'Tiaaa. ‘Tis time to wake uuup." The only reaction she got was a wing lightly slapping her hoof before Celestia moved again, this time a pillow over her head.

"Sister? 'Tis time to arise." Celestia merely moaned at the voice, before her pillow was ripped away, "'Tia, as both thine sister and thy charge, we demand thee rise at once!"

Celestia stirred and got up with a groan, looking around before seeing an impatient sister who, after confirming that Celestia had awoken, levitated her up like a doll. The action caused Celestia's mind to jump into overdrive, waking her up completely and began to squirm, wiggle and flail her legs in Luna's grip, losing Paper Mâché in which made her whine at losing the little doll as it bounced on the stairs while Luna ignored her protests before she opened the balcony door and placed her sister in front of it, blinking owlishly into the sky that still held the moon.

"L-Lulu. You're supposed to lower the moon before I raise the sun ... ." Celestia said after calming down.

“Not any longer, dear sister.” Luna said in a happy tone, akin to a filly who was given a delicious piece of candy as she trotted over to her sister’s left and sat on her haunches with a proud smile, “We had come with an idea regarding our charges! During the evening we wouldst lower the sun and raise our moon, and at which hour morning wouldst come, thee couldst lower the moon and raise thine sun! We feel we wish to repair our damaged bond, hence why we decided to do this! ‘Twould free up both o’ our schedules and increase our chances to be with each other more often!”

Celestia stared at her younger sister in bewilderment. Something such as this wasn't something to expect from a recently return from banishment Princess, let alone one who came from a time when they had been told again and again that the sun and moon was their responsibility and theirs alone.

Not including that Luna held a practical and near-military mindset. The Luna she remembered from before the banishment would have scoffed, deny and argue against such an audacious idea.

Holding suspicions, she followed through with whatever Luna was planning and as she lowered the moon and raised the sun into the early morning position, Celestia asked, “Luna, what about the Night Courts? They are an important time for the nobles within Equestria to ask for advices or—” Celestia was interrupted as her door resounded with somepony knocking.

Luna was quicker to answer the door, ushering in hoofmaiden Calm Comfort who was pushing a cart of food and ordered, "Place them upon the table out on the balcony."

Celestia looked between the hoofmaiden and Luna and asked in annoyance, "Luna, just what are you—?"

Luna interrupted her by levitating her again and placed Celestia at one end of the table before she picked up Paper Mache and gave it to Celestia, then sat down at the other as Calm Comfort placed down platters of food consisting of eggs, toast, and Marel Grey tea.

"Luna." Said blue alicorn paused from taking a bite looked up, "What is going on? What is all this?" Celestia motioned to both the table of food as well as Luna being up during the beginning of the day.

Luna simply smiled and said, "We art desirous to enjoy breakfast with thee, mine sister. Dost thou not remember our morning tradition?"

In all honesty, Celestia had completely forgotten such 'tradition' during the course of her solitary reign. It had started with their parents getting them up at the crack of dawn and having breakfast where they could watch the sun rise. Both fillies were quick and loud to give their protests at being not only being awoken at a ghastly hour but at the beginning the two days of the week where they were allowed to not be pestered by both school and their tutors.

Said protests were quick to die once they started seeing the sun rising up majestically and bathing the sky and land in beautiful and amazing mix of colors. It also helped that by waking up earlier allowed the two to enjoy their free days a few hours more.

“It has been a thousand years, little sister, since we last shared the rising dawn of a new day. While you were gone, I ... . Had nothing to compel me to look upon my beginning of each day as anything but an onerous, but necessary task. Our habit fell into disuse long ago, and other distractions had moved to replace our old ritual in the time since you’ve been gone. I had completely forgotten that we used to do this, before your long banishment,” Celestia explained, her smile not completely unrestrained as she remembered her part in her little sister’s banishment and felt the sting of regret and sorrow, even as she was happy to be reunited with her sorely missed younger sister once again.

“Then consider our ritual restored! Let us have our maids continue to bring us breakfast here on thine balcony! We desire to know what thy hast done and the sights thy hast seen while we hast been upon the moon,” Luna replied in a cheerful tone, her wings flourishing upwards before she turned and rang a magical summoning bell for the castle’s waitstaff to bring more food and drinks.

Celestia giggled at her younger sibling’s behavior. She dearly missed that happiness Luna could bring to Celestia within a single action or sentence. Already she felt the day brighten and seem livelier with Luna there.

And so, the two Royal Sisters enjoyed and talked to each other before the day would begin with the labors the two alicorn mares would face.

The worst of the labor fell onto Luna.

“Rragh!” Luna cried, knocking her chair back roughly in frustration and anger, the chair clattering loudly to the hardwood flooring beneath. There was so much knowledge she needed to absorb if she was to competently resume her duties as Equestria’s nocturnal princess. Equestrian History after her banishment. World History, Geography, Equestrian and global civic studies, Equestrian and global economics, Equestrian Law, Courtly etiquette and mannerisms, “Wherefore can we not rule as we saw fit, as we hadst in our younger days? Things wast so much simpler then! We didn’t has't to knoweth who didst what in Equestria’s history, or that of the world’s history. We didn’t has't to wonder which fork to useth! Wherefore would anypony see fit to filthy more than one fork? In earnest, all this information maketh mine headeth hurt! ” Luna scowled at the pile of literature which was the source of her pain, “Tis is the worst of worst! We succeed in passing the schools and tutors our father and mother dragged us both through, yet we must wend through such torment again!"

Celestia, who whenever she had time to be present with her sister, giggled at her lamenting, “Lulu, you know times would change! You even said so ever so long ago that the world changes enough that our scholars would have to make constant updates within the archives and libraries! And besides, Lulu, we still do rule as we see fit. The only difference is the limitations around us ... . Seems we need to add Modern Language with your studies, given your relapse into the archaic tongue, little sister.” Luna groaned loudly at the idea that more was thrown to her plate, causing Celestia to giggle again.

Within Luna's perspective, however, she started to see past her sister's happiness, and that happy facade often slipped. Such occurrence happened already and again the next morning as she saw Celestia zoning out and letting her tea stray levitating and touching her left cheek instead of at her mouth.

“‘Tia! Equestria to ‘Tia!” Luna practically shouted, while her sister’s eyes were unfocused and emotionally neutral. It was the same look she had seen on her sister when Celestia had thought nopony was looking.

“Huh? What?” Celestia started, before giving a loud yelp as the now cold tea spilled onto her cheek and down her neck and down to her chest and belly, making her shiver as her eyes instantly changed from the vacant, faraway look to full awareness that was enforced by the wet and cold coat. She shivered as a breeze blew through and looked to her little sister, who had been yelling to get her attention, “I’m deeply sorry, Lulu. What was it you said?” She asked as she set about cleaning herself and summoning Calm Comfort to bring more hot tea.

“We haven’t hath said a word, Celestia ... . Art thee sure you’re well enow, sister?” Luna asked, her ears folded against the top of her head, and her eyes expressive with worry and concern for her beloved older sister.

“... . I’m ... . Simply a little tired, Luna. It’s from all the nightmares which started haunting my slumber shortly after you returned to me,” Celestia mused aloud to her younger sister.

Luna scowled, far too aware of the nightmares plaguing her older sister.

“Good Morning, Calm Comfort, I trust that there is nothing noteworthy to report of the going ons during the night hours?” Princess Celestia cheerfully greeted, trotting out onto the balcony to raise her sun and lower her sister’s moon.

“There is nothing requiring your immediate attention, your Highness. Any relevant reports will be on your desk, awaiting you when you return to your duties.

“Is Luna sleeping in this morning? Usually she’s the one waking me up to raise the sun and join me in breaking our fast.”
“I’m not really sure how to tell you this, your Highness, but isn’t she still up on the moon?”

Celestia looked up, expecting to see the moon without the ‘Mare in the Moon’ silhouette, but to her great grief and sorrow, the silhouette was upon the moon, her sister was still banished!

“No! No-no-no-no-no! This can’t be! I saw her return! She isn’t banished anymore! Noo! ” Celestia collapsed to the floor of the balcony, covering her muzzle with her forelegs as powerful sobs wracked her body.

“Princess Celestia! Princess Celestia! You need to wake up if you’re to have enough time to get ready for the funeral today!” Calm Comfort shook her princess, startling her awake from her heavy slumber.

Princess Celestia stumbled out of bed, looking longingly at her comfortable bed. She looked around and noticed that her personal Night Guards were present and held an intensely focused watch over her. She mumbled, “Where’s Luna? Usually she’d be here by now and prancing in place wanting me to hurry up and take care of my celestial duties so we can enjoy breakfast together.”

Calm Comfort looked away from her princess, eyes downcast and she nervously rubbed her left foreleg with her right foreleg. “The funeral is for your sister, princess.”

“If you thought to jest with me, Calm Comfort, then I find it in exceeding poor taste. Any jokes about one’s loved ones being deceased are always not only in poor taste, but unacceptable at anytime, especially when you are on the clock,” Celestia admonished as she felt but didn’t acknowledge the band around her wings be released and the horn inhibitor being removed.

“Have you ever known me to make jokes about somepony’s death, your Highness? Go to the castle morgue and prove me a liar! Why would we be getting flowers with a black ribbon securing the bouquet together, if they aren’t for a funerary service? Why would the maids be scurrying to prepare the castle to receive visitors both elite and common? Why would the palace cooking staff be working to prepare a feast for everypony who is going to be there?”

“If it will cease this horrible jest of yours, then show me to my sister. But know I’m very disappointed in you for thinking my sister being dead was something to jest about.”

They finally reached the castle morgue, dodging many maids and other castle staff as they hurried about their preparations. Calm Comfort opened the morgue doors while whispering a heartfelt, ‘I’m sorry,’ and then following Princess Celestia into the chill of the morgue.

And there, lying in a casket with her forelegs over her chest and in a beautiful dress that was more fitting to see in a marriage procedure, with a peaceful almost sleeping expression, was her sister Luna.

“T-that is not my sister, Calm Comfort. It-it cannot be. My sister was just seen yester’-morning alive and well. This cannot[i/] be her.”

“Who else has a nebulous mane like this? Who else has both wings and a horn! Who else has that cutie mark! Wake up, Princess! That is your newly deceased sister!” Calm Comfort sobbed in frustration and sorrow.

“No! Noo! Noo! This can’t be happening! I just saw you alive, Luna! I just saw you last morn! Why! Why must you be robbed from me so soon after our reunion!? Luna!!” Celestia screamed and sobbed into the unmoving and cold chest of her dead sister, holding tightly onto the corpse of her sister as though doing so might keep her from being overwhelmed by her grief and sorrow.

“Wake up!” The astral projection of Luna cried as she illuminated her horn, casting her magic and drawing in the nightmare into her horn, leaving behind a deep darkness as she returned her consciousness to her body as her sister awoke with a panicked shriek from her nightmare.

As Celestia had said, Luna's return had quickly sparked a return of nightmares. Luna could count how often she would hurry from wherever she was in the Castle and burst through Celestia’s bedchamber doors or teleporting straight to Celestia and if her sister was not yet fully awake when she escaped her nightmares, how she would shatter the nightmares like a ball thrown through glass.

Whenever she had to, it caused Celestia to jolt or give a quick scream, squirming and struggling against her bed covers before seeing Luna there beside her and helping reassure her that she really was there, that she was alive, and that her bad dream was nothing but just that. The hours it took to get her sister to try and be comfortable enough to sleep again as she would lay against her sister’s side and drape her wing over her sister’s body. Other times, she’d lay on top of her sister and run a brush through Celestia’s Aurora-like mane. Her brushing and murmured assurances and reassurances often calmed Celestia down enough that she’d relax into a state of semi-consciousness.

However, there had been a recent and abrupt change between nightmares and dreams. Within a month, Celestia began to repeatedly dream of something entirely different.

Celestia ‘awoke’ to find herself lying on her side, feeling warm and comfortable. She stared ahead, looking at what seemed to be an enormous wall of bristling green against another, yet smaller, wall of blue and thick, fluffed white.
She blinked in confusion before recognizing the walls as grass, skies and clouds as a soft breeze blew across the grass and caused the plants to gently rustle and brush against her fur and muzzle. The alicorn moved her head off the grass, which she noted were of the wild, yet part of the warm seasonal that was almost tall enough to cover her head, hence why she was bewildered by the colors of green dominating her sight.

The mare slowly got up, absently noting she was devoid of her royal regalia, and surveyed the landscape around her. Celestia almost believed she was in a beautiful painting of grassy hills that rolled and seemed to stretch on forever without any change to the wild grass. There was not a single tree nor bush nor anything that grew any taller or stood out against the expansive green fields and hills. A deep sense of calm filled Celestia, soothing and smoothing all her fears, worries and loss.

As Celestia turned around, she gasped in awe. Her eyes widened as she saw a single object that not only stood out against everything around her, but stretched high, above and beyond.

A tall, solid and proud tower of marble dominated over her. A tower that defied anything she recognized, defied the rule of gravity and any rule of stability that would have caused anything else to topple over in a colossal crash. This tower seemed to reach and ascend beyond the skies and seemed determined to reach the stars as she tried to crane her neck to see its peak.

