I looked around my new home, while Whooves watched me in silence, waiting. "You know, I've never actually owned or lived in a home like this..."

Whooves raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

"Nope... My family lived in the forest to avoid the persecution."

The earth pony nodded in understanding and remembrance. "What about Corozone, or as a guard?"

"Father was always on the go- we slept wherever we were that day. And let's just say they never let you see the barracks for a reason."

"True, Corozone only settled down once Cepheus forced him to... Well, Ponyville is a great place for adapting to the new culture. I'd know."

"That's a good point. What are you doing here, Whooves? Celestia never would have let you out of her clutches."

He snorted. "I'm living a normal life here in a quiet, friendly place. Well, mostly friendly... I'm the town's timekeeper. It's an easy job that leaves me open if I'm needed somewhere. I keep tabs on the Canterlot scene, though- I do part-time work for a fashion pony up there... Celestia is too dense to consider the pony she used to try to order around for some extra clout would be working in such low position. But, as for that overgrown pear... you were right.

"Beg pardon?"

"Remember, before you left to search for Cepheus and Pyxis? You told me to watch her. That she would never really share the throne with Luna, she wanted total control and would do anything to get it."

"Yeah... You said I was a fool."

"I apologize... I should have actually listened. After you were banished, I started noticing how she'd handled everything... How was handling them at that point. Sky, she was... changing things."

"The's been such a long time since anyone called me Sky..."

"Nearly as long as when I was lost called Whooves."

I shook myself slightly. "OK, you said she was changing thing?"

"She was like a mare possessed. She had all books about history destroyed and forbade more being made. There never was a king of queen. All Alicorns were executed to prevent a possible competitor in power being born. Spells of great power and ability were confiscated and either burned or put into her care for a "utopian library"."

I started to burst out in exasperation, but he held up a hoof. "That's not the bad part, I'm afraid... Without Luna or you to stop her, she executed Corozone Sparkle... Luna became just a myth, and your companions are used for a statue garden. She was really convinced Luna could never return... The 1000 year limit comes up in the legends, but she used you as a parameter to lock her there eternally." I looked confused. "You remember how you taunted her, and she banished you?"

"Yeah... she couldn't use the Elements properly, so she was limited to 1000 years, not forever. But you weren't there when I said that."

"Well, she let it slip. She'd used a second spell to lock that spell within a spell to banish you four. If you could make it to Luna, the other spell would wear off. If not, the end conditions for the spell on Luna could never be met. That was what really set me against her... Then she set up towns all over Equestria to look for your book when I refused to tell her."

"You actually refused her something!?"

"Yes. She wanted me to find the book so she could guarantee Luna's banishment could be final by freezing you in place, or making you not matter. She'd realized you four really were moving across the sky. I don't think she ever really rested easy, either- her actions were making her paranoid of more attackers. Like I said, though, I'd realized what she was doing. When I refused to hunt down the book, she tried to have me executed. Without Van to back her up I was free to leave in the Tardis. I touched back down here several moons ago, and have stayed. The irony i snot lost on me."

"Van died!? But, we never even put so much as a scratch on her! What irony!?" I was trying to deliberately ignore Her killing Father, or I'd lose it...

"Not died- left. She abandoned Celestia after the Battle of Nightmare Moon- started a gypsy caravan I believe. As for Irony, you really should know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I honestly don't."

"True, the place has changed a lot since you were here. I'm sure you remember the incident back when the king arrested you and Corozone?"

"All to clearly... We were blessed that he tried to use the elements without any input from us. I'd never realized stupidity could cause as much power as skilled wisdom."

Whooves nodded. "You got away in the new setting and chaos from the explosion. Doesn't that ring any bells?"

"...Nooo..."

"You haven't seen Ponyville from the sky yet, have you?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Things have been bus since the very second I arrived."

"At the edge of Ponyville stands the Everfree Forest."

"WHAT!?"

"You can actually walk to the ruined castle from here."

"Do they have any idea how dangerous that is!?"

"Only inside the forest. They assume danger stays there. And a lot of the taint has left."

