The dark, rainy streets of Manehattan were largely abandoned. The ponies that were out hurried to their destinations without stopping to talk, lest they get any wetter than they were already, for the local weather team had scheduled quite a downpour that would last well into the following morning. The only place that seemed to be doing anything like a normal night of business was the city's seedy underbelly. All throughout the city, ponies of shady backgrounds (and sometimes of shadier color schemes) did a roaring trade, ill-gotten bits passing freely from hoof to hoof.

A seedy bar called Babs' was opening up for business, and at a dingy table sat a lonely, cloaked and hooded blue alicorn mare, idly nursing a cider. Two hundred years earlier, a purple earth pony mare named Raven Shadow had entered this exact bar, sat down at this exact table, and ordered this exact drink while she waited to meet a griffon, and eventually a pony, who would change her life forever. The symmetry was almost too much for Luna to bear.

Being an Eternal, Luna didn't visibly age. Or rather, she aged so slowly that for all intents and purposes, she looked almost exactly the same now as she had when Orion and Raven were alive, give or take a month or two. Two centuries had passed since the day she and Princess Carrie buried their mutual friend. And in that time, she had never once cast the spell that would allow her to talk to his spirit. Not because she thought it would cheapen the sacrifice he made that led to his death, but because she was waiting for the right moment.

To say Equestria had changed since that day was an understatement. Magic-based technology now permeated every aspect of Equestrian society. For example, the cell phones of Orion's day were large, cumbersome objects that allowed the user only to call the pony on the other end of the line, assuming that pony also had a cell phone. Today, those phones had become exponentially smaller, gained screens, and were able to do anything from send a short textual message to browsing the Ponynet. Luna still had trouble navigating hers, and was prone to breaking them.

Of course, the changes in Equestria were more than just technological. Relationships between ponies and changelings were the best they'd ever been, a far cry from the war between the two races that Orion had managed to stop, just in the nick of time. The initial distrust had long since waned, and the two species now lived together in perfect harmony, to the point that twenty years earlier, the first pony-changeling hybrid had been born.

In short, the Equestria Orion had known was long, long gone. It was a brave new world now. Nopony, not even the immortal goddess of the moon and stars, knew what the future held.

Her reverie was broken by the opening of a door, and the sound of hooves on rotted wood. The sound was somewhat hollow, as if whomever it was had holes in their legs. Luna looked up, just in time to see a very strange mare enter the bar.

She had a dark purple coat that appeared to be made of neither fur nor chitin, but an odd combination of the two. There were bright green eyes, a mane and tail of deepest black flecked with brown, and a perforated horn with matching holes in all four legs. She also had purple insect wings, and white fangs.

Luna rose, and said in a soft, surprised voice, "Who… who art… who are you?"

The strange mare turned to look, and said in a voice very like a gruff version of Princess Carrie's: "My name is Artemis Tenebrae, and I am the leader of the Bad Seeds. What do you want?"

"I wanted to speak with you, Artemis. There is a matter that is most troubling, and I fear it concerns you." Luna looked around the bar. "Nice to see some things never change, even after a couple of centuries. There's quite a history surrounding this place, you know. It was here that it all began, and now it begins anew." Dropping her hood, Luna looked directly at Artemis. "Tell me, what do you know about your ancestors?"

Artemis jumps back in surprise at the sight of Luna, but doesn't bow. Instead, her eyes narrow suspiciously. "Why do you care? It's not like they ever did anything for me." Her wings buzz as she gets more annoyed, "Look at me! Half pony, half changeling, and the worst parts of both! I'm a freak! And it's all because Great Grandfather Orion couldn't be bothered to keep his muzzle out of anypony's business." She turns away, "I know all there is to know... how couldn't I? It's all anyone talks about around me, that and how I'm apparently the next equine to inherit his legacy." She scoffs, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But here's the thing: I don't want his legacy. I want to live on my own terms, to Tartarus with him."

Taken aback by Artemis's harsh words, Luna looks at her with a sad expression. "It would break his heart to hear you speak of him in that tone," Luna said, "much as it breaks mine. Your great-grandfather did wonderful things for Equestria, many of which influenced how we live today. I have watched with fascination and glee as our ponies made stunning advances over the decades, all led in part by your great-grandfather-s insatiable quest to make the country he lived in a better place for all, pony, griffon, minotaur, and even changeling." She tentatively reached a hoof out. "And you, despite your protestations, are part of that legacy. Over the years, we have kept an eye on all of Orion's progeny, watching them take their place among Equestria's best and brightest. And then, there's you, who seems to have taken a path to ruin despite your real potential being locked away, waiting for you to release it, embrace it."