An unbidden instinct caused the alicorn mare to look down and notice something ... . Or rather somebeing else, was in front of the tower. How she didn’t see this someone when they were clearly in closer sight than the tower, she could never figure it out.

The being had what seemed to be their back to her. As she gazed and studied the being, she found it to be a bipedal being, whose legs stood apart far enough to whatever their ankles looked like would line up to their shoulder. The torso was moderately sized and was clothed by thick, warm, grey, dark-grey and black clothing.

The being did not notice nor acknowledge her presence, neither did it stir from her earlier gasp. Instead, the being continued to look out at both the tower and the landscape surrounding the two with an air of calm patience.

Celestia tried to will herself to walk over to or around the being, whither to see what the being is or what the being was waiting for or observing. It was when she was about to take a step did the being twitch slightly before slowly turning to face her.

Often, the dream simply ended there, and Celestia could not see who or what the bipedal figure was and neither could she see its face.

Thinking back upon it darkened Celestia's smile, causing Luna to look up from her breakfast and notice, "What hath thou troubled, mine sister?"

The older sister’s eyes looked at Luna before she shook her head, her right ear twitching, “It’s nothing, Lulu. I was just thinking.”

This caused her sister to glare and her ears swiveled back, unconvinced, “Sister, thine ear is twitching.” Celestia blinked before using her wing to try and make her ear stop before Luna continued, “Whenever thine attempts to hide something from us, thy ear twitches. What hath thou troubled, Celestia? Is it the nightmares again?”

Celestia pondered for a moment before she surrendered to her sister with a sigh, “It is. However, it's a rather different problem. The constant nightmares involving you after your return have gotten better, they have been getting less worse and by your efforts it most certainly dispels them. However, I’ve been dreaming of something else, and it’s beginning to replace those nightmares.” Luna sat silent as Celestia told and described her repeating dreams, her expression turning pensive.

Afterwards Luna looked down at her plate, contemplating before she looked back at her sister and said, “Thine dream is odd, sister. Repeating dreams are unusual as it is, and even then they’re not so easy to understand.” She looked up to her sister, “Hath thou ever met this being, sister?” Celestia meekly shook her head, “Then, perhaps an unresolved situation thy hath not settled. Most certainly t’is of the stress we cause by our return, relieving thy pain from our separation, but hast also caused thy memories of that accursed Nightmare Moon,” Celestia flinched slightly, almost confirming Luna’s suspicion, “T’is common for ponies to associate reoccurring dreams with premonitions, but they are usually unfounded. But this ... . Given thine detail thy sayth of this being makes it moreso unusual. Hath thy the urge to do something?”

Celestia looked down and thought about it before replying, “On occasion, I sometimes feel like I need to either fly or run back to our old castle. But they don’t come so strongly that I couldn’t ignore them.”

Luna nodded sagely, her experience with dreams giving the answer, “Then t’is a premonition dream, sister.” Celestia started to get up in a hurry, but Luna stopped her with magic. When Celestia blinked in surprise by her sister’s sudden action, Luna stated, “Premonition dreams are still not to be overcome by worry nor concern, sister. Premonitions are occurred by events in our lives. We hath seen dreams that predict a future, and yet often they doth not occur or are of little consequence. Thine dreams mean little except to signify thy stress.” She sat up and trotted over to her eldest sister, releasing her before rubbing sides, “We will help thee in thine struggle with this, dear sister. Just as thou hast been helping us.”

Luna felt Celestia shudder slightly before the younger sibling wrapped a wing over her as Celestia turned to nuzzle, “I would like that, Lulu. I really would.”

The two sisters continued to nuzzle each other, sharing their love and concerns until a small plume of green flame appeared and leaving behind a scroll to land on the table in front of Celestia, gaining their attention. Celestia levitated and opened the scroll to read what it said.

It was a Friendship Report from her student. Inside wrote,

Dear Princess Celestia,

My friend Applejack is the best friend a pony could ever have, and she's always there to help anypony. The only trouble is, when she needs help, she finds it hard to accept it, so while friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia couldn’t help it.

Luna looked at her laughing sister until she magically pried away the letter and skimmed through it before she giggled madly, the timing to between the Friendship Report and the situation was incredibly accurate.

The melancholic attitude around the two mares evaporated away as they shared this bright moment before they would prepare for the day ahead of them.

Month 6, Day 30, Year 1 Sister’s Reunion

The consequences of Our my fall art are many and thanks to Our my consuming anger and frustration, We I neither knew, nor likely would hath have cared how Our my choices to exact vengeance upon the unappreciative ponies of that era, would hath have affected not only Our my sister, but the subjects of our kingdom.

Now having returned, do We I see the consequences made manifest before Us me. There hast has been a significant increase in nightmares plaguing our subjects, and they art are not alone! What torments Us me the most is how often ‘Tia is plagued by the night terrors, which in union with her reluctance to sleep in fear of those nightmares devastates her condition within the mornings. Recently, We I hadst had reinstated our ancient custom of being together during the rising of the dawn and the setting of the day.

We I confess to having somewhat selfish motives for restoring our ancient custom. By being near our my sister We I can then comfort and reassure her that We art I am real, alive and hath have truly returned to her, temporarily banishing whatever nightmare she held from her sleep into her waking.

In spite of Our my efforts, Our my sister continues to suffer, her once sparkling, dancing eyes now vacant, with a faraway look to them. We I so wish We I could go back in time, stop and berate Our my foalish young self from her descent into becoming Nightmare Moon and stop all of these horrible things which art are happening even now because of Us me choosing to nurse Our my frustration and anger until We I became that hateful monster!

We art I’m deeply grateful to Twilight and her friends for freeing Us me from the monster We I had chosen to become. We I only wish their Rainbow of Light hadst had destroyed the nightmares plaguing Our my sister! Alas, the Elements of Harmony still exhibit their powers in mysterious ways doth do continue to baffle even our brightest, even during Our my time upon the moon and Our my sister toiled and struggled to move past her guilt.

Our My sister hast has been sleeping even less as she helps Us me a little with passing judgement and making rulings and decrees while We I readjust to performing Our my duties as the Princess of the Night during that night’s Night Court. Only after learning even still to this very day, even after Our my return, the Nightly Court remains empty and the Royal Thestral Bloodlines rarely, if ever come. ‘Tis for this reason We I, without Our my sister’s awareness and even sneaking her permission, hadst had announced that the Nightly Courts were canceled, in favor to Our my secondary duty as the Princess of the Night to dreamwalk and bring peace to those suffering nightmares.

Alas, Our my price to pay was all sweets be taken from Us me and to be fed mashed alfalfa from breakfast to dinner for the next month and a long lecture from Our my sister, diary! We I protested against such criminal punishment but she didst did not sway. However, she could not undo Our my decision, and neither wouldst would We I take such decision back, so alas the Night Court is no more. In longer consideration, diary, Our my decision may bring problems in greater numbers than We I intended to solve, but this hath has been Our my choice so We I must stand by it and resolve what trouble may become of it.

Regardless of Our my attempts to avoid the Courts, Our my elder sister hast has requested Our my presence during Day Court, though We I believe thoroughly that Celestia was determined not to suffer the nobles alone.

Thus, We I lament to hath have discovered the very first benefit from taking part of the Night Court, and through Our my lament the first mistake of removing the Night Court.

Truly, We I wish we could throw these greedy and hoarding ponies, nobles or no, and throw them to the chain gangs! But Celestia tells Us me often that we can no longer employ such draconian measures against our subjects, that times hath have changed, that we art are now cultured and civilized and must choose punishments appropriate for a cultured and civilized kingdom. Disgusting parasites art are what they truly art are! We’ve I’m still half a mind to do it regardless and inform them that hard labor in a chains awaits them the next time they come before Us me with a proposition to exploit the commoner populace of our citizens.

Regardless of those kleptocratic foals ... . We’ve I’ve often began to wonder ... . If returning to Our my duties as the Guardian of Dreams, is not how We I will atone for the negative consequences of Our my having become Nightmare Moon, or perhaps t’is not enough?

Our My greatest and one priority in this atonement is to the healing of Our my sister’s heart and mind, if We I can. She is the only family We I have left, just as We art I am hers. Our book of our own thoughts, My diary, she hast has already suffered the loss of our beloved family, and the result from Our my actions only worsened it. We I wish to try to undo the damage which We I hadst had done. Yet Our my sister still sayeth say ‘tis not Our my fault! Oh, how couldst could Our my dearest sister not think elsewise, when it hast has been We me who pierced her with Our my bitterness and anger. She truly was the Bearer of Kindness, as she wouldst would never accept it as Our my fault for wounding her within this way. We I do not hath have the powers to change the past, and ‘tis most foalish to pursue for a power to do so, but We I can and will reduce or eliminate the negative consequences of Our my actions, so Our my sister shall no longer suffer Our my actions.

It was Our my fault that thou art you are hurt in this way, Our my eldest and precious sister. Despite thy your healing from the deaths of Mother and Father, Our my actions hath have hurt thee you deeply.

During our youth, thou hath you have always been the one to protect Us me from the world, sister. Thou hadst You had played and taken to the role of the bigger sister, thou hadst you stood above and in front of Us me in order to protect Us me from the world in which thee you believed wouldst would try and do greater harm than what had happened, and We I had accepted it gladly to let thy you be happy and to heal from our losses till We I thirsted for love and attention and thou you rising to the duty of our reign and failing to notice Us me, leading to Our my personal failure of letting thee you know.

Now it is Our my turn, Our my dearest, eldest sister. Our My one and only sister. It is Our my turn now to stand over thee you and protect thee you from those who wouldst would aim to exploit and destroy thee you and all we hath have built together.

We I vow this to thee you, sister. We I swear and vow to thee you as Princess Lunaria Eclipse, Princess of the Night, Guardian of the Dreams, and the Younger Daughter of the Light and Darkness themselves, that from this moment on We I will protect thee you, our my sister, and our subjects from the nightmares which plague them!

Alas this thrice blast'd language, ‘tis sore to coequal writeth prop'rly!

~Princess Luna~

The young male sat with his back against the Tower of Eternity. Around him were his, considered, fellow kith and kin, milling, idling and conversing with each other.

Their sleep, as it were, contained lucid and dreams that felt real enough that it seemed as if they had separately awoken to different realities. Many of the dreams were either straight from fantasy books, science-fiction or even something found from movies, several even dreamed of being within what seemed like anime.

What was most unfortunate was the friends, even loved ones some of them had established, and for the several 'hours', they awoken and felt desperate to return to those dreams. One in particular continued to search in desperation for what he had described as “a partner of our own hearts and mind.” Further questionings revealed this “partner” was in the form of a dragon, which bewildered the others to no end. Yet said male acted as if the “partner” was as dear to him as his own soul.

After said 'hours' were spent calming and returning those to better condition, everyone decided to share both memory and experiences of their separate dreams, either by talking or by sharing it through the link God had established. The young male had recently finished talking to a similar-aged male who had been within a dream where he had been responsible of holding some sort of powerful weapon in the fashion of two literal keys the size coming up to their waists crossed to form a blade-like weapon almost as tall as themselves and had to keep it out of the hands of some decrepit old man with a glorious voice and a fetish for the letter X.

In personal opinion, the two males considered the whole dream similar to a bad drug trip through Disneyland. The only positive was them beating the life, death, heaven and hell out of everything in sight that didn’t seem friendly and no one around them gave a damn nor tried to correct them anything above “Don’t get too carried away and be corrupted,” “Don’t trust the evil looking old man,” and “Don’t do anything to these important people other than saying hello or rescuing them.”

The fights with the younger version of the old man was a close second, however.

The young male himself, however, did not dream of any separate realities or any such, but rather…

He wasn't entirely sure if it was a dream or if it was him being made aware of the physical reality that God created.

The male had fragments and slight glimpses of said awareness. It was akin to one who slept perfectly balanced between the state of unconsciousness and awakened awareness of their surroundings. Not within listed order, he sometimes saw only the 'tomb' they had been sealed in, or perhaps a stray animal or even three wandering in and around the 'tomb'. Fire, sand, dust and ash swirled and flowed around, past and out the 'tomb', never settling within the 'tomb', leaving the stone room in an unreal state of cleanliness. Suddenly a bright fire that expanded and swept through the entire 'tomb', before fading away instantly and leaving nothing burnt. It seemed as if the event was akin to that speculation the scientists had upon the Sun, whereas it would implode and reach supernova then burning itself into a small, white star. After that, all had been silent and quiet.

Then came a pure white horse with what seemed to be wings and a horn, wandering in and around, making the 'tomb' a temporary home or some other instinct gave the horse the idea that it was safe to be there.

Sometimes, he heard a young girl's voice or even an adult woman's voice. Occasionally, the two spoke with tones of either sadness, happiness, or scorned. Sometimes, he heard nothing but the same girl's voice wailing and crying.

Regardless, the experience was confusing, troubling ... . even concerning. Whatever the young male had seen or heard was vastly different from the others.

