The museum that Fancy Pants had led the newly-revealed Alicorn to was fairly impressive. Nice marble structure, pillars, and of course it was also fairly large as well. Though Aspect wouldn’t be surprised if there were just a lot of unicorn-central artifacts in there. Things like Platinum’s dinnerware or the like, what with that one noble he met still...coloring his view.

Surprisingly enough, it hosted a wide variety of exhibitions. Everything from Ancient Zebrica to dinosaurs… wait, Equestria had dinosaurs!?

“Well, color me impressed, some are interested in history,” Aspect chuckled. “And look, I’m not the oldest thing around!”

“Not by much if the rumors are true,” a mare's voice chuckled. Aspect turned and was greeted by an older Earth pony, perhaps in her mid forties? She had a grayish coat with a striped green and cobalt mane tied up in a bun. A pair of half moon glasses rested on her muzzle. “So, you're our Princesses papa eh?”

“That I am, and I’ve accrued quite a few relics in my time,” Aspect confirmed. “Unification-era, pre-Unification era, and just a few from afterwards.”

Her eyes widened as she stepped closer. “Are… you’re not kidding are you? That would be a rather cruel joke…”

And that was when Aspect noticed something. Amidst the fossils, artworks and the like.

There was very little in the way of pre-Unification era objects.

“I saved what I could before the Windigoes came and froze Dream Valley,” the Alicorn replied, nudging his saddlebags with a wing. “You would not believe the amount of things stuck in here.”

“You have a Pocket Dimension charm on your bags too… wait, are those…” She stepped closer and looked at the bags themselves. “May I ask… who made them?”

“Heartthrob of Dream Valley,” Aspect replied. “She wove the usual enchantments into the stitching of the saddlebags. I just keep them in shape.”

“I knew it!” the mare beamed. “I have something to show you, would you come this way please?” And like that she trotted off down a hallway. The stallion shrugged before following after her, curious as to where this was going.

He eventually arrived at a sealed room, barred by a heavy cast iron gate with a magical and physical lock.

“Here we are,” the mare beamed. “This is the Vault, where we keep particular artifacts not… suited to be on display to the general public.”

“Mmm,” Aspect nodded once. “There were a few like that, but they’re inert now, or gone. I made sure of that.”

“Well, I have something here you might be interested in,” she nodded. “Oh! I haven’t introduced myself yet have I? My name is Treasured History. It’s a true pleasure to meet you.”

“Balanced Aspect, though I think you already knew that,” the stallion chuckled. “Now, what’s so important that you had to lock it away?”

“Ah, would you permit me to tell a little story?” she chuckled as she took a brass key and unlocked the physical lock. “Did you know my family is nobility? Well, it seemed that my unicorn parents weren’t too impressed their firstborn was an Earth Pony. So I got a job as an assistant to the previous curator.”

“Which apparently paid off, if you’re now the curator yourself,” Aspect deduced.

“Indeed,” Treasured nodded. “But, my family has quite the history. It was how I earned my Cutie Mark,” she showed her flank, adorned by a scroll bound by a golden clasp. “By tracing back my family’s history to the PU era!”

“Oh?” Aspect smiled. “Well, it’s nice to know that some ponies haven’t forgotten entirely where their roots lie.”

“Mhm,” she nodded as she used a glowing stone to unlock the magical seal. “And it was all due to one item I found buried in the attic.” She opened the door and stepped inside. There was a long corridor, the first section were small to large drawers that stacked up to the ceiling, followed by a larger area for bigger items. Aspect followed her as she moved past a few objects and artifacts until she stopped at one drawer.

She opened it and a soft smile crossed her muzzle as she reached inside and pulled out a book.

It took Aspect a moment, but then it clicked. He knew that book.

Or more, he knew the Cutie mark adorning the cover. Three winged hearts…

“That’s...Heartthrob’s mark,” he breathed.

“Yes it is,” she smiled as she held out the book for him. “She’s my ancestor. This book was passed down, generation to generation. But to meet a pony that knew her personally?”

“Times were...much simpler then,” Aspect nodded once, a faint tear coming to his eye. “We had our share of excitement, but for the most part...when there wasn’t a monster, it was peaceful. And she looked forward, every day, to not just finding her own one true love, but helping the others look their best for their loves as well.”

“I want you to turn to page 43,” Treasured said. Aspect carefully lit up his horn and began gently moving the pages, mindful of how old this book must be.

‘Dear Diary.

Aaargh! Aspect frustrates me So. Feathering. MUCH! >o<

I can tell how much he likes Written, and she totes like him back. But he’s more dense than that sword of his and can’t see what right in front of him!

Still, I know they care for each other in their own way. Love comes in all forms really. I mean, I love everypony here in the Valley. And in different ways too. And, well I guess I kinda like Aspect. I mean, he is pretty cute. And super dependable.

Also, you can’t tell him this Diary. I would die of embarrassment. >///<

But back on topic. I have a plan tonight. To finally get those clueless ponies together. Heehee, this’ll be fun~’

“So that’s why she kept trying to suggest I take Written out to moonlit, romantic venues,” Aspect muttered.

“I’ve read that book cover to cover, and it never gets old,” Treasured smiled. “Also, I’d like you to have it.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-” Aspect tried to decline.

“I’ve made copies of it, but I think the original should be yours,” Treasured said with a soft smile. “She was your friend, and a dear one if her diary is anything to go by.” The mare closed the drawer and closed her eyes. “Please, I want this.”

“I...fine,” Aspect sighed as he put his bags down and rummaged in them for a moment, before gently putting the book away. “I suppose I can put it on the shelf back home.”

“I’m glad,” Treasured smiled. “Now—” her eyes sparkled brightly. “—You said you had donations for me?”

“Just give me a moment,” Aspect chuckled as he moved to the other saddlebag. “Let’s see here...I have plenty of things from the Founders, a few pieces of art from Dream Valley, and...oooh, that’s a nasty reminder…”

“Hm? What is?” she asked, trying to get a closer look.

“Okay, first off, stand back, I’m going to go from oldest to youngest here,” Aspect said through the saddlebags, before he pulled out a painting. A remarkably well-preserved painting, but a wonderful painting of a small, pink set of houses in a picturesque valley. The sun had just risen over the horizon and spread a cheery orange glow across everything.

