The door of the airship swung open with a bang, alerting any in the vicinity that somepony had arrived. Thule grabbed his bags and Pyrite’s and motioned for him to follow.

“This is it, kiddo.” Thule said with a grin as he stepped off the ramp and made his way to the entrance.

Pyrite followed close behind, “It’s just a cave, this is your home?”

“It is,” Thule said, “Only it’s not just a cave, see?”

Pyrite trotted up alongside Thule and finally saw the expansive cavern before them. It was similar to what he saw in Polaris’ dream, except this one was slightly smaller. They must be in a different part of the colony.

“Where is everypony?” Pyrite asked, “I thought there would be lots of bat ponies to greet us. You are their leader after all, right?”

Thule nodded, “Yeah, but we’re here at an off time. It’s not quite evening, there are still hours left for my people to sleep. But my wife should be awake. We’ll see her first, then deal with Eve.”

“Poppy?” Pyrite asked in excitement. “It’s weird I’ll be meeting somepony from your story. She sounds really cool.”

“She is very cool,” Thule said with a lick of his fangs, “And she loves meeting new ponies.” Thule grabbed Pyrite under his stomach and put him on his back. They took to the air and flew toward the upper chambers. Thule looked over his shoulders and whispered, “Careful she doesn’t try to bite you, we don’t want a repeat incident do we?” he asked with a chuckle.

Pyrite laughed and hopped off when they landed on a large balcony overlooking the expanse of the cavern. Several female bat ponies took notice and began talking amongst themselves. They giggled, laughed, and swooned over Thule, who mostly ignored it. While Thule set aside their bags, some of the mares took notice of Pyrite and rushed over to him. They picked him up and examined him, while others hugged him.

“Leave the poor colt alone, ladies.” a commanding female voice ordered from where Thule was standing.

Pyrite looked across the room and saw a beautiful bat pony mare wrapped in one of the Thule’s wings. Her face was similar to Saros’, and her height was about the same. Her fur was a lighter tint than Thule’s, and her mane was straight, complementing her figure.

“Leave us,” Thule commanded.

The servant mares bowed and flew off the balcony. Poppy left Thule’s embrace and fluttered over to Pyrite where she knelt down and held out a hoof. “How you doing, kid? Did the trip go well? My husband can be a real killjoy on long journeys.”

Thule grunted and hooked his wings together, “This is Pyrite Glint, a personal friend of Princess Luna and the rest of her court.”

“Really?” Poppy asked, “You’ve got some friends in high places for one so young. How did you manage that?”

Pyrite smiled and shrugged, “Princess Luna came to rescue me from a nightmare, but I ended up saving her, too.”

Poppy laughed and sat on her haunches, “I can only imagine how that went. So, why are you here with my husband?”

Thule flew over to them and unhooked his belt, setting it off to the side and throwing off his cloak. “That is something we’ll discuss over dinner, Pyrite can fill in all the details. I want you to hear it from him.”

For the next hour or so, Pyrite ate with Thule and Poppy, telling them exactly what happened with Eve and what she said to him. Poppy was shocked, not to mention angry. Thule simply ate his dinner and listened while Pyrite told the whole story, then about his near transformation. After they were done, Thule flew with them to another balcony. This one a bit lover in the cavern. It was one location where Thule would hold his court and rule from. Any ponies with grievances, travelers, or merchants would see him here.

Two large thrones were situated near the back wall, while the balcony in front of them collapsed inward near the edge where it overlooked the cavern. Guards were positioned around the perimeter. Aside from them, nopony else was around.

Thule sat upon his throne with Poppy beside him, he motioned for Pyrite to come forward and bent over to whisper in his ear. “Eve will be coming shortly, she’s been summoned here. You’re going to hide behind my throne. We’ll question her and see if she comes clean with what she did. You’ll come out when we’re ready, sound good?”

Pyrite had to admit he liked where this was going. After all the pain he went through in that ordeal, some justice sounded really good. He nodded and made his way behind the throne. A few moments passed, then he heard wings flapping and the soft thud of a pony landing.

“Evening Rose,” Poppy began, “So good to see you, I’m glad you could make it.”

“Yes, well, you know how it is mother. Busy schedule.” Eve said with a light chuckle.

“Busy schedule spending my bits and neglecting your studies,” Thule groaned in displeasure.

“Say hello to your father,” Poppy said with a placid smile.

“Hi daddy, I’ll be needing a bit more credit. Just so you know.”

Pyrite could practically taste Thule’s growing anger. He wondered why Eve was so arrogant and rude. But then he remembered how Thule acted and what the other courtiers thought of him. In a way, he sort of pitied Eve.