"Clearly, God followed through making sure no presence of Humanity remained," as the young male muttered. He had long since known just how thorough God gets when he says something was getting wiped off the face of the Earth ... . Yet, not only did the 'Tomb' survive, and not only did there seem to be proof of the sun imploding, but life seemed to have returned, whether by God maintaining it or Him simply dropping a Seed of Life and letting everything go its own course while He closed and locked the Gates of Heaven.

After everyone had enough talking, debating and discussing (Much of the discussion happened upon one certain popular Science-Fiction series, mostly involving a rebellion) The young male got up, clapped his hands loudly to gain the legions attention and declared, "Enough! We have had enough fun with our dreams, we have mentally awoken, and our time of awakening is now. Out of all the dreams you had experienced, mine alone was vastly different ... . I say I have seen time pass through the Physical Realm."

Many voices murmured and rose and fell through the legions. One male stood closer. He was a tall male, slightly darkened skin, dressed in sand-colored clothing and chainmail armor with his keffiyeh-turban uncovering and revealing a slightly bigger mouth. A round shield was strapped to his back with a exotic axe that swept down to merge with the shaft clipped to his right.

The older male spoke in a fluent and soft tongue, nearly sounding equal to the ancient language of Hebrew, which the young male recognized as the Crusade-era Arabic, "A valid thought, Successor. But what if perhaps as what you are, you are simply given a fractured dream, hm?" Very few gave support while many others closed their eyes and focused upon the link they shared with the young boy.

The Successor blinked and considered on that question, it would seem likely that everything he saw was just nothing. It seemed reasonable, yet in the order corresponding to what he had seen, it was too much to be considered a dream by any means, even in comparison to his Predecessors. Too much of it was shatters, fragments, glimpses and blinks of their "tomb" and nothing else had been seen. Neither did his surroundings and his body move nor change. Had there been even a twitch of his fingers, a slight movement or a wavering shadow happening across his sight, it would have certainly proved the Arabic man's words.

The lines of thought passed through him and to the Arabian soldier, who shuffled in an attempt to give a greater answer as the majority of the Legion agreed and added their own thoughts and logic. Too much proved the man's reason falsely, and he held nothing but theory and guesses.

The "Successor" shook his head lightly and said, "Regardless of whether what I've seen was a dream or not, we have awoken... . Completely. And we were awoken by that," He pointed to the Tower of Eternity, specifically the ring of rainbow that permanently painted the Tower, "And both of these are enough reason to emerge from our stone prison. Whatever the world has become of now, we must arise ourselves to meet it. If this itself is a dream, then so be it." The congregation within the Fields of Forever gave affirmations and agreeing thoughts as they inspected what the Successor pointed and to what he said.

And so, without argue, everyone closed their eyes and the Successor felt knowledge, power and memories fill his very being. He soon closed his eyes as well and moved his will, fueled by the others.

Celestia awoke in the fields once again, the grass still dominating her view as she laid down. She blinked before realizing a distinct difference:

She was aware.

Her dream had turned lucid, allowing her to do as she pleased. The sudden realization caused the alicorn to jump to her hooves and look around the fields.

She then made a very important discovery: Celestia wasn't alone anymore.

No, as she turned and looked around, she wasn't alone. No longer was it just only one of the being she had seen again and again, it was hundr-

No ... . She turned again and looked around the side of the hill she had woken up on. There were thousands of bipedal beings.

She tried to talk to one of them, a being that happened to be just above her own height, seemingly male that had tribal clothing similar to what she had seen from the Zebrica Nations. Infact, as she looked closer, it was akin to the warriors armor. But instead of the colors red, gold and blue cloth and metal bands around the male's body, it was instead clad in what appeared to be a leather armor mixed with feathers that stayed out of the way, mostly bound to either his helmet or his shield. The feathers looked quite similar to the parrots and macaws she had within her aviary that she both collected and saved from their abusive owners.

The "leather" armor was a dusted yellow and tan, with the underside a slightly paler tan with black splotches and spots dotted wherever the armor could be seen. Celestia looked at the being's face... . Or rather tried to as the dream still denied her any hope of identifying just what the being's eyes, face or anything of him looked like. All she could see was the helmet in the fashion of some wild and ferocious feline.

Regardless, she tried to talk, she tried to yell and even beat her wings against the being, but nothing stirred him!

In an irritated huff, Celestia moved on to a few more beings. Some of them unmistakably male. There were times she faced a being that was thinner and more lithe than the males she saw, with two round and soft protrusions at chest level.

It was only by memory and personal experience of meeting the Minotaurs of both genders did the alicorn mare figure out that the lithe beings were female.

As she continued to grow frustrated by being ignored, she wandered closer and closer to the base of the marble tower, wanting to take to the shade from the unseeable sun.

Celestia reached the base of the tower, giving a loud huff before sitting down on her haunches. She gave up on any notion that the beings surrounding her would notice her, the mare looked up at the tower, feeling small and awed by the incredible height of the tower. The tower was still as impossibly long as it always had been during her visits.

"Tis most strange, sister." Celestia almost jumped at hearing the sound of Luna's voice, "Thy failed to mention of ... . these beings, being here." Luna appeared, moving around one being who was dressed in a trenchcoat almost fitting to a mafia-costume in Manehattan. She observed the being before moving closer to her sister.

"This is a first for me too, Luna. It was usually just one being, now there are thousands of them ... ." Celestia replied, making Luna give a confused look.

Before Luna could ask, Celestia beat her to it with a question of her own, "Are you able to see their faces? All I can see is either a disturbingly blank face or their heads are down far enough that the shadows are hiding them." The younger alicorn blinked before she shook her head, "Nay, sister. W- I ... . can't, yes ... .? I can't see their eyes nor faces either. To know that they hold faces of their own and yet we ... . I, cannot see them." Luna immediately frowned and narrowed her eyes as her mind was conflicted between well established habit of speech to her lessons of modern day languages. She gave an annoyed groan, "Oh alas, tis ‘mod'rn language’ is sore to speaketh! Wherefore didst language has't to ‘improve’ and ‘simplify?’"

Celestia couldn't help but giggle at Luna's attempt at modern day Equestrian. She quickly returned to the subject at hoof, as she motioned with her wing to have Luna join her. Luna awkwardly shuffled of her wings before she began trotting over to her elder sister, who teased, "Whatever's the matter, Lulu? Afraid to sit with your sister in public?"

Luna puffed her cheeks and chest, "We doth not feareth showing our affection to our sister!" With that she lied down nestling to her giggling sister's stomach with a hard huff and eyes closed, cheeks still puffed out.

Celestia nuzzled the rather adorable and irate Lunar Princess until she had calmed down, in which she commented, "Still, ‘tis rather disturbing seeing all these beings here, standing and not reacting to aught we may doth, sister. ‘Tis reminding us of the terrifying stories father wouldst recount to tease and gallow us."

Celestia couldn't help but mirror Luna's discomfort. None of the beings did anything, and nothing either of the sisters did made them do anything, even using magic or their strength meant little. Not even yelling made them flinch in the slightest.

It was after they had walked around and observed many of the beings did Celestia freeze on the spot, causing Luna to look at her in concern and tried to follow her gaze.

Celestia, meanwhile felt as if she had drifted back into the dream, no longer aware or lucid that she was in a dream, and started moving closer and around the Tower, ignoring her sister's questions and attempts at stopping her.

It wasn't until she reached a certain point where the "sun" seemed to be shining down on the Tower did both alicorns find what Celestia's dreaming mind was looking for:

It was the same being that Celestia constantly dreamed of, this time he was facing Celestia. His face, in contrast difference to the other beings around him, wasn't hidden by shadows or blank. However all Celestia could see, and through her Luna, was his eyes.

It was a swirling rainbow of colors. It was impossible to Luna to list every color that whirled and spun in his iris', as every time she saw one specific color she knew, it danced away to be quickly replaced by another, and for the replacing color to dance into another.

Celestia continued to stare straight into the being's eyes, transfixed and incapable of registering that her sister was trying to get her attention.

Luna had been yelling, shoving, and buffeting her elder sister with the air from her wings to no avail as she had tried to bring back Celestia when she had drifted back into the dream realm, and no longer lucid nor acknowledging her presence.

During her attempts she had noticed that the beings started to move their heads to look at Celestia, further increasing her nervous discomfort and even further increasing her memories about stories of puppets and statues that either followed the movements of other ponies ... . Or moved on their own to do whatever ill intent possessed them wanted.

The sheer thought of it and seeing one of the two happening made Luna shiver and almost broke a nervous sweat before deciding that she had had enough and utilized her magic to wake Celestia up.

As she lit her horn, she saw a bright ball of light erupt from the Tower and began expanding rapidly, covering the entire field with the alicorns and beings with it until there was nothing to see but white.

Just as Luna finished casting her magic, she watched as the being that Celestia was looking at blink before disappearing into the white void as the sound akin to stone snapping, cracking and crumbling away resounded and filled both sisters’ ears.

Suddenly the white void ripped away into nothing, giving way to black as both Luna and Celestia were ripped away from the dream realm and awoken in Celestia's bed with a start.

Celestia shivered as she looked around before noticing that she was wrapped in her blankets, preventing her from moving her limbs while allowing her to turn and twist her head. She gave a slight struggle before asking, "Luna? Are you there?"

She had to wait for a few heartbeats before she heard Luna's voice answer back, "Indeed, sister. We art with thee." Luna's magic surrounded Celestia and began to unravel her from her blanket cocoon. As she was twisted and turned around to remove more of the blankets off of her, she heard Luna chide, "Thee shouldst behold into the Stasis Spell, sister. We wouldst rather not saveth thee from thy own sleep chamber."

Celestia gave a huff, freed of her clothed prison and gently placed onto her bed, "I don't possess the ability to move my body while within a dream, Lulu. I thought you knew this?" She turned to look at her younger sister and sat down on her flank.

"Perhaps a spell could help this, sister?" Luna teased, "We could do the honors and hold watch over thee so thine vulnerable body doth not fall into despicable hoofs?"

It was Celestia's turn to widen her eyes before puffing her cheeks in annoyance and mock-anger, "D-don't you dare remind me of the last time! And may I remind you that Unwavering and I had been dating beforehand and we agreed consensually!"

Luna simply grinned as she continued to pester her eldest sister, "Oh but surely the loud noises sayth different! Both us and our father hath thought thee were under terrible onslaught by a many-limbed creature!" The younger alicorn immediately laughed at Celestia's expense as the white alicorn blushed immediately with her eyes widening even further.

"D-L-Luna!" She cried in embarrassment, trying to focus on anything other than that particular event, but failed as her wings starting to rise. Luna's laughter only grew as both alicorns noticed Celestia's physical reaction, causing Celestia to put her front hooves over her eyes, still blushing hard enough to change her coat's color, "Why did you have to remind me of that?!" Celestia whined.

"Because, mine sister. We still knoweth thine vulnerable places, and we still adore the response we receive!" Luna giggled before nuzzling her elder sister to calm her down.

Barely a minute passed before Luna's tone became serious and said, "Sister, what hast happened? Thine attention was once with us, yet thee drifted into the dream itself and disregarded our attempts to awaken you. The dreamscape blanketed into a white nothingness soon after."

Celestia, still blushing, moved her hoofs away from her muzzle and replied, "I don't know, Luna. But I think ... ." She moved off of her bed and magically moved the curtains, showing the early hours of morning, "I think something has happened."

In the Tomb of the Ancient Warrior, all had been silent. Dust, dirt and plant never settled nor was found over the two millenniums since Celestia's discovery of it.

Oft, it was declared that magic was held responsible for such a phenomena, but continuous studies showed that there was not a shred of magic present. This discovery quickly labeled the Tomb to be the greatest and unnatural location, rivaling the Everfree Forest that claimed it long after superstitions caused the ponies to refuse to study further.

That point was further helped along since there was little else that could be done.

But now, the very air around the Tomb changed. Had anypony or any creature been present, they would have felt a foreboding presence, filled by a deep sense of primordial, memory, and restless cold fury.

The Tomb was disturbed by yet another loud snap of stone. The statue now sported another crack, this time upon the helm that shot down to the neck, spider-like lines appearing along the rest of the helm, a soft glow of light flashing through the greater cracks before fading.

The sound of stone cracking and snapping filled the Tomb, before all had fallen silent once again, the Statue of the Ancient Warrior was now utterly covered in cracks and fractures.

Something immediately shot through the minds of both of the Royal Sisters. It was as if something happened that reminded them that had been forgotten, and they've forgotten that they had forgot.

And it felt disturbing and foreboding.

Adrenaline pumped through their veins, denying them any chance of sleep, defying both Princesses and royal mages attempts of the Calming spell.

Fearing it was premonition to signs of terrible events to come, Royal Scouts of all three races were sent throughout the land of Equestria. Vanhoover to Lost Pegasus and from Manehattan to Baltimare, the Scouts were told to observe while staying secrete to avoid worrying the public.

Mages scryed for hours as Canterlot Palace still broiled in activity and oxymoronic cautious panic. Some pushed themselves to the point of magical or physical exhaustion, two or three doing both. Often times guards had to move away from their eyes from the walls of Canterlot and the land far below to drag the Royal Mages to the nurses and medics of both the palace and city.

