Captain Spitfire sat looking over a stack of papers. Boarder reports had been pleasantly dull and so had the domestic reports, till she got to the Everfree flyover. Patrols had been reporting lights at the castle for over a year now. She could ignore lights, they didn’t really mean anything. Now they were reporting windows and doors appearing where none had been weeks before. This wasn’t a squatter, this was somepony claiming the place.

They could have the god forsaken castle and its land for all she cared. But, that castle had been the capital of Equestria once, and many ponies believe their gods lived in those walls. Anypony that claimed that castle, claimed the authority that came with it. That, was dangerous and even worse, political.

The pegasus tribe knew its place, it was not in religion or politics. ‘Free to serve, bound to protect, never to own land, forever to have the sky’ were the words of the rite. Spitfire was more than happy to keep her clan out of the tangled web that earth and unicorn ponies loved to entwine themselves in. She would send a letter to King Blueblood, tell him of the squatter and offer two escorts from Cloudsdale.

True, Baron Velvet lived closer to the castle, it would be more convenient for her to investigate. But, she was the political powerhouse of Equestria, loved by earth ponies and respected by pegasus. The authority of religion had to be kept from her. Even if it was forced upon her against her will, it could potentially unbalance the covenant.

No, Blueblood was the pony for this job.

Twilight browsed the personal library of the moon god. For three years now she had plumbed the depths of its magical treatises. The first two years she had spent mostly in Celestia’s library, its books on gardening and food storage had made the winters survivable. The first one had almost killed her, dry grass only goes so far for nourishment.

Pulling down one of Luna’s history books she carried it into the antechamber and took up her favorite reading spot by the little fireplace. She had just gotten settled in, when the patter of Spike’s feet echoed out in the hallway, a hurried rhythm that she knew would end in-

“Mom!”

Twilight sighed and laid her book down. “Yes Spike?”

“There’s a bunch of critters in the front courtyard,” Spike said,pointing towards the front of the castle.

Twilight stood and raised an eyebrow, “What kind of critters?" Twilight asked as she started down the hallway.

"I don't know," Spike whined.

Reaching the balcony that overlooked the front of the castle, she heard murmuring of voices and the clatter of equipment. Peering through the stained-glass doors she saw a host of ponies below.

“What are they?” Spike asked.

“Ponies... like me,” Twilight said. Anxiety crept over her, she wanted to burst into the crowd and ask them questions, and she wanted to lock herself in the warded room and wait for them to leave. “Spike, go lock yourself in the sitting room. Do not open it for anyone. Not even me.”

“But-”

“I can open it myself. I’ll come get you when it’s safe.”

“Ok,” Spike moaned before sulking back to the room.

Twilight watched Spike, till she heard the bolts of the sitting room slam home. Opening the door just enough to slip through, she closed it behind her and stepped onto the balcony. This had been the perch from which the sisters address the masses. There was far more engineering in it that was plain to see. It was an acoustic horn of immense size, every part of the balcony and the castle wall behind her was designed to project sound.

With easy steps Twilight settled herself into the focus of the device. “Who are you?” she spoke as clear and loud as her adolescent voice would allow.

Silence fell over the camp below.

“Why are you here?” she added.

“I am King Blueblood. I have come to see who has claimed our goddesses' estate,” a nasal voice answered from below.

“This castle belongs to no pony. It is held in their memory and for their eventual return,” Twilight said.

"By what right do you claim the role of steward?" Blueblood asked.

Twilight didn't have an answer to that. The castle had felt like a home from the moment she awoke to find Spike, it was the only home she had ever known.

An awkward silence held before Twilight spoke up again. "This is my home," was the best answer she had.

"And by what right have you calmed this as your home!?" Blueblood said.

Blueblood looked up at the balcony, trying to see who he was speaking to. The larger-than-life voice had a diction that did not match it's power. "Show yourself," he commanded.

A moment later a whiplash of a young unicorn filly appeared at the edge of the balcony. "Why are you here?" She asked again.