"What potential?" she hisses, spit flying from between her fangs to land near Luna's hooves, "I don't have potential! I'm just a bug! I don't even have a cutie mark!" She turns a bit, and sure enough where other ponies would have a mark, she had none. She turns back to the door as if to leave, "You're wasting your time, Luna. Go bother my cousins, and leave me alone. All I want is my gang." She takes flight, heading up into the night sky.

Luna was soon flying alongside Artemis. "You know full well that cutie marks appear when a pony realizes what their inner talent is, and therefore your excuse is feeble at best. You kept your talents locked away for so long, and never explored them, it's no wonder yours hasn't appeared yet. And what can your gang offer you besides a shortened life span and misery at what might have been if only you had chosen a different path?" She was now flying backwards, an impressive feat, hovering in front of Artemis. "Please. Just talk to me. I will ask nothing beyond that if you still wish to follow your own path once we finish."

Artemis closes her eyes and sighs, there was no getting rid of her, was there? She reopens her eyes. "Oh fine, we'll talk... but somewhere dry. I hate flying in the rain."

"Wherever you would prefer, that will be fine. Do you have a preference?"

Artemis thinks, "His grave, I guess... it seems fitting."

"As you wish," Luna says, banking sharply and flying toward what once was Shadowfall Manor.

Orion's stately home had since been converted into a museum to commemorate his life and deeds, with various artifacts from his adventures on display. His den had been converted into a library, housing his research and the works of others that he had a direct influence upon. Hundreds of visitors flocked to the museum daily, some conducting research, others to look and marvel at his exploits. Now, the museum was dark, and Luna angled for a section cordoned off from the general public: the graves of Sir Orion Brownmane Baronet and his wife, Lady Raven Brownmane. Touching down, before Artemis could land, Luna spoke to the ornate headstone, "I hope you know what you're doing, my old friend." She watched as Artemis landed and made her way over to the graves.

Orion was, fittingly, buried next to his beloved. The grass in front of the stone seems to glow, and in a flash of light, a spectral, grey unicorn stallion with a brown mane and tail and a pocketwatch cutie mark appears, wearing glasses and his ever-present bowtie and jacket. He grins. "Luna! So good to see you again! It's been..." He checks his watch, "A month or so? You know how wibbly time is in here. How long has it been for-" He stops, finally noticing Artemis. "Oh! Hello there! Are you one of my descendants? You certainly look it!"

Artemis steps back at the sight of the ghost and stares up at the flailing madpony her great-grandfather had been. He looked like such a dork, dressed like a teacher. And that silly floppy hair... she could barely stand it. Nevertheless, she says through gritted teeth, "Yes. I am Artemis Tenebrae, your great-granddaughter."

"This is the one we have spoken about, Orion," Luna said. "She seems to have inherited the worst traits of your wife, right down to her choice of saloons and the company she keeps. I worry there isn't enough time to save her from her eventual fate. I suppose it's too much for a charming gentlepony to come to her aid and rescue her from a fate worse than death ... again."

Orion looks agape, "Honestly, Luna? After all we've been through? I'd risk my... well, not my life, since I'm dead, but my... existence? There we go, existence. Yes. I'd risk that in order to save one of my own." He looks back at Artemis again, "Though it's going to be harder this time, since I don't have a physical body anymore. Unless, I dunno, you could put my spirit inside a metal casing, or simply appoint me as her guardian angel... one of those."

"And what if I don't want you in my life?" Artemis spat. "I think you've done enough as it is. Look at me! All my life, getting called Bugfilly, dealing with the teasing, the looks other ponies give me. 'Careful, she'll siphon the love right out of you!' 'Does the wind whistle through those cheeselegs of yours?' They changed once I started fighting back. They started to leave me alone." She started to pace in a small circle. "Oh, Mom and Dad weren't so pleased that their little foal was gaining a reputation, told me repeatedly to shape up or ship out! Guess which one I did? Yup, left home and lived on the streets of Manehattan until the Bad Seeds took me in." She narrowed her eyes as she spoke to Orion, leaning in closer. "They were more of a family than anypony I'm related to! And I earned their respect, enough so that I became their leader. And now, Princess Mooncheeks here tells me that I'm in line to inherit your legacy as the savior of Equestria? No thanks!" She stomped back and glared at the princess and the specter.