“We need to ask you a few questions, that’s why we’ve called you here.” Poppy said.

“Why is father here?” Eve asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be with Princess Luna or something?” Eve inquired, her eyes wandering in disinterest.

“We’ll be asking the questions here,” Thule said, now leaning forward on his throne. “You haven’t been leaving the colony much, have you?”

Eve rolled her eyes and sat on her haunches, “Sometimes when I’m bored. But you know that, dad.”

“Yes,” Thule replied, “Were you out around midnight a few weeks ago? Near the area where the river connects to the small lake?”

“Um, no.” Eve said, “I never go out that far.”

“Eve...” Poppy warned, “Are you certain you weren’t there, you didn’t see any ponies?”

Pyrite didn’t hear Eve answer right away. She paused for a moment, then repeated herself. “I told you I wasn’t there, what’s all this about?”

“Eve, have you bitten any ponies despite my explicit orders forbidding it?” Thule asked, his eyes glowing crimson.

“What?” Eve gasped, “Of course not! There are barely any ponies around here, and I would never.”

Thule lowered his hoof to the side of the throne. Pyrite stepped out from behind it and stood next to him. Eve had been examining her hoof, then she saw him. When she did, her faced turned white as ghost.

“Do you know this pony?” Poppy asked, her expression grim.

Eve remained silent, her eyes raced in different directions, trying to find anything to say.

“Well?” Thule asked, looking down at Pyrite.

“That’s her, she bit me.” Pyrite replied.

Thule nodded and leaned forward, “What have you to say for yourself, Eve?”

Eve was visibly sweating now, her tail twitched nervously as she looked at her mother. Poppy merely shook her head in disapproval. She opened her mouth to answer, then immediately turned to run. She galloped to the edge of the balcony and took off, but did not get far.

Thule reacted so fast it was as if he teleported. He flew to the edge of the balcony and caught Eve by the tail. He yanked her back and threw her across the balcony. Since she was airborne, Eve was not injured. She merely tumbled through the air and righted herself near Thule’s throne.

Thule was on her in a second, he pushed his hoof into her chest while spreading his wings wide. Both Pyrite and Poppy backed away.

“My own daughter betrays me...” Thule seethed, “You know the number one rule for all my children, and you broke it.” He hooked his wings together and ran a hoof through his mane, “You’re young, you don’t understand. Centuries ago we were hunted like beasts for the very thing you did to Pyrite. We have our urges, and even I am not immune to this. In my short time with Princess Luna, I already found myself losing control, and giving in to my base desires. I regret it.”

Poppy stepped closer, “Thule, I think we need to discuss this further. Eve needs-”

Thule stopped her with a raised hoof, “Pyrite suffered because of what you did, and he even tells me you were going to take more. You have no idea what you’ve done. This incident was brought to light in front of Princess Luna herself.”

Eve’s mouth dropped, tears beginning to form, “Daddy, I didn’t know.”

“No, you don’t.” Thule said, “Not only did Luna learn of it, but so did other powerful and influential ponies. Aldus, Lord Hurricane, and Polaris know what you did. Do you even know what those ponies could do if they decided we were a threat? Do you know what Aldus did to earn his infamy?”

Eve slowly nodded with a sniffle, “Yes.”

Thule sighed, “You’ve constantly ignored my instructions. You’ve disrespected your mother, and you’ve disrespected me. I have assured Luna and the others that your punishment shall be severe.”

Eve’s eyes widened, “Daddy, please...”

Thule let out a sigh and pointed a hoof, “Evening Rose, I banish you.”

Eve let out a croak and burst into tears, “No daddy please! I’ll change, I have nowhere else to go!”

Poppy wrapped a wing around Thule and turned his head with her hoof, “Honey, I think that’s a bit harsh. Let’s talk about this.”

Thule shook her off and motioned to the guards, “Escort her to her room. She has one day, two at the most to gather her things, then you are to escort her off colony grounds.”

The guards nodded and escorted Evening Rose off the balcony. Pyrite couldn’t believe what he witnessed, he didn’t think that would be her punishment. “Thule, I wanted her to answer for what she did, but not like this.”

Thule looked down and him, “It had to be done, Pyrite. The guards will take you to your room, your things should already be there. Two of my personal guard will be posted outside for your safety. If you need anything, you need only ask them. Now, goodnight.”

Pyrite watched as Thule flew off the balcony and down toward the bottom of the cave. He turned to Poppy and looked at the ground, “I didn’t want her to go through this.” Pyrite said, “I just wanted to see that she was sorry.”