“Wow…” Treasured breathed. “Who’s the artist?”

“Masterful Pallet, from Dream Valley,” Aspect replied. “He did another one, this was just of Paradise Estate. Let me look for it…” And like that, the stallion was sticking his head in the bag again.

“...How big is that bag?” Treasured blinked slowly.

“I lost count,” Aspect replied through the bag again. He pulled his head back, this time showing off a castle that also lay within a valley between two mountains, with a massive, impressive tree in the courtyard. “And this is where I raised Celly and Lulu in our little hidden valley.”

“Oh wow!” History exclaimed, looking at the piece. “I-I had no idea. Heart described a few places, but to actually see them…”

“Sadly that’s about it for pre-Unification artifacts that survived,” Aspect replied. “The others were either dangerous, as in the case of the Golden Doors, or destroyed, as was the case with the Flashstone and the Six Princesses Wands. But we got them back, in one form or another.”

“Six Wands?” Treasured asked curiously. “What are those?”

“They were wands that could control the clouds, manipulate plants, all sorts of things, just for a regular pony. They were meant to control the flow of Ponyland’s magic, make sure it was in balance,” Aspect replied. “Then we had to abandon the valley, and the caretakers of the wands entrusted them to me after they found they didn’t work outside the valley.”

“So, they don’t work anymore?” Treasured sighed. “A pity, I would have loved to have seen them.”

“Well they didn’t,” Aspect replied. “Then I had the bright idea to, once the Windigos were dealt with, move the Heart of Ponyland from the valley, since ponies weren’t living there anymore. Once the Heart and the Wands were in range of each other again, the wands worked once again. But I made sure to put them under the watch of someone who would never falter and make sure they weren’t used for ill intentions. So far, nobody’s found him, and nobody knows of the wands to go looking for them.”

“How very mysterious,” Treasured cooed as she thought of all the wonderful things this stallion must have seen. “Tell me more.”

“There was also a wonderful artifact known as the Rainbow of Light, received in ancient times from the Moochik, a curious little creature who lived in a mushroom, one as big as a house,” Aspect illuminated. “It could banish any evil and restore balance and light wherever it was unleashed...except in one, near-fatal case.”

“Oh?” Treasured had taken a seat as she wrote this down. It sounded fascinating!

“The witches of Mount Gloom conjured an unstoppable tide, an implacable enemy, a foe without measure...known only as the Smooze. It was an ocean of purple sludge that poured forth from their volcano, and it covered everything. Anyone that was caught in it, even a drop, became depressed and listless. And anyone who was caught under it…” Aspect shook his head. “The Rainbow tried to stop it...and failed.”

“I thought the valley was frozen over,” Treasured frowned. “Are you saying, that was not the case?”

“Oh no, it was,” Aspect replied. “At the last second, when the Smooze assaulted Paradise Estates, and the ponies gathered atop the roof...their allies came in to help. The Flutterponies. Oh, you should have seen them. They were the fusion between butterflies and ponies, each one capable of magic. They lived in their own valley about...ninety percent of the time. But when the ponies needed them, they came out to help. As they themselves would say, nothing could stand up to the power of all their wings working in unison to dispel evil, or more simply put, their Utter Flutter.”

Treasured stared at him. “You have to be pulling my leg. Flutter Ponies are a myth…”

“Two seconds,” Aspect said, holding up a hoof before diving back into the bag. A moment later, he pulled out a stone half as large as himself that faintly glowed with an inner radiance.

“The Sunstone from Flutter Valley,” he proclaimed. “Once Celly took control of the sun, it wasn’t an issue for them anymore. In fact, they needed to give it to me to make sure their plants wouldn’t burn under too much sun.”

“That’s…” Treasured stared at the stone with no small amount of curiosity. “Incredible! What does it do exactly?”

“Well, as you might imagine, growing plants that need a lot of sun is a little hard in a valley,” Aspect pointed out. “Not as much light as could be there. This stone can simulate sunlight in any area. It recharges with but an hour of natural light a day. If we took it outside, it would start to get very warm in Canterlot.”

“That… sounds like it could be dangerous,” Treasured gulped. “While I would love to display it. Perhaps we’d best craft a replica instead.”

“Mmm, probably for the best,” Aspect agreed. “Still, it should help to dissuade any rumors that Flutterponies aren’t real. They were the caretakers for Flutter Valley. Pretty magically powerful, when they could be convinced to come out of their homes.”

“Do you have anything else?” Treasured asked. “While that stone is amazing, I like to think that my museum is a place of learning, as well as a treasury of the past.”

“Well...there is one thing,” Aspect mused. “But it’s probably best that you have replicas crafted of them as well.”

“Okay, what is it?” she asked, hopping cutely on her hooves.

Aspect reached into his bag and didn’t emerge for a very long time...and when he did, it was with four golden horseshoes in his mouth. “Mimic’s horseshoes,” he said. “She was descended from the first unicorn in Dream Valley. With these, she could glow brightly, read minds, see the future, and even fly. She left them to me when she passed.”

“..Can they really do that?” Treasured asked. “I mean, can anypony use them? Or just unicorns?”

“Anypony could use them,” Aspect nodded once. “That’s why they’re so dangerous. Can you imagine somepony knowing the future all the time? You wouldn’t be able to stop him. Or somepony that could read minds. Once again, they wouldn’t be somepony you could easily dislodge from a position of power.”

“Indeed,” Treasured nodded as she stared at them. “What I wouldn't give.. Just to try,” she sighed. “It was, hard, growing up in a family of magic users. As a filly, my parents would make me wear a fake horn at social and public events… just to avoid the shame.”

“I’m very sorry about that,” Aspect replied sincerely. “But these are some of those sorts of things that ponies shouldn’t have access to. The real ones, at least.”

“Yes, I suppose,” she said. “I um… if even only for a minute…”

Aspect stared at her.

Really stared at her.

To the point where it was uncomfortable.

Before sighing and nodding. “Fine. But only one, you understand? And I’ll be timing you.”

“Really?” she gasped and stared closely at him, her nose touching his.

“Just one, but I don’t know which one is which anymore,” Aspect replied. “So…”

She nodded and held up a hoof. “I trust you,” she smiled.

