Misty's spirits lifted pretty quick as they ventured deeper into the woods, away from the awful unicorns. They'd had to leave the path completely to make it to the next village before it got too late. But it wasn't a big deal, they were used to off road travel.

The sun was getting very low in the sky now. As they hopped across the moss-slicked stones that spanned a small, gurgling stream, Misty admired the water's shimmering orange hue that reflected the sky. The cool twilight air was refreshing now, but it would get colder once the sun fully set. They wouldn't reach the next town by dark, but so long as they didn't have to sleep outside it was fine.

Her mom slowed to a stop. "Hey, Misty," she whispered, gesturing her forward and pointing to a spot a little ahead of them. "Look at that."

Curious, Misty followed her mother's gaze. Nestled among the ferns was a cute, fluffy red and white fox sniffing around the leaves. "Awww, it's so cute," Misty breathed, not wanting to scare the little critter off. She quietly crept a couple steps closer for a better look.

They both watched it for a minute, but then, even though neither of them had made any sound, the fox suddenly froze, fur fluffing up. A heartbeat later, it was gone. A flash of russet as it fled into the undergrowth to their right.

"Aw," Misty sighed, ears drooping. "I guess it smelled us."

A flicker of unease passed over her mom's face, but Misty didn't notice. "C'mon, Misty," she urged, nudging her forward with a gentle but insistent push. "We shouldn't dawdle; it's getting dark." They were moving at a quicker pace than they'd been walking before. Her mom was right, it was getting dark, they didn't have much sunlight left.

Her mom's eyes were darting around a lot now. Was she looking for something? More foxes? Bunnies maybe?

They hadn't gone far when a howl pierced the air. It sounded really close, the sound vibrating around them. Misty frowned worriedly. Was that someone's puppy? Were they near the town now? Or were those wolves?

Her mom froze mid-step, eyes widening. She whipped her head around, zeroing in on the howls source, her gaze locking onto a point deep within the shadows. Misty followed her mom's suddenly terrified stare, her breath catching in her throat. Her mom wouldn't look scared unless there was something scary. Misty's stomach plummeted when she saw what was lurking in the trees.

That wasn't a wolf.

A colossal creature, at least twice the height of her mom, stood motionless among the trees about ten lengths away, watching them intensely. It resembled a wolf, but instead of fur and bone it was made of sticks and branches and its eyes were just a glowing green light. Even as Misty struggled to process what she was seeing, another one of the creatures slunk out of the shadows to stand beside it, equally huge and terrifying. And then from the deeper darkness behind them, another pair of glowing eyes pierced the gloom.

"Timberwolves," her mom breathed fearfully. Timberwolves? Here? But this wasn't-

The timberwolf in front suddenly snarled and lunged forward. Its wooden jaw parted to reveal a horrifying mouth filled with sharpened stakes of wood, perhaps even pointer than normal teeth. "Run, Misty, run!" her mom screamed, shoving her into movement.

Misty stumbled, her hooves slipping on the carpet of dead leaves, but she quickly regained her footing and broke into a desperate gallop. Her heart hammered within her chest, blurring with the sound of her hoof steps and rapid breath. Her mom was running just behind her. Misty had no idea where she was going, blind panic propelling her away from the monsters. The snarling, snapping, and barking sounded like the timberwolves were already right behind them, but Misty was too scared to turn back and check. Instead, her eyes darted around frantically, searching for someplace to hide or somewhere they could lose the timberwolves. But there was nothing. The last vestiges of sunlight bled through the canopy, cast long, distorted shadows that seemed to dance mockingly around them. Was this it? Were they going to die here?

The timberwolves were big so they had to dodge around trees that Misty and her mom could simply run past, but that wasn't buying much time. The sheer size of the monsters, their strides impossibly long and powerful, meant they were gaining ground with every bound. Misty's legs burned, her lungs ached, but she didn't slow down. She couldn't. She couldn't outrun them though, her legs were too- wait, why hadn't her mom passed her yet? Her legs were twice as long as Misty's, she should be way ahead of her. How was she still behind her? Was she hurt?!

Misty's mom stretched out her neck and nudged her flank, steering Misty towards a steep, rocky hill to their left. "That way, Misty!" she urged, strained but resolute. Trusting her mother, Misty veered towards the incline. It was steep, but she'd climbed steeper.