Despite both power and persistence and the reports consistently saying that nothing has happened nor has anything gone terribly wrong aside from a Minor Ursa of all things appearing and disappearing in Ponyville, but it had been disregarded as something Celestia’s Royal Student, Twilight Sparkle, and her fellow Bearers of Harmony would and could deal with.

Celestia sat at one table within the Canterlot Palace labyrinthal library and had made a literal book fortress complete with towers as she poured and poured into books, trying to find what the presence meant and the symptom of a forceful memory meant. While Luna had skimmed and looked over dreamwalking books and studies done by her and her father in the past involving the dream both she and her sister had seen. Often times she would land nearby the table, pour another cup of soothing tea to help her before flying back up.

A unicorn mage galloped in, her red with purple highlights mane moving in the wind before it whirled around and covered her face as she stopped in front of Celestia, a black book with the Cutie-Mark of a thin spiral with two, blue starbursts.

After shaking her head and moving her mane out of the way of her light, yellowish grey coat, she said while panting, “Y—Your—Your Majesty, th—the Book of Prophecies.”

Celestia looked up from her intense reading and barely looked between the mare and the book before replying, “Thank you, Twilight,” as she took the book from the mare’s magical grip.

The mare blinked and looked up to her hair, which had coincidentally took to the same manestyle as Celestia’s student before she fixed it to where most of her bangs was to the right side of her horn while some moved to the left. She had normally used a mane-tie to hold her mane above her head, but after the reappearance of Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna, she discovered she was much more approachable from the advice Lyra Heartstrings gave her and not few days afterward, was selected and given a chance to enter the Canterlot Circle of Mages, a subsection that was in league with the Royal Council of Mages.

Interestingly enough, it was Twilight Sparkle who gave that push upon the unicorn mare to accept the invitation. Twilight’s casual disinterest in her birthday party was enough to give the mare the goal and drive to become a Royal Mage ... . Well, after she immediately threw a pity party and had to take a few days to move past it. Her dream and goal now was to advance high enough that she could return to Twilight and tell her both her begrudged frustrations of her former friend ... . As well as communicate her gratitude, though mostly she’d start with venting and then boasting.

After fixing her mane she gave a slight cough, “My ... . My name is Moon Dancer, Your Majesty.”

It took several pages being flipped before Celestia realized what Moon Dancer said and took another look, “Oh, dear me. I’m so sorry, Moon Dancer.”

The mare gave a light laugh and rubbed the back of her neck with a foreleg, “It’s quite alright, Your Majesty. My mane did kinda look like your student, didn’t it?” Celestia replied to her remark with a eye-closed smile and a small hum before she had to return to the book, allowing Moon Dancer to trot away to find something that might aid the Princesses.

From somepony who was the Archmage of Equestria, it seemed that even her dearest friend Starswirl had his limits, mortality aside. Moving past old prophecies, future prophecies and the still obscure prophecies, she could not find anything akin to what she and her sister felt.

“Oh come on!!” Celestia yelled in frustration, throwing the book aside, which happened to knock over one of her booktress’ towers and caused the structure to fall on top of her and bury her with a squeak. Luna flew down and casted both a Revert Spell and a Retrieval Spell to both free her sister and to collect Starswirl’s book. Celestia shook her mane before groaning and curling against one of the booktress’ walls, “We've been searching all day and still we've not found anything!”

Luna nuzzled her sister as Celestia remained lying there, “Perhaps thine student may be of aid in answering our frustrations, sister.”

This only caused Celestia to shake her head and reply, “I’m hesitant on asking for her, we have more resources to use anyways, I am confident in my student's abilities, but I would rather her focus on her ‘studies’ in friendship than focus on me.”

Luna, however, knew her sister well enough. She nuzzled again and wrapped her wing around Celestia and murmured, “Thine student wouldst only be concerned for thee just as we have, sister. She wouldst never leave thee nor wouldst she see thou in a negative light, ye worry for nothing. Thine student is not akin to the nobles.” She moved away and waited for her sister to get up before continuing, “Let us stop for now, our head pounds like drums and our eyes have grown sore from texts and pages.” She summoned a small bell and rang it to call for a servant, “And it is evening, sister. Wilt thou join us in dinner?”

Celestia smiled and put away the few books that still lied on the floor, “I would love to, Lulu.”

Dinner consisted of a healthy and hearty feast of salads, stews and stuffed mushrooms. The sisters had kept mostly quiet and focused to their food due to them spending the entire day together trying to figure out the disturbances they felt early that morning. Afterwards, they walked through the halls on their way to Celestia’s chambers, as Luna had taken up aiding in the nightly patrols with her Night Guards to replace the Night Courts. Despite Luna focusing on participating and being with her sister more often, she still was a nocturnal alicorn fitting as her status of Princess of the Night, and she often still held enough energy to burn throughout the night.

As Luna had gone around the corner to join a nearby squad of Night Guards, Celestia took the time to write off on her diary before heading to bed, listing the events that had happened during the early hours of morning and throughout the day. She still felt frustrated that both of the alicorn Princesses had seen an unusual dream, with an unusual event happening directly after said dream, and yet there wasn’t a single answer or anything that happened to this series of events!

And yet, Celestia had to surrender to both her body’s demand for rest and that the event resulted in little to nothing. She signed her name to the entry in her diary before closing the book and hiding it in her dresser before lowering her sun and raising the moon.

It was a rather odd feeling, knowing that she was doing something she had once did so many times during her sister’s absence, and yet Luna was still with her, freed from her prison and from her possession. Celestia sighed as she began lightly humming the songs she once sang to Luna. Once the sun and moon had taken their rightful places in the sky, she curled into her dias, held Paper Mache close to her and almost fell asleep immediately.
And so night quickly passed.

Light …

Sunlight.

The light shining down through the door at first blinded and hurt the being’s eyes. The male human who was born into this body groaned both mentally and physically as he sluggishly moved his arm to cover his eyes until the pain subsided. He watched as his arm move at almost a snail's pace before it reached its destination. He had shed the armor that he ‘slept’ in for his typical clothing, which happened to be the very same clothing fashion that he held within the Eternal Hills.

Pain shot through him again, making him groan and lie on his side to wait it out.

’Ahhh ... . Pain. Wonderful pain ... .’ One of many minds resounded from the mental landscape, his tone sarcastic as the physical body arched and twitched in pain, ’Such a wonderful way to tell if you’re alive ... .’

'Since when were we alive?' Another asked skeptically.

The male who owned the physical body shook his head slowly and gave a cough that erupted into a series of coughing. He continued to hack and wheezed until finally his throat felt clear. He shook his head again and muttered, “No ... . Matter ... . Let us see ... . What this ... . Light brings ... .” A feeling of agreements and affirmations passed through him as he got off of the ground, groaning again as he felt the blood in him move, signalling their movements by pinpricks and needles running through his entire body.

He crawled at first, grunting past the pins and needles spiking with every movement and every impact with the ground. When that feeling passed, he struggled to his feet by grabbing the nearest pillar and lifting himself up like an infant that had begun to learn to walk.

The man staggered into the wall before he forced himself forward up the stairs, which he noted had not been there before, and into the light.

Mere seconds passed until the bipedal male was able to stay balancing on his two feet and blinked as he surveyed the land before him.

And there it was …

The sun.

The yellow, bright circle in a blue sky, added with pure white clouds that moved with the air high above him.

The mimicry that was the sun within the Tower of Eternity was nothing compared to seeing the actual star.

And the warmth that radiated from it. Such welcoming warmth, akin to an invisible, but warm hug as the light laid on his skin.

He reached a hand out to try and grab the sun, as if it were just in front of him and waiting to be plucked from the air and descend the new world around him into eternal darkness.

The hand now casted a shadow over his face. The male human took a full minute to admire the sunlight that barely hid behind his raised limb, the sun shining around his fingers and around his wrist and the feeling of warmth once more.
Then he turned the hand into a fist, as if he could close his hand around the sun. He let his hand fall to his side before giving a deep breath, then began to look around.

It was daytime, that was he and the many minds that shared his sight learned. The sun was positioned just above dawn, the start of a new day and the sun had been peeking through the trees while the pale night sky was still present behind him.

The next piece of information the male’s brain registered and sent to the many, was that they were at the edge of a lush, and colorful forest.

Far too colorful, in his opinion.

The trees in front of him were vibrant and healthy, more healthy than he had ever seen in trees. The trunks were a rich brown with the bark thick and firmly attached, the leaves were a deep and lively green with the branches almost matching the color of the trunks. A stray wind blew through the trees and hit the male, who sighed in content at feeling fresh air compared to the hellish landscape that had once been.

The earth had healed …

It actually recovered from what humanity had done to the planet.

He turned around and found fields of solid green grass that stretched for quite some time before it gave way to what seemed to be ruins of a fortification. The sight of ruins caused the male to frown and dampen some of his hopes.
The male sighed as he marched through the grassy fields and to the ruins that sat there across a simple suspension bridge made of rope and wooden planks, with four very small pillars of stone. During the walk there, he and the others who observed and watched through his eyes debated and discussed over the ruins, as they had never seen the ruins there before and it obviously meant that there had once been a civilization established here.

When he reached the rope bridge, he inspected the work. It was clean. Very clean, something that took obsessive and expertise work. But it became very apparent that whoever or whatever occupied these ruins were likely shorter than the average human height.

’So then a new species now inhabited this planet ... .’ One commented.

’Then where are they now?’The first voice asked.

The human man ran a hand through one stone pillar, feeling its smoothed and polished texture. He moved his head and looked at the ruins. The male gave a soft “Hm” as he walked confidently across the bridge. The bridge itself groaned and swayed, but stayed intact long enough for him to walk across and enter through what was left of the doors, trying to run his hand along the sidewalls that led to the door only to give up when he had to crouch and almost kneel just to do so and looked around.

He had once recognized the interior of the ruins as a fort of some kind as he approached, but once he entered inside, it was apparent that this “fort” was instead a noble’s castle. For one, the two purple gems sitting outside the double doors looked far too real to be simple and cheap crafts to display loyalties.

For another, the interior was far too large to be of any practical use, as there were no balconies or small ledges above the spacious floor that would allow the defenders to pelt the invaders in safety. In fact, there were small squares of grass that had wild flowers and what even seemed to be flowers that were planted manually within the squares. As he moved through the walkway that led to a staircase that split into two to allow access to the second levels, he looked up and noticed the two tapestries. One was a blue dominant banner with a depiction of a winged unicorn with a moon above it, while the other was mostly yellow, whereas the winged unicorn on it held a white coat and a lily-pink mane with a sun above it.

’Interesting ... .' The first voice thought, 'This appears to be more than just a castle for someone of noble blood, I wonder if there is a throne nearby.’

’There must be ... .’ Answered the third voice, ’... . Look around, this place didn’t fall to just time alone. This castle’s been given a rough fight.’ The male mentally viewed through the third voice’s sight and in his physical body’s peripheral vision were small blast marks scattered around both the walls, floors and skimming the ceilings. The human focused his eyes towards the nearest mark and went to inspect it.

It was the oddest blast mark they had ever seen, it seemed almost equivalent to the energy blaster blast points from the science fiction series Star Wars, except it was bigger and it had left the stone mostly intact.

“Curiouser ... .” The human hummed as he moved away and ascended the stairs and traveled through the halls with a bored but attentive expression. He, and through the memories of those within the Eternal Hills, had seen castle ruins many times, most of which done by their own hands. Though most of the ruins barely had anything left standing, this castle had somehow remained upright and mostly stable over the course of some unknown years. The being observed the pictures and other sorts of tapestries with simple glances and sideway stares before they came to a particular room.

“... . And curiouser ... .” The male concluded as he took his hands out of his pockets and inspected the new room.

Most certainly, this was a throne room. As there were two small flights of stairs that led to two different thrones, with matching colors to the banners above them, each depicting the Moon with stars and Sun with clouds in left to right order. There was a rather sizable hole that seemed to be the result from either catapult or some artillery fire, but as they looked around for the crater or boulder that was likely responsible, said suspecting object or crater was completely absent.

'Even more curiouser ... . There’s no sign that hole was made from the outside, yet there seems to be nothing that suggested that it was caused from the inside. That hole did not simply fall apart, regardless of time or weather. Not with how well built the walls look.' The second voice rang out, causing the human to frown.

‘Not just that ... .’ The human stated, ’Look around at the rest of the damages done to this place. None of these make any sense, they demonstrate that a battle had indeed taken place inside here, yet there's no sword marks, no spear shafts or arrowheads nor anything that suggests that an army invaded and conquered this place. It seems as if something went on a rampage and the castle was simply abandoned.’ He moved away from one pillar that had been blasted away leaving a stump on the ground while the rest of the pillar still remained connected to the ceiling.

After quick inspection of both the thrones, which only resulted that they were of equal make and simply different colors, the multi-minded human being left the throne room and went another way, planning to make another cursory round before moving off to make shelter for the night before moving on to explore rest the planet.

Said ‘last to inspect room,’ was simply renamed to them as the ‘music room.’

“Really, Asufeld? You suggest left and come to here?” The male who owned the physical body asked flatly.