Orion is quiet for a long time after all of this, surprised at how different Artemis was from him, and to a degree, even Raven. He felt his heart break at the tales of bullies and insults, and unhappiness that she willingly went to the group that almost got him killed so many decades earlier. He looks to her sadly, bravado gone, then back to Luna. "Come back when she's found her cutie mark. Keep me posted," he says quietly. Then he disappears, leaving the two mares alone.

Luna sighed. "It's not too late, Artemis. It's not uncommon for ponies to get their cutie marks later in life. I can help you, as much as I can, toward that goal. I know for a fact that continuing down the road you're on will only end in heartbreak, and your eventual early demise." Her eyes glistened as she looked to Artemis. "Do you really wish to exit this life so soon?"

Artemis shrugs, "Seems a lot better than the alternative." She looks away from the grave, "What can you possibly do? Turn me in to the Cutie Mark Crusading Squad, where they'll make me do a bunch of pointless tasks to 'help' me find my calling in life?"

"You claim you want nothing to do with your great-grandfather, and yet you two are so alike, especially in your stubbornness. Do you want to die because you're too afraid to live?" Luna moved closer, placing her muzzle close to Artemis, a small snarl forming on her lips. "I know all too well what happens when one chooses the easier path. It leads to nothing but heartbreak, sadness, and despair. And I was sealed with that fate for a thousand years, alone, with nopony to help me redeem myself. Your bravado and tough-filly act do not impress nor intimidate me. If you truly want to impress me, show me that you're willing to work for something for once. Don't take the easy path, forge your own way and earn what you seek! Or are you too much of a chickenheart to even try that?"

Artemis' eyes narrow to slits, making her look a little like Chrysalis, and she snarls, fangs bared. "Don't you dare call me a coward!" she shouts, her wings buzzing even faster now. "Or it will be the last thing you do, princess or not!" She takes to the air and flies off toward the hideout, determined now. She would find her talent, with or without Luna's help.

Luna chuckled. "It seems I touched a nerve after all. Perhaps there is hope, my friend. We will speak again soon," she said, bowing before the headstone and flying off after Artemis.

Artemis lands in a ramshackle hut located deep in the Everfree forest. It was one of the few places in Equestria largely untouched by time, and it remained as dangerous as it had been in Orion's day. The hut had been Zecora's, but since she passed, it was left for the woods to take. Artemis and her fellow gang members had managed to reclaim it, somewhat. She makes a chittering noise, summoning the others.

From out of the shadows stepped several other creatures: two pegasus ponies, one male and one female. They were called Icewing and Firefly, respecitvely. Next was a griffon, Gemini, half eagle and half panther. Last of all was a changeling, Calyx. She had purple hair. All four looked tough and uncompromising.

"So, what happened, boss?" Calyx said. "More trouble with the Steel Hoof squad?"

"You'd think they woulda learned after last time," Icewing said,, his wings flaring slightly."Or do they need a refresher lesson?"

"Nah, not the Steel Hooves," sighed Artemis, flopping down onto a ruined chair. "Luna. She wants me to find my talent so that I can start saving Equestria again, like my great-grandfather always used to do."

"Damn, you got royalty breathing down your neck," Gemini said, cracking open a bottle of cider and passing it over to Artemis. "Sounds serious."

"So, whatcha gonna do about it?" asked Firefly. "You know we got your flank on this."

Artemis takes a long pull and nods, "May as well try to find my talent, I guess... don't know about the whole 'savior of Equestria' gig though. When great grandfather started, he got all up close and personal with the changeling queen at the time. Nothing like that is gonna happen now! It'll have to be something different!"

"We always said we'd back you up, Artie," Calyx said, hugging Artemis. Artemis permitted this, for not only was Calyx her number two in the gang, but being a changeling, she had the same troubles growing up as Artemis did, and it was Calyx that partnered with Artemis when she was brought into the Bad Seeds.

"Yeah, you tell us what to do, and it's done!" Icewing said. Firefly and Gemini grunted their assent.

Artemis smiles a little at Calyx, it was rare she did such a thing. In fact, Calyx was the only equine Artemis ever smiled to. "Let's go sneak into the museum then," she decides. "Maybe find something that can help me learn my purpose." She makes toward the front door.

"I'll go with you. The rest of you, stay here. I'll flare if there's trouble," Calyx said, following Artemis to the door. The other three nodded and went back to what they were doing.

Cloaked with an invisibility spell, Luna had heard and seen everything that transpired. Silently, she followed the two back toward the museum.

Artemis trots up the front steps and with a burst of magic, unlocks the door and steps inside, casting a night vision spell. "Apparently he used to collect magical artifacts from all over Equestria, some with powers beyond our understanding... let's see if we can find some!"