A flicker of confusion crossed her mind as she scrambled up the slope. Why were they going this way? It offered no clear escape route. The Timberwolves would probably be able to climb the hill even easier than them. What was her mom's plan?

As they crested the hill, Misty's mom skidded to a halt, lunging towards a large boulder teetering at the top. Below, the Timberwolves had reached the base of the hill and were surging towards them, their howls echoing through the trees. Misty slowed, turning back towards her mom, who was straining against the boulder, her hooves scrabbling for purchase on the loose earth. "No, Misty, keep going!" her mom ordered, her voice tight with urgency and a hint of desperation.

"I can't leave without you!" Misty protested. She was suddenly struck by the realization that her mom hadn't passed her as she ran because she hadn't wanted to leave Misty behind. Shame washed over Misty. She'd been slowing her mom down.

"It's fine, Misty, I'll catch up!" her mom insisted. "Just go!" With another heave, she finally dislodged the massive boulder. It rumbled free, tumbling down the hill with increasing speed. The Timberwolves were caught off guard and were too large and slow to react in time. The boulder slammed into the lead timberwolf with a crunch, the sound of splintering wood cracking the air. The monster exploded, its form disintegrating into a pile of sticks and debris. The rock continued on its destructive path, striking the second timberwolf in the hind leg. The limb buckled at the impact, breaking it apart, leaving the wolf crippled. The third timberwolf did not get hit, but it did come to a stop by its packmates, observing the carnage warily.

A wave of relief washed over Misty, so strong it almost buckled her knees. Two Timberwolves were out of the picture. There was still one left, but one was way better than three. It might even give up chasing them after seeing what had happened to the others. Escaping this alive suddenly seemed so much more possible.

Wait, were the sticks moving?

Misty watched in horror as the sticks and branches of the 'destroyed' timberwolves began to move on their own. They started to float, weaving together and reassembling the skeletons of the timberwolves. In mere seconds, the femur of the wolf that had lost its leg had reformed and was continuing to build downward. The timberwolf that had been reduced to a pile of sticks's head was snapping together. The glowing green light rekindled in its empty eyesockets. Its spine was knitting together segment by segment. The third timberwolf turned to glare at the unicorns again, a low growl in its wooden chest.

Were Timberwolves invincible?

Icy despair crashed over Misty. What could they do if not even smashing them into pieces stopped them? Was outrunning them even possible? And even if they reached a town, would the timberwolves let them go? What they needed was a cliff the wolves couldn't climb or a space they couldn't fit into. But what if they couldn't find someplace like that in time?

Misty whirled around to keep running, her mom doing the same. "Just keep running, Misty," her mom told her. "That'll slow them down at least. The trees are thicker up here; we'll find somewhere to lose them soon." She was right, the trees were thicker up here, but there was still room for the timberwolves . Would it be enough?

Misty wasn't sure how long they'd been running (it could have been two minutes or it could have been ten) but suddenly her mom was pushing her towards a rocky wall. "In there, Misty!" she gasped, pointing towards a narrow crevice, a small dark opening in the stone face. A place they could hide.

Hope coursed through Misty as she squeezed through the crack. It was a tight fit; her fur brushed against the rough stone, and she had to wriggle a little to make it. Once inside, it was a bit roomier, and she was able to twist around towards the entrance. Then her heart dropped. Her mom wasn't going to be able to fit.

Ears flattening, Misty padded forward. "Mom-" she started.

"Stay here, Misty," her mom ordered. "You'll be safe. I'll come back for you, I promise." She reached through the crack to nuzzle Misty's forehead reassuringly. Then her ears flicked, and she drew back. The barking was getting louder and more menacing. "Don't leave until I come get you." And before Misty could protest, her mom turned and vanished into the night. About fifteen seconds later the ground shook and two timberwolves raced past Misty's hiding place without so much as glancing in her direction.

Misty shuffled backwards until she hit the back wall, and she sank to the ground. Her breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. She tried to calm her panicking thoughts. Her mom would be fine. Now that Misty wasn't slowing her down, her mom could run as fast as she could without worrying about her. It would be fine. She'd be fine.

