Chapter 6: Searching… Searching… Found?

Authors Note: Sorry about the wait but school has started again and I now have a job so I have even less time than I had before. Which means that my updates will be even more sporadic than they already are. That said this chapter is a lot of filler and set up so it was a little boring to write and as such took longer to write than normal.

Castle of the Royal Sisters
Local time: 1400
Ten days since return

It's been over a week since we began our search and still we have found nothing. That being said this forest is vast and far, far larger than I thought. Not only has our search here shown no progress but there has been nothing that would indicate that Shade is making any moves. I do not know if he knows that we are already here or if he is simply playing it safe because he knows eventually we would be. I do not know if he is simply waiting or if he has taking control of some company and plans to buy the competition and control this world through its economy… but that didn't really work out too well for him last time. We barely had to do anything, by the time we learned who he was pretending to be his company was already crumbling because of infighting and would have eventually collapsed we just helped it along. I'm getting off topic, our lack of results is disheartening but we will continue upon this path until we have completed our goal or new information regarding Shade's plan or location reaches us.

Closing my journal I put it back in my bag and finished the rest of my sandwich. The others were still out searching but I had decided to call it an early day. But I was not idle, I was looking over the map the guards had given us and comparing it to the scans and map data the others and I had been collecting. Searching for anything we might have missed as well as making a more complete map. Just because I was technically dead to everypony didn't mean I wasn't going to help them when I could. That being said the past few days have been taxing for me and it wasn't just the search. Luna and Celestia had decided to take over here giving Twilight a much needed break which meant I saw them around the castle many times. Seeing Luna was hard enough but since we were so close to Ponyville Silver would spend the nights here instead of going back to Canterlot. I cannot describe the pain, it is hard to put into words but those that have been or are in my position know what I am talking about. I have kept my distance as much as possible from both of them but it's been hard. Running into to them around corners, seeing them occasionally when consulting with the guards, seeing Luna greet Silver when see arrives after school. That happened once and now I make it a point to avoid the front gate from three to five just so I don't have to see them and be reminded once again that I'm not part of their lives and likely never will be again. Sighing I focus on the map again. Adding another section to it I rub my temple realizing just how truly vast this forest is and that's just the landscape we can see and get readings on. For all we know there could be caves we're missing because of the ridiculous amount of trees and the interference they're making. This continues for another four hours before I send the others a message to pack it in for the day. Leaving what we have dubbed the map room I noticed that the guards were standing just a little straighter, their armor was shining just a little brighter, and they all looked a little nervous, maybe even a hit excited. To the average pony they would look the same but after a few thousand years of looking for things like that I could spot the changes a mile away. After passing a couple of guards I couldn't help but wonder what was going on, it wasn't the princesses because they have already been here from some time. Passing a group of guards who were talking amongst themselves I decided to find out what was going… and maybe mess with them a little. "What are you slackers doing!?" All four of them snapped to attention, oh yeah this was going to be fun. "None of you noticed me approach, had I wished to do the princesses harm I would have walked right past you." Looking at the one on the left I pointed at him, "You what's your name guard?"

"Uh, Leaf Storm, sir." It seems in their shock they've forgotten that I have no power over them. "Well I don't like it, from now on your name is Snowball. How does that sound private Snowball?" Before he had a chance to respond I head the guard at the other end of the line snicker. "Is there something funny?" He shook his head. I was smiling inside my helmet, this guard is on the short side and I always wanted to use this insult but just never had a good opportunity. "Aren't you a little short to be a guard, how tall are you?"

"Four three, maybe four four." I looked him up and down, "Well which is it!? You know what it doesn't matter, either way I didn't know they stacked shit that high!" He was about to retort when we heard chuckling from further down the corridor. Turning the four guards froze like deer in headlights while I just looked at the two very familiar ponies at the end of the hall. Luckily my helmet hid the shocked look that was undoubtedly on my face. They were different than I remembered but I guess that is to be expected after eight years. The pegasus was grizzled not in appearance but in attitude, appearing to have an even colder attitude than before, and the unicorn simply looked older with the addition of a scar that went over his left eye vertically. "Oh don't mind us we're just enjoying the show." Then I shall not disappoint. "Oh now I see why your armor is so clean. I thought it was because you were new but you don't have that fear the new recruits have. No, you were trying to impress your superiors. If there is one thing I hate more than slackers its brown nosers! Now I want laps around the building! And I want five of them! And so help you Celestia if I found out you aren't running or you don't do them all I will find out and I will make your life a living hell!" The four of them offered up sloppy salutes and ran away with their tails between their legs. Once they were out of sight the unicorn and I started chuckling while the pegasus just rolled his eyes. "I wonder how long it will take them to realize that I have absolutely no power to force them to run those laps."