'I merely suggested a direction, I held no intention of looking for musical instruments.' A German-Norman voice retorted. However, this only gained snickers and small chuckles.

The human gave an amused hum before taking a look around. Around the place were small compartments that either had or still held musical instruments of various types, however what dominated the room was a very large pipe organ that spanned all the way to the ceiling and quite possibly outside. The human male noticed that the keys were all half as large as his hand width, from pinkie to middle finger. He tapped one key and the whole organ shook before delivering a baleful note that echoed throughout the castle, startling local wildlife and causing them to flee.

The human didn’t react in surprise but instead flashed his eyebrows and made his head move gently left with a small smile of amusement. He began flexing and stretched his fingers and arms as his eyes flashed again, popping and cracking the few stiff muscles he still had.

Officer Cadet Flash Sentry yawned as he returned to Canterlot. He had been flying almost nonstop and looking for anything and everything that didn’t seem right. Yet he went as far as Appleloosa and stopped to turn around when he reached the summits of Macintosh Hills, while some of his fellow Pegasi had spread out covering every other corner before turning around to report whatever they found on their end.

For Flash, he didn’t find a single thing that seemed out of place.

And so, Flash was in the middle of returning and delivering his report, and he planned to find the nearest cot and crash for the rest of the day.

He was simply tired enough that even thinking about the cot made him lose altitude until he realized he was about to hit the treeline before correcting course. A nervous chuckle later, and he continued onwards.

However, as he started flying past the old ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters he began hearing organ music playing, causing him to stop and look around.

It most definitely wasn’t the wind, as Flash heard the organ still playing and was playing an unfamiliar tune.

Whatever tune it was, it wasn’t being played by expert hands but rather somepony who had an idea how to play but only taken up adequate practice before abandoning it.

And this tune was coming from the old ruins … .

Of course … .

Flash Sentry gave a low groan before landing at the entrance and cautiously entered the old castle, spear at the ready in case whoever was there was hostile.

As he trotted through the ruins, he listened to the organ again. This time he could hear the music a little more clearly. The music was rather upbeat, utterly defeating whatever scare factor the ruins were renowned for. In fact, the music sounded like something from a carnival of all things. It was hard for Flash to not hum and march to the beat. This was the haunted ruins of the Royal Sisters, for Celestia’s sake! It’s supposed to be creepy and scary, not letting ponies including himself from trotting happily!

By the time he reached the hallway that would lead him to where the organ was kept, he quietly swore when he realized that his traitorous body had indeed started moving with the beat. And apparently, his curse was enough to cause the music and himself to immediately stop. The sudden disappearance caused Flash to swear again and galloped down the hall to skid around the corner, spear ready.

Whoever and whatever was here, they made an immediate escape and Flash either missed them or they were hiding within the room. Indecision raced through Flash Sentry, before he finally decided to investigate the room for the chance that the organ player was still within the room. He sneezed once as the dust puffed up with each hoofstep before he scoured the room, only to come up with nopony being there.

A small groan escaped Flash Sentry, he at least found something unusual, and yet he would come up empty hoofed for it. He gave a quick cursor around before giving up and exiting the room, finding the nearest open hole that was large enough for him to take off and returned to the task of returning to Canterlot.

’Why did we run again?’

’... . That is an excellent question, were we not interested in knowing what now lives on Earth in replacement of humans?'

The questions utterly baffled the many minds surrounding the Tower of Eternity. None of them coming up with an adequate answer. Just why did they immediately leave the ruins the moment they heard something or someone quietly swear down the hallway, their accumulating sensitive hearing allowing them to hear past the organ.

Regardless, they missed whatever chance at meeting the new being. As they heard the sound of wings opening and flapping, then seeing a shadow pass over the treeline where they were before the being disappeared, taking away another chance at seeing who it was.

’All that we know about it is it has wings ... .’ The human grumbled before quickly climbing up the closest and tallest tree, scaling it within seconds due to how close the branches were to each other, to look at which direction this winged being had taken. After seeing a yellow and shining speck flying away from the treeline, the human could see the mountain with what appeared to be an even bigger castle hanging off the side of it.

The size and physics-defying supports that were allowing the castle, plus a small city with it to stick to the side of the mountain made the male blink and stare for a while.

’Methinks Earth recovered with a screw loose.’ The male who owned the physical body flatly stated.

His opinion was met with some agreements while another replied, ’Not likely. But something most definitely has changed while we’ve slept.’

He turned his head to observe what else he could see, keeping note of the castle and the shiny, likely armored being that was flying towards it. The castle barely passed out of his peripheral vision when he spotted another spot of civilization, namely a town that was just across the river.

A rather sporadic of a town, most definitely medieval-era, due to seeing thatch and hay as the roofs of the building, except for the building at the very center, which was given bricks and tiles. All in all, it seemed to be a simple town housing common folk. Apple trees seemed to be a dominant sight, which easily indicated the town as a farming center, responsible for producing and delivering fruit and vegetables across countries or throughout ruling states.

’A better place to start than any ... .’ The male said, ’A better idea to introduce yourself within the common folk, rather than getting mixed up with whatever’s at that castle.’

After hearing no arguments, the male looked around for anything else before he jumped off the treetop and landed without even a sound of effort, and a ground shaking thump, before he started off in the direction of the town.
As he reached the river, he and the many others debated over how to introduce themselves. Few of them simply did not care in the slightest other than to walk into the town and give a light wave and say “Hi” to the nearest inhabitant.

The rest of the many, however, did not take to the option well. It sparked a fierce debate that it nearly made the male’s physical body almost forget to stand up after testing the river’s speeds, which was a slow, gentle push that barely made his arm move even while relaxed and limp.

After utilizing his memory and some of the other beings’ experiences with surveying and the math involved, the male nodded and looked up, analyzing the opposite bank. Whereas he stood on a grassy bank, the opposite shore held a sloped sandbank. Without another thought, the male waded across the river before he began butterfly stroking diagonally across the river.

After a few harder pushes, and the being reached the other side drenched and dripping. He quickly made to the nearest dry place and away from the sand and immediately stripped himself of clothing before he began squeezing the majority of the water out of his clothing. Soon after his clothes were still damp, he placed them back on, ignoring the chill of the wind. As he looked up to the sky, he learned that it was now midday, with the sun at its highest.

The human decided, to make camp soon, let his clothes dry completely and hunt for food. He moved his hand over his opposite shoulder, as if to unsling something from his back and began to look for a good location.

“There, now be sure to get plenty of rest, Ms. Doe,” Fluttershy said softly, backing slowly away from the larger cervine, who had a bandage around her left rear leg. The deer nosed the gentle pegasus mare, who gave a light giggle, “Oh, it’s quite alright. I’m just glad you’ll be okay after your leg has healed.” She watched as the deer began limping away before she turned around and was about to head home before both of them heard a twig snap, causing them to freeze and look around.

“H-h-h-h-hello?” Fluttershy whimpered aloud as she made jerking movements as she looked around.

The doe almost bolted when the sound of something crashing out of both cervine and Fluttershy’s sight. However, Fluttershy had given a shriek and hid underneath the doe, causing the deer to be forced to be the “brave protector” over her healer.

Fluttershy gave a whimper when a series of noises happened behind them before a small, white rabbit hopped into view and continued hopping towards Fluttershy, carrot in mouth. After hearing the pegasus’ whimpering, it paused to take the carrot out of its mouth and gave a look of confusion. It hopped over to the two as the doe nosed at the mare to look and see what had appeared.

“Angel!! You scared us,” Fluttershy sighed in relief, trotting over to nuzzle the rabbit, “I thought you were somepony else hiding.” He gave her an offended stare that she considered him a predator, “Come on, Angel. I need to head home to gather a few more supplies.” The rabbit gave a huff before hopping onto her back and began nibbling at his carrot that he had brought along with him.

“Th-thank you Ms. Doe,” Fluttershy turned her attention to the cervine, who simply nosed her and gave a small nip on her cheek before trotting off. Fluttershy gave a small wave of goodbye before turning around and trotting off to her cottage, happy that there had been no danger and she had helped another animal to heal.

Not once did she hear the soft twang of a bow, and neither did she hear the sound of the arrow approaching.

And she never heard the body fall.

“You are certain of this, Cadet?” Captain Shining Armor demanded.

Officer Cadet Flash Sentry nodded in the middle of his salute, “Yes, Captain! As I stated in my report, I investigated the sounds coming from the ancient ruins and attempted to follow it through to where the musical equipment had been stored and forgotten and when I came near, whatever had been playing the organ had vacated the vicinity before I could get a glimpse of it.”

Shining pondered on it before nodding, “Very well, Cadet. At ease, you’re dismissed.” After a quick nod and final salute from the pegasus, he turned to the Princesses, who were wide awake and attentive over both the briefing and report from Flash Sentry, “Your Majesties, I request to take up a squad of ponies and investigate your former home?”

Celestia exchanged a few looks with Luna, before she turned to face Shining Armor, “Request granted, Captain,” The unicorn captain nodded and was about to turn around before she continued, “however, prepare another additional squad, for we shall accompany you.”

He stumbled before recovering and asked, “Your Majesties? Are you sure you would want to bring yourselves to the risk-”

Celestia interjected, cutting the captain’s protests, “We both understand the risks and we are more than capable of handling ourselves, Captain. Regardless, this is why we ask for another squad as a secondary guard.”

The stallion looked as if he would argue further, but instead relented, “V-very well, Your Majesties.”

“‘Tia? Thou art surest-” Luna tried to ask when Captain Shining Armor left to go assemble the guards.

Celestia shook her head, cutting her sister’s question off, “I am sure of it, Lulu. Because it’s only now that I’m reminded of the Tomb. And consider the cadet’s report from hearing the organ being played at our former home, the dreams I’ve been having and sharing with you and the event of what happened has made us nervous and panic not too recently!”

“Doth thou believe the being within the Tomb has awoken?”

“It’s the only explanation ... .”

“And thou believe the being shalt not be hostile?” Celestia hesitated on her answer, causing Luna to catch on, “Thou doth not know ... . And you would risk facing this being?”

Celestia hesitated again, seemingly contemplating on something as Luna stared at her sister hard, demanding, “Sister, just what hath made you so hesitant on giving us an honest answer! Doth thou not trust us anymore?”

Celestia sputtered and felt hurt by Luna’s accusation, “N-no, Luna! I’ve been trusting you with my own life and health ever since you retu-”

“Then answer us and make it a straight answer, Celestial Solare! Do not dance around us like a shadow, Princess of the Sun!” The white alicorn could see a hurt expression and knew that while Luna had become emotionally stronger of the two, which made the young alicorn make half-hearted boasts that she should’ve done this instead of becoming Nightmare Moon, she still held trust issues.

Both with herself and others.

There was always a suspicious paranoia that whenever she felt somepony close to her hide something important, she would either glare in anger and frustration at the offending pony, or close her eyes tightly and look away. Luna could sometimes be seen approaching the petitioners, offering either her assistance or aid during her now abandoned Night Court, even within Celestia’s Day Court. When the petitioners looked at her with fear or reacted in anger and frustration she would either mutter darkly under her breath, or close her eyes tightly with her ears against the top of her head, her head lowering as she withdrew, her offers forgotten and ignored even when the more caring ponies gave chase to deliver their apologies. Some days and nights, she could be seen standing or sitting somewhere with a faraway look in her eye and place a hoof upon the battle helmet which was no longer there, or the breastplate which she had once worn not all that long ago. Her frowns became more frequent, and her scathing retorts and snarls began to happen more often, and her smiles no longer had the sincerness they once had.

Celestia may still hold scars from losing those she loved and have terrible family skills, but Luna did not escape their troubled history unscathed either.

Feeling hurt and knowing Luna felt the same, Celestia moved over to hug her sister and said, “I’m sorry, Lulu.” Her sister stiffened somewhat before returning the hug before Celestia asked, “Do you remember the times I’ve been disappearing randomly after school?”

“Of course we hath, sister. It irritated us and made us believe thee accompanied friends of sorts and would always return later, why doth thou ask?”

“... . I ... . Never really had any friends except one inanimate object ... .” Celestia admitted rather shamefully, turning her head and tried to hide under her long mane.

Luna looked at her sister as if she had grown a third head, “Thou hast no friends after school?? Speak not thine falsehoods unto us, thou were most popular amongst our peers! The colts and stallions all held eyes and hearts after thee, they spoken of nopony else!”

“... . They never asked me for anything and whenever I got close to ask them, they always shied away or deflected me or left me alone ... . Only Unwavering Heart was the closest pony I ever had outside of our family, even then he eventually broke up with me ... .” Celestia muttered as if she had admitted something shameful to her mother and father.

“Unwavering parted ways with thou?! Sister, why hath you not inform us of this back then! Why doth thou not inform us of any of this! Our family could hath helped thee in these difficulties!” Despite that Celestia was trying to get the subject to return upon said inanimate object, Luna couldn’t help but feel angered for Celestia’s sake from her relationship broken up on Unwavering Heart’s end, and appalled for Celestia’s social life being hidden until now. While she had slowly gotten used to being a Princess of the Night and with it the Dreams, it was disturbing that while the stallions and several bisexual and homosexual mares were attracted to her sister and even made a few disturbing discoveries a few of the ponies having either illusions, dreams or these ... . Pillows of body-length of both her and her sister in certain vulnerable or tantalizing positions, none of them even tried to go up to Celestia and asked for a date or anything!