"I am a leader of the rite, King of the Crystal mountain, and watcher of the sleeping windigos. It is my duty to see that none upset the covenant of the tribes. Your actions here threaten us all. More importantly foal, who are you and who else is living here?”

Twilight fidgeted, her bravado wearing thin. Looking past the angry stallion, she examined the others in the group. There were two pegasus in formal guard’s armor, standing apart from the rest of the crowd; disinterested in the unfolding drama.

The others were a mixed half-dozen, of unicorns and earth ponies, gathered around a pile of saddlebags and camping gear, each of them wore a robe of either black or white.

“I’m the only one that lives here,” Twilight said.

Blueblood scowled, “This is no place for an orphan. Come down here foal and we will take you somewhere you can get food and an education.”

“I am not an orphan!” she barked. “I am the keeper of the secrets!”

“Blasphemy!” Blueblood cried.

Twilight chewed her words for a moment, what had she just said? She had never called herself that before, but she knew it had come from somewhere.

“Drag her out of there,” the stallion ordered to the robed ponies behind him. They looked amongst each other for a moment without moving. “Fine! I’ll get her,” he huffed.

Blueblood’s resolve spurred the robed ponies to follow him, though the pegasus remained where they were.

Twilight flinched at the sound of the grand doors slamming open. Panic stirred within her, but she centered herself. She was a self-taught unicorn. But, self-taught from the secret library of Sisters, and she knew this castle like one that had liver here for a millennium, all it’s magic was at her command.

Gathering magic around her she teleported into the keep.

Blueblood cantered down the hallway, the sound of hooves fell behind him, the motley band had decided to help him after all. Passing the smaller rooms he delved deeper into the castle till he came to a set of massive doors. Pushing them open, his eyes went wide in wonder at the site of the throne room. The gilding was long gone, but it’s splendor remained. The room showed sign of recent care, the floor clean and clear of dust, braziers along the wall flickered with magic fire.

Easing through the doors, he lead his group to its center and paused. Here ponies had come to seek the counsel of his goddesses. The dual thrones before him had held Luna and Celestia for a millennium.

Blueblood and his entourage jumped when a thud and crack sounded behind them. He swirled around to see the doors shut and barred by magic animation. A cascade of slams singled every other door in the room being locked in turn. Blueblood’s heart sank, trapped by a force he had underestimated, then the lights went out. The stained-glass window stood as the last source of light, giving the room a wicked air. Looking for any escape he braced himself for charging the glass, but that too was sealed by shutters from the outside.

The unicorns tried to light their horns, but ancient wards extinguished their magic before it could come to light. Now in utter blackness the seven ponies lost composure. Murmurs turned to yelling, yelling became screaming as their imprisonment dawned on the. Wading blindly through the utter darkness, they searched for any clue on how to escape.

Lavender flashed from atop one of the thrones and a dull purple light cooled the room. The singular point of light brought stark silence back to the room for a moment before Blueblood shattered it. “You!” he shouted.

He willed magic into his horn again, and again he was rewarded with nothing but pathetic sparks and searing pain. “What have you done to me!” he roared.

With cold eyes the filly looked at him from across the room. The hazy aura around her flashed white hot and the the room again fell into blackness. The other ponies mumbled in fright, but Blueblood held his breath.

“I did nothing,” a voice whispered in his ear, so close he could feel hot breath. His shrill scream sent the others back into shouts of terror.

“This is a holy place. Our gods walked these halls,” boomed a voice, drowning out the pandemonium. “Leave!”

Two thuds sounded and the dark was broken by the doors opening again. The light of the hallway was all the invitation the seven needed to stampeded out.

Running out of the castle they stopped only once clear of it’s shadow. “I will not allow you to desecrate these walls again,” Commanded the voice from above them.

Looking back to the balcony Blueblood saw the filly standing at its edge. “Who, are you?” he asked.

“I am Twilight. I have seen the histories, I have read the goddesses books. I keep this castle in their memory”