Poppy reached down and pulled his head up with a hoof, “I know. I’ll talk to him tonight and see if I can talk him out of it. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight, Pyrite.”

------------------

After a few hours of sleep, Pyrite woke up and stared at the wall. He had the guards bring him some water earlier, and he was starting to get thirsty again. He yawned and rolled over to find red eyes staring at him.

“Wha- mph!” Pyrite began to shout but was silenced by a hoof over his mouth.

Eve was lying down next to him and put a hoof to her face, indicating silence. Pyrite slowly nodded and got up as Eve pulled her hoof away. “What are you doing here?! How did you get in?” Pyrite whispered. “Are you mad? Want to get some payback? Because I never wanted you to get banished.”

Eve raised an eyebrow, “I know my home very well, and you don’t want  me banished? That didn’t make you happy? Really?”

“Really,” Pyrite said.

Eve got up and sat on her haunches across from Pyrite, “I didn’t come to hurt you or get you back. I came to apologize.”

“Apologize...?” Pyrite asked “You didn’t seem so apologetic in there, you even lied.”

“My father is a liar, too.” Eve said, “You shouldn’t believe everything he says. But I just wanted to let you know I’m sorry, and... I wanted to ask a favor.”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

Eve lowered her head, some tears were beginning to form, “I should never have bitten you or put you under my powers. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you, really. But I have nopony else, and nowhere to go. Can you please talk to my father and convince him not to do this?”

Pyrite paused, he wondered if Frost would forgive her so easily. But then he remembered what Luna had told him when they went for a walk together before he departed with Thule. She had spent a few hours with him alone on the beach and told him a little about the bat ponies. She then told him about her experience with her sister when she returned from the moon. Her words resonated with Pyrite.

“It’s not always easy being the hero in your own story, sometimes the best we can do is to avoid being the villain in someone elses.”

Pyrite didn’t hate Eve, and he didn’t want to make enemies where he didn’t have to.

“It takes more strength to forgive than it does to hate,” Pyrite said. “I forgive you, and I don’t want to see you banished from your home. For a long time I didn’t have a home, you don’t want to go through that.”

Eve’s tears dripped onto the sheets as she wiped them away, “Thanks, Pyrite. I wish there was something I could do.”

Pyrite laid down atop the covers and rested his head on the pillow, “Don’t bite any more ponies, and maybe be more respectful to your parents?”

Eve nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks again, Pyrite.”

Just when Pyrite thought he was alone, he felt a hoof nudge him from behind, it was Eve. “What are you still doing here?” he asked.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” Eve said, “Do you mind if I stay here with you?”

“Uh, I guess not...” Pyrite said, “Do you snore?”

Eve giggled and pulled him to her with a wing, “No, I don’t. Do you?”

“No,” Pyrite replied with a yawn, “But I do like to snuggle.”

“So do I,” Eve said with a grin.

--------------------

Aldus stacked his papers after the brief meeting with Luna was over. He suggested actions on the new laws proposed by the nobles, and agreed that they should extend enrollment in Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. He suggested they add on to the current building and also offered his assistance as a guest professor should he be needed.

“I think that’s all for today, boys.” Luna said to Rigel and Aldus.

“Alright,” Adlus nodded, “I think it’s time that we finally made our way to the archives.” As he was speaking, two solid purple rings flashed from his eyes. It happened too quickly for Luna and Rigel to notice. Aldus rubbed his head with a hoof and groaned, “I think Ciaran will accompany us. She can help Iris and Frost pick out some robes for the wedding. After that, we’ll go to the archives.”

Rigel nodded, “Sounds good, I can pick out my outfit there as well. After we’re done I’ll take Iris back.”

Luna nodded, “I’ll see you when you return.”

After an afternoon of shopping, Frost was standing next to Iris as she giggled uncontrollably. The amount of robes she made him try on was exhausting. She said that if she was going to dance with anypony at the wedding, they would have to look their best. They finally settled on a light blue robe with a white tint to match Frost’s coat and mane. Iris chose a violet and red robe, similar to what Ciaran chose. Frost didn’t get to see what Aldus and Rigel picked out, being busy with Iris for so long.

Eventually they said goodbye to Rigel and Iris and began their walk to the archives. It was only a few blocks away and a tram ride up the mountains. Frost stopped and told Aldus and Ciaran to continue on, his stomach would not shut up, so he decided to get some food.

As Frost stood at the stall and got his food, he felt strange. Somepony was watching him. He had learned to sense these things when trying to pickpocket on the streets and avoid other colts that were looking for him. Frost sat down at a table and casually ate his salad and oats, all while taking in the surroundings. He knew they were in the square where he was eating, but wasn’t sure exactly where.