“L-Luna, while it’s really comforting that you’re worried about my actual social life in the past, we’re kinda drifting away from the main topic ... .” Celestia started, moving her head to look at her sister, snapping Luna from her reverie before Celestia continued, “Luna, I’ve been staying in the Tomb of the Ancient Warrior every time I’ve ‘disappeared’ from you.”

Luna tilted her head in concern, “Thou felt so lonely thou made friends with a statue? Sister, why hast thou not talked to anypony, not even father and mother?”

“Mother was far more focused upon my studies and mentoring me in order to take her side as a fellow Princess of the Sun, just as Father had always been doting and doing the same with you, Lulu. I was always afraid of their reaction if I mentioned any of this. I was afraid that they would either demand something from the schools or ordered a medical visit,” Celestia said in an undertone.

However, Luna nudged her sister and replied gently, “Thy fears appear far more monstrous than what wouldst have happened, dear sister," She moved one wing up and over to embrace Celestia as she nudged again, "Mother we know wouldst done much to help thee and Father would hath aided as well, he is thine father as well as ours.” She paused and sat with her sister in silence to reminisce on the past. She then looked to Celestia and asked, “Was it in the Tomb thou hid when they were ... . Taken from us? The times thy nearly forgotten thy duty?”

“... . Yes ... .”

Luna reached up and nipped Celestia’s ear to pull her attention out of the past and said, “Thy attention must return here, sister. Thou didst say for thyself, we art drifting from the matter of this. So thou hast made a ‘friend’ with a statue within a Tomb that thou hath discovered when we were fillies ... . So thou art eager to meet thine ‘friend’ outside of its own Tomb, then?”

Celestia gave a nod, “I do. Although after your ... . Banishment ... . I drifted away from the place, so hearing occurrences nearby it makes me wonder if all that we’ve been experiencing is connected to that statue.”

“Your Majesties?” The two alicorns turn to look at Captain Shining Armor, who saluted and stated, “The squads are ready and waiting for you.”

Luna gave a small smile to her big sister and nudged her, “Come, sister! Thou wishest to meet thy ‘friend’! Let us not tarry any longer if thou believe it to be friendly!” She walked past Celestia before manipulating her nebuli-like mane to almost drag Celestia down the thrones and into the awaiting carriage. Celestia almost fell down the stairs leading to her throne before correcting herself and caught up to Luna, who stuck her tongue out at her as an attempt of lightening the mood.
Celestia couldn’t keep a melancholy frown with her sister making faces and gave a laugh as they readied themselves to meet the Ancient Warrior from the Tomb she discovered so long ago, spirits raised and high hopes.

The human hefted the now skinned and cleaned meat over the makeshift fire and sat to wait for the venison steaks to be thoroughly cooked. As he waited, he and the many minds that were joined and connected within his own pondered and wondered about what they had seen.

When they first saw the winged horse, it startled them just how small it was. It barely reached above his waist, not including the wings if they were open and held up. Even to the miniature ponies that were bred and raised by his own species, they would tower over the horse he saw recently.

After they saw it interact with the doe, they figured it’s species was either familiar with the cervine families and other herbivorous creatures or that they simply stumbled on the one rare chance of animals giving peaceful interactions as many other animals had, both predator and prey.

It wasn’t until the damn horse spoke. In clear, comprehensible English.

He was careless when he snapped one twig that had to be directly underneath a foot and almost lost his chance at getting a decent meal, but the sudden realization that the horse was sentient enough to talk caused him to stumble, almost lose his footing and nearly lost his hunting bow and arrow. He was lucky that both quadrupedal animals didn’t bolt and the appearance of that white rabbit made things easier!

Thousands of voices debated and roared around the Tower of Eternity. It was already concluded by many that such a thing was impossible and that they had imagined it. It was a ridiculous concept that a non-human could not only have sapience, but also speak one of their tongues. Many of them declared that this was something impossible, that God definitely had a hand in this. There was just no other explanation.

Their thoughts were disrupted by the sound of the doe’s meat sizzling, letting the pungent smell of cooked meat fill the air and his nose. This prompted him to pull some of the meat off the stick he had sitting over the fire, stick another part of the venson on and let it cook over the fire as he bit into his hot savory steak.

It was juicy, it was bland, and it was still bloody. As much as he lamented in not having a store of herbs and none of the vegetation around him seemed familiar, he forced himself to continue eating. Albeit he never had the need to eat, it was something that gave a small boost in reassurance that he was awake and that the reality around him was real. That and hot food on an empty stomach was amazing to experience at times.

As he continued to eat and wait for the next bit of meat to be ready, the debate continued. Considering the encounter, it was more than likely that the village he saw from afar contained more of the very small winged horses. While some part of him argued that it wasn’t likely, as the houses that he saw were stone and hay and it wasn’t something easily done by hoof, but something that demanded the dexterity of hands. Wings aren't enough.

’Which means,’ The human mulled, finishing off one piece of the venson and pulling another off the fire and eating it, ’There is likely another race that built all those houses and taking the majority of maintaining the farms ... .’

Regardless, the human needed to return to his resting place. He needed to check whatever was left there for him from either Michael or God. After that, he’d head for the town and find out what else lived on this rejuvenated Earth. He had noticed writings and pictograms at the time of his awakening, but he and everyone within the Tower of Eternity wanted, no needed, to know what the outside world was like.

And now that they found out a little bit of the new world, they now had to figure out the ‘plan of attack’ on their new lease on existing in this world.

After finishing off the last his meals, he got up and looked up at the sky. It was early nighttime and if they waited around for ... . maybe an hour or so before returning to their resting place, they’d make it by dawn.

A loud growling resounded behind him, making him turn and discover another creature. This time it amused them.

It was a wolf made out of sticks and branches, or rather as they made a stab in the dark, a ‘timber wolf’. A quick memory about wolves not traveling alone made him look around while keeping the first wolf in sight, revealing that it indeed wasn’t alone and its pack had moved to surround the human.

’They must have smelled the venson,’ He commented. As he could see some of the wooden wolves move their leaf-like tongues over their muzzles and what seemed to be their nose moving, sniffing the air and smelling the meat on both him and from the fire, along with the remains of the doe beside the fire.

’Are they likely to ignore us?’ The human gave a shuffle to the left, away from the carcass, however the wolves didn’t budge or ignore him as they tightened the circle.

’Looks like it’s a no ... . I suppose a fight with a few wolves might do some good.’ He thought, rolling his neck and grabbing his bow before making an unsheathing gesture, as if the bow was a sword, before the human reversed it, followed by the sound of a metallic rasping.

“Good, He left that ability for us to keep.” He muttered before turning around so suddenly and made a slashing movement against a wolf that tried to jump on him from behind.

The wolf gave a yip before falling away from the human, his arm following him while holding not a bow, but a short sword of iron, embedded into the wooden “flesh” of the animated animal.

The human gave a curse, “Shit ... . More rusty than I thought ... . “ He shifted his feet into a better position and ripped the sword out, almost overstretching his pull while making the wolf to give a pained whine before some of the wooden flesh fell away.

’Sword n' wood, ‘n at dat bigg’ova doggy? Wha’sa matta’ wit’cha! That little nap jingle-brain ya?’ One voice commented in a rough slang that was more fitting to criminal undergrounds in cities.

The human rolled his eyes and flipped the sword around, grabbing the blade with two hands before delivering a low to up smashing blow with the guard against the stumbling wolf. He was rewarded with the sound of branches snapping and the wooden wolf taking flight into another wolf two yards away.

’Strength’s still not what we’re needing, still got the fighting down, though.’ He summarized as he whirled around and with momentum, smashed the guard against another wolf’s jaw, snapping it and stopping it mid-jump before using the improvised mace to slam the animal down with a pained yelp.

The human snapped a hand down to grab the downed wolf by the jaw before using the animal as another makeshift weapon and slammed it into yet another wolf that tried to attack him from the flank. The impact made the jaw almost literally snap off as the human let go and sent the two wooden animals sent launching into a tree.

Realizing the bipedal wasn’t suffering so much a scratch and was critically injuring their hunting pack, the wolves took to taking their losses and bounded away, leaving the human alone. After a few moments, a howl resounded throughout the forest before everything was silent and the human could not hear anything except the fire crackling quietly.

’... . Good to know they still hold that survival mentality.’ The human said as he relaxed and returned to the fire. Despite that the fight itself lasted mere seconds, adrenaline still pumped through, making him impatient and thirsty for another fight.

However, he calmed himself and settled down next to the fire, feeling the warmth and returning to their previous debate. With that in mind, he nodded his head down, closed his eyes and retreated within to the Tower of Eternity, keeping a few of the many holding attention to his hearing as he engaged himself into the discussion.

And waited.

Celestia admired the night skies as Luna did her talent in moving the stars and moon. She always had, even during the dark millennia of her sister’s banishment. Where the day was the time of life where she would see her subjects wander around and do whatever they needed or wanted, they never could shine as bright as the stars above.

“Tonight is beautiful, Lulu.” She hummed to her sister as they rode on their chariot, surrounded and escorted by the two squadrons of Royal Guards that either held chariots of their own or flew around the Princesses.

“It is, sister.” Luna replied, her horn still lit as she continued to move them around. With small meteors streaking across the sky, burning up within the atmosphere and the stars shining and dancing, Luna continued her show with Celestia until one of the Guards pulling the chariot looked back and said, “We are arriving in five minutes, Your Majesties.”

“Thank you, Private.” Celestia said, looking forward to acknowledge the Guard’s word before returning her attention to the night show Luna still held.

“Doth thou truly believe thine ‘friend’ will be peaceful?” Luna idly asked, glancing up at her sister with an eye before returning her attention to her skies, “We hath not seen much of the being’s history, however the pictographs and words We translated unwillingly tell a hostile story with thy ‘friend’.”

Celestia nodded her head, understanding her sister’s doubts, “ I do, Luna. We both know I prefer to see the best in most situations and ponies, even if they seem dire or unlikely to happen for the better. I want to believe that the Ancient Warrior would be peaceful and willing to talk rather than descend into violence the pictographs say. Remember, just as much as it showed the being involved with violence, there were pictographs that demonstrated it with knowledge and wisdom.” Celestia shook her head slightly to move her mane that a few hairs had blown and reached her muzzle, “It is enough to me that this being isn’t consumed by senseless violence.”

Luna turned her eyes again to stare at Celestia for a few moments, but didn’t say another word as she returned her attention once more.

Celestia noticed Luna’s reaction and asked, “You do not share the same high hopes as I do?”

The blue alicorn mare didn’t turn nor did she glimpse at her sister, “We worry what this Ancient Warrior shall be. Yes, thy ‘friend’ holds knowledge and wisdom, but shalt this ‘friend’ use its knowledge and wisdom against us?” It was only then did she turn to look at her, “Sister, We worry this being shalt manipulate and twist thee. We art worried enough for thine health, mind and nightmares, and We fear thy ‘friend’ shalt only harm thee more, its intent be ill and set against us.”

“I’m more than confident that it will n-”

“Sister, thy confidence is strong but We fear it hath made thee blind to what may be!” Luna interrupted her, taking a hoof forward and causing Celestia to flinch, “How might thee knoweth this being will not hide such intent? How might thee knoweth this being would not disguise itself to its true goals? How might thee knoweth this being would not use and take advantage of thee and turn thee into its toy as the nightmares hath been determined to do!” Luna insisted to Celestia, who had to fight to not wilt at her sister’s hard stare.

Celestia blinked a few times, her eyes drifting down to the floor of the chariot before she said, “I know because I believe and I’m praying to our parents that it won’t,” Mentioning their parents made Luna blink and shifted her expression neutral, “I have to because some risks were more than worth taking, Lulu.” Luna now blinked again and tilted her head slightly away, eyes looking outside the chariot, knowing that her sister was referring to her taking serious risks at manipulating the lives of her subjects for the sake of getting Luna back and rescuing her from her own Nightmare, “I’m not so reckless that I don’t know the risks of failing, and I’ve always been looking at contingencies in case what I risk falls apart. I know when to not try and push my luck anymore than I already have ... .”

Luna seemed as if to say something, but the chariot began to dip and slow down, signaling that they had arrived at their destination.

“... . Let us speak more of thine takes at risk to another time, Mine Sister,” Luna muttered to her, nuzzling her once just before the chariot hit the ground and came to a stop, letting the Princesses off and wait for the rest of the two squadrons of Royal Guards to arrive, with Captain Shining Armor barking orders and forming the Royal Guards into a protective box around the two alicorn mares before they began marching closer to the ancient Tomb.

As they approached, one Guard commented, “Look in the sky.” Everypony quickly looked to where she was looking at and noticed a wispy trail of low drifting smoke that lazily blew up and about, “I think somepony’s made a fire during the night, seems pretty close.”

