Luna’s horn glowed her ethereal blue as she focused her magic through it. Her eyes were kept half lidded, focusing her mind as she focused her gaze. The group of guards in front of her were staring emptily back at her, smiling blissfully through their ignorance of the world. As her power washed over them, their glassy gaze began to clear.

One by one, as if instructed to do so, they began to move naturally. Each of the golden armored guards shaking their heads to clear the fog that had collected in them. Blinking through the aura around them, their once idyllic gaze became screwed in confusion, before widening in panic.

“Where-” one of them began urgently. Luna, however, knew the question before it left the stallion’s mouth. She had heard it asked no more than two dozen times already.

“My sister is safe, but she has left to converse with Twilight Sparkle.” She began, the guards’ attention solely focused on her. “She has spoken with the infiltrator that had poisoned your minds, but now seeks a way to defend against her. Go to the Main Hall and speak with the captain. He is in charge of securing Canterlot.”

“Shouldn’t we stay with you, your highness?” One of the guards supplied quickly, earning affirming nods from the company around him. “If the intruder were to return, would it not be best-”

“I am going to speak with the council shortly.” Luna interrupted once again, her gaze no less commanding than before. “They were summoned only just after the castle was made safe. It is your duty now to ensure the rest of Canterlot is no different. Now go, our ponies need you.”

Loyal as they were trained to be, the golden clad guards saluted the Princess of the Night, standing at attention with muscles drawn. Then, when they lowered, they flexed their wings and took flight. It took only a moment for them to round a corner, and then they were gone.

The last ones.

Luna breathed a low sigh of relief, the mess in her castle finally cleaned. Her horn was hot from the magic she had casted, a memory correction spell dozens of times over. It was fortunate there was nothing more done than the manipulation of their minds, though such an act was horrible enough.

However, her work was not done. The perpetrator, Macha, was still at large, threatening her sister and vanishing with nothing but threatening words in her wake. Something had to be done. The council was waiting for her.

Luna made her way to them with haste, preparing what needed to be said as she trotted. It was an easier task to say than to perform, especially when she herself had little information about the attack. She was not present when Macha assaulted her sister, nor when the monster controlled nearly all of the Royal Guard. But it was Luna’s duty to guide her ponies, any way she can, whenever she can.

She was paces from the shut doors, but the sound of conversation already echoed from within. Luna took it as a good sign, as conversation meant curiosity and that was also preferable to ignorance. Close to the doors, she nodded towards the guards, both standing saluting her as she passed. A wave of her horn and her blue aura focused around the door handles, and pushing the doors open, she proceeded inside.

Inside, the council surrounded a large white table, adorned with several tall seats lining the sides. The table was long, wide, and its size able to dwarf almost any creature. Despite its size, it was plain to look at; a soft shade of white with not a carving on it.

Light shined down upon it from a pair of large undecorated windows, letting nothing but pure sunlight brighten the room. Aside from a pair of statues along the far walls, art was scarce in the room, and rightfully so. Luna knew full well that a bored mind would wander easily to captivating words. Such a thing could not happen during discussions as important as these.

The ponies’ conversation silenced as Luna entered the room, all eyes now on her. The Princess of the Night straightened herself, walking into the room with the authority of millennia behind her. Her wings were flared, head high, and gaze collected. The situation was dire, but she had to rise above it.

She circled the table, feeling all eyes of the ponies upon her as she did. Luna silently collected what she could about them as she made her way around. Many of them were dressed messily, likely throwing on their clothing in the spur of the movement. Others looked tired and worn, likely from being roused from their slumber. It made the distinction between the members of the day and night court easier, but ultimately unneeded.

When Luna reached her chair, a tall darkly painted piece of furniture, matched only by the golden one next to it, she stopped. Her horn flashed momentarily, drawing the chair out far enough for her to enter. She trotted in front of it before drawing it back in, never letting her gaze fall from the ponies around her.

For a moment, there was silence, no pony moving and all eyes focused upon her. It brought a high tension into the air, one that had to be cut tentatively. Panic was the quickest path to disorder, and one could never allow chaos to rule when the enemy was at the gates. Or in this case, freely able to walk past them.

“My ponies,” Luna began, focusing their undivided attention. “I have asked you all be brought here for an urgent matter. As you may well know, Canterlot Castle was recently assaulted and my sister, Princess Celestia, threatened.”

A slow murmur grew from her words, carried on fearful breaths. Luna watched them all converse with one another for a moment, waiting for the moment to continue. As the voices slowly began to lower, she did.

“I was told little of the incident itself, as my sister made haste for her student, sure that she knows of what actions must be taken to prevent this thing from returning.” The diarch took a slow breath to control her breathing. “This creature is called Macha, and is a beast of unimaginable power. By her will alone, she distorted the minds of all the guards and confronted my sister with ease.”

Where the voices before were merely a cautionary curious, now they were fearful. It showed in their eyes, wide with doubt and disbelief. The slow bristling of their coats, tightness of their muscles, it was all easy to observe and interpret. They could not imagine, and did not enjoy, the idea of a power greater than their diarchs. Luna rightfully agreed with their fear.

“As of this moment, I have no more information than you all,” Luna motioned with her crystal adorned hoof, waving it over the council as she did so. “We must come to an agreement on a plan to stop this from happening again. So long as the creature is at large, we are not safe. Neither as a city, nor as a country.”

“Y-Your majesty,” one of the council members spoke with clear hesitation. “How… How do you propose we stop this… thing?” It was a fair question, and one Luna was hoping they would answer. There was, however, at least information she could share.

“My sister said she was immune from the creature’s touch upon her mind because she was “blessed by the stone of Fal”, or so the creature spoke.” It was only a small piece of information, but there was no such thing as unimportant facts in this kind of discussion. “The only method I am sure of is finding a way to use this stone to… bless the kingdom. But I will confess, I have not the knowledge of what this stone is nor its workings and neither does my sister.”