When Frost finished his food he threw away his trash and began to trot away. Once he sensed he was being followed again, he took a detour into an alley and crouched behind a dumpster. It was obvious what he was trying to do, and he was sure whoever was following him knew that. He imagined it was one of the gang members whose Stardust operation had been shut down when the courtiers rescued him and his friends. However, there was one other possibility Frost didn’t want to ignore.

As the pony neared him, he teleported behind them and shoved them into a wall. The pony was wearing a hood, which Frost ripped off.

“Oh Desalia!” the mare shrieked, “Please, don’t hurt me!”

Frost was gripping the mare tightly. She was a bit taller and bigger than Frost, but didn’t seem to possess much strength. She wilted under his gaze and whimpered apologies. Frost smelled her, and ran his hooves up and down her shoulders. Then down to her hooves, stopping there to examine them. The mare shifted uneasily as Frost touched her.

“Wha- what are you doing to me?”

Frost took a step back and smirked, “So, what does Silth want with me?”

The mare paused, then fell back to all four hooves. “What? Who’s Silth?”

Frost smirked and sat on his haunches, “Cut the act and transform, I know what you are.”

The mare paused again, then lowered her head in a pout, “I was never any good at this.”

The mare shed her cloak and transformed into her true form: a changeling. This one was similar to Ciaran, but slightly shorter with a long blue mane. Her carapace was black, and her legs were sporting the many holes common to her kind. Her eyes were a deep green, and she crumpled to the ground when she saw Frost staring at her.

“So who are you, and what does Silth want?” Frost asked. “I’m assuming you work for her, and not her sister. Silth did say she was still doing things in the city.”

“My name is Salinia,” the changeling said, “She wants me to keep an eye on you, she’s curious about what you and her sister are up to.”

Frost chuckled, “Of course, but why send you? You look like another changeling princess, shouldn’t you be doing something else? Something more important than stalking me?”

Salinia covered her head with her hooves, “Yes!” she shouted, “I was one of Silth’s top agents inside the Silver Crown Citadel. I was in deep cover for years! Now I’m following some stupid kid through the streets... um, no offense.” she said with a weak smile.

“None taken,” Frost said with a laugh, “You’re not too good at the whole disguise thing, are you?”

“Not this type of disguising, no.” Salinia replied.

“Well, stop following me.” Frost said, preparing to leave. “You can go tell Silth that if she wants to know what I’m doing, she can come see me herself. Or maybe write a letter.”

“Wait!” Salinia squeaked, “You can’t tell her you discovered me!”

The changeling dove at Frost’s legs and wrapped her forehooves around them.

“What? Get off!” Frost commanded. When he looked down at Salinia, she returned his gaze and spit slime onto his face, blinding him. “Ahh!” Frost screamed as he tried to get the viscous liquid off. Salinia struck him in the gut with a hoof,  then grabbed him and teleported away.

Frost tumbled to the ground and grabbed at the sticky green slime. “What are you doing?!” He could hear Salinia moving a few paces away.

“Taking us to a more private location,” she said. “What would your little gryphon girlfriend think if she heard you were making out with a changeling?”

Frost eventually tore away the slime around his eyes and looked around. They were in an apartment, an upscale one, too.

“Once Silth finds out about this she’ll kill you,” Frost said as he got up and backed toward one of the windows.

Salinia merely ran a hoof across one of the couches in the room and smiled, “She most certainly would, if she found out. But that won’t be happening. Now come sit with me, Frosty.”

Before he could do anything Frost was caught in her hypnosis. Green spirals emanated from her eyes and assaulted Frost’s senses. It was potent, and already having a noticeable effect as Frost struggled to stand. Slow green pulses began to form in his own eyes as the powers took hold. But Frost resisted, this magic wasn’t nearly as powerful as Silth’s or Ciaran’s. This changeling was nothing compared to them.

Salinia tsked and trotted over to Frost, “Come now little pony, how long have you been in the Silver Isles? When a lady gives you a command-” she began, briefly transforming into Princess Desalia- “You obey.”

She pulled Frost toward the couch, but he resisted, digging in his rear hooves into the carpet. Salinia chuckled and buzzed her four wings, pulling him off the floor and into a loving embrace. She kissed him and began siphoning the love energy she so desperately craved.

Frost’s mind swam in the pleasures of the hypnosis, and being loved by this changeling. He found himself wrapping his forehooves around her neck and returning her kisses, rather than simply taking them. Still, a small part of his mind continued to resist.

“Uhn... ah, stop...” Frost muttered between kisses.