"Who cares, you had no right to treat our guards like that." The pegasus pointed out which in response caused the unicorn to jab him in the side. "Lighten up Silent, it was a harmless joke. You need to learn to lighten up." He grunted and started to walk off, "This castle is under constant threat and you don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation." He turned down an adjacent corridor causing his unicorn companion to sigh. "I'm sorry about that, he hasn't really been… well, something happened a while ago and he never really recovered. I'm captain Broadsword that was captain Silent Flight, you must be Revenant." I nodded and shook his hoof, "Indeed I am, it is nice to meet you Captain.

"And you as well." He turned down the hallway and motioned for me to follow him. "I'm not sure if the princesses have told you or not but captain Silent Flight and I will be supporting you for the rest of your mission. We each command a squad of very experienced ponies and we will assist you with whatever you need help with. We're front line fighters not scouts, so I was thinking we would hang back until you located the source of these attacks and then our three teams would attack together." I nodded, if they wanted to stay at the castle until we had a target that was great for us. It keeps them out of harm's way and from sibling upon Shades camp and an early death. "If I may ask, where did you get you experience?" He sighed and stopped to gaze out a window, "No doubt you know of the Shadow War and the shadow creatures we fought. After the leader Shadow Steel was killed, or at least thought to be killed, thank you for finally killing him by the way. Most of his army was killed with him, however some of his creatures escaped. The two of us, as well as some volunteers, devoted the next two years to tracking down and eliminating the last of those foul creatures. We lost some brave ponies in our quest but we succeeded and after another year without any sightings we returned to our normal duties until the princesses assigned us all to the same squads. From that point on we've been dispatched to deal with any major threats to Equestria's security." I nodded, "Good, it will be nice to have ponies such as yourselves helping us." I turned to meet up with the rest of my team when I stopped. "Your partners behavior, is it because of all the ponies that died on your quest?"

"Not entirely, he was already damaged when the quest started but their deaths only made his problem worse. But this is his story to tell if you want to know more you will have to ask him yourself." I nodded and went to the front gates where the rest of the squad was waiting. It was good to see those two again even if it was only briefly. Outside the gates Spyro, Cynder, and Johnson were already waiting for me. We waited a few minutes for Anderson before heading inside without him. By the time we reached the dining hall, which the princesses are kindly allowing us to use along with the chiefs and wait staff, we all agreed that today we learned absolutely nothing of importance. Still waiting on Anderson we ordered our food and were discussing how to make our search more effective. Halfway through our meals Anderson finally arrived but it much worse condition than we expected. His armor was covered in mud and scratches of various lengths and sizes, "I found it. I found where the Timberwolves are coming from." We rushed out of the dining hall and back to the map room. "Where are they coming from?" He pointed to a point on the map we hadn't yet filled in. "There is a deep valley in this part of the forest but the trees have grown so tall that it looks like there's only a small dip in the terrain."

"Any idea what to expect in that valley or why the Timberwolves are attacking us?" He shook his head, "No, I didn't even get to the bottom of the valley before I was surrounded on all sides and outnumbered. I had to fall back but if what I saw in that valley is any indication what we're seeing here at the castle isn't even a fraction of their strength." As we processed that information we heard the door close. "Then how bad is it?"

"Princess Luna, we didn't see you there." I turned to fully face her as I had my back to the door. "I guessed as much since you didn't notice me as you ran passed me in the hall. I take it you plan on exploring this hidden valley so I just need to know what you need from us."