The murmurs continued, darker than before. Luna understood it well. She did just tear out from them the one idea that had even hope of working. Now, they were drifting for anything to hold.

“Do we know… where this beast has come from?” It was a trailing question, being asked as it was being thought, but it was no less valid than any other.

“If my sister knew of Macha’s origins, she had little time to tell me before she departed. But perhaps we do.” The thought, the idea more like, hit her as she was speaking. This creature was powerful, of that there was no doubt. Powerful forces do not simply appear, not without great effort or entrance. “Has there been any developments in the land? Anything that has warranted notice to the guards or higher authority?”

Exchanges were glanced amongst the council members, each one looking to the other with pictures of curiosity. Low whispers accompanied each glance, doubtlessly each their own questions and inquiries. It was not uncommon. The council members were close to one another, that meaning only certain members of one another. In this room sat not only some of their greatest friends, but also their most sworn enemies. It was ironic, but irony often produced the greatest of results.

After all, the country was led by both the sun and the moon.

“What about Iron Wit?” One of the council members spoke out. It earned the attention of the collective council, as well as the alicorn in the dark chair.

“Iron Wit?” She repeated. “Is he not the earth pony in study with the artifacts? I do not understand your meaning by speaking of him.”

“If I may your majesty.” One the golden guards spoke as he approached, earning the gaze of the council. “Iron Wit attended a meeting with Princess Celestia earlier this day. He told her of a rather… surprising discovery.”

“And what was this discovery that he made?” Luna questioned. The answer came from another member of the council, dressed in royal purple cloth and lined with gold trimmings. Even a monocle sat on one of his eyes, balanced over his muzzle.

“I do believe he said he discovered a new Ley Line.” Luna was not the only pony to react with surprise. While the diarch, trained to keep her emotions to an observable minimum, only sucked in a breath of air, the other ponies were far more vocal.

“What?!”

“Can he be sure!?”

“That is not possible!”

“He must be mistaken!”

“QUIET!”

The command echoed through the room, silencing the ponies instantly. Their wide and fear tinted eyes gazed at the diarch at the table’s far end, her wings unfurled and imposing. Her gaze was as cold as the stone around them. Luna took in a long breath of air, slowly releasing it through her nostrils as she did. Her wings slowly folded back against her, her large form returning to the less intimidating and less daunting stance.

“I apologize,” she began, offering the words earnestly. “But this is not the time to bicker for things that are and aren’t real, even for a moment. Until we know otherwise, assume all assumptions to be facts. After all, something has escaped our collective notice long enough for a creature to use it.”

A soft murmur followed her words again, accompanied with slightly more verbose agreements to her words. ‘Of course’ and ‘She’s right’ were spoken around her before the voices softly died out again.

“Well, maybe we should call for Iron Wit,” another council member spoke. He shrugged as he spoke, denoting to Luna he was new to his position. Most high class members of Canterlot took their expressions seriously. “He may better be able to explain the likelihood, if any, of something coming from this new… Ley Line. Maybe he might even know how to close it.”

“What good would closing it do now?” Another council member asked, this one far older than most of the other ponies in the room. The princess was sure he was every year he looked. “Assuming this creature came from this new Focal Point, what, are we to believe there are more coming?”

The words gave birth to a dead silence.

There were nothing to say as their minds processed the horror of the question, even the stallion himself lamenting on his own words. What if Macha was only the first? What if the first of this creature’s was so powerful, and there were more to come? Was Macha only but the weakest, a messenger sent in warning?

It terrified the council members, fearing something they as of yet had only heard of. It rattled the guards, all of whom were already subjugated to the beast’s magic, having their minds bent in ways they never wished. But it scared Luna, the Princess of the Night and Alicorn Immortal. Her own sister could not but entertain Macha. What chance would they have, together or apart, against more?

The question did, however, also bear fruit to the first unanimous decision thus far.

“It is top priority that we close this Focal Point,” Luna mumbled more than spoke. She swiftly corrected herself as she spoke on. “Send for Iron Wit, rouse him no matter his state and escort him to us. Notify him of what we are discussing and aid him with any tools he offers to bring. Let us leave nothing to chance.” A guard left the moment the command was uttered. Not a council member raised even a thought of objection.

As the guard left, however, another passed by him, his breath short and face flushed. Luna took note instantly; the rest of the council members following her gaze.

“Guard,” she commanded the golden clad warrior. “What is it? Why do you hasten to interrupt this meeting?”

For a moment, the soldier did not speak, his breathing heavy and forced. Even from beneath his heavy armor, Luna could see the labor behind each lungful he took. After another deep breath of air, he focused his gaze on the diarch before speaking.

“We just received… received an emergency notice fro… from the Crystal Kingdom.” Quiet unlike the stunned silence from before, the room exploded into an uproar at the announcement.

Hooves banged on the table in futile attempts to grab attention, each council member screaming their own surprise and outrage at such a declaration. The guards around the room shook their gazes from one council member to the other, sure that at any moment one would jump from his chair. It was an uproar, plain and simple, but not one Princess Luna partook in.

Like a shadow from her night, Luna removed herself from the dark chair she sat upon, trotting lightly around the table towards the guard. With a wave of her wing, she silently motioned for him to follow her. He did so without question. As the pair left the room, Luna shut the door behind her, dulling the sound of the still-arguing ponies.

“Your highness?” The guard questioned her. “Shouldn’t the other members of the council hear-”

“The council is still debating of the appearance of Macha and they have yet to fully integrate any members of the Crystal Kingdom into their fold out of either spite or incompetence.” There was no room for tact in Luna’s straightforward tone. “If the empire is in immediate danger than I would rather beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.” The guard nodded at her words. The diarch cared little if it was out of respect or understanding.