Misty sat in darkness for a long time. She didn't know how long. It was dark out now; the sun had fully set. She strained her ears for any sound above the thumping of her own heart, but it was quiet. The barking had faded away a long time ago. Misty curled tighter, trying to contain the shivers that wracked her small frame and reassure herself. Her mom would be back any minute. She'd probably already gotten away. She was just waiting until it was safe to come back for Misty. She might not even come back until morning. That was the smart thing to do, it was fine.

A sharp snapping sound from outside had her ears swiveling. Was her mom coming back?

It wasn't her mom.

A timberwolf was padding slowly towards her hiding place, its head low to the ground as it sniffed the air. Misty stopped breathing, trying to be as quiet and still as possible.

The timberwolf stopped just outside the crack, its glowing green eyes standing out starkly in the dark. Those eyes scanned its surroundings before locking in on the narrow crevice Misty was in. Its gaze bore into her, it was looking directly at her. It saw her. Then it let out a snarl.

Misty winced, a whimper escaping her lips as the timberwolf lunged at the narrow opening. Its jaws snapped and gnashed trying to force itself into the confined space. Its claws raked against the rock, sending a shower of dust and pebbles into the crevice. The green light of its eyes danced violently around the little cave like a strobe. The smell of pine from its breath filled the cave. The beast's attempts to get to her were vicious, its snarls echoing off the stone walls. But the gap was too narrow, and rock proved stronger than wood. It couldn't get in. That small solace was the only thing keeping Misty from fainting in terror.

After what felt like an eternity, the timberwolf finally relented and stepped back. It glared at Misty through the opening. Then it tilted its head, studying the gap. 'Go away,' Misty silently pleaded, her heart hammering in her chest. 'You can't get in. Please, please, just leave.'

It didn't leave.

The wooden structure of the timberwolf began to ripple. Misty watched in mute horror as the sticks and branches that made up the creature began to shift. Its face elongated, its muzzle growing longer and narrower, somehow growing even more teeth to fill the new space. It could make itself smaller? Could it become small enough to reach her? Misty had nowhere to run. The stone walls meant to protect her had become a trap. She pressed herself as tightly to the back wall as she could, the uneven wall digging into her skin. But even as she did, a feeling of depressed inevitably settled over her. She didn't even have a rock big enough to throw at it to try to defend herself. She hoped her mom had gotten away at least.

The creature stilled, apparently satisfied with its transformation. It took a step forward. Was its face small enough now? Could its long mouth now reach her? Misty couldn't tell. It was close. Too close. If only she'd-

A blinding flash of violet light erupted from the forest beyond. It took Misty a disorienting moment to register what had happened. A beam of purple energy had slammed into the timberwolf, sending the monstrous creature crashing to the ground. The wood on its right flank was charred and it struggled to get to its feet, movements jerky and uncoordinated. Before it could rise, an even more powerful wave of purple energy, larger and more intense than the first, crashed down upon it. The timberwolf exploded into a pile of sticks.

Misty's mouth fell open as a tall, purple unicorn mare stepped out of the trees. The mare walked calmly up to the stick pile, which had started to wiggle to reform. A small, focused beam of magic shot from the unicorn's horn to strike a patch of sticks somewhere in the pile, eviscerating them. The sticks didn't move after that.

Misty was still for a shocked moment. Then she darted forward, squeezing out of the cave. "You can do magic?" she asked the pony in awe. How was that possible? How had she done it?

The unicorn towered over Misty, easily a head taller than Misty's mom. Her horn was also almost twice the length of her mom's. Silvery-white hair, streaked with swirls of light blue, cascaded over her shoulders in an elegant curl. Intricate braids adorned her ears, each one fastened with a shimmering blue crystal that caught the faint starlight. The cloak hid her flank so Misty couldn't see her cutie mark. The pony's crystal blue eyes were gazing down at her in open surprise.

"A filly?" the mare exclaimed; voice laced with annoyance. "Ugh."

"Oh my gosh, you can do magic!" Misty squealed, the words tumbling out in a rush, eyes sparkling. The terror from just seconds before forgotten. Mostly. She was still jittery, but this was just so incredible. "How? What did you do to make it work?"

The mare rolled her eyes. "You aren't capable of even beginning to understand," she drawled. "And don't bother telling anypony. Nopony will believe you." Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing alone in the woods at night, child? You are immeasurably lucky I was already in the area to deal with the timberwolf incursion."

