Evening, and she still was away. Probably helping restore the town. A twinge of guilt shot through me- I should have helped with that… But I couldn't risk her returning and writing to the princess. That was more important. …Right? My focus returned as she walked in the door, yawning.

"That should be everything. What was Pinkie thinking!?" She gently levetaded Spike off her back and tucked him in. A quill pen lazily drifted off her desk, and snapped in two.

"Good evening, Twilight." I stepped out of the shadows, not caring how ominous I must seem.

"Oh, hey Lantra." She seemed too tired to be phased. So much the better, I supposed. "What's up?" She picked up another quill, which I again focused on, and it too snapped. "What keeps-"

"Where did you learn that spell?"

"Which one?"

"The one you used to send the Pinkies back to the Mirror Pool."

"Oh, that." Snap. "It was in an old book Spike found-" Snap. "-in a hidden compartment in the side of the tree." Snap. "What is with these quills!?"

"May I see the book?"

"Tomorrow. I'm tired right now." Snap.

"Tonight, thank you. I can read it while you sleep." Snap. She was persistent in her tired state, even if not particularly perceptive.

"I give up, I'll write it later. The book's on the table over there." She trudged upstairs to bed, leaving me there. …Hours of waiting and fearing, and it's on the table!? Here I was, thinking maybe it was her and she was going straight to Canterlot with the thing, or that it had fallen into the pool and gotten destroyed, or that she'd found it long ago, or- calm down Lantra. We have it now, that's what matters. Swallowing my frustration and taking a deep breath, I trotted over and looked down at the worn, familiar book. My breath shortened back up as I opened the front cover to the very first page. There, just like always, were two hoof prints, together as they should be.

"What are you writing, Father?"

"It's a collection of our discoveries and adventures. See?"

My little eyes were wide as I flipped through the journal, seeing all the big words. "Ours?"

"That's right- I'm not alone on my adventures any more, am I? This is your book too now, Lantra."

"Oh." I considered this for a moment, then set the book down gently and went off into the woods.

"Lantra?" Father tried to call me back, but I was in my own world.

"These reeds should hold a pigment… This moss will make a nice green… These minerals should give me a red…" I wandered for an hour, and returned laden with saddlebags of plants and minerals. Father was resting, so I kept quiet as I opened the book. My magic ground the ingredients, mixed with water, then I started to work.

I didn't know how long I painted for, but before I'd realized, beautiful, multi-chromatic apple sparked down from a stem in the corner of the page detailing it.

"It's beautiful, Lantra. You really are such a talented colt."

Paints nearly spilled as I jumped. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"It is all right. Let your talents flow. Here, you know what? We should mark this as ours. Not just mine, ours." He flipped the pages to the very start of the book. Then, taking the black paint, he printed his hoof print on the page. Catching on, I put my little print inside his bigger one. "Let's keep discovering, Son."

I gently lifted my hoof off the page, where it matched Father's print. …My Father's Son.

"Are you still here?" I nodded vaguely, entranced in memories in each page. She passed behind me and picked up a quill without my noticing. "It's morning already."

"Mhm."

After a few minutes in which the only sound was an occasional turning page, and the scratching of the quill, Twilight spoke again. "There. I'll send that off as soon as Spike finishes getting up."

"Oh, good. To whom?"

"Celestia. It's about my friendship lesson from this whole Mirror Pool incident. Also, she would likely want to see this odd book. I've never seen it's like befo-"

"NO!" I scooped up the book and leapt at her. I blasted the paper with chaos, shredding it to confetti in a second.

"What the hay, Lantra!?"

"You cannot tell her about this book!"

"Why? What's going on here!?"

I froze, stuck at an impasse. If I wasn't careful, everything would be out. But I had to give her something now… "Celestia cannot know of this book, or its location."

"Why?"

"Because, it is the only book of its type ever created."

"Then of course she should know- it can be stored safely in the Canterlot library for future generations."

"It won't be! It will either be destroyed, or kept only to herself. She's been trying to find it for over a thousand years, for just that purpose."

"But why? She's not going to destroy a rare book- she's too good and kind for that."

I had to fight not to spit on Twilight. 'Too good'? For what? To murder my Father? To drive away her own sister? To use the Elements of Harmony as a weapon of terror to maintain order? The only 'good' in that mare was pure artifice. Or maybe her flank.

"Look, I know about her."

"I'm her student! I know her better than anyone!"

"Oh? Did you know she murdered the book's author!?" Her shocked, silent look told me the answer. "Ah, I see she's never felt the need to share such… revealing information with you. This book is the life work of Corozone Sparkle and …. His Son. Look here." I flipped to a page, my memory guiding my hooves to exactly the right one. "The Mirror Pool. And here, the Forked Rainbow. Most of all, here!" I actually slammed the book onto her desk. "The Elements of Harmony. Discovered, and best understood by Corozone Sparkle."