“Yes, of course.” The guard took a slow breath before he spoke one. “The message comes from her highness Princess Cadance. She sends word that there is a storm blowing through her kingdom, not orchestrated by any group of pegasi.” Luna nodded at his words.

“That is reason for concern,” the diarch noted. “But surely she would not send such an immediate need for aid. There must be something else.” The guard only nodded vigorously at her words.

“Yes, you are correct your highness,” he admitted easily. “She also says, and I apologize if I may not understand her meaning, there is a phantom voice upon the wind.” Luna’s brows rose.

“A phantom voice?” She repeated carefully. “You are sure this is what she has said.” There was no hesitation in the response that came.

“I would stake my horn on it your majesty.” He swore with a low bow to his ruler. “The message was short, likely written in haste, which is why I came for you and the council quickly.”

“Your decision was a wise one.” Luna complimented the guard. “Now send word to my sister of this. Tell her Canterlot is safe for the moment and of the strife in the Crystal Kingdom. Leave no details to be vague.” Luna instructed one of the unicorn guards, earning a swift salute followed just as quickly by his departure.

She sighed as she turned her attention back to the room, the dull roar of the ponies within echoing past the shut doors. It was not a room she wished to venture back into, but it was one that she had to. Inside were the ponies responsible for maintaining much of Canterlot and Equstria as a whole. Their cooperation was paramount, and as a princess, it was Luna’s duty to ensure it. Luna was never a pony to disregard her obligation, nor was she one to feign ignorance.

Steeling herself, she ventured back into the white council room.

“You have… fascinating tales to tell,” Celestia spoke after a moment of deliberation. In truth, she was quite enthralled with the nymph, an unsaturated curiosity her young pupil shared. The history the Fae had to tell, however, only let the diarch connect so much.

The land and people the nymph spoke of were gone, all but one monument of culture left to dust. There was nothing to say that they were real, nothing to prove they existed. Nothing but the small pale Fae who spoke of them; that, and the joy her memories brought her.

It was enough for Celestia to believe her.

“It’s different, so it must be grand.” Aisling spoke to the princess’s words, adjusting the golden book still held firmly in her arms. “We can never ignore what is new.” The words were simple, as was there meaning. Yet, it was one of the most ancient truths the alicorn had ever heard. It made a light giggle rise to her lips.

“Yes, I suppose that is true.” Her pink eyes swiveled down to gaze at the purple pony still huddled beneath her wing, staring intently at the Fae. Twilight lifted her own eyes up to the princess in turn. Celestia missed that look of wonder she had, seeing what she had never seen before. It was a look the diarch was intimately familiar with from the unicorn’s early years as her pupil.

“Aisling, can Ah ask ya something?” The curious voice of Apple Bloom earned the Fae’s attention. It also earned the gaze of Celestia and Twilight. Taking the nymph’s eyes as an admission, the filly waved her forehoof in the air, flailing towards the walls around them. “What are all these pictures?”

Aisling blinked at the question, her head tilting lightly as she did. She twisted her head towards the walls around them, still dancing around them with colors and lines that seemed held by no laws of reality. Celestia turned her own gaze to the walls, marveling for the first time at the vivid art that flowed like water.

The workings of magic were nothing the diarch was unused to, neither were the efforts of an artist. She had seen paintings, reliefs, statues, and glass all masterfully carved and painted in manners that could capture the attention of any pair of wandering eyes. It was shameless to appreciate the beauty any life could create.

The art around her was beyond anything she had seen before.

“The past,” Aisling spoke to the filly, a toothed grin pulling at her lips. “Memories of my mother, memories of my own. Things that were but are now no more.” The response was far too cryptic for the innocent foal to get.

“Ah… don’t think I get it.” The bow tied pony responded uneasily. “Are they… real ‘er something?”

“She means they are moments from her history.” Celestia spoke to the filly. She made sure to wear her kindest smile as she spoke; it always helped to ease the natural intimidation that came from her large stature. Slowly, she rose to her hooves, removing her wing from over Twilight’s own hunched form. She saw the unicorn shiver as her heat source was removed.

“They are from the past, but they are not all from my own.” Aisling clarified to the alicorn. One of her thin hands washed over the book she held, adjusting it against her. “Only some are mine, most are not.”

“And what do they tell of, Aisling?” Celestia ventured with a cautious hoof, already sure that too strong a question would evoke a swift defense. “I apologize if I am rude, but your history is, as you say, new to me.” The alicorn let a soft smile pull at her lips. When the form of grin grew over the nymph’s features, she knew she had spoken wisely.

“I can tell you. It’s all right to know.” The response lit a light in filly’s eyes the sun would envy.

“Hey sis!” Apple Bloom cheered as she trotted over to her sister’s side. The farm pony turned to her, as did the pegasus and zebra near her. Applejack blinked as her sister quickly approached. “Aisling’s gonna tell us about the art! Ain’t that awesome?”

“She is?” Applejack raised her brows, turning her vision to the Fae across the room. She hooked her leg around the filly when she was close enough, smiling down at her. It didn’t shake the feeling of unease she had.

“That is… a peculiar thing to do.” Zecora, thankfully, felt about as right as Applejack. “Should we not worry instead of the creature that flew?”

“Yeah, this doesn’t really seem like the time to be looking at pictures, does it?” Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head, twisting her own brow as she looked towards Twilight. Half of her hoped that the unicorn would be asking to turn the Fae’s attention to the book she still grasped, but the other knew her well enough that any new information was absolutely not going to be ignored.

“But the art is ‘bout her past.” Apple Bloom spoke to the two other ponies, even as she was still curled beneath her sister’s leg. “It’s like a movin’ family album.” Applejack couldn’t help but grin at the notion.

“Aw, what the heck,” the earth pony easily conceded; a common action when her sister was happier than Winona with a new bone. “Ah’ll trust the princess and the fairy girl. Ah’m there’s somethin’ ta find in the art ta help us. ‘Sides, it is mighty pretty to look at.”