"I wasn't alone," Misty defended. "Me and my mom were trying to make it to the nearby town before it got too late." Her eyes widened. "My mom is still out there! Please, ma'am, can you use your magic to help my mom too?" Surely she'd say yes. And a pony with magic could easily take down a timberwolf.

The mare let out a long-suffering sigh. "Well, I'm certainly not going to deal with you any longer than I have to." She glanced around. "Which way did she go?" Misty's heart soared.

"That way," she pointed eagerly.

The mare nodded absentmindedly, bending down to study some pawprints on the ground. "It would seem so." An irritated look passed over her face as she glanced back at Misty. Her horn flashed and Misty felt like she was being pressed on all sides for a second, then she was suddenly on top of the mare's back. "Hold on," the mare said. "I don't want you slowing me down."

Teleportation! That had been teleportation! Incredible! How many spells did this pony know? How much magic could she do?

Misty clung on as the mare exploded into a gallop, her powerful hooves a blur against the forest floor. The world became a rush of blurred trees and swirling shadows. The mare followed the faint trail of paw prints, constantly scanning her surroundings. She must be wearing some kind of satchel under her cloak, because Misty could feel bumps on her sides.

"Thank you for saving me," Misty said, realizing she hadn't said that yet. "What's your name?"

"You don't need to know my name," the mare said shortly, an edge of boredom to her tone. She didn't even bother to look at Misty, her gaze fixed on the path ahead.

"Oh..." Misty murmured, a flicker of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Why wouldn't the pony want to tell Misty her name? Maybe unicorns bullied her for having magic, the way unicorns bullied her and her mom for studying magic. That made sense. She couldn't blame the mare for being wary about new ponies. "Well, my name's Misty."

"I didn't ask," the mare stated blandly.

The mare's gaze flicked to the left and she slowed her gallop. A timberwolf leapt out at them and Misty flinched, but the mare blasted it to pieces the same way she had done to the last one. She didn't even seem fazed.

"Aren't you scared of them?" Misty couldn't help but ask, her voice still trembling slightly at the beast's sudden attack.

"Of mere forest wraiths?" the mare sniffed, going back to following the trail again. "Please. I'm far more powerful than you little ponies." She let out a sigh. Muttering under her breath, she added, "If I were at my full power, I'd have been done dealing with this hours ago."

"What are timberwolves even doing in this forest?" Misty questioned, her breath catching in her throat. She shivered, the memory of their glowing eyes and snapping jaws still fresh in her mind. "If we'd known they were here," she said, her voice small and filled with regret, "we never would have come into this forest."

"Their old forest has been swallowed by the Expanse," the mare explained. "The pack was forced to flee. They've been wandering since. The fate of their home has made them unusually aggressive. Timberwolves are inherently dangerous, of course, but they don't consume flesh. They don't eat anything, in a physical sense. Usually, they'll simply chase ponies from their territory or retreat if met with sufficient force. I've been tracking reports of this pack for some time and was able to pinpoint their location. As weak as you ponies are now without magic, you'd stand no chance against enraged timberwolves. So it falls to me to resolve the issue. Though you little ponies are ungrateful and foolish, I will still perform my duty."

Her duty? She was grateful for the mare's timely arrival, of course, but why was she the one dealing with this? This would be more like something for King Cephus and the royal guard to deal with. "They came all the way from the Expanse? Wow." They must have been roaming around for a while then. "How many are there?" she asked apprehensively. "Are you going to chase the rest of them away or can you destroy all of them?" That was a lot of magic behind those blasts. The mare might tire out before she could take all of them out if there were many more of them.

"Only a few more from what I've been able to gather," the mare answered dismissively, offense creeping into her tone. "I can dispose of them. Not that one can truly destroy a timberwolf. Not without destroying every forest in Equestria. They'll just reform eventually in some other forest. But they'll calm down upon rebirth and won't go out to hurt ponies." Her ears flattened and she grumbled. "Ugh, I have so many important things I could be doing right now instead of-" the last bit was so quiet Misty couldn't hear it.

A pair of timberwolves sauntered out of a thicket ahead, their wood ears shooting up when they realized the mare was charging towards them. The monsters looked surprised that anypony would run at them. The mare dealt with one of the wolves quickly, and the other fled with its tail between its legs after witnessing its packmate's destruction. A few sparks sputtered from the mare's horn like dying embers once the spells finished. Instead of giving chase, the mare chose to trot forward, studying the ground.