“So deep in the Everfree Forest?” Another Guard replied, shaking her head, “Nopony’s that insane, not even from Ponyville, and I own a spring home nearby the local library.”

Captain Shining Armor looked at the trail of smoke before turning to the Princesses and asked, “Your orders, Your Majesties?”

The two alicorns exchanged a look between each other, Celestia giving a small hopeful smile while Luna shared a strained look. Celestia nudged her sister before replying, “Send out a few of our Pegasi to look and investigate. Should they see our Warrior, do not make contact but report if the Warrior is moving away from the Tomb. If contact is made, do not take hostile actions unless the Warrior attacks first.”

The unicorn captain nodded but quickly asked as two pegasi trotted forwards, “If the Warrior does prove hostile, Your Majesties?”

Celestia hesitated, Luna couldn’t help but hear a hint of fear in her voice, “... . If the Warrior does attack ... . Then at least try to gauge what it can do and return immediately, d-don’t take risks against it. I would prefer to not lose anypony.” The two selected pegasi mares nodded before taking off and flying high then heading for the source of the smoke. Celestia looked on before she said, “Let us continue, then.” She took the lead with her sister and the Captain on either side, as the Tomb’s entrance came into sight.

Upon seeing the stairs which descended into the Warrior’s Tomb, Princess Celestia held a hoof to the side, arresting any forward motion by her Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor.

“Guard the entrance, Captain Armor, while my sister and I enter the Warrior’s Tomb,” Princess Celestia instructed her Guard Captain.

Shining shook his head in negation. “My first and foremost duty is to see to your protection. You’re asking me to depart from your side, while something roams about, whose location we currently do not know, nor do we know this being’s battle strength or abilities. As Captain of your military, I cannot in good conscience leave you without a detail of guards to protect you from those who would harm you.”

“Captain Shining Armor, I move the sun. And not only do I this, but I am a pony with many years of experience under her hoof. I have knowledge which no other living pony does. I am well able to defend and fight for myself. The Tomb is empty of anything which might threaten or attack us, according to our sensory spells. We’re not asking you to stay back because we doubt your combat abilities, but rather because of your extraordinary abilities, do we command you to secure our exit,” Princess Celestia informed Captain Armor.

Captain Armor’s lips were pulled tight and his brow furrowed and he grumbled, clearly unhappy with his orders, but because they were his orders, he turned to face the team of ponies currently before him. “Right then, you heard our Princess, mares! We’re to secure the Tomb’s exit, so I want a perimeter established. Keep it small enough that you can see the other patrols at all time, but large enough to give us adequate reaction time should hostilities be engaged. I want you to not only keep an eye on your environment, but also on the other patrols, because if a patrol goes down, it is likely a hostile or group of hostiles with ill intents, either towards our mission or the princesses whom we are guarding. I want each patrol to consist of an unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony,” Captain Armor commanded the ponies before him.

Once Princess Celestia was confident that her Guard Captain would comply with her orders, Princess Celestia began to sedately stroll down the stairway leading toward the Tomb. Princess Luna looked back toward the guardsponies outside of the Tomb’s entryway, her own frown and furrowed brow upon her face. Celestia sensed her sister had not accompanied her farther into the passage toward the Tomb and turned sideways and looked in the direction where her younger sister stood, looking back at her.

“Art thou confident this is the right course o’ action, mine sister?” Luna inquired of her elder sister in the ancient tongue.

Celestia’s eyes looked anywhere but in her little sister’s eyes. Questions about how somepony’s actions might impact themselves or others further into the future was not questions she felt could be answered with any degree of confidence, because the future was unknown. “There is only one way to discover whether my decisions are beneficial or otherwise, Lulu.” Celestia answered after a pause to think of a response to her little sister’s query. Upon answering Luna’s inquiry, Celestia turned about and resumed her downward journey towards the Warrior’s Tomb. Luna’s furrowed brow and frown did not diminish, but she did rejoin her big sister as the both traversed deeper and deeper toward the Tomb.

During their trek toward the Tomb of the Ancient Warrior, Celestia’s eyes became unfocused as she remembered the time she first encountered the Tomb.

However, her reminiscing thoughts started drifting into other subjects within her past, and as any faulted being, her mind began to replay certain errors that she had either willingly or unknowingly committed, certain opportunities that she missed entirely or ignored that could have resulted in a much better situation for either her, others or her sister.

And now that she thought about making a “friend” out of a statue, she shivered and mentally gave a pained groan at her errors and mistakes, ’Lulu was right,’ She lamentingly thought, ’I think I should have told my family about it all. Why, Celestia! Why now do you start realizing your smaller mistakes! Making friends with inanimate objects should have been the first and clear sign of my problems ... . Oh Mother, how I wish I had been qualified for the Element of Honesty … .’

She had gone so deep into the spiral of looking back and mentally facehoofing her problems, the thing she did or didn’t do before she was startled back to reality to see that Luna had trotted to the left of her to stop her from running into the wall.

“Honestly, dearest sister. Thou art losing thy awareness. Methinks thou art far too young to begin displaying signs of thine onset o’ senility.” Luna chided her elder sister, to which Celestia’s response was an embarrassed chuckle.

After passing through the doorway into the Tomb, Luna slowed down behind Celestia before she utilised her magic to have her horn glow like a bluish flashlight and moved over to the pictographs on the wall, perusing and refreshing her memory of what she remembered.

Celestia followed her little sister’s initiative and made her way to the other side of the Tomb.
When she came around to see the throne like chair the statue sat in and shone her light upon it, Celestia gave a small gasp as her suspicions had proven correct, “It really has awoken ... .”

“Captain!” Shining Armor’s left ear twitched at the sudden call from one of his fellow Guards. He turned to see who had called and found Eye Sight, a fellow unicorn Guardsmare that had joined several months after him, looking at him from the far side of the Tomb the Princesses had descended into.
He trotted over, asking, “What is it, Corporal?”

Eye Sight didn’t say a word except to move to the side and pointed at the trampled greenery where the creature had traversed. “Captain, I think you should take a look at this,” Eye Sight called out, alerting Shining of something which demanded his attention.

Shining Armor looked down and noticed a trail of what seemed to be very odd hoofprints, each almost a foot long and in a wide oval shape. The creature’s hoofprint was unlike he had ever seen, with horizontally indentations in the hoofprint and often at various slants. The middle of each hoofprint was suddenly cut off before reappearing a few inches later, as if whatever made these didn’t have one part of a hoof but two.

Shining followed the trail of prints which led off into the forest just in time to see the Pegasi scouts return.

They landed, panting heavily, trying to get a moment for their bodies to recover from the exercise they had endured as their Captain waited for them to recover their breath enough to issue their report. One pegasi mare looked up and said in between her gasps and heavy breathing, “Captain. We arrived at where the smoke was.”

Shining nodded and asked, “And what did you find?”

The mare, Private Swift Swim he recalled, was able to calm her breathing down enough before continuing, “Captain, the smoke came from what seemed to be a fire pit not far from Ponyville. About two leagues away from Ponyville according to our estimate. We’ve looked around and hadn’t found anypony tending to it and the fire pit had long since been extinguished, but whoever was using it didn’t or wasn’t bothering to mask the smoke, which is what we saw earlier.”

Shining furrowed his eyes, this easily meant that whatever and whoever was there had moved on, “Anything else, Private?”

Swift Swim nodded, “We found the carcass of a doe, it had been stripped almost cleanly and its remains were placed away from the fire. Whatever had been camping there, sir, it’s carnivorous.”

Shining Armor bellowed, “Guards, to the Tomb’s Entrance! Deploy in a horseshoe formation. I want this formation to be tight! If you have to have multiple horseshoe formations, then by Celestia and Luna, we’ll make multiple horseshoe formations!”

Shining watched as his fellow Guardsponies gathered around the Tomb entrance upon which he stood looking up at him. “Don’t look at me! Keep watching the edge of the clearing!” Once everypony had gathered and formed multiple arcs of the Horseshoe formation, Shining resumed bellowing at his fellow Guardspony.

“Listen up! Our aerial recon informs me that the creature we’re guarding the princess from had a campfire only two leagues away from Ponyville! This creature either doesn’t know about smokeless fires or dissipating the smoke plume, or it is ferocious enough to not be concerned about any enemies that its smoke plume might attract! Private Swift Swim also has sighted the carcass of a stripped doe. So what ever creature we’re dealing with is at least omnivorous, and possesses an indeterminate amount of intelligence. This means that not only are we in danger, but the inhabitants of Ponyville are in danger as well!

“Unicorns are to use long and mid range magics if we encounter the creature! Pegasi are to maintain aerial superiority and use bow or drop rocks and debris upon it. Earth ponies, you’re the last line of defense; I want you to strike swift and hard! Go for the legs if you can, or hit it wherever you can, otherwise!

“Private Swift Swim also informs me that the bodies of several Timberwolves have been spotted during her patrols, so be alert for them as well. Unicorns are to use fire spells when encountering them. Otherwise, have one of your squadmates create a firepit about three yards away from the forest’s perimeter and use a burning log or branch to either chase them away or set them on fire if you’re able!”

The ponies of the Royal Guard saluted and cried out in near unison, “Sir, yes Sir!” while keeping their eyes on the forest’s edge, maintaining the vigilance required of somepony upon whom a VIP was entrusting their safety and security unto.

“Dismissed,” Shining Armor informed, watching as the formations around the Tomb’s entrance broke apart, as squads reformed and firepits were being made by squadrons which didn’t have a unicorn capable of some kind of fire spell. Broken limbs and branches were being gathered from the forest’s dark gloom by the unicorn guards and shortly fires dotted the perimeter of the clearing they were guarding.

Shining maintained a watch from atop the Tomb’s entrance as many thoughts raced through his head. Many of them about the Everfree and it’s inhabitants. As unlikely as it seemed there had been times when animals of the Everfree tried to hunt ponies who made the mistake of entering the forest. Fortunately with the appearance of the Elements of Harmony, most specifically Kindness from his own reconnaissance, those incidents had long since disappeared.

Shining closed his eyes and thought about what to do. An unknown being was currently roaming around, It was known to be carnivorous and apparently capable of fighting off a pack of Timberwolves, and what frightened Shining the most was that it had settled for the night not far from Ponyville and could easily find its way towards the village.

Directly towards his little sister.

“Twiley,” Shining whispered in a low-volumed and tremulous voice, placing an armored hoof over his chestplate under which his heart raced in fear for the safety and security of his beloved little sister.

Shining understood well that his little sister was powerful in magic and could handle herself, as he read reports about her confronting manticores, hydras, and even a sea serpent. Yet despite all the faith the Princesses told him to have, he couldn’t help but have panic attacks over hearing what dangers his LSBFF had to throw herself against for the sake of harmony on a far more frequent basis than he ever seemed to confront.

He was the bucking Captain of the Royal Guard for Celestia’s sake! He and the mares of the Royal Guard were the ones supposed to protect the civilians and the crowns, not the other way around!

In all honesty, he was secretly excited that now it was on him and the small unit of Royal Guards to protect Ponyville and the Princesses, that he and his ponies could do fulfill the purpose for which the Royal Guard was created for in the first place while Twilight was unaware. His training and experience quickly tempered that rush of adrenaline with the knowledge that if he hunted after the unknown, he’d be leading his unit to their deaths, and he would be leaving either Ponyville or the Princesses unprotected should he choose rush pell-mell into the forest, haring after any noise within the sinister and foreboding-looking Everfree Forest.

In the end, he had to swallow his pride and knew that he would have to leave Ponyville under Twilight’s protection while he stayed here to guard the Princesses.

The human had long since started moving when the moon had risen high. After making sure the fire would smolder itself out safely, he had made progress back to the Tomb.

He also found that his swim across the river was entirely unnecessary, for he learned there was a bridge not too far from where he had swam across. Had he followed the river upwards for a few yards rather than be impatient about finding civilisation, he would have seen the stone posts that signified a bridge which spanned across the entire river.

After sharing chuckles and laughter to himself and the legion within the Tower of Eternity, he made his way across the bridge and continued onwards.

Two shadows passed above him, causing the human to look up and just saw the flashing of gold fly above the treetops.

’It seems whatever we evaded from the ruins has alerted its kin, and those were probably scouts.’ He commented, quickly scaling up another tree to try and see where they were headed, possibly to intercept and even introduce himself.

When he breached the treetops just high enough to look around the sky, the voice named Asufeld responded, 'No, more than that it seems. Look at where they are headed,’ Following the mental pointing, the human looked at the column of smoke that had been his temporary camp, 'They are looking for us, but they do not know what to look for other than the smoke.’

“Regardless, we need to finish our business with our resting place and quickly discover more about the civilisation, else we might trigger a crisis response from them.” The human muttered and jumped from the treetop, landing with a light huff and changing his walk into a light jog.

However, something almost bigger than him jumped in his way and began roaring at him in what seemed to be defiance.

The human being didn’t bother stopping to see what was roaring at him and decided to not caring whatever it was that decided to be bothered about him and lifted his left arm in front of him as a makeshift shield and merely pushed his body to move faster.

All in all, it was like an American football tackle against an unaware man.