Applejack’s green eyes turned to the fluid artwork. She had marveled at it when they had all entered the room, and her wonder at the art had yet to diminish. Magic was commonplace for her now days, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be impressed. Zecora gave the farm pony a small sigh before she gave her own answer.

“Though I fear this is time we waste, I would enjoy this art without haste.” The zebra turned her attention to the wall she had spied when she had entered, decorated a pale white with the sole figure of the Fae in the center.

“Gah,” Dash scoffed at the quickness to which her friends had conceded. She was, however, suffering from her own curiosities. “Fine, fine, let’s all hear about the history of the art. Never mind the freak of nature walking around Luna knows where.” Celestia was unsure of what kind of expression to where. Mirth for the pegasus’s obvious discomfort, insult for the dismissive nature she displayed, or surprise that Dash had so easily used her sister’s name as a curse.

When she saw the horrified expression on the young Twilight Sparkle, Celestia settled for a light grin. It fit the small humor of the situation well enough. Speaking of which, the diarch felt her lips pull a bit harder across her cheeks as she saw the unicorn march over to the blunt pegasus.

“Dash!” Twilight called the name between a scream and a hiss. It made the mare shiver appropriately. “I really hate to sound like Rarity, but can you please have a bit more tact!” Before Rainbow had a chance to respond, Twilight whirled back the Fae. “I apologize profusely for what Rainbow said.”

“It’s alright,” the absolute ease to which Aisling spoke gave Twilight pause, her anger being beaten away.

“It… It is?” Rainbow spoke uneasily behind Twilight, the memory of the angry nymph still fresh in her mind. However, when Aisling merely nodded her head with a soft smile, the words only rung truer.

“Why would I? That is what you want? Correct?” Twilight stared at the Fae no differently than she had when they first met.

“You’re… okay with… it?” Aisling shrugged at the unicorn’s stunned questioning.

“Your friend wants to stop Macha. So do I.” The nymph’s gaze turned to the obvious object in the room’s center. “This room will not change, no matter how many ages pass. But Macha will.”

Even in a room filled with beauty, the mares felt colder than ice.

“Princess,” Twilight whispered up to her mentor. “Are… are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, I know I want to, but even Aisling agrees that we should be looking for Macha. We could always come back here latter, right?” Just as the unicorn predicted, Celestia had an immediate and absolute response.

“There is little we could learn of Macha out of the ruins that we can learn of her here.” The diarch explained to Twilight. Her pink eyes moved to look at the rest of the ponies in the room, one by one making contact with them. The focused gaze of Rainbow and Applejack, the calm eyes of Zecora, and the youthfully curious expression lighting Apple Bloom. She ended when her eyes full upon the stare of Aisling.

“I do wish to aid my country, as I am sure you wish to help your forest.” The nymph nodded her head, adjusting the book in her arms. “But I do not know where this Macha is, nor what she plans. All I know is that she seeks to continue what she began long ago. If I am to stop her, I must know about her.”

“To make something you must know something.” Aisling whispered softly, her head slowly nodding with her words. “Brendan spoke of that once. He studied to teach and taught to learn.” Celestia felt her heart reach out for this life she had never met.

“Brendan was a wise man,” the diarch spoke to the Fae. The nymph was only too eager to agree.

“Very wise.” Her green eyes turned to the stone coffin in the rooms center, the only object in the magically lit area void of life. “And very Kind.”

“Alright,” Dash spoke in a calm tone, earning the gaze of the all but ancient looking figures. “I’m sorry for sounding so short. I just… I don’t like doing nothing, you know?”

“Few do.” Aisling returned, smiling towards the pegasus. Dash’s already nervous stature intensified as the nymph walked towards her, long hair trailing behind her lithe form. In the few hours Rainbow knew the Fae, she had never seen her walk. Aisling ran, jumped, leapt, and climbed. She did not walk.

Aisling stopped her slow march towards the pegasus with a small grin, her petite but pointed tooth clear in the smile. Dash gulped on empty air.

“I like you.”

Dash felt her heart stop. Of all the things she thought the Fae would do, confessing something like that was not one of them.

“H-Huh?”

“You care for your friends.” The nymph continued. “You care for what you own, for what care for you. That is good thing.”

Dash’s uneasy smile shook in place, her eyes staring unblinkingly into the Fae. Aisling did little more than gaze back at the pegasus, her arms still wrapped tightly around the book, possessively. However, as the moments passed, her smile became easy and Rainbow felt her tight muscles relax. The Fae took it as a sign. Turning to the diarch and her young protégée, Aisling spoke again.

“What do you want to see?”

BEGIN

The ponies looked amongst one another briefly before turning their attention to the walls dancing with light. Each had their own image that captured their eyes, something that seemed to beautiful for words.

“Hmm…” Twilight hummed in thought, her eyes scanning over the seemingly endless number of images about the wall. Choosing one of them was like choosing a star in the sky. Each one looked just as brilliant as the other, attracting her wandering eyes with nothing less than a dazzling display.

She was drawn to the endless blue that came from the frost covered mountains in one such drawing. The snow still blew over the tips of the mountains, the swirling white drifting into the blue before vanishing once more.

Then her gaze was seemingly pulled to another, the near luscious greens of the new portrait a harsh yet beautiful contrast to the ice swept mountains. The leaves moved as if they were alive, bending with the colors that made them. Green swirled with the brown of the bark before being lifted and vanishing into the endless blue of the sky.

It was all so gorgeous, so captivating, so enchanting.

It was impossible for anypony to decide on a single picture.

“I would like to inquire about this image.” Well, any pony aside from the eldest of them all.