Aspect shrugged and pulled the first shoe out of the pile, before pressing it to her hoof. She looked down at it and blinked slowly.

“So um… how do I use it?” she asked sheepishly. “I don’t feel any different…”

“Well, since you’re an Earth Pony, it should kick in in a moment,” Aspect replied. “Earth ponies primarily conduct their magic through their hooves. So when your magic activates this magic, the horseshoe should start—”

And then her eyes glowed a brilliant white as her expression fell blank.

“Now, was that the mind-reading one or the future-telling one?” Aspect mused.

“Beware Balanced Aspect.” her voice came out hollow and reverberating. “Beware the storm that approaches. The dark, shifting cloud, and the claimer of souls…”

That was all she got out before the magic overwhelmed her and she fell sideways unconscious.

“Well that’s ominous, I don’t think,” Aspect snorted. “Well, let’s get that off her and hope she recovers soon, I still have two more categories to go through.” The stallion quickly popped the golden shoe off and stuck the four shoes back in his bag, hoping that separation was all the mare needed to recover.

A minute later, she finally came to, holding a hoof to her head. “Owww… wh-what happened?”

“You got the future-telling one, said a troubling prophecy in one of those properly echoing voices, and fell unconscious,” Aspect told her. “In all honesty, I probably should have seen that last part coming. These things are crazy old and not gentle, sometimes.”

“Urgh… I don’t, remember anything,” she groaned as she wobbled, having to lean against the alicorn for support. “Next time I ask to wear an ancient and powerful artifact… please talk me out of it.”

“Hey, at least you proved that the magic in them is still strong,” Aspect joked to her. “So that’s something. And that’s the last of the things from the pre-Unification era that survived. I have a small armory of things from the Unification era, and one thing from after it….though I really don’t know how old it is.”

“Well what is it?” she asked excitedly, forgetting her trauma from before. “Perhaps I could offer insight?”

“Well, the only one that really knows is dead, for a good reason,” Aspect replied before he ducked his head into his bag again. He wasn’t gone for as long this time, and when he pulled his head back, his horn was glowing as a bell bigger than either of them was pulled free of his bags. There was a crack running down one side as it came to rest in the hallway.

“This,” the stallion said, and a smaller bell, a perfect replica of the larger one, down to the crack, came out as well, “Was the bell of Grogar the Ram. Anytime the small one rang, the larger one, which was where he stored his dark powers, gave him more magic to work with. It was only by forcing a crack into them that I could undo his powers. Because although ringing the large one could banish Tambleon back into the realm of Shadows...that would just make him a present-day problem. I was more of a mind to stop him once and for all.”

“Tambelon was real too?” she exclaimed as she grabbed a book from a nearby shelf. “That was just before the Discordian Era yes? Most records from before that point were destroyed by Discord. So this is why all this is so great!”

“Tambleon is still real,” Aspect replied. “But...you really shouldn’t go there. The barrier between worlds is...thin there. And what’s on the other side isn’t any nicer now that Grogar’s gone. It’s not a place for sane ponies to go.”

“Yes, I think I’ll be avoiding that,” Treasured nodded. “I’m a scholar, not an adventurer.”

“In any case, I don’t know how old the bell is,” Aspect replied. “Grogar showed up in Dream Valley, but he was banished back to the Realm of Shadows. He showed up again shortly after Nightmare Moon, but he didn’t get another chance then. I don’t know how long he was...lurking in the darkness.”

Treasured shuddered and looked away. “Sometimes I wonder… why our history was so dark. And I am thankful for the peace we’ve had so far.”

“That’s why Ponykind has me,” Aspect chuckled. “Your sword against the darkness. I do what I must to make sure your lives are brighter.”

“You’ve mentioned this sword before,” Treasured nodded. “Do you have it on you?”

“Mmhmm,” Aspect nodded once. “The guards got uppity about me carrying a sword in public, so I stuck it in the bags. It’s sort of my badge of office.”

“May I see it?” she asked. “You know, unless that will knock me unconscious as well.”

“No, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Aspect chuckled as he ducked his head back into his bags, reaching a hoof in as well. Soon enough, he pulled out his long sword, laying it down before the mare. “Word of advice, though. Don’t try to pick it up. It’s picky about who holds it.”

“Right, not going to touch this one,” she nodded as she looked over the weapon. “I don’t know much about swords, but it looks incredibly well made. I mean, it looks brand new, instead of being as old as history itself.”

“Part magic, part me taking care of it,” Aspect replied. “I do what I can.”

She made a few notes on it and smiled. “Would you be willing to allow a replica of this made too?”

“Of course, though you don’t have to worry about the bell,” Aspect replied, pointing his horn at it. “Not only did all the dark magic escape out of the crack, but I personally purged both of them of any taint, enchantments, magic, and so on they could have held.”

“So… are you saying I can display them here?” she asked him. She admittedly had had the question on her mind, only she got distracted by shiny things…

“And that’s not all I have,” Aspect said, before poking his right saddlebag. The sound of shifting metal caught her attention. “I have a small armory of the things the Founders had from the days of the Unification.”

“Eeeeee~” she danced on the tips of her hooves.

“Okay, okay, let me just…” Aspect opened the right saddlebag and lit up his horn. A few moments passed, before the armor started to assemble itself into suits right in front of her. A few Earth Pony suits, a few Pegasus battle armors...and for the unicorns, all that came out were a few robes.

“Oooohhhh~” she cooed as she stared at object after object. This was just too much. She couldn’t believe the wealth of history he was unloading.

“I honestly thought about opening my own little museum, but I figured that donating to one would be better,” Aspect replied. “I also have a few tomes from the founders, though you might want to go through them before you decide to display them.”

“BOOKS!?” Treasured exclaimed, booping his nose with hers again. “Show me please!”

“Give me just one moment here,” Aspect said as he pulled back and then began looking in his saddlebags. “Nope...nope...not that one...noooo...Aha! One, two, three, four, five...all six!” Out came the stallion’s muzzle and an assortment of books, each one with the cutie mark of one of the Founders on them.

“Wait… I know some of these Cutie Marks,” she said as she looked them over. “These are the Founders. Princess Platinum. Clover… Hurricane… woooooow!”