He slammed into the creature, being rewarded with its roar interrupted and being cut off into a “HRK” as his head and arm collided. The human however, didn’t slow down as he met the large and furry creature and continued onwards as if he didn’t run into anything, only his legs pushing harder against the ground showed any sign of difficulty. A second after impact, the human tugged his left arm to push the creature away. It resulted with the furred animal being tossed aside and coming to a sudden stop against a large and twisted tree, dazing it while the human kept running, moving at a quicker pace now that he was unhindered by the large creature.

Within an hour, the human slowed to a walk once he was in sight of his recent resting place. However, he immediately halted once he saw multiple flashes of gold and movement around the entrance.

The human slowly crept forwards and hid behind a large bush as he observed what was going on. Seeing the patrolling armored miniature horses informed the human that whatever government existed was both aware of the human and his sanctuary and appeared to be looking around the area should he reappear.

‘We should enter the clearing, and introduce ourselves. Say that we do not wish for enmity and inform them regarding our reasons for returning to our ancient residence,’ One human suggested.

‘Ja, mon, led’s jus’ walk up dere ‘n’ git us shaft’d. Joo be talkin’ crazy, mon. I say we keep here ‘n’ talk to dem while we's stay here,’ another human countered.

‘Why not offer to talk over lunch. Nothing brings people together like sharing a meal!’ another human interjected.

‘Ach, how can ye have any accord without a stiff, cold drink o’ ten!? ‘Ave ye gone completely daft man!?’ another human argued.

‘Have the both of you taken leave of any sense? These are armed and armored beings! Since when do militants on duty prefer to drink or eat to a stranger? We need them to remain clear headed, if anything of beneficial nature are to happen!’ another human counter-argued.

‘And if they have an ‘attack first, ask questions later,’ policy?’ another human cautioned.

‘Are you kiddin’!? We’ve survived the End! Little ponies aren’t going to do jack squat to us!’ another human rejoined.

‘Yes, and pride was Lucifer’s downfall. No, we have brains and we have ourselves, so use some common sense the Most High gifted us with and proceed with caution, whatever the decision,’ another of the Legion reasoned.

Those around the Tower of Eternity debated and discussed what actions were available to them and which course of action was the most favorable. They weren’t looking for a fight, but they were unsure about the intentions of the armored horses, wither they be peaceful or hostile.

A few more shadows flew above the human, causing him to look up and notice the same flying horses ... Pegasus, if his recollection of ancient mythology was correct. Pegasus flying overhead and landed in front of a lightly armored unicorn that was decorated in purple and gold.

’Perhaps that is the commander of this little group?’ The human asked.

'Definitely ... Hm, they seem to follow along the war tactics of the Roman Legions, see their formations, they follow a tight circle as they patrol and keep each other in sight.’

The human blinked again as the horses talked with their commander, though he could see and hear them talking, he couldn’t make out what they were saying. This prompted him to crawl a little closer around the outer edge of the clearing to try and hear better, carefully stepping and moving his body and hands past, around and in between the leaves and branches that could give him away with an oiled and experienced precision.

As one pair of horses, a unicorn and an ordinary horse, walked past, he heard the commanding unicorn barked, “Guards, to the Tomb’s Entrance! Deploy in a horseshoe formation. I want this formation to be tight! If you have to have multiple horseshoe formations, then by Celestia and Luna, we’ll make multiple horseshoe formations!” The pair of armored equine guards stopped their patrolling and immediately trotted over to follow instructions, letting the human move with a little more freedom.

’Celestia and Luna?’ The human questioned as he moved and situated himself between a tree trunk and a small bush that was just tall enough to hide him without either equine noticing him, ’Religious idols, mayhaps?’ He moved slightly so as he could stay in a more comfortable position and hear better.

“Listen up!” The commanding unicorn barked, its voice telling the human it was male, loudly enough that even the human could have heard him over the din of marching armor, “Our aerial recon informs me that the creature we’re guarding the princess from had a campfire only two leagues away from Ponyville!”

The Many almost went into a laughing riot at hearing the name of the village they had predetermined to go to prior to arriving.

’Horse puns! Whatever could be next? ‘Mare-scow’? ‘Chica-colt!’’

“This creature either doesn’t know about smokeless fires or dissipating the smoke plume, or it is ferocious enough to not be concerned about any enemies that its smoke plume might attract! Private Swift Swim also has sighted the carcass of a stripped doe. So what ever creature we’re dealing with is at least omnivorous, and possesses an indeterminate amount of intelligence. This means that not only are we in danger, but the inhabitants of Ponyville are in danger as well!

“Unicorns are to use long and mid range magics if we encounter the creature! Pegasi are to maintain aerial superiority and use bow or drop rocks and debris upon it. Earth ponies, you’re the last line of defense; I want you to strike swift and hard! Go for the legs if you can, or hit it wherever you can, otherwise!

“Private Swift Swim also informs me that the bodies of several Timberwolves have been spotted during her patrols, so be alert for them as well. Unicorns are to use fire spells when encountering them. Otherwise, have one of your squadmates create a firepit about three yards away from the forest’s perimeter and use a burning log or branch to either chase them away or set them on fire if you’re able!”

The human pondered and debated amongst the Legion within his mind as the mares saluted their commanding officer and barked out their acknowledgements of the orders which they had been given, with loud “Yes sir!” being shouted from both aerial and non-aerial mares before returning to their patrols.

’Well, for one thing they’re terrible at keeping a sharp eye out, and two they are absolutely horrible at keeping their intentions quiet. Normally, guards don’t talk about what they’re doing aloud!’ The Legions laughed and added their own jabs and puns at the horses.

’Regardless, that’s a tight formation to try and sneak around.’ The human pondered over the mental din, a hand on his chin as he watched the horses mill about, ’Doesn’t sound like they’re intentionally asking for trouble, if they’re guarding the entrance that thoroughly. Perhaps there is someone in there? Ugh,’ He nearly let his forehead hit the ground lightly, ’This is not how either of us wanted to wake up, having to deal with militaries and having them interfere yet.’

However, as the human was focused upon dealing with the formation without instigating hostilities and resorting violence, they failed to notice one pegasus mare who was flying overhead. She began looking down and by luck coming from a gap in the canopy, she noticed something out of ordinary lurking in the underbrush of the forest.

“Captain!!” She immediately shouted, making the her fellow guards jump and get into defensive stances around the clearing before seeing the pegasus dive down, “Something’s in that bush!”

The human flinched and watched as the rest of the horses galloped and gathered around to defend both the commanding stallion and the entrance into their home.

’Damnit!’ The human scolded at their misfortune, as he forgot to account for the aerial vantage advantage afforded the flying pegasi. Both he and the Tower of Eternity legion still held no intentions on acting hostile, and they most certainly didn’t need a fight within the second day of their awakening, and with them blocking their way into the tomb ... .

Unless the human were deciding to fight or instigate hostilities, there wasn’t a lot of options he could do.

The unicorn captain called out at him, “Come out of there!”

’’What about distracting them?’ one commented.

’And how might that happen?’ The human retorted.

Shining Armor stared intently at the now rustling bush. When Swift Swim shouted that there was something nearby, it startled the daylights out of him that something had either been in the bushes the entire time the Guards had been here or something snuck right past them.

It took mere seconds for the Royal Guard to move and take defensive positions around the Tomb. He had already tried to tell whatever was there to come out, only to receive more rustling. “Stand your ground! Lower your torso and widen your stance! For Celestia and Luna! For home and hearth! For our family and our loved ones!”

Suddenly the bush exploded with motion as something large bolted out and raced at them. The guards didn’t expect such an instant action that whatever it was slipped right between them, nabbing one of the Earth Pony mares of the Guard and raced into the forest, the mare screaming in panic and anger.

“Sure Strike!!” the second Earth Pony cried.

Shining gritted his teeth and barked, “After them! Swift Swim, Silver Wind! Stay here!” With that, he and the rest of the Royal Guards cantered off after the oddly shaped lifeform and its hostage.

Swift Swim watched as the Guards vanished into the foliage before she began to look around, trying to see if there was anything else she or Silver Wind could do while staying guard.

Finding that there wasn’t a damnable thing the mares could do, the Private gave a light whimper, ‘we are so totally bucked, I just know it!’ before preparing to take off and hover in the air.

That had been the plan until she heard rustling and movement from behind her.

“Swift!” Silver Wind cried out, her wings flared out in panic as everything happened so quickly.

Swift felt something tackle her and grab her by the barrel. Her breath was stolen away and she found herself flying across the clearing and into the forest, Silver Wind caught her, but her momentum was too great for either pony, and they both ended up slamming into a nearby tree with her back against it and her head touching the ground.

The impact left her utterly dazed and in a state of shock as her mind spun as did her world and she waited for her vision to stop spinning.

The human watched as the two mares flew and landed against the trees, careful to hold back enough so as he hadn’t harmed them any worse than easily healed bruises or minor scratches. After a few seconds of seeing one mare breathing hard while her eyes remained wide open in shock and the other laying on her side but her chest giving a clear sign she was still breathing and not noticing anything that told worse injuries, he turned around to walk to the entrance of his sanctuary.

Just in time to hear one voice call out, “Halt! Don’t make any sudden moves!”

He paused, but didn’t heed the familiar voice of the commanding stallion.

He froze when a second voice called, “Captain! What’s the situation?”

Luna had been standing nearby the entrance of the Tomb, waiting rather impatiently for her sister to be done. She huffed at how dedicated Celestia was to learn and relearn about this ‘friend’ of hers regardless that what she could have learned was back at Canterlot. When Luna took note that it was time to raise the sun and lower the moon, she tried to tell Celestia but she continuously waved her off, saying “I know” and “I will,” but she never moved away to do it.

And so after much grumbling, Luna had to take over for her moving both the moon and sun to gravitate both heavenly spheres into their proper places, letting gravity and motion take over once she gave enough magical push and pull on the respective celestial objects in the sky.

Once done, Luna decided to go and scold her sister for being so absent minded about her duties and being so focused on her ‘friend’ when she heard Captain Shining Armor give an indecipherable yell, sounding as if he had found something.
“Sister! Captain Armor is calling!” she notified Celestia, who trotted over after giving close inspections on both the seat where the Warrior had been and the crumbling hoofsteps it left while moving about the Tomb.

The Princess of the Sun waited with her sister to try and hear what her Captain was trying to say.

A sudden scream of panic resounded, causing both Princesses to crouch down into defensive stances. Celestia called out, “Captain! What’s the situation?”

However, what she received as an answer was a panicked cry from Captain Shining before they heard the sound of armor, clanking and clattering away, bouncing off the walls to them.

“Sister.” Luna whispered before hearing another, faintly heard surprised yelp, come from above.

Celestia exchanged a worried glance with her sister before saying, “Then we must confront what is there, Lulu. Are you with me?”

Luna didn’t give a moment’s hesitation to respond, “We art with thou,” and followed Celestia slowly up the stairs, horns glowing brightly, ready to strike whatever it was that decided to attack both the Royal Guards and the sisters.

“I know her voice,” he whispered.

The human knew that voice.

They knew ... that ‘voice.’

It was impossible to mistake it for any other voice.

The voice of a soft, commanding, but gentle tone of a female’s voice. Like the gentle breeze with a cloudless sky, with the sun shining brilliantly yet kindly upon the lukewarm earth as it transitioned from winter into summer.

’She was real?’ The human voicelessly thought, none of the many minds sharing with his own did not respond as he stayed near the descending staircase.

The human walked forwards slowly to the staircase, unsure of what to expect down there. He only was sure that whomever and whatever that voice belonged to, both he and the Eternal Tower’s legion within knew that they would find out.

He said again, this time clearer and audible, “We know that voice.”

Celestia’s ears perked at what she heard. It was a gravelly, raspy sounding voice, even though the timbre of his voice sounded rather young. A voice which sounded as though it belonged to a stallion who was just a few years out of his colthood, but the gravelly, raspy quality of the stallion’s voice sounded as though it belonged to someone who was world weary.

Luna gave her sister a confused look before hearing hoofsteps slowly impact against the stone that had been laid long ago to mark the pathway into the ancient Tomb.

Slowly, a tall and thin being appeared from the right side of the entrance.

Celestia’s eyes widened as she realized who it was before the being came into full view, her magic fading away and her horn dimming as she watched.

It was the Warrior who haunted her dreams. The Warrior who kept her company in her most private moments. Moments which even her sister had not known about until recently. The Warrior with whom she had grown up and before whose eyes, she had metamorphosed from a cute filly into the powerful, beautiful mare which stood before him now.

The eyes of the Princess looked into the now seeing eyes of the Warrior. Both Princess and Warrior looked upon the one whom had kept them company when everyone but one little filly had abandoned the one, and one escaped the demands and stress which her inheritance placed upon her.

Author's Notes:

Whew! That was a rather eventful time getting that written out.

Sorry about the whole delay, folks. Was havin a rough time getting the inspiration and deal with life running around, and making a huuuuuge jump on that word count. But here ya go!

Now scuse me for a sec.

[Muffled] Enjoy...

Have you any idea how annoying it is when Fimfic docs doesn't automatically space paragraphs?