The Fae jumped over the embracing siblings, her hair trailing behind. It tickled Apple Bloom and Applejack as it traced over their coats. It elicited a giggle from the former and a chuckle from the latter. It took only a few more leaps and bounds for Aisling to stand beside the alicorn, not even a trace of fatigue about her.

The mares turned their collective attention to Celestia, who had her jewel encrusted hoof pointed towards a plainly appearing piece of art, or at least plain in comparison to the art around it. It danced like the others, lines moving more as water across the wall than dried paint; waving as if it were alive.

However, instead of a myriad of colors that soothed the eyes, there were only two.

Black and white. Darkness and light.

The dark lines of the art were drawn with smooth curves, ending at sharp points that waved like blades of grass in the wind. They crisscrossed over one another, neither fighting for dominance nor taking away from their overall shape and design. Where two lines met, they made symmetry. Where one ran over the other, it created a bridge, not a road. And when all the lines were observed together, it made a picture.

“I give. What’s this paintin’ about?” Applejack found herself asking with a tilted head. No matter what way her eyes bent, all she could see where timberless wolves trying to eat one another. It as much sense to her as it said saying aloud.

“They are wolves,” Aisling spoke to the earth pony, her voice smiling with her lips. “They guarded the forest before my mother. They roamed, they watched, they stalked, they hunted. Always together, never alone.”

“That sounds a little… cruel.” Twilight spoke, already sure she had used the wrong word. The thin gaze Aisling gave her was enough to let the unicorn confirm her own thoughts. “I-I just mean… um… I meant-”

“You meant nothing kind.” The nymph gave the unicorn no room for pause, and no quarter with her thoughts. “You were to call them darkness, where you not? Things that belong in the shadows.” Twilight worked her jaw uselessly.

“Hey, back off Aisling.” If Twilight was not already mortified by her own words, then she surely was now by Rainbow’s own. The pegasus must have been trying to look bad. “We’re kinda used to most wolves trying to eat us. Excuse us for thinking the worst of something like that.”

“My wolves have never eaten a horse.” Aisling hissed back to the pegasus, narrowing her emerald eyes at Dash. For a reason not yet said, the cyan mare did not back down. Her wings flared as she stared at the Fae. “I hunt what lives in my forest.”

“She’s right!” Both heads turned towards the orange filly, waving her hoof in the air for attention her voice couldn’t grab. “Aisling saved me from the wolves ‘fore.”

The pegasus gave the foal a screwed look, thinking the idea impossible. That is, before she remembered just what other impossible events she had witnessed today alone. Her head twisted back to the Fae, still glaring at her with an almost childish appearance. It was a challenge for the pegasus, for her to admit she was wrong.

Rainbow wasn’t going to take it.

“Why are your wolves different Aisling?” Now the two turned towards the taller alicorn, trotting gracefully despite her size towards them. In spite of the spat just before her, Celestia had the same calm smile she must have enjoyed to wear. “Why show these wolves in such a way? Are they an emblem for your people?”

The nymph’s eyes, for just a hair of a moment, went wide. It was too fast for most ponies too see, so focused on the diarch that was speaking. But for Celestia, trained to spot even the smallest of tells, it was clearer than her sun in the sky. The tell vanished in place of the accepting gaze from before, the subtle grin and mischievous gaze that she seemed to offer only a few of the ponies. Celestia was thankfully to be one of those few thus far.

“You are a wise one.” The nymph admitted with a well-concealed tone of awe. It was a tone that the diarch had heard often, usually in reference to her standing, her age, her power, or her wisdom. Though Aisling did speak of her wisdom, Celestia could not shake the feeling she was using the adoration… differently.

It was not the awe a child would offer their parent. It was the adoration of an elder to their youthful counterpart. Aisling, in spite of her vastly inferior size, still saw Celestia as something beneath her.

It made the alicorn grin.

“I have been called wise by many lives,” Celestia noted clearly, drawing on the attention she was offered. “But I would much rather hear your wise words.” Aisling’s smile did not falter, and neither did the diarch’s.

“Wolves are the protectors of the forest.” Aisling spoke with certainty. “They keep away the trespassers, they guard the hidden treasures of the woods. My mother spoke with them often.” That raised a few brows.

“Spoke with ‘em?” Applejack questioned the Fae. She adjusted the hat on her head, making sure they didn’t interfere with her hearing. The nod from the nymph only deepened the earth pony’s curiosity. “Let me guess, that’s somethin’ you can do too, huh?”

“Of course.” Aisling replied immediately. “They help me guard the forest, my forest.”

“It would be inefficient to have safeguards you couldn’t monitor.” Twilight noted from behind the Fae. Celestia nodded pride fully towards her student. Even with the knowledge of entire libraries, she still had a sense for the world around her.

“Hey Aisling, what about this one?” The voice of Rainbow Dash called to the Fae and ponies around her. Their collective gaze turned to see the pegasus hovering in the air, her hoof pointing at a portrait of blue that hung across the wall.

It was different from the others only by its size. It was, like the others, made of hues from one color, moving with the magic of life, and still more gorgeous than near anything else across the land. But as said, its size was far larger than the others.

What it was was a landscape.

Mountains of peaks both near and far were masterfully carved over the stone, given life with the flowing paint of blue and white. The winds were visible across the snow capped peaks, the dust almost clear enough to feel. It captivated the eyes, bringing a shiver to the mares that peered up at it, almost feeling the cold the landscape sought to show.

But in the center of it sat a figure. It was not a statue made of great stone, nor was it a creature standing close to the portait’s frameless surface. It standing behind the mountains and it was looking over them as if they were but obstacles in a field.

“The creature’s name is easy to know,” Zecora spoke as her own eyes attempted to memorize every detail of the flowing art. “A giant, a creature lost so long ago.”

“A giant?” Apple Bloom repeated her friends words. “Ya mean like it’s gigantic? Ah know some of ‘em dragons got pretty big.”