“Their diaries,” Aspect nodded once. “Well, Hurricane didn’t really keep a diary. She was more of a fan of going out and kicking flank, so her book is definitely about the turbulent times.”

“How very interesting… may I, read all of these?” she asked with wide eyes.

“I wouldn’t bring them out if I hadn’t meant for you to have them,” Aspect smiled at her.

“Eeeeeeee~” the mare squealed and actually hugged him. “Ohhh thankyouthankyou! I can’t wait to read them, about all that knowledge and history! Ponies from all over will love these!”

“Yes, well, let’s see…” Aspect mused. “Okay...so you can easily get four golden horseshoes made. And a replica of the Sunstone. You can have the paintings, though don’t be surprised if Tia and Lulu ask for duplicates. Everything else? Yours to do with as you see fit.”

“Oh, I already have ideas for a new exhibition,” Treasured smiled. “And you can be sure you will get an invitation to the opening night.”

“Mmm,” Aspect nodded. “I’ll be happy to not be carrying those things around anymore, to be frank. Though if you want to find some of the biggest, most dangerous artifacts...I still have the Golden Doors. Come around and take a look sometime if you want to make a replica of them. I shudder to imagine them being opened by accident in a museum.”

“Golden Doors?” she asked him as they started to head back to the lobby where Fancy pants was waiting.

“Mmm, Heartthrob should have written about them,” Aspect nodded once. “She met Prince Charming. The only problem was, he wanted to charm everypony. And of course, the longer he was outside his story, the less charming he was.”

“Oh, I remember that entry,” she giggled. “I thought she might have made the whole thing up, like an odd twist on the fairy tale.”

“Afraid not,” Aspect replied. “The Golden Doors are very much real, and if they’re ever opened, they allow the realm of fiction to bleed into reality. That must never happen, because if the characters stay out too long, their stories begin to fade away, like they never were.”

Treasured gasped and shook her head. “Ohno, that would be terrible!”

“Indeed,” Aspect nodded once. “Fortunately, that realm has a guardian, who comes out and collects any characters that wander away. Just as fortunately, he hasn’t had to do anything, because I made sure the doors stayed closed.”

“A Guardian? Who?”

“Only the archetypical dragon, the one that most think of when they hear the phrase ‘A dragon kidnapped the beautiful unicorn noble,’” Aspect replied. “He’s basically the big, scary monster from all the stories...but he’s clever enough to know that he needs heroes to fight him, so he acts to defend his ‘realm’ from vanishing.”

“Huh… what an odd choice,” she mused as they exited the Vault. “It makes sense, still odd though.”

“He’s the one that made me think that maybe, just maybe, not everyone that I fought was evil,” Aspect agreed. “In any case, if you want to get some fake Golden Doors in here, I can show you the real thing, but they’re sort of stuck in place now.”

“I’ll come and see them soon then,” she nodded before pausing. “Um… where, exactly am I going?”

“I live in Ponyville,” Aspect smiled at her. “It’ll be really hard to miss my place, don’t worry. Just ask around and someone will direct you to me.”

“Ah, well thank you again,” Treasured smiled. “I can't even begin to tell you how this is going to help the historical society, not to mention all the ponies that will learn from this.”

“If I can help but one pony learn from the past, then my job is done,” Aspect said seriously.

“A whole lot more than one will learn from this,” Treasured nodded and clapped her hooves together. “Ooh, I need to start designing the exhibition right away!” With a bow of her head and one last wave, she galloped off.

“Seems that went well then?” Fancy Pants asked as he walked back over to him.

“Oh, you know, just unloading a few thousand years worth of history, nothing major,” Aspect quipped. “The dangerous things will have replicas made of them, while the non-dangerous things will go on display.”

“As it should be,” Fancy nodded. “While I doubt anypony would try something, why take that risk eh?”

“Indeed,” Aspect nodded once. “Now...where’s a good smith? I have about...two tons of rock that I need processed.”

“Hmm, a metal smith eh?” Fancy scratched his chin. “I’m, not too sure actually. How about we check the Artisan District. Somepony there might know.”

“That works,” Aspect smiled at the noble. “...Is it weird if I say I only just now noticed how light my saddlebags are getting?”

“I can only imagine dear boy,” the unicorn nodded. “Quite the literal and mental weight off eh?”

“Part of it, part of it,” Aspect agreed as he followed Fancy Pants. “Nice to know that the things I’ve been gathering are going to a good home at last.”

The noble stallion led the alicorn to a quaint little coffee house. It was shaped like a fallen log, with a heavy oak and iron door leading inside. Though pushing on it, it seemed to have a lightweight charm.

“Here we are,” Fancy beamed. “One of the finest places to get coffee in Canterlot, even if it isn’t the most well known.”

“Mmm, truth be told, I could do with a cup,” Aspect mused. “Well, I’ll trust your judgement on this.”

Inside, a tall, leggy mare greeted them. She could actually look Aspect in the eye. She had dark crimson eyes and a tan coat mottled with darker brown stains and spots. Her milk chocolate mane was tied up into a messy bun and she wore a friendly smile.

“Welcome to the Daily Grind,” she said. “My name is Mocha Latte, what can I get for you find gentlestallions this afternoon?”

“Whatever the house speciality is, and directions to a forge that’s worth the time to find,” Aspect replied.

“Well, somepony doesn’t beat around the bush does he?” Mocha giggled. “So for the house special… well, only those that truly need it get it. But I have a few other… brews…” She looked at him and blinked, before rubbing her eyes. “Um, forgive me but…” She looked him over. “Are, you an alicorn?”

“At the moment, yes,” Aspect replied with a wink. “Would you prefer I was something else?”

“Huh?” Something else?” Mocha looked, very confused. She tilted her head slowly as her ears wiggled a little.

“Observe!” Aspect proclaimed, before swapping his form out for a Pegasus guise, then to a Unicorn, then an Earth pony, before ending as an alicorn again. “Benefits of being old and wanting to blend in, you tend to pick up shapeshifting,” he explained.

Moach blinked, then leaned in close.

“Are you a Changeling?” she whispered.

“Nope, but ask me about them again some other time, it’s a fun story,” Aspect replied with a cheeky smile. “I’m just very old, and I’ve had time to practice turning into a lot of things.” By way of demonstration, he became a minotaur, then a griffon, and then his alicorn self again. “Still don’t have Dragon or Diamond Dog yet, I should fix that,” he muttered.