"True, true... the half-life of a spell, coupled with the natural chaos and entropy, and the frame of mind of the caster, it would be-"

Whooves cut me off w/ an upraised hoof. "Spare me the analysis. Just, you realize what this means, right?"

"Father's book is here in Ponyville! And many of our discoveries are close by!" I was bouncing around in joy.

Mid-air, two thoughts struck me.

1- That meant the mirror pond was here... maybe...

2- I was acting like Pinkie.

I dropped out of the sky and took a deep breath. "Whooves..."

"I'm not going to like this question, am I?"

"How did she kill Corozone?"

"Sky, you don't want to-"

"Please, Whooves. How?"

"...She had him arrested and dragged to the palace. She shouted down to the crows all the false charges against him. She asked him to recant and reveal the location of his traitorous writings. I can still see it like it was yesterday..." He drifted off. I let him think for a few moments, then snapped him out of it.

"Show me."

"Sky, you know I can't. I-"

"Focus all your energy on that moment in time and remember it clearly. I'll disrupt the ion field around you while simultaneously enforcing the theory of mental explication."

"...English, pony. English."

"Remember it, and I'll see it."

The Doctor sighed and closed his eyes with a sigh, and I focused on the air around us. Seeming to think nothing had happened, Whooves opened his eyes and jumped, passing through a pegasus guard. We were standing at the back of the royal announcement balcony.

"How did you-"

"Shh..."

Celestia stood tall over Father, her chromatic mane flowing magnificently. She looked like an over-sized toy. Over the edge of the balcony, I could hear hundreds of ponies shuffling and muttering. "Corozone Sparkle, you are accused of seditious behavior, and conspiring to overthrow the throne. You are presented with a simple choice- hand over your disturbed musings and serve the throne, or be executed and your family interrogated on where they are."

My eyes were fixed on father. His smile was as broad as a barn. "My family knows nothing- I was not so foolish as to give you hold over them."

Celestia's eyes flashed dark, and I was reminded of King Sombra for a moment. "And your own life means nothing to ou!?"

"It will be another adventure, after all these years held in place. If your quest is for the book though, perhaps its path would show you yourself more clearly."

"And what is that supposed to mean!?"

"To find the tome, speak to the Mirror-Son on the longest night."

The ponies below were growing ever more restless. Glaring at them, Celestia barked at the hooded pony nearby, "Enough! He is obviously not repentant. Finish this!"

He strode forwards with a curt nod. Slowly,he hefted an axe over Father. I wanted to look away so badly...

Father suddenly spoke, sounding completely serious for the first time in this memory. "Long live the Night. Long live Princess Luna!"

The executioner paused, but Celestia bared her teeth, growling. Her horn lit the axe, wrenching it out of the hooded wielder's hands with the force of the swing. As father's head fell, the illusion around Whooves and I gave way to the real world.

"He didn't swap..."

"What?"

"...thank you for showing me, Whooves... Just..."

"You need some time alone, I understand." He walked to the door. I could feel his hesitation like waves against a rock. "Sky..."

"It'll be all right, Whooves... Go." After a long pause, I heard the door shut behind him.

I dropped to my knees, forehead touching the ground. "You foolish colt... Swapping would have trapped him for eternity... Don't be so selfish- let him have his adventure..."

I curled up into a little ball on the floor, trying to hold myself together. Tears were starting to pool on the floor. "I will never forgive you, 'Princess of the Sun'. Never, even if I live for another thousand years... May Discord rise from his stone prison and shun you before all ponies."

I finally felt sleep taking me. "Yes, yes- I will sleep in your day. How do you like that!?" Puddles don't tend to make nice pillows, but right now it was comforting. "Goodbye, Father..." I whispered, falling asleep crying for the first time since becoming Luna's guard.

A bit more sad than normal... But now we know a bit more about Lantra's (or Sky's) past. Hopefully you enjoyed that. I'm not sure where I'm going with the next chapter yet, but I'm trying to have it up in a week.

I own MLPFIM! ...ok, so no I don't, but don't crush my dreams!