Salinia chuckled and fell onto the couch with Frost, “Stop? What ever for? We’re both enjoying this, and when you’re all used up I’ve got a pod ready, just for you. We’ll be back at it in no time.”

Frost moaned as she fell back and explored his mouth with her tongue. “I- can’t...”

Salinia purred and ran a hoof through his mane, “Did you know I was one of the first changelings to be sent here? I’ve been in deep cover for almost a decade, working to prepare for Silth’s invasion. Then your master shows up and the Isles attacked our colony, ruining everything. All the other agents fled when the news reached us. I was about to leave as well, but Silth caught me before I could. Now I’m doing the job of drones, stalking colts in the streets. Disgusting. But you’ll be my revenge. She cares for you, I don’t know why. When I’m done with you there’ll be nothing left at all. Just a brain damaged husk.”

Frost heard what Salinia was saying but could do nothing about it. He barely understood everything she said. Kissing her was the best feeling in the world, and he didn’t want to stop. But he needed to get out of this predicament. Aldus and Ciaran were waiting for him, and Iris...

He focused his mind and projected an image of himself standing alone in a void. There, a lone pillar stood resolute holding up a ceiling of ice. This was the image of his inner mind. Suddenly the pillar began to crack and crumble at it’s base. Each crack gave way to more, and more, until it began to lean toward him. As it did, pieces of the ice above came crashing down.

Frost threw himself against the pillar and pushed. He had to keep it from falling, if it fell and the ceiling collapsed, then all was lost. He put all his weight into it and grunted, but nothing seemed to be happening. He was losing ground, his rear hooves sliding back along the marble surface. Massive icicles crashed around him as the pillar continued to fall. Frost looked up and couldn’t see the top where it connected, it was too far.

“Come on!” Frost shouted in anger, “Why is this happening?”

He began to lose hope as his strength waned, but a soft hoof on his shoulder pulled him out of his stupor.

“Push, Frost. You’re stronger than this.”

“Melody?! What are you doing here?” Frost asked in bewilderment.

Frost shut his eyes and focused his mind, something that proved wise going by past experiences with her. Whatever was happening she wasn’t the cause, not this time. He wasn’t under her power at all. He stared as she joined alongside him and pressed her forehooves against the falling pillar.

“We can do it, Frost! Come on!” Melody shouted as she heaved against the massive stone column.

Frost joined her, and with their combined efforts the pillar began to right itself.

Melody looked at Frost from the corner of her eye and saw him weakening. “Remember your friends, Frost! Remember Pyrite, Ruby, Blue Bell, and Iris! Remember your new life, remember all that you’ve been through! This is nothing! You can do this! Now, push!”

Frost growled and summoned every bit of strength he had left and threw it at the pillar. After that, he drew upon strength he didn’t know he had. His efforts forced the column further back to it’s original position. He didn’t notice Melody had backed away while he was struggling, and that he righted the column by himself.

Once it was in place, Frost fell over and turned around. Melody stood near him and smiled, “You’ve become strong, Frost. I’m so proud.”

As Frost was trying to make sense of what happened, something pinged in his head and his concentration shifted entirely. He remembered where he was, and what was about to happen.

Frost snapped out of his trance and pulled away from Salinia.

“What?” she gasped, “How?!”

Frost slammed both hooves down into her face and teleported off her. He reappeared across the room and fired three ice spikes. Salinia screamed, her snout crumpled from being pummeled. She flipped over the back of the couch just in time as the spikes stuck through the other side, still almost striking her. Frost jumped over the couch with a scream and landed on her as she was attempting to get up. Both of them rolled around the apartment, vying for dominance. Salinia tried to conjure spells but couldn’t concentrate with Frost constantly trying to strangle her. Likewise, Frost was unable to conjure magic and hit her at such close proximity. Salinia was able to free a hoof and struck Frost in the face, hitting him square in the jaw enough to force him off. As she got up, Frost screamed and tackled her into another room. When he rolled off he saw the pod that was supposed to be his. It held the familiar dim green glow that Silth’s did.

Anger swelled as he imagined what she was going to do to him. Frost conjured ice from his horn and grabbed the spike in his hooves. He threw himself on Salinia and howled in rage, “Die you changeling bitch!”

Salinia barely caught the spike in time as it was thrust downward at her face. She grunted as Frost forced it lower and lower. It scraped against her cheek, drawing blood as she fought to push it away. Eventually she shoved it to the side and kicked Frost off.

Frost landed by the fireplace and struggled to get up, but this time Salinia was on him. The changeling grinned, sure of her victory. She gripped Frost’s face with her forehooves and summoned her most powerful hypnosis magic, “You little worm! Now you’ll be mine forever!!”