“I… uh…” Mocha tilted her head slowly. This was… new.

“But that’s for another time,” Aspect replied, turning to Fancy Pants. “For now, let’s seat ourselves, shall we?”

“Indeed,” Fancy nodded. “Where might we sit Mocha dear?”

The tall mare blinked again and shook her head. “Oh um, right this way please,” she said and led them to a small booth. It had comfy, plush couches to sit on, separated by an ornate wooden table. “Would, you like some food with your drinks.”

“Mm, I am a bit peckish,” Fancy nodded. “You, Sir Aspect?”

“It’s remarkable what a magical coma will make you miss, I am positively famished,” Aspect replied. “I mean, I can get by without eating, but like many things, I prefer not to.”

“So, food and coffee it is,” Mocha giggled. “Would you like to order or…”

“We shall defer to your judgement my dear,” Fancy winked at her. She let out a little giggle and trotted off. Fancy turned back to Aspect and smiled. “Trust me, she is a fine mare and an even finer cook. We’re in good hooves.”

“I’ll trust you,” Aspect nodded once as he mentally went over his list. “Hmm...Diamond Dog I could...oh duh. I could just borrow Artemis for a moment. And Dragon...that solution has been staring me in the nose too, hasn’t it?”

“Something bothering you old chap?”

“Oh, it’s just a hobby of mine,” Aspect replied, waving a hoof. “I try to be able to blend in wherever I go. But I never did manage a Diamond Dog or Dragon form before.”

“Well, I can’t imagine how often those forms would be,” Fancy chuckled. “A dragon would stick out even more than an Alicorn.”

“True, but one of my threats I make to my daughters whenever they bicker is that they’re never too big or too old to put over my knee,” Aspect clarified. “And they like to counter that yes, their Alicorn selves are. I just want to see their faces when I turn into a dragon.”

“I admit, it would be quite amusing,” Fancy Pants chuckled. Idle conversation passed until Mocha brought over their coffee. Two mugs of steaming, fresh elixir.

“Brace yourself,” Fancy said seriously. “I don’t know what kind of coffee you’ve had until now. But I am certain it won’t compare to this.”

“Fancy, it took ponykind thousands of years to invent coffee in the first place,” Aspect deadpanned. “I treat every cup with the respect it damn well deserves.”

“Well then, bottoms up,” the stallion mused and took a sip of his, sighing contently. Aspect nodded as he pulled his own cup close and sipped it as well. It was rich and smooth, blended to absolute perfection as the earthy-scented drink slid down his throat. Not overly sweet, nor too bitter.

“This,” Aspect noted aloud as he set the cup down. “Is a work of art in liquid form.”

“That it is,” Fancy nodded. “I told you so did I not?”

Before Aspect could reply, the mare returned with several plates in her magical grasp. One was a large serving of fries, fried to perfection. An assortment of condiments like salt and sauce followed. Another plate of crisp salad, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and the like, covered by a fragrant dressing. She also placed a side of fried eggs with sakura petals, as well as a loaf of fresh baked bread and various dipping oils.

“I hope you're hungry,” she smiled sweetly.

“Dear, I could feast like the king I’m not,” Aspect replied. “Well, help me out here Fancy, I can hardly eat all of this myself!”

“Oh?” the stallion chuckled. “If you’re Celestia’s father, I’m sure her appetite had to come from somewhere eh?”

“You should have seen their mother when she was pregnant with them,” Aspect quipped.

“I can only imagine,” Fancy laughed as he started on the salad. “So, if I may ask… are you their biological father or…”

“Foster father,” Aspect replied. “Their actual father, I don’t know. But I was good friends with their mother, to the point where when they grew up enough to talk, they called me daddy.”

“Ahh, well that’s rather adorable,” Fancy chuckled again. “It’s just me and Fleur right now. A foal might… complicate matters.”

“Ah well, you have the opposite problem of me then,” Aspect quipped. “I have far too many children.”

“All adopted?” Fancy quirked an eyebrow.

“In one fashion or another, yes,” Aspect nodded. “And grandchildren. I honestly wasn’t expecting the grandchildren. But it is what it is. At least when they visit, my house doesn’t feel so empty.”

“Always a plus,” the unicorn nodded.

After they’d finished eating and Aspect was properly stuffed, the noble unicorn covered the tab and Mocha smiled.

“So, what did I hear about a smith?”

“Ah, well, there was a meteor shower a few hundred years ago,” Aspect replied. “I was in the neighborhood and picked up the rocks that seemed to have a sort of silvery ore in them. So I was hoping I could find a smith that could extract and process the ore, make a nice gift of it for Luna.”

“Hmm, well I do know one,” Mocha rubbed her chin. “And he’s made works for Princess Luna before.”

“Perfect!” Aspect beamed at her.

She giggled at his sudden enthusiasm and flicked her long silky tail. “Well, let's go and pay him a visit hm?”

“Well, I shall leave you in Mocha’s capable hooves,” Fancy exclaimed. “I have a few things to take care of.”

“Fair enough, but thank you for taking time out of your day to show an old stallion like myself around,” Aspect replied, bowing his head to the noble.

“Think nothing of it,” Fancy nodded. “I’ll warn you now, do try and avoid Jet Set and Upper Crust. That pair will either brownnose you, or outright be hostile towards you.”

“If I encounter them, I’ll be sure to ignore them,” Aspect replied with a smirk. “Works well either way.”

Fancy chuckled and nodded to him and the mare before taking his leave.

“He’s a nice stallion,” Moach hummed. “One of the few good ones. If I still liked them, I might have quite the crush on him.”

“Ah, well, it’s not my place to pry,” Aspect replied with a smile. “Still, nice to know they’re still around, noble nobles.”

“Mhm,” Mocha sighed. “Too bad they aren’t like they used to be way back when,” she said as she locked up her store and adjusted her saddlebags. “Did you know nobles used to enlist in the military? The Griffon wars changed that, because the Nobles were too scared of losing everything and their family line dying out—” She blushed and looked away. “Sorry, I tend to ramble sometimes.”

“Oh great,” Aspect muttered. “I have another species to reprimand…”

“Hmm? What was that?” Mocha asked.