“No. A giant.” Aisling spoke to the filly, leaning down to match Apple Bloom’s height. Their noses nearly touched with their close proximity. “Not a beast of shadow nor a figure of light. A guardian of nothing. A wanderer that is lost. That is a giant.”

“Yeah, well that thing is gigantic.” Rainbow Dash nodded towards her own comment, flying closer to the immobile shape in the rolling art. “I mean seriously, that guy could probably just take a few steps and get from Canterlot to Ponyville like that.” The pegasus flicked her hoof in the air as she finished.

But then something caught her eye. It was nothing significant, a speck to be honest; just a dot on the massive painting detailing a massive creature. But it was there, and Dash’s eyes did not miss it.

“Hey, Aisling,” The Rainbow called the Fae’s name again. “Did one of your… uh, people I guess, ever meet this giant?” The question hung in the air for a moment before the mare spoke on. “Cause I think I can see someone standing on this mountain. And I gotta admit, he’s pretty puny compared to the rest of the art.”

“That is not one of my people.” Dash turned her head back towards the Fae. “It is one of Brendan’s.” Her eyes blinked at the words.

“A human then?” Celestia clarified. The question earned a quick nod from the Fae.

“Yes,” The Fae returned in an excited whisper. “A man of courage, as Brendan said. One who dared the ice and storms for adventure alone.”

“Sounds like a daring kind a guy,” Applejack noted with a nod of her head. A teasing grin took place over her lips. “Hey Dash, ya think you’d be willin’ ta take on one of them beasts?” The answer was as clear as the painting they stared at.

“Heck yeah! Of course I would!” The pegasus spoke with a puffed up chest. “Compared to the rest of the crap we’ve had to deal with, I could wreck one of those guys solo.”

“A giant is not a creature of rage,” Zecora spoke up to Rainbow. The mare looked into the zebra’s cautionary gaze. “They are said be wise beyond their ancient age. They do not hunt, they do no steal. They have nothing they need to conceal.”

“Huh, no kidding.” Dash responded, scratching the back of her head with her forehoof. Her legs slowly touched back on the ground, her wings relazing at her side. “Now I kinda feel like a jerk for saying that stuff.”

“Aw, cheer up Dash,” Twilight offered the pegasus. Despite the words, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a sense of wariness from the unicorn’s grin. Her next words confirmed her senses. “It’s not the first time you’ve said something you’ve regretted.”

A hot blush ripped across the pegasus’s face at the words. It was only made worse by the snickering from Applejack. Twilight’s satisfied grin, however, was what sealed the embarrassing ordeal.

“Oh yeah, w-well,” Dash began, only to have her voice die off and dribble, searching for a comeback at the unicorn. None rushed to her mind.

“Careful RD, Ah don’t think ya wanna embaress yourself again.” Applejack playfully warned the mare, only to turn the normally blue pegasus red. Twilight let out her own chorus of giggles.

“They are good friends.” Aisling noted away from the three, watching them as she would her wolves. Zecora nodded from beside her.

“Many trials and tasks have brought them together,” the zebra explained to the Fae. “Friendships are strengthened in treacherous weather. Much like you and Brendan from the past, conflict can make them grow fast.”

“You are right,” the nymph offered as she turned to the zebra. Her form leaned over, twisting her head as to look up at Zecora. The stripped mare stared down at Aisling, the Fae’s long white mane laying on the floor around her, green eyes staring upwards. “But you are wrong.”

Zecora blinked at the Fae, unsure of what she meant. The nymph giggled cutely in response, grinning with a barely concealed fang peaking from her lips. With a small twirl, the Fae rose back to her normal height, book still gripped in hand.

“Brendan was my friend before any troubles. He came into my forest uninvited. I told him to leave. He showed me we were alike. Then we were friends.” Aisling tilted her head as she gazed, amusingly, at the zebra’s confused features. “It is that simple. Not all things are a mystery.”

“Um, Aisling?” The Fae and zebra turned their attention to the small voice that called them. Their collective gaze fell upon Apple Bloom waving to them across the room. Celestia was just beside her, gazing up at another portrait on the wall. The question the filly wanted to ask was obvious. “Who’s this supposed ta be?”

Regardless of its obviousness, the foal’s questioning words ceased the friendly bickering of the mares. Their attention turned to be focused on the portrait both Apple Bloom and Celestia gazed upon. It took little time for the mares to trot closer to the flowing portrait, but it took far longer to appreciate the figure that stood on the wall, living through moving colors.

Like many of the other paintings upon the wall, this particular portrait was unique. Not for the figure it showed or the colors it used, but in the detail it held. Even with the colors that swirled upon one another, like died water mixing endlessly, there was an undeniable amount of care that was placed into the art.

A matron stood upon the wall, her clothing scarce but less regal. A cloak of deep green hung from her shoulders, thrown about the figure’s back as the colors moved with it. Though still the picture was doubtlessly painted, the cloak and thin linens that covered the figure moved with a grace the magic of the chamber gracefully permitted.

Ordained with jewelry about herself, the figure had a crown of twisted gold, fashioned and sculpted into what could only be described as the wind given form. It sat upon her head, just above the many red curls that made the silent creature’s mane. It flowed much like the air down her form, billowing in unfelt winds and curling to frame the figure’s face. And the figure had a face that was to be envied.

Sharp green eyes looked out from its porcelain face, staring down at the ponies that gazed up at it. But it was a kind gaze, despite the sharp nature with which it mutely judged them. Such was evidence by the soft smile her lips held, either proud of herself, of where she was, or some other act the mares did not know of.

Then there was the magic. Not the magic that allowed the colors to swirl or the painting to move, but the magic the creature held in her hands. Whether it truly be an illusion or the workings of untapped power, the floating jewel of light the creature commanded swirled. It twisted and bent in a way that magic would, yearning to be set free and create, yet lingering within the binds its creator had placed upon it. The figure held it outwards, completely sure in her power, power that her stance, her gaze, and her size all portrayed.