"Right now we don't really need anything. The five of us will explore the valley tomorrow but while we're doing that I want some of your guards on standby in case we find the source of the timberwolf problem or we need help out there. At the same time I want the rest of the guards searching the other parts of the forest for the place the gryphons are coming from." She nodded, "Than I will inform my sister and we will begin organizing the guards for tomorrow." With that she left and we began planning for tomorrow. Unfortunately with so little information to go on our plan was basically- no, it was walk in there and wing it. I had Anderson forward me the map data he collected so I could fill in the map. It was well past sunset to finish but once I was done I walked around the castle as I was not yet tired. As there was nothing else to do for the rest of the day I wandered the halls of the castles and as I wandered so did my mind. As I wandered I found the empty halls drawing my mind to the empty hole in my heart. Sure Luna and Silver were here in the castle and I could tell them who I really am and fill said hole. But at the same time is my happiness really worth putting a target on their backs. Could I really be so selfish that I would reunite with them just to feel better and put them in danger? No, no I couldn't. I would rather be miserable and die a horribly painful death then put them in danger. Eventually I found myself in the deserted ballroom with nothing but these dark, depressing thoughts in need of some sort of release.

POV change: Luna

Walking through the halls I made sure to keep my eyes and ears pealed for Silver. While I love my daughter more than I do my title, my duty, or even my own sister on certain occasions she is a horrible night owl and refuses to go to bed before midnight. While I do wish for her go to bed earlier like other ponies her age I am content with her spending the time before she goes to bed in her room but when we travel she tends to wander and explore. And because she tends to explore it is my responsibility as her parent to send her back to bed but it seems she has gotten bored of exploring the castle. While we have been here for almost a week but these halls still seem to draw out my memories of a time long past and, unfortunately, some more recent memories. Passing what was once the entrance to the dungeons I shuddered slightly at the memories of what had transpired there when Shadow Steel had captured Applejack and I, not to mention what happened not long after that. Luckily Twilight had the forethought to seal the entrance to not only the dungeon but also the antechamber that lead to the dungeon, perhaps she also wished to forget the events of that day. My memories eventually led me to the ballroom. I remembered many a ball held in said room but my musing was cut short when I heard music coming from the ballroom and a voice singing with it.

I saw the light fade from the sky
On the wind I heard a sigh
As the snowflakes cover my fallen brothers
I will say this last goodbye

Opening the doors I found the music much clearer as well of the cause of the music and the singer.

Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling
And I must away

Over hill and under tree
Through lands where never light has shone
By silver streams that run down to the sea
Under cloud, beneath the stars
Over snow and winter's morn
I turn at last to paths that lead home

Dancing in the center of the room was Revenant accompanied by a spectral figure. It was some sort of magical construct that looked like a female alicorn. It was the same color as his magic and had no discernable features other than the horn and wings.

And, oh, where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell

Many places I have been
Many sorrows I have seen
But don't regret
Nor will I forget
All who took that road with me

Revenant and the construct stopped and then began to dance in a slow waltz… It almost brought a tear to my eye. While I couldn't be entirely sure without asking I fear that he suffered the same way I have, that this mare is no longer among the living. They continued to dance as Specter continued to sing.

Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling|
And I must away

Over hill, and under tree
Through lands where never light has shone
By silver streams that run down to the sea
To these memories I will hold
With your blessing I will go
To turn at last to paths that lead home

And, oh, where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell

I bid you all a very fond farewell

When the song ended, he bowed to the mare before she backed up and a foal faded into existence next to her. She and the foal walked away, fading as they went. I heard a sigh of grief and regret come from him before he turned towards the door. He jumped a little when he saw me standing in the doorway. "Princess, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough…" He nodded and moved to walk past me, "Who was she?" He sighed, "She's the love of my life and one day I will see her again, I will see both of them again." I started to follow him, "Then why do you not return to her?"