“Nothing, just preparing a scolding,” the stallion replied. “Shall we see this master smith you tell me might be able to help me?”

“Of course,” Mocha nodded as she started to lead him deeper into the District. They passed by various interesting places, and Aspect noted that the architecture here was very different to the rest of Canterlot. Not as uniform and more… free.

“Mmm, quite inspired architecture,” Aspect noted aloud. “Nice to see that ponies can occasionally break the mold and be themselves.”

“That’s what this area is for,” Mocha hummed. “Basically, the story goes is that during Canterlot’s construction, there was an argument on how the city should be built. Whether a more uniform design befitting a capitol city, or something more unique.” She turned a corner and started heading down an alley. “The nobles wanted a more uniform, formal design and seeing as how they were the ones putting more time and money into building it…”

“Eh, I was never one for the repression of expression, I can’t see Celly agreeing with them about it either,” Aspect pointed out.

“Well, in the end, Celestia was outvoted on the city’s overall design,” Mocha explained. “But, are you ready for this?” she let out a little giggle. “The princess used her own bits to purchase this entire district… then gave it to the artists with the explicit instructions of… ‘Go nuts’.”

“There we go, that’s what I would have done,” Aspect smirked. “If they’re blocking you, circumvent them entirely. There’s more than one way to solve a problem...unless it’s a math problem.”

“True enough,” Mocha smiled. “I suspect I’ve had the princess in my store before. There’s a cute pegasus mare that frequents it. And we’ll just say I have a sixth sense when somepony is hiding something.”

“Mmm,” Aspect nodded once. “Well, they’re shapeshifters as well, they can change their forms. They’re not as gifted as me, but I did teach them how to disguise themselves.”

“Huh… maybe I’ll ask,” Mocha mused. “Or not. A mare is entitled to her secrets.”

As they moved down the alley way, a distant ringing sound was getting louder.

“Is that what I think it is?” Aspect asked.

“Mhm,” Mocha nodded and smiled. They reached the end of the alley and at the far end of the wider area, sat a very old-timey forge. Made of cobblestone, iron and wood, it brought back a lot of nostalgia for the old alicorn.

“Aaah, the way things were done in the old days,” the stallion sighed. “Some things just can’t be beat.”

“You and Silver are going to get along fine,” the mare mused as they got closer. “Silver? You in?”

“Eh, whozzat?” came a thick, highlander accent. “Mocha lass, that you?”

“Aye,” she laughed, mimicking his accent. “That it is.”

“Och! I missed ya girl,” he laughed back and stepped into view. He was a unicorn, a dark blue coat and a long, silver mane, tail and beard. His Cutie mark was that on an anvil and hammer, and his eyes were a bright arctic blue. “Now who’s this, yer new coltfriend?”

“W-What? No!” Mocha blushed and waved a hoof. “He’s come here looking for you.”

“I asked this delightful mare to lead me to a smith that would be capable of helping me,” Aspect replied. “Said you even did orders for Princess Luna.”

“Aye, that I did,” he replied, scratching his beard as he looked at Aspect. He’d seen this look before, the stallion was eying him up, they type to discern a pony from a glance. “So lad, those wings and horn real?”

“That they are,” Aspect replied. “I just have been going around in disguise for the longest time.”

“Interestin’,” Silvermane nodded. “Well. ah guess ya seem like an alright sort. The lovely lass here wouldn’t have helped you otherwise.”

“I try to be a nice sort to those that deserve it, yes,” Aspect replied as he took his saddlebags off. “I have a bit of a challenge for you, if you think you’re up to it.”

The stallion gave Mocha a quizzical look. “Yeh have some odd friends lass.”

“Mhm,” Mocha hummed as she started to unpack her saddlebags.

“And a challenge eh?” the muscled unicorn cracked his neck. “What sort?”

“There was a meteor shower a few hundred years ago, I was in the neighborhood,” Aspect explained as he pulled his bags off and set them down. “So I might have scooped up the ore-bearing rocks and put them in my saddlebags. Figured I could find somepony to make something of it later.”

The stallion’s eye gave an almost near imperceptible twitch as he stepped closer. “Yeh nae pullin’ mah leg are yeh?” he asked. “Yeh actually managed to get you some genuine Star Metal?”

“I’m old,” Aspect deadpanned. “You would not believe the things I’ve got. But yes, I have the fallen meteors in my saddlebags. I’m willing to let you work with it on one condition. I want a halberd of it made for Luna.”

“Fer the wee Princess?” he looked surprise. “Might ye indulge an’ old stallion as tae why?”

“One thousand years of missed birthdays,” Aspect summed up.

“Apparently he’s the Princess's father,” Mocha filled in the missing information.

“Is that right?” Silvermane mused as he looked Aspect over again. “Well I’ll be a Breezie’s uncle. Ain’t that sumthin’.”

“Like I said, I’ve been in disguise for a while and I’m really old,” Aspect replied. “Blending in comes natural to me, but apparently Celly was of the opinion to bring me back as this.”

“The Princess is wise, but she’s still a mare,” Silver chuckled, before he saw the glare that Mocha had settled on him. “Ehe, not that there’s anythin’ wrong with that…”

“Better,” the unicorn mare huffed as she poured two mugs of brew.

“Well ah kin do that,” Silver nodded. “Ah worked with Star Metal befer, so ah know how tae handle such a temperamental mistress.”

“Oh good,” Aspect nodded with a smile before he opened up his right saddlebag, his horn glowing.

There was the sound of shifting metal...and then a procession of rocks began being stacked up next to Silver’s forge. The pile it made ended up being larger than said forge.

“There were a lot of rocks there,” the stallion explained. “I didn’t want to miss one.”

“That’s… quite the collection,” he chuckled. “Far more than for jus’ a single halbred.”

“Well, I need to pay you somehow,” Aspect replied. “I said I’d let you work with it as long as you made a halberd. Never said you couldn’t play with the rest.”

“Is tha’ right?” the stallion rubbed his beard. “So yer sayin’ in exchange her a weapon fit fer a princess… ah get the rest o’ this metal?”

“Are the terms agreeable?” Aspect asked.

“Lad… yeh could by a country with that amount of metal. Are yeh absolutely sure?”