In the end, there was only way to be describe the figure upon the wall; a single word that every mare agreed with without hesitance.

Beautiful.

“Wow,” Twilight spoke with no concealment of her awe. “I… She’s so picturesque.” None were present that argued with her words.

“She ain’t like nothin’ Ah’ve seen ‘fore.” Applejack agreed lsightly turning her head left and right, hoping to catch the flowing figure in an unkind angle. She couldn’t find any. “But… somethin’ seems… off.”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying.” Dash agreed with the farm pony, floating in the air besides the mare. She beat her wings with her well toned muscles, floating up closer and higher to the portrait. “It’s like… It’s like I’ve seen her before, or something like that.”

“Wait, Aisling,” Apple Bloom spoke up, turning until she caught the white haired Fae. The nymph turned her gaze towards the filly, her brows lifted as the filly gazed at her. For a moment, the foal didn’t speak. She turned her head from the Fae standing not but a few paces in front of her back to the figure tall against the wall, then back again. A few times she repeated the gesture before finally speaking again.

“That’s yer mother, ain’t it?”

Only those words could have forced the mares to look away from the painting. Each set their eyes on the filly, surprised by her words once more, only to turn their attention to the Fae Apple Bloom had questioned. Aisling had her eyes not on the filly nor the mares, but the flowing art instead. Only two of the ponies present recognized the gaze within her eyes.

Longing.

“Yes,” the word came out lower than a whisper, hesitant to show itself to even the trusted ponies. The nymph hunched over, guarding the book with her body. It was that, or trying to hide her face within the endless white that was her mane. Celestia gazed down at the nymph, the pity and sorrow of a millennia reflecting in her eyes.

For so long the alicorn had endured such thoughts and burdens within her own mind. It was only too obvious, too painfully obvious, to recognize the gaze within another’s eyes. It truly did seem that for every little bit she learned of the Fae the more she found they had in common.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Twilight offered the needless apology, unsure what other words to say. Aisling only shook her head, disregarding the gaze of the ponies upon her. Instead, she walked forward, eyes still cast upon the monarch gazing down upon her.

“It is alright.” The words did not sound cold, only empty. “She left long ago. Long before Brendan, long before his people. Crom took her, claimed her and left. When she left, my people followed. I stayed.” Apple Bloom hiccupped. It was the only indication Applejack needed to slowly draw her younger sibling into an embrace.

“Why?” Even with just one word, Rainbow’s question was as blunt as forest floor. Aisling, however, did not care.

“Because it was my mother’s forest. Now it’s mine.”

Celestia gazed at the nymph, wondering for not the first time what she could say. So often she had wished through the centuries for another to help her, for a pony to be able to understand the pain she had felt. Seeing those that had raised her pass on, those she had been raised with follow, until only she was left. She was graced to have her sister return, but Aisling had no such fortune.

The alicorn trotted forwards, opening her lips to speak what she hoped would be wise words, comforting before all else. But as she did something else happened.

There was a flash of white, the sound of conjuring magic, then a message popped into existence.

END

The ponies and Fae stared at the small piece of parchment, tied up upon the ground. It looked unremarkable, like any other message the pony had written or Aisling had seen Brendan write. But the fact that it had appeared, here and now, gave it far more importance than they dared to admit.

There was no question of what it was, only of who it had come from. Celestia lit her horn, grabbing the scroll of paper in her ethereal light. It floated to her eyes, unraveling as it rose.

“It’s a message from my sister.” The mare answered the unspoken question. Her eyes hastily scanned the message, reading it over with a fervent pace. It was only too clear to Twilight’s detailed eyes the panic that began to set over her mentor’s own. Something was wrong.

“Princess?” The unicorn gingerly spoke her teacher’s name. “Is something wrong?”

A pregnant moment of time passed, with nothing but horrible ideas and imaginings growing in the minds of the mares. Celestia turnd her pink gaze to Twilight, her eyes darkened with worry.

“Something… is happening.” The diarch lifted her hoof before she was done, silencing what she knew would be an outcry of a response from the mares present. “It is not in Canterlot nor Ponyville. From what has been told, there was a message sent from the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh no,” Twilight spoke breathlessly, already feeling the energy draining from her body. “W-What happened? Is Shining okay? What about Cadance?” Celestia shook her head before she responded.

“The message was sent by them, so I can assume they are alright.” Twilight only felt the faintest amount of ease. “However, they are claiming something… odd is happening in the empire.”

“It’s Macha, isn’t it?” Dash jumped at the conclusion without hesitation. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s gotta be her.” Celestia did not answer the pegasus, not immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze to the Fae, still gripping the golden book in her arms as she gazed up at the much taller alicorn.

“Aisling,” Celestia spoke the nymph’s name with clear authority. “My fellow princess in the Crystal Kingdom is claiming that there is… singing on the wind.” While the ponies present only screwed their heads in clear confusion, Aisling brightened her eyes.

“You know what it is.” There was no room for question in the alicorn’s voice.

“I do.”

Celestia didn’t believe anything else would surprise her in this life. Now here she was, being shocked left and right by this tiny creature of immense power. Aisling looked up at her, the Book of Kells still gripped firmly in her hands.

“What is threatening the ponies of the Crystal Kingdom?” If there was any doubt in the words of the diarch, Aisling either paid them no mind or simply did not hear them.

“They hear a voice on the wind, a call both beautiful and shrill, enticing and foreboding.” Celestia nodded towards the nymph, unsure of where she was venturing with her words. “It sang much during Brendan’s time, much more nearer the end. But,” she dotted the word, starring into Celestia’s gaze with her own wide green eyes. “It is not a creature of darkness.”

“What is this creature then?” The dairch asked more specifically, her tone no softer than before. Aisling’s answer, in turn, was no less cryptic.