Twilight gasped, seeming even more confused than I'd thought she would be. …That said a lot. "But… she… why… would…"

"Because he knew so much about the Elements- probably more than any pony that has ever lived. Definitely more than her. She was afraid of the people, and thought everpony was going to kill her again."

"But, I wield the Element of Magic. Of course I understand them- I had to find it."

"Wait, you wield the Elements of Harmony!?"

"No, just magic. My friends each represent another Element. Rainbow is Loyalty, Fluttershy is Kindness, Applejack is Loyalty, Pinkie is Laughter, and-"

"Please don't tell me Rarity is Generosity. That's a bit much to swallow."

"She is! But, you see? We were destined to wield them- of course I understand them."

"You may have them. You may represent them, through contrived setup by Celestia, hoping to get a powerful fighting force to combat Nightmare Moon, but that does not mean you understand them. …I do assume you turned Nightmare Moon back into Luna, correct?"

"Well, yes. But, what do you mean, 'contrived setup'? I met my friends on my own."

"Yes, but were you *told* to meet them, and just happened to end up friends? Or was it an accident."

"Well, yes, I was under direction from Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration."

"At which, Celestia knew Nightmare Moon would return?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And during which you could not find Celestia, could you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Precisely. You and your friends were to become the bearers of the Elements, to give her a powerful weapon at her disposal."

"Wait, wait. I was told to meet the people in charge, they just happened to be those people."

"And who do you think assigns who is in charge of such a large celebration?"

Twilight fell silent for a while. I chose not to break it and let it stretch until she finally said, "There's a lot she never shows me… And you're right… I don't understand the Elements. I thought about it in the new light you've revealed, and I really only know how to make them do certain things. Beyond that, everything they do or do not do is a mystery to me."

"Corozone describes them here as nearly sentient- they will make their own decisions to try to reach a 'true bearer'."

She was silent again, then suddenly glanced up sharply. "What do you mean, again!?"

"What?"

"Earlier! You said "Somepony would kill her again."

"Oh. It's…. another legend. Look, what I'm telling you here, if she kept it from you herself, she would be even angrier for someone sharing it. All the information I have and know is considered "dead", and would be heavily restricted if she knew. You cannot bring any of it up with or around her. Deal?"

"I don't-"

"Or, I can shut up, take this book, and just disappear forever."

"…That's not fair."

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect my Fa- …vaorite historical figure's work."

"…All right, I promise. Keep talking- what legend has Celestia dead? What do you think she is now, then? A changeling?"

"No, nothing so sinister." She's sinister enough on her own… "In the battle of Nightmare Moon, one of Luna's elite guards killed Celestia, ending the battle."

"But, then, how is she alive, according to this legend?"

"Remember what I said about the Elements- they are sentient. They must have decided that to reach their next true bearer, Celestia needed to win the battle. They resurrected her. Before any pony could realize what had happened, she banished Nightmare Moon."

"What about the guard that killed her?"

"…And the stars will aid in her escape."

"You mean they were banished to space too!?"
"Yes. The legend goes on to say that before he was banished, the guard that killed her heard the Elements whisper to him, telling him they would never again allow Celestia to wield them- they would lock themselves away in stone, and hide the key element away until the true bearer was found."

"Wow… I have never heard that legend."

"…Few have. Now, you will keep this Tome out of Celestia's hooves?"

"…All right, but you owe me. Hehee- it feels weird to actually say that!"

"Good. How about this- we can start classes today."

"No, I can't today. Rainbow is supposed to be receiving the response from the Wonderbolt's Academy. We're all having a picnic to congratulate her if she gets in."

"If?"

"She might not get in… Then the picnic is to help cheer her up."

"She's one of the greatest flier since mys- hero."

"Who?"

"My hero. Idol. Something like that."

"Who is that?"

"Skytear Cascade. One of the four elite guardians of Luna, and possibly the greatest flier to ever live." Full of yourself, much?

"Oh. You hero is a Pegasus?"

"No, the legends say he was an alicorn."

"Ah. …And I assume I cannot discuss any of that with Celestia either?"

"Exactly. Tell Rainbow I wish her good luck with the application. I need some sleep…" I trudged out, completely missing Twilight's excited look, and resumed letter writing.

Hope you all are enjoying another glimpse into part of Lantra's past. Next chapter is well under way, should be up on Monday or Tuesday.

I do not own MLPFIM. Please support the official release.