“What would I do with it?” Aspect fired back. “I just want something for Luna. Anything else you decide to do is entirely up to you.”

“Hmm…” a few ideas were already forming. “Well if yeh certain lad…”

“I’m sure,” Aspect nodded once. “I already have a sword. I’m good for weapons myself. I just want a nice present for Luna.”

“Hmm, yeh have a blade?” he asked. “Might ah take a look at it?”

Aspect nodded once and reached into his bag again, this time drawing the blade out by hoof and setting it down between them. “Careful,” he warned the smith. “It doesn’t like being held by anypony but me.”

The stallion looked at the blade with a discerning gaze, before slowly picking it up and turning it over. “Hmm, it’s quite heavy,” he murred. “Or it’s being sassy at me, ah cannae quite tell.”

“...Okay, that...that shouldn’t be possible,” Aspect stuttered. “It’s perfectly capable of controlling its own weight and it chose me to wield it...nobody else, and I do mean nobody else, has even managed to budge it off the ground before. It’d be like picking up the entire fountain it was embedded into!”

“Hmm, maybe it knows ah mean it no harm,” he mused. “Weapons are… temperamental sometimes. Besides, ah have no interest in wielding it. Ah jus’ wish tae get a few ideas…”

“...Huh…” Aspect sat back and thought about it. “You know, I basically have goaded everyone into trying to wield it...maybe that was it, the fact that they were trying to wield it.”

“Quite possibly,” Silver mused as he hoofed it back to him. “It’s a fine weapon, and ah have the perfect idea fer yeh commision.”

“Thank you,” Aspect replied as he took the sword back and stared at the sapphire in the pommel. “We’ll be having words later,” he promised it, and all it did was let out a cheeky flash before the stallion put it back away.

“Lunch is ready,” Mocha hummed, getting the old stallions attention as he trotted over.

“Och! Yeh spoil me lass. Dunno what I’d do without yeh?”

“Probably die of starvation,” she said back in a sweet tone.

“Harsh… but no less true,” he nodded as he held up a mug. “Boy, come share a drink with me. A toast to our new friendship.”

And Mocha’s eyes widened in fear.

“Sure, why not,” Aspect replied as he walked over and picked up another mug. “To friendship!”

Mocha took a step forward. “Aspect! Wai—”

The alicorn tipped the mug back and began drinking.

Oh… that was why Mocha looked worried.

Ever swallowed dragon fire? Well, this drink was a little like that.

Only hotter.

The stallion gallantly held on, drinking what he could stand before lowering his mug and looking at it. When he opened his mouth, a cloud of smoke came out, and he let out a little gasp. “I didn’t know I would be drinking the fuel for your furnace,” he choked out.

“...Now tha’s an idea…” Silver mused.

“You are not using Dragon’s Tongue Herb to fuel your furnace,” Mocha chiding him as she poured a glass of ice-cold milk for Aspect. “I tried to warn you. That’s fire brew, and this old idiot is the only one that can drink it without throwing up, passing out or running away screaming.”

“It’s not...so bad,” Aspect wheezed. “Though...I’ve not had spicier before.”

“Yeah, most do say that,” she sighed as she passed him his milk. “Here, but don’t expect to be able to taste anything for a while. Heck, I’m surprised you can still talk.”

“Old, healing factor,” Aspect croaked out as he gratefully gulped the milk down.

“Haha, I like this one,” Silver laughed as he clapped Aspect on the back. Hells bells he was strong for a unicorn. “Yeh made a fine friend with this one lass. “Maybe you’ll consider stallions again eh?”

“SILVER!” Mocha yelled, her face an adorable shade of red.

“Better,” the alicorn rasped after drinking his milk.

“No, stallions are NOT better,” Mocha huffed. “Stallions are jerks…”

“Meant I was better,” Aspect clarified with a chuckle.

“...oh,” Mocha blushed. “Excuse me, I’m going to go and stick my head in the furnace now.”

“Don’t, be a waste,” Aspect said before coughing. “Too many tasty treats gone.”

Aaaand there was that adorable blush again.

“Yeh married lad?”

“Silver! I swear to Celestia I will stuff you in that furnace in a minute!”

“In...any case,” Aspect replied, coughing again and doing his best to enunciate. “Let’s...avoid drinking that sort of stuff in the future, eh?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Mocha giggled.

“And now I’m caffeinated, it’s time tae work,” Silver clapped his chest.

“Right, thank you,” Aspect nodded once. “Take care with that stuff, I don’t know when the next meteor shower will be.”

“I will,” he nodded. “Leave yer contact details, so ah kin tell yeh when the halberd is ready.”

“I’m really hard to miss,” Aspect chuckled. “I live in Ponyville. Just ask around for Balanced Aspect, you’ll be sure to find me.”

“Aye, fine. Ah kin do that,” the smith responded. “An’ fair warnin’ Ah’ll make the best damned halberd you ever saw.”

“Fair enough, I would expect nothing less,” Aspect chuckled. “Take care, master smith.”

“Aye. You as well lad. Give yer kids mah regards eh? An’ mebbe…”

“He is not setting you up with Luna you old perv,” Mocha sighed and swatted his head with a hoof. “Come on Sir Aspect. Let's leave him to work.”

“Mmm, I should probably be getting back to Celly by now,” Aspect mused. “You take care now. I’m off!” And with that, the alicorn flashed once before vanishing from sight.

“Aww… I wish I could teleport,” Mocha sighed as she started heading back to her shop.

“For the last time--” Celestia’s voice was calm, but those that really knew her could tell she was incredibly irritated. “--He is not available for comment. He wishes to be left in peace. Now leave!”

Just as Aspect teleported in, the reporter scurried past him, barely giving him a second look as Celestia slumped into her throne.

“And I have taken care of the things that I can now do as an Alicorn in your town,” Aspect proclaimed, before taking note of his daughter’s state and sighing. “Oh dear. Have the public been abusing your good nature again, Celly?”

“Do you think anypony would notice if I dropped the sun on Canterlot?” she whistled innocently.

“Look, if you really want to get rid of a city, I still have the Air aspect,” Aspect replied. “One good storm and it’ll all be washed away. I’ve never been stronger in it.”