"Sounds like a plan to me, Artie." Calyx looked around. "Wow, he must have been loaded! Look at the size of this place!" Her whisper echoed off the walls in the grand entryway. "So, which way should we go? Changeling wing or Mirrorverse?" she asked, reading the signs. "Or ... we could peek upstairs," she said, motioning toward a set of stairs that had been roped off. "Wonder what's up there?"

Luna stood behind the two, remaining invisible, smirking to herself. 'Oh, you will definitely find something worthwhile upstairs,' she thought to herself.

"This would be easier if we had three of us," Artemis says with a sigh, "Let's go up first. If there's nothing there we can try the other two rooms." Her gaze lands on the sign for Mirrorverse and wondered what that meant.

The two moved slowly up the stairs, the old wood creaking softly with each hoofstep. Reaching the top, they moved into the largest room at the end of the hall. Both of them let out a low whistle as they looked around what used to be the bedchambers of Orion and Raven.

The room hadn't been touched in many years, the only care it received was a periodic dusting and vacuuming from a secretive housekeeper, one who only appeared at night and the only one, by royal decree, permitted to enter this space. On a dresser stood a photo of Orion, Raven, and their two foals, all of them dressed for a formal family portrait. Next to that lay a cylindrical object, made out of two different types of metal. A button was placed near one end, and just above that, a set of metallic jaws clamped around a faint-greenish crystal.

"Whoa, is that your great-grandma?" Calyx asked. "She's really pretty. And hey - check this out!" Calyx pointed a hoof to a particular piece of jewelry. "Look - it's a Bad Seed pendant! I'd heard they used those long ago ... maybe we should take that back with us." Calyx's eyes fell next on the cylindrical object. "What do you suppose this is?" she asked, pointing to it with a hoof.

"No clue," Artemis says quietly, taking everything in. She could almost smell the history here. "She used to be one of us, back when Blackclaw was head of the team..." She grabs the device in her hooves, "Let's take it, we might need it." That done, she steps toward the front door again, "Let's go back down... I want to check out that Mirrorverse wing."

"Blackclaw ... yeah, didn't he try to start a wart between the griffons and ponies?" Calyx asked. "I thought I had read about that somewhere." Grabbing the pandant and slipping ti around her neck, Calyx followed Artemis down the stairs.

The Mirrorverse wing was sparse, with only a few items on display. Calyx looked around at some of the pictures hanging on the wall. "Princess Carrie Shadow," she read from the brass plate on the bottom of the portrait. "Hey, check it, Artie ... what if great-grandpa was a filly instead?" she said with a grin. She moved next to a glass-enclosed display case. "Element of ... Unity?" She blinked. "I thought they were Elements of Harmony, or something like that."

"Maybe this is an alternate universe?" Artemis supposes, eyeing the portrait of Carrie, and the Elements of Unity. "Unity and Harmony, Orion and Carrie..." She doesn't add that she thinks Carrie is kind of cute. For a long-dead thestral, that is. "Maybe we're meant to find people from this world?"

"I dunno ... " Calyx replied. She shivered. "This place is starting to creep me out, though. Like I'm standing in a tomb in a Daring Do novel and the baddies are about to come busting through."

"Don't be such a scaredybug," Artemis replies, rolling her eyes. "But fine, we'll get going." She pockets the device and makes her way toward the main doors, not noticing that had started to get cold.

The device starts to emit a high-pitched whine. "Crap! Is that an alarm?" Calyx hisses. A spectral form darts into the main library. "Come on, let's move before the guards show up!" Calyx forcibly whispers, heading towards the front door.

"It's coming from this!" Artemis holds up the device, which is buzzing and shining bright green. "I'm going to follow it!" She follows the signal toward the library, "Hello? Who's there? Come out, come out, whatever you are!"

"Are you nuts?" Calyx hissed, abandoning the urge to flee and instead folliwng Artemis to the library. She watched as Artemis aimed the device along the wall. The spectral form appeared, taking a slightly pony-ish shape before fading behind a bookcase.

"Hey, wait! Come back!" Artemis shouts at the fleeing shape, sighing as the buzzing dies away. "Rats..."

Calyx went over to the bookcase. She gave it a gentle push, and a section stared to move inward. "Oh no, this is too creepy. Whaddya think, Artie? Go in or go home?"

"Go in," Artemis says confidently. "This place is a haunted manor, of course it has secret passages!" She trots bravely through the hidden doorway.

Calyx sighs. "You're the boss, boss." She follows the dim light of Artemis's horn down the passageway.