"Because my duty keeps me away. My duty is my fate and I had to leave her because of it. In this line of work anyone close to you can become a target and I won't put them in danger. One day I will see them again even if it is after we all have passed." We stopped outside his room, "If you'll excuse me princess I would like to retire for the night." Revenant retreated into his room and locked the door behind him, not that I blame him those questions were very personal. Though I can't help but be drawn to him, with the rest of his team I have had multiple discussions on various topics but Revenant has gone out of his way to avoid me as much as possible. It's as if he only wishes to speak to me in an official capacity and for the longest time I could not figure out why. But tonight's talk has finally given me a reason, even if it's wrong, as to why he avoids me which makes me feel better about myself. He's not avoiding me because of my past, not that it really matters to me anymore as I have long since gotten over ponies judging me about my past, but because he's afraid to get close to anypony. Though it does sadden me to see a pony so afraid that what he has will be lost that he willingly throws it away.

POV change: Steel

Everfree Forest
Local time: 1030
Eleven days since return

After conferring with princess Celestia and confirming that the guards have been informed of their duties and that Broadsword and Silent are on standby. I told them that if we need help we will signal them with a flare. As we trekked through the forest to the hidden valley Anderson was in the lead as he had the most knowledge of the terrain, Spyro was behind him with me in the middle of the formation. Behind me was Johnson with Cynder taking up the rear as she was the one in our group most likely to notice if we were being followed. Our journey to the valley was uninterrupted but as we began our decent into the valley proper we encountered some resistance. Spyro took care of the timberwolves for the most part with the rest of us on clean-up it wasn't until what we guessed to be halfway down into the valley when we encountered heavy resistance. By then all of us had engaged the timberwolves as they were coming from all sides. As we continued to advance into the valley we also continued our slog through what appeared to be a never ending sea of timberwolves. Every step we took was over slashed, crushed, charred, frozen, or melted wood. Luckily we found a path through the trees, it was a natural path so it was littered with roots and fallen branches but we didn't have to weave around the trees anymore. But as we continued on the path I got the feeling that something was wrong, that the path was too straight, the ground beneath us too hard like it had been walked upon many times, and at one point I saw a stone that was almost too square as if it was crafted for a specific purpose. Their attacks were relentless as was our defense, for every timberwolf we stuck down three more took its place but not one of them breached the defensive circle we had created. Eventually the ground beneath us began to level out giving me the impression that we had had reached the bottom of the valley. We pressed forward thinking that soon we would find the source of the timberwolves and perhaps end this peacefully. However none of us expected what would happened next