Little did she know that’s exactly what Frost wanted. He grabbed a hoof full of ash and threw it directly into her wide open eyes. She screamed and staggered backward, it was like music to his ears. Frost snarled, picked up a fire iron and stabbed the changeling through the chest and out her shoulder. She screamed in pain as Frost forced her down on one side, her rear legs flailing wildly. He twisted the iron and leaned in close, “This is nothing compared to what Silth is going to do to you.” He then turned around and bucked her in the face as hard as he could, knocking her unconscious.

Frost fell back on his haunches and coughed. Salinia put up a good fight, and Frost almost lost. He saw that she was losing blood fast, and decided he needed to act. He wanted to kill her, but turning her over to Silth would be better. She would decide her fate. He remembered saying to Silth that nopony deserves to be tortured, and that Salinia might be subjected to... displeasures, after this incident. But Frost didn’t want to commit any more crimes, he had just got off thin ice with Desalia only days ago. It wasn’t worth it.

Frost grabbed Salinia and pulled her over to the pod. As he neared it, it sensed him, just like last time. Frost shoved Salinia inside and backed away to observe. For a moment, nothing happened, then the pod began to glow and she floated to it’s center.

“How amusing,” Frost chuckled, “They work on changelings, too.”

Energy collected at the tip of Frost’s horn as he froze the pod to the ground, the wall, and the ceiling. This type of ice magic wouldn’t melt for days. He sealed the flaps shut and shoved a desk and dresser in front of it. She wasn’t getting out any time soon. The pod would keep her asleep and prevent her from bleeding out.

Frost looked at the clock and realized he had been gone for about an hour. Aldus and Ciaran were probably starting to wonder where he was. Trotting through the apartment, Frost eventually found what he was looking for in one of the desk drawers in a small study. Several letters all signed with the letter “S.”

Frost took note of where the letters were being sent and picked up a quill and some parchment. He recorded the events that had just taken place, and told Silth of what he did to Salinia. At the end of the letter, he asked her to reply to him and wished her well. He signed the letter, “F.”

At the edge of the desk was a cylindrical tube with a small knob. Frost knew exactly what it was. A dragon fire burner, used for sending letters. Aldus used one just like it. Frost turned the knob to ignite the flame, then tossed in the letter. After that he made his escape and sprinted toward the tram that would take him to the archives.

--------------------

Frost ran up the approach and got into the tram. He shut the doors and pushed the power crystal into place to begin the ascent up to the archives. Much like how Canterlot was isolated on the edge of a mountain, so too were the Silver Archives. The ancient library appeared to be hewn from the very stone of the mountain, then added to with silver crystals. To Frost it looked more like a fortress than a library, but Desalia did take this very seriously. Frost wondered exactly what he might find in these halls, and the feeling of what he was about to experience hadn’t quite hit home yet. He was going to see something very few ponies could ever dream of seeing. To think of the power that he could find here.

As the tram lurched to a halt, Frost examined his body and face in the crystal. He wasn’t too beat up from his fight with Salinia, but he still used what little healing magic he knew before coming here. Most of his injuries were gone, and he doubted Aldus or Ciaran would notice.

Frost ran up the steps and stopped as two guards crossed their spears, blocking access.

“I’m here with Magister Aldus and his assistant, my name is Frost Wind.”

“A bit late, aren’t you boy?” one of the guards asked with a laugh.

“Yeah...” Frost said while scratching his head in embarrassment. “I got side tracked.”

“Now boys, tormenting this colt is my job.” a female voice echoed from just inside.

The guards retracted their spears and stepped aside. “Go on in, kid.”

Frost was about to move when a magical field enveloped him and swiftly pulled him through the door and into a dark hallway. Ciaran, in her Willow disguise, deposited him on her back and shook her head. “I don’t even want to know what you were doing, I’m just glad you’re here. Aldus was beginning to get salty.”

Frost leaned forward, “Oh, we wouldn’t want that.”

They both chuckled as they entered into a enormous atrium, and Frost’s mouth dropped.

Ciaran turned around and nuzzled him, “Yeah, I had the same reaction.”

The central chamber was enormous, with stairs and halls spiralling out in every direction. It must have been some type of architectural trick, because as big as the building appeared, he didn’t expect the inside to be this spacious. Ciaran trotted up a set of stairs to a an overlook where a few tables had been pressed together and a mountain of books had been stacked haphazardly.

Frost climbed off of Ciaran and trotted alongside the table where Aldus was engrossed in a book.

“Where were you?” Aldus asked.

“Does it matter?” Frost asked.

Aldus paused, “Did you get in trouble?”