“It sings in warnings, tunes of fear showing fearful acts.” Celestia watched as the thin muscles on the Fae’s arms tightened, her grip strengthening. It was likely the result of a bad memory. Her next words confirmed the diarch’s theory. “There were many before, always so many during the dark times. They only warn of dark things.”

“What do they warn ‘bout?” Apple Bloom asked the nymph, looking up at Aisling with curious eyes. It was a question shared among the ponies around her. It was with cold eyes and a frozen voice that the nymph answered the question.

“Death.”

The ponies felt their coats bristle at the words, eyes either hardening to steel or quivering with tears. Applejack ushered her sister into her arms.

“Whoa,” Dash breathed uneasily. Her jaw hung open only a small amount, but her eyes were wider than saucers. “It… it sings about your… end?” Aisling shook her head at the question.

“It does not sing for your end, but only to warn you of it. To sailors venturing the sea. To hunters leaving to hunt.” The Fae’s head bowed lightly, white locks falling over her features before she spoke on. “To warriors leaving for war.”

“It sang to Brendan of the Kells.” The nymph’s head whipped in the direction of Zecora, her long white hair lashing at the motion. The zebra held a somber look as Aisling gazed at her with an emotion indescribable. “Then this does not bode well.”

“Aisling,” the nymph turned to the lavender unicorn, the mare holding swallowing when the green eyes of the Fae were upon her. “What… what is the creature called.”

The name was spoken as a whisper, but it echoed through the chamber like a shout.

“The Banshee.”

BEGIN

There was much that could be said about the couple of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.

Newly wed, the two were still strangers to love, exploring it tentatively and cautiously. Each new venture they made was taken with a dash of trepidation, needing assurance before being placed. It was a slow dance, like many things in life were, but it was one both were willing to take.

Some like to say that no two relationships will ever be the same. Never had the statement rung more true than in the case of the Captain of the Guard and the Princess of Love. There were no stories they could read or lessons they could be told. Everything they did together was not only new to them, but also new to Equestria.

Ruling a land brought out of an eternal rest. Stopping an invasion of love eating insects with their bond. Just being a prince and princess was point enough of their difference with normal ponies. That being said, they still found themselves in the face of a new and unforeseen problem.

Neither knew what to do with the voice on the wind.

“Has it stopped yet, even just once?” Shining Armor asked the question aloud, already too aware of the answer.

“No. It has been singing since the cold winds began to blow.” A low and tired sigh left the princess’s lips. Her mind was heavy with thoughts of her crystal ponies. “I do not know what to do. It is difficult to ease the spirits of the ponies when a voice is literally speaking to them non-stop.”

“On the bright side, no pony’s going to be crazy for saying they’re hearing voices, right?” Cadance tiredly turned her eyes to her husband, offering him a look caught between exhaustion and disbelief. His hesitant chuckles died without a hope to live. “Yeah I know, but me acting stupid usually cheers you up.”

The princess offered her husband a soft smile, cheered if not by his actions than by his intentions. He always was an honest stallion, swayed only when the strongest of magic worked into his mind.

She stood from her throne, trotting to the balcony overlooking the Crystal Empire. It was a stretch to call it a view in the moment, the blistering storm of snow and ice making the view as wondrous as an unpainted wall. It did, however, do anything to muffle the voice that sang across the storm’s winds.

“I know I’m not crazy for hearing that voice,” Princess Cadance said. “It’s singing as clearly into every ponies ear as it is my own. Yet… I cannot help but think that is singing towards me.” Her crystal covered hoof pressed itself to her chest, pushing on the void her heart felt.

She felt strong hooves wrap around her just as quickly.

“Hey,” Shining Armor spoke into her ears. It was a sweet tone, a strong and sensual one he offered only in their private hours. She savored every drum it beat within her ears. “There’s no reason to think that. You and I both know that worst is behind us.”

He dragged his hooves up her back, making the mare shiver at his touch. It was a careful touch, light despite the clearly muscled form Shining possessed; a gentle touch to remind a worried mare that a strong stallion was behind her. Even if only a little, it did ease her worried mind.

“Trust me,” The Prince of the Crystal Kingdom spoke with heart filled intentions. “Whatever that voice is, it’s singing for something unrelated to us. It is not singing for you.”

“But she does sing for her.”

As soon as the first word was spoken, Shining whirled towards the voice. His posture was bent with horn alight, eyes sharp as they searched for the speaker. It took little time to find it. And it was the apt way to describe the figure that spoke.

A mane of pitch darkness flowed about the red robed figure, blowing on a wind that was supposedly left outside the castle walls. Standing on its hind legs, posture straight as a well grown tree, it stared at him with empty cold eyes.

“Who are you?!” He questioned in a dangerous tone, his horn already silently casting every warding spell his memory could recall. Over assuming a threat was far preferred to being underprepared. As it turned out, even his most prepared state was not enough.

The creature raised and flicked one of its fore limbs, waving it dismissively in the air no differently than a spoiled aristocrat. There was no ethereal light, no loud and sudden pop, not even the usual glow that accompanied a spell.

There was literally nothing that prepared Shining Armor for being thrown across the room.

The unicorn was not even aware he was airborne until his body crashed into the far crystal wall, pain shooting through his limbs. A pain filled cry clogged itself in his throat, leaving him gasping for air as he writhed. His ears rang like the capital’s loudest alarms and his vision blurred no differently than staring into the sun.

He was aware of very little. He was aware of the wall he had slammed unforgivingly into, of the stone floor he currently twisted upon, of his wife crying his name wordlessly, and the creature now standing over him.

“I am your god, steed.” It nearly sung above him, it’s cold words chilling his pain twisted form. “And I am not here for you.”

Shining watched, unable to move, as the creature’s cold eyes turned towards his wife. Next Chapter: Jewel of The North Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 36 Minutes