ONE YEAR LATER
A letter from Twilight Sparkle to Princess Celestia:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Well, the badger Sunflash the Mace has been living with us in Ponyville for a year now, or as he would say, four seasons. Applejack and her family have been teaching him about growing food, and he shows a natural aptitude as a farmer. Rainbow Dash is also quite fond of him- she's never met any creature who shares her passion for physical activity quite so much!
Tomorrow night there is to be a feast; we will be celebrating Sunflash's one year anniversary as a resident of Ponyville. We would be happy to see you and Princess Luna there. There will be many dishes made from the fruits and vegetables Sunflash has grown. The occasion promises to be a good time full of friends and fine food.
Your pupil,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia put down the letter and turned to her sister. "Well, this sounds like quite an enjoyable event."
"Yes," agreed Luna. "We haven't been to Ponyville in a long time, it's mostly been Twilight Sparkle and her friends coming to see us."
"I would dearly love to meet this Sunflash the Mace we've heard so much about," said Celestia.
"I'd like to meet him as well," said Luna.
"Then it's settled," said Celestia. "I'll go find out when the next train leaves Canterlot."
Just then there was a knock on the throne room door. "Your Majesties!" a pony guard called. "You have a visitor."
"Who is it?" Luna asked.
"An old friend."
"All right, let her in," Celestia answered.
The door opened and in came a female badger. It was Bella of Brockhall!
"Hello Celestia and Luna," said Bella.
"Greetings, Bella," replied Celestia. "This is a rare and unexpected pleasure."
"Yes, wasn't it in Mossflower Woods when we met you last?" said Luna.
"Aye," Bella said wistfully.
"Does your father Boar the Fighter still live?" asked Celestia.
"No, he was slain in battle a long time ago, defending the mountain fortress of Salamandastron from sea rats, but I was not there to see it," said Bella. "Not long after your final visit to Mossflower, Boar set out for the mountain, the great questing place of Badger Lords. In the autumn of that year an evil cat named Verdauga Green Eyes and his daughter Tsarmina arrived with a great horde of vermin and took over Mossflower. My mate Barkstripe and I, along with the good animals, the woodlanders, tried to fight back, but Barkstripe was killed leading an attack upon Kotir, the cats' castle. Our young son went off to avenge him, but he never came back. The situation seemed hopeless. The cat ruled with an iron paw. Then one day a heroic mouse named Martin the Warrior came down from the north and fought a great battle with the vermin, driving them out of Mossflower. We were able to rally around Martin and begin to rebuild our troubled land. We built a great big castle called Redwall Abbey, where all the animals who were not vermin could live in peace and safety together. However, I was not content. I decided to go look for my lost son. I have been searching for many seasons, but I won't rest until I find out what happened to my Sunflash, one way or another."
The alicorn princesses had been listening to the badger's tragic tale with sorrowful eyes, but at the mention of the name Sunflash, their eyes widened.
"Your son's name was Sunflash?" asked Celestia.
"That's right."
"You may want to sit down," said Celestia. "We have something to tell you."