“No.”

“Kill anypony?”

“No.”

“Then I guess it doesn’t matter,” Aldus said with a grin, which Frost returned.

“This place is amazing,” Frost said.

“I know.” Aldus replied while getting up. “All this knowledge, do you know all the stuff we could learn in here?!”

“Will you teach me whatever you find?” Frost asked.

“Only if you teach me what you find,” Aldus replied.

Ciaran rolled her eyes, “I’m going to go have a look around, care to join me, Frost?”

Frost shrugged his shoulders, “Do you need me, Aldus?”

Aldus returned to his seat and shook his head, “Nah, not right now. Go see what you can find with Ciaran and come back here when you’re done. We’re going to be here awhile. I’ll send you to go get some food for us later.”

“We’re allowed to have food in here?” Frost asked.

“I hope so,” Aldus said with a laugh, “But if not, Desalia doesn’t have to know.”

“Right...” Frost said with a smirk, one that his teacher soon shared.

As Frost and Ciaran went on their way, Aldus levitated a book from his stack and blew the dust from it’s cover.

‘Tomes from Creation’ Aldus said to himself. Interesting.

While he was looking for answers regarding what was happening in the north, he figured starting at the beginning would help. Something scratched at the back of his mind, something he had considered meaningless until recently. The other alicorns were sensing some sort of disturbance coming from the far polar regions. Long ago, when Aldus was young, he had known the black unicorn who later became a tyrant, King Sombra. He was just another apprentice back then, an adept at magic relating to crystals. He was convinced there was something special about the barren ice lands in the north. A magic that was found in the crystals, something unlike anything ever discovered before. He theorized that there was an ancient pony civilization that lived there. That back then, it wasn’t completely frigid. Something happened to make it that way.

Aldus had previously disregarded these claims, and when Sombra became increasingly paranoid about the power within the crystals, he became more confrontational. One day he challenged Aldus to a duel, and was defeated. Afterward he flew into a rage, and the former Crystal Princess had him banished. What happened between then and the time of his return was unknown, but Aldus had a feeling he knew where he went...

Aldus opened the book and saw that several parts were burned or destroyed. Smudges covered some of the writing, while other sections were clearly obscured on purpose. The scribe who recorded the information did his best to correct and interpret what he had. Aldus was grateful for his efforts. With a sip of coffee, he began to read.

‘When Equus was young, there was but an island in a vast sea of blue. The mother of all, the alabaster queen, the shining star and the burning sun, the first alicorn... was thought to reside there. What follows are fragments written by an unknown pony, believed to be the first alicorn herself.’

It has been hundreds of years since I first arrived here, the world was such a different place then. I’ve spent the necessary time gathering my power and meditating. The kiln is complete, it’s magic will give life. Now the time has come to plant the first seeds. My children...

Xanth... son of the sky, my precious flier. Soar the skies and watch over all creatures of the air.

Clotho... daughter of life, so much like your mother. Create life and shepherd it when I'm gone.

Bresoth... son of fire and storms, the chained anger. Wield the primal forces of nature.

Darya... daughter of the waves, free and courageous. Guard the seas and all who travel them.

Seirya... daughter of magic, thoughtful and ambitious. All magic is your domain.

Dermon... son of change, restless and curious. Mischief is your nature, but does not define you.

My children, we shall live in peace and harmony while we shape the world. We will be humble guardians and teachers to those we create and those that come after.

~ Fragment ends ~

‘The following is believed to be recorded sometime after the first creatures were created. Several lines were destroyed.’

While my children are all special to me, they are not all I have created...     -another child, the first.  -result of my impatience with the kiln -born of excess magic used in forging it and the others   -imperfect, yet in possession of great power. Able to traverse the realms  -creature is black, and despite immense power, has no form of it's own. All my children lack true gender, spirits as they are, their forms androgynous.  -has no form at all. - Manifests as a puddle of black tar. Despite this, it shows no signs of mental deficiency. -kindest child I've created, wishes only to be loved.   -hate it. -cannot name it, ... ... ... the formless one.

As a consequence of the formless one's birth, there will be one final child created... It shall rise from the latent magic of the formless one. In death it shall appear, the first of the dead, cold and unfeeling. This final child and the formless one will be close siblings... but not of my design. I had no control over this... -will meditate on correcting my mistakes. Seirya wishes to lend aid, to help them control their power. -Naive child, nothing to be done. She cannot help them.

~ Fragment ends ~

Aldus continued reading, unsure of what to think. More was written, and in slightly greater detail.