“...tempted,” Celestia sighed. “But no. And if you ever unleash Arabus in my city, I will scold you for it. I'll make Mom's lectures look like bedtime stories.”

“Yeah, if I ever went all out...well, he’s still not quite quiet in my head,” Aspect shook his head. “He’s been dead for ages and he refuses to accept it. In any case! You,” the stallion walked up to Celestia and poked her in the chest. “Get your sister. We’re going on a trip around your city. I’m going to spend some time with my girls before I have to go back to deal with the latest terror that’s been unleashed.”

“We're going out?” Celestia blinked.

“I'm afraid her schedule is much too full for that,” a white coated, brown maned earth mare said.

“Answer me this one simple question,” Aspect replied in a calm, almost too cheery voice. “Is there anything on her schedule she absolutely needs to do besides tend to the heavens with her sister?”

“Father, stop intimidating Raven. She's very cute and good at her job,” Celestia chided him. “And Raven. Ignore this old coot. He talks a good game but he'd never hurt you…” Tia turned and the temperature in the room dropped. “Would you father?”

“Eh, it’d take a lot,” the stallion agreed. “Still not ruling it out just yet, but first impressions are good. But allow me a rebuttal, Celly.” He cleared his throat and stated the next several things as fact.

“It has been...a few ages, proper, historical ages, since I’ve been able to properly embrace you like a father, as yourself. As myself. But, since you’ve been so kind to unmask me in your city, there is absolutely nothing stopping me from making up for lost time with my girls.” He paused and looked over to Raven. “Is there?”

Raven sighed and snorted. “Bloody Alicorns. Fine. I'll rearrange your schedule princess.”

“You are the best,” Celestia cooed and nuzzled her, eliciting a blush from the normally stoic Raven. “Now father, let's go find Luna.”

“Thank you,” Aspect said to Raven before he led the way out of the throne room and paused for a moment, before shaking his head and deferring to Celestia. “You take the lead, I have no idea where I’m going. For all I know, I’d wind up in the kitchen, then the guard’s barracks, before I found Luna.”

“Or with your luck, the mare's bathroom,” Celestia chuckled.

“It’s not my fault I never really needed a proper sense of direction,” Aspect snorted. “I just used landmarks to find my way. This castle is all the same motif, one hallway after another. I don’t know how you find your way.”

“I have my ways,” Celestia giggled. No way was she telling him she placed tracking runes everywhere. That would spoil her mysteriousness. “Luna should be in the Courtyard training I believe.”

“Ah, well, lead the way then,” the stallion replied. “Also, if she tries to hug me I’m hiding behind you.”

“I won't act as your meatshield,” the mare snorted as she led Aspect through a series of corridors. Yeah, she was taking the long way just to confuse him.

“Well I’m hardly going to say no to her right out,” Aspect countered. “I’m just going to try to get her to tone it down a notch.”

“It's Luna,” Celestia countered. “Since when have her and ‘toned down’ ever gone well in the same sentence?”

“All I’m saying is, it’d be hard to take you both to dinner with collapsed lungs,” the stallion riposted.

“You're immortal, you'll live,” Celestia giggled as they reached the courtyard. Aspect had to blink twice as he took the sight in.

Dozens of unconscious guards littered the ground as the sound of clashing steel rang throughout the courtyard.

His trained eye followed as he saw his daughter sparring against a thestral mare. Both wore wingblades and… oh, that batpony was actually very good at what she did. It took a lot to put Luna on the defensive. Aspect opted to simply watch and wait, wanting to see how this played out before interrupting. If he caused Luna to lose because he distracted her, she would never forgive him.

Luna’s horn lit up and fired a beam of magic, one the mare narrowly dodged before lashing out with a blindingly fast kick that caught the tip of Luna’s horn. Something that made all the magic users watching wince.

“Low blow,” Aspect hissed.

Luna yelped in pain but still fought, lashing out with her blades again. The two exchanged more blows and… wait a minute. That bat pony looked familiar…

Oh yes. The one that had eaten him out of house and home when she visited. Then that prank…

After a few moments, the two dropped back down to earth, sheathing their blades and bowing.

Then Luna saw Aspect and her smiled widened… aaaand oh dear, she was running very quickly towards him.

“Celly?” Aspect whispered.

Celestia was about twenty feet away with a smug smile in her face.

“Oh bugger,” the stallion braced himself.

Luna skidded to a stop in front of him. “Hello father!” she beamed. “I'd hug you, but I'm rather gross and sweaty. How are you? Oh! Did you see my fight? Did I do well?”

“You did quite well,” Aspect replied, slowly untensing as he realised he wasn’t about to die. “Even though your opponent pulled off a rather low blow.”

“Oh, well yes. That stung,” Luna rubbed her horn. “But would your opponent offer such courtesy in a real fight?”

“True enough,” Aspect nodded once. “In any case. Go get cleaned up. I’m taking you and your sister out for a night on the town. As ourselves for once.”

“HUZZAH!!” Luna bellowed and knocked him over with her voice as she grabbed Celestia and teleported off.

Meanwhile, Midnight stood over Aspect with a sensual, half-lidded gaze.

“Bună ziua soț. Te simți bine ~?” she asked him in her chocolaty tone.

“Hold out your hoof for a moment,” Aspect told her as he held out his. She blinked, but smiled and did so, taking his hoof. There was a tingle all across her form, and then a flash from Aspect…

And when the light died down…

Oh.

That was an impressively rugged Thestral stallion in front of her.

“I have not used this form in some time,” he said as he shook his head and flapped his new wings. “I needed to refresh my memory on how it was done.”

Aaaaand that was Midnight kissing him, quite passionately too. Oh wow her tongue was long… and dexterous. His eyes widened comically as he was kissed, not sure what to do now.

She moaned into the kiss as her wings stroked his form before she released him and smiled. “Soțul meu este chiar mai frumos. mânjii noastre va fi glorios~♡”

With a flick of her tail, she sauntered off and… yup, she was hiding nothing from his sight.

“Something tells me she’ll collect on that one day,” Aspect grumbled as he flashed into his alicorn form again and looked around. “Now...risk moving from here, or...yeah, I’ll just wait at the front.” The stallion flapped his wings and soared around the castle. It looked much smaller from outside.

Author's Notes:

And so the newly revealed Aspect makes a bigger splash.

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