We continued pushing forward and it looked like the sea of timberwolves in front of us was starting to thin. And then they stopped. As if we had just passed through some sort of barrier but a quick check proved that theory false. There was nothing keeping the timberwolves from coming after us except their own will, if they have it. I'm still not quite sure if timberwolves are living creatures or some kind of naturally, or artificially, created magical constructs but I digress. Spyro was the first to speak, "Why are they stopping with their numbers it's only a matter of time before they wear us down." I shook my head, "I don't know but I have a feeling that we'll find our answer up ahead." The others nodded their heads. Like me they knew that something was up ahead, something powerful and most likely dangerous. While Spyro is a great fighter he doesn't quite have the same experience and instincts the rest of us do as he was never in a legitimate military, though I am hesitant to call the Dark Army that Cynder once commanded a legitimate army, so it is not surprising that he didn't immediately pick up on the danger that almost certainly lay ahead. While our time as a unit has increased his combat prowess we never trained Spyro like military, we gave him individual training when needed as well as our team sparring sessions but never any formal training like we had in our respective militaries. This was for a few reasons but mostly because there was never any real time to do and it just wasn't really necessary. He is just as strong and as good a fighter as the rest of us but at the same time he can connect better with civilians because he does not have the same military mindset the rest of us have. Not to say that myself or the others are bad at interacting with civilians, excluding Cynder who had almost no interactions with civilians before joining the team and has made excellent progress with her communication and people skills, Spyro can just connect with them better. Shaking my head to get back on track I lead the others forward until we came out of the trees and into what appeared to be some kind of clearing filled with berry bushes, apple trees, and other such fruits as well as a couple of vegetables. Passing through the clearing we went back into the trees, though at first glance the trees were farther apart and as we passed by them it soon became apparent why. Houses, stone houses, were buried under the roots of the trees and other vegetation. We passed by many of them, crumbled and deserted, weathered by time and the untamed weather of the Everfree Forest. Eventually we found one that was mostly intact and took a short break inside. Inside there was a stone table as well as stone tools and bowls and what, at one point, could have been a bed of hay. Looking around I got a distinctively Aztec feel from the house as I had visited many Aztec ruins before I came to Equestria as well as actual Aztec buildings during my time in Tenochtitlan helping Emperor Montezuma fight against the Spanish and Shade. Running a hoof over part of the wall I saw how easily pieces of stone came off the walls. "This place is old, very old." The others nodded, "I do not know of any other cities in the Everfree nor do the princesses otherwise they would have told us. This could well be the site of a long lost pony civilization perhaps even one of the first cities ever made by ponies." I chuckled Twilight is going to flip out when she hears about this." This caused the others to laugh as well, from my stories as well as the few times they've spoken with her they know how much of a total nerd she is. A nerd who would, without a doubt, start salivating the minute she heard about it and be out the door a minute later. After a brief rest, as well as some speculation about the lost city itself, we head back out in the city and continued on our way. The city was larger than I had expected and if I had to guess it was at least three times as large as Canterlot. From the edge of the city we saw what appeared to be a hill on the far side of the city but as we got closer it became clear that it was not a hill but a large pyramid structure that if I had to guess was also a temple as it was also in the same Aztec like style as the rest of the city. Though it was in a different state than the rest of the city, it wasn't in complete disrepair or in near new condition but it was completely covered by nature. There were great trees growing from it and every inch of the structure was covered by the roots of the trees. We stood at the base of the temple looking up at the very impressive but very tall structure, "Who wants to bet that what we're looking for is at the top of that?" The others groaned and we began our climb up the temple. As we climbed we found that it wasn't one complete staircase and had four landings, for lack of a better word, which was great for us considering how treacherous the stairs were since they we covered in vines. At one of the landings I took a quick peak inside the temple only to find that vines covered the entire interior as well. At the temple's summit we found the most peculiar sight. "Well, I think we found what we're looking for." The top of the temple was not covered in vines like the rest of the structure and perched on the head of stone carving of a timberwolf, just above a sacrificial alter, was a wooden statue. If I had to guess it was made to look like a timberwolf but it was unlike any kind of timberwolf I had seen before. "So, do we just grab it?" We all shrugged in response to Cynder's question. Since she got no real response Cynder just walked over to pick it up. But as her paw was inches from the idol we were stopped. "You dare attempt to steal from my shrine!" Standing back to back we searched for the source of the voice. "You enter my lands without permission, slaughter my children, and desecrate my shrine. Before I kill you I will let you beg for mercy."

"We meant no disrespect." I said stepping forward, still unable to find who I was speaking to. "Timberwolves have been attacking us and we determined that they were coming from here. We merely wished to stop the attacks on our land." The voice growled in response. "Your lands! These lands have been mine since long before you were born. And I will reclaim what is mine."

"Those are innocent ponies who are being harmed. Besides nopony has any claim to the Everfree forest, it has no owner recognized by the nation of Equestria." As I spoke I noticed the vines around the temple slither towards the stone statue behind me indicating that whoever we were facing was a unicorn. "You insolent fool. I rule this forest and all within it. The ponies who lived in this city so long ago knew this and offered tribute. For a time there was peace. Then they attempted to control the very world around them, bend nature to their will and I cast them out. Those who refused to leave were killed to the last. And after using so much power I slept. And in my slumber you ponies returned and claimed the forest as your own. But now that I am awake I shall continue what I started and retake what is mine."

"Please I beg you, you do not need to do this." By now the vines completely covered the statue and have stopped moving. "You go against the very laws of the planet itself. You bend the elements to your will and change the seasons when you deem it necessary. This is not the natural order and you shall be punished accordingly." Hearing cracking we turned to the statue to see the idol fall and get crushed under the foot of the now moving statue which was an exact replica of the idol. "I am Sovereign, lord of the forest, defender of nature, and you will die by my paws."

Authors Note: So that's the end of the chapter I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will have the battle with Sovereign. For anyone interested I took the character Sovereign from the Emerald Gleaner stories by Legionary. That said I did not ask for permission to user the character so please don't hate me.