Formless one came to me today, asked why it must remain away from it's siblings. -Told it that constant meditation was required to hone the power it possessed. That I had gone through the same things before being ready for the world and realms. In truth -must not chance it's power interfering with the shaping of this new world. -Pondered what I said, then it agreed. -Mentioned it's desire to have a form then showed me something. Before my very eyes the liquid took shape into my mirror image. -Elegant body, powerful wings -Eyes black as the oblivion between realms. -Angered, furious, sent it back to it's cave in isolation. To see my own image in that... -Require time away. The lesser creatures are beginning to grow here on the island. -Others have begun transplanting them to the other lands. -Darya watches the other islands while they grow.

~ Fragment ends ~

It was difficult for Aldus to understand why the first alicorn was behaving this way. So little of her was known that nopony knew anything about her personality or the reasons behind her actions. As he continued along, he realized more had been written. This portion seemed to happen just after the last.

Returned today to find that both Clotho and Seirya disobeyed my orders to stay away from the Formless One. They've taken to calling it 'sister.' Seirya and Clotho have both taken a liking to the appearances of some of the new creatures, choosing to take on their feminine features. -To my horror, they've shared some of their own power and essence with the formless one. Clotho gave it the power to create life, and Seirya granted it the ability to differentiate it's power, to split it into different frequencies and variations. Through what I can only guess as their encouragement, the Formless One created... new life. -Formed from it's own twisted and corrupted influence, combined with the different magical frequencies, it gave birth to clones. -Sported distinct personalities, -were individuals, not copies. Clotho and Seirya stated their 'sister' no longer needed to remain alone -that they had given her a means of companionship.

-Sent them away, and destroyed the formless one's creations. -Bastardizations of life, one mistake should not breed more. -Would only serve to magnify my incompetence. The Formless One watched as I obliterated it's creations, then a curious occurrence -Leapt in front of it's last creation in my form, shielding it from my wrath, pleading me to stop. -Insolence, after disposing of the last, the Formless One was punished severely. -Strange, though I inflicted pain upon it, I don't think it was crying because of that, but because I disposed of it's creations. -Side effect of Clotho's influence, as I departed the cave, the Formless One watched with tears streaming down it's face. -Eyes no longer black, but glowing green.

~ Fragment ends ~

Aldus pushed back from the table. He couldn't believe it, there was just no way. He took a deep breath and looked around. An air of dread passed over him as what he was reading hit home. Suddenly, the library seemed like a downright spooky place. But the growing darkness didn't deter him. There was more written, and before he jumped to any conclusions, he had to be sure.

-Considerable time has passed since I disciplined the Formless One. -Has not left it's cave since, and I'm sure the others have left it alone. Creation has continued as planned. Darya and Bresoth have helped form two large continents. Both have been populated with several creatures. -Things going well.

-Seirya visited me yesterday while meditating, she said she had noticed some of the creatures on our island had gone missing. -Some of the simians, curious and adventurous, they often explored beyond their borders. Seirya knew where they were, she had been watching some of them for unknown reasons. They were last seen entering the cave of the Formless One. -Arrived at the cave, and at first saw nothing. Then the large puddle of tar rippled and formed once again into my mirror image. Seirya gasped and ran up to the Formless One. She shouted that she found the simians... inside the Formless One itself. -Shocked and disgusted, I quieted my anger. Much did not make sense, but with Seirya's own observations, it soon became clear.

-While in a state of hibernation, the liquid tar essence of the formless one sank into the hole in the cave. Thinking it was water, the simian's likely got stuck and sank into it. However, instead of perishing, they fell into a deep slumber. The Formless One created an environment to keep them alive. -Difficult to sense, the simians were in a dream realm created by the Formless One. It conversed with them there and found companionship. However, the most startling revelation was found in the change of the Formless One's essence. It was... whole, more complete. The simian's added themselves to it, likely unknowingly. Then it clicked. The Formless One was not conceived as a being, it was not planned. -No idea present to govern it's existence. -A product of random occurrence, unknown at the time, but inevitable. It was a being without, in some ways empty. In these creatures it found a means to be whole.

-Told the Formless One to relinquish the simians, that they must return to their homes. It knelt down and released them without any resistance. Each fell free from it's chest covered in tar. -Before joining Seirya, some hesitated and returned to the Formless One to embrace it. An embrace which it returned. Curious. After assuring Seirya that I would return the simians to their community, I sent her away and left the Formless One. The simians were disposed of shortly thereafter, -influence of the Formless One could cause untold damage to the ecosystem and indigenous lesser creatures. This development could be of dire consequence, I will meditate on the fate of the Formless One for considerable time. The other child has not been born yet. -Will act before that happens.

~ Fragment ends ~