Misty frowned. "Are you just going to let it go?" Was the mare finally running out of energy? It was impressive she'd lasted as long as she had. The mare's previously somewhat haughty demeanor had dampened and for the first time she seemed… uneasy. Misty suddenly felt a lot less safe.

The mare's ears flicked. "Those were the wolves who have been making the pawprints we've been following," she observed. Why was that a big deal? Oh, wait, did that mean they didn't have a way to track Misty's mom anymore? Her mom was too light to leave obvious hoofprints the way the timberwolves had. That wasn't great.

"My mom probably went back for me," Misty realized. "I guess we'll have to go back. Or, well, we could look around here a little first." The mare didn't say anything.

Past the thicket, which had been trampled down by the wolves, the ground plunged away, dropping into a sheer cliff. A real cliff, not just a steep hill like her and her mom had run up earlier. The mare's eyes flicked to a splash of red on the thicket leaves and her ears drooped, but Misty was looking out over the forest. She could see a brighter area in the far distance, that must be the town. The mare peered downwards. Misty looked down as well, curious what the mare was looking for. Her heart leapt with relief when she spotted the familiar orange of her mother's fur. She was partially obscured from view by a dense bush. Was she hiding from the timberwolves? They must not have been able to follow her, such big creatures had no way to scale down the cliff. But her mom was an expert cliff climber, she would have been able to do it quickly.

The mare remained still for a moment, and then the pressing sensation happened again and suddenly they were at the bottom of the cliff.

Misty jumped off the mare's back eagerly and started racing towards where her mom was lying. "Mom! Mom! I'm okay!" she called out, voice bubbling with excitement. "Mom, you're never going to believe it- this mare can do magic! Real magic! We teleported and everything! Did you see?" Her mom was going to be over the moon! To see real magic was her dream. This awful night was going to turn into a wonderful one. They'd only fantasized about this kind of progress before, Misty had honestly believed it was never going to happen while either of them was alive. She'd have so many questions and-

"Filly, wait," the mare hissed behind her, but Misty ignored her. Her hoof skidded on something and she glanced down to see she had slipped on an open book page. It was one of the magic books they'd collected earlier. Horrified that she might have damaged the book, Misty scooped it up and glanced it over for damage, still heading towards her mom. A small tear, but none of the words had been damaged. Thank the stars.

Her mom wouldn't leave such important books in the dirt.

Misty's stomach dropped and she realized her mom hadn't moved yet. Not so much as a twitch. Was she hurt?

The mare's long strides brought her to her mom's side just as Misty arrived, her hear pounding in her chest. "Mom?" Misty asked nervously, her eyes darting over her mother's still form. Her mom's eyes were closed and there was blood on one of her hind legs. It looked like one of the timberwolves had managed to bite her. "Oh my gosh, you're hurt!" She turned urgently to the mare. "We need to get her to a doctor!"

The mare crouched beside Misty's mom, her movements tender as she examined her. Her hooves touched her neck and chest, head lowered as if listening for something. She also checked the bite marks, but that part was done more briefly than Misty would have expected. A somberness settled over her features as she told Misty. "A doctor will not be able to help. She's… already gone. Has been for a while." A look of rueful frustration passed over the mare's face.

"What? No, no, that's not true," Misty denied, her voice rising in pitch. That couldn't be true. "She's not that hurt!" The bite wasn't good, but it wasn't- it couldn't be- fatal. There wasn't even that much blood.

The mare's gaze drifted upwards, her eyes tracing an unseen path in the air. "They must have tossed her off the cliff…"

Misty's body went rigid, but she forced herself to move. "No. No!" She dove to her mom's side, pushing at her mom's side with trembling hooves. "Mom, mom, wake up!"

Behind her the mare stood awkwardly, watching uncomfortably as the first tear dripped down the filly's face.

Her mom wasn't breathing. Her chest was still, her face pale and still. She wasn't moving. Not even the faintest rise and fall of her breath. "Mom, please get up," Misty begged, her voice a broken whisper, tears streaming down her face. Her mom couldn't be dead. She wasn't—she needed her. Misty didn't have anypony else in the world. The thought of never hearing her mom's voice again, never feeling her warm embrace, was pure agony. She wouldn't survive it. This couldn't be real. "There's a pony that can do magic here. I-if you just open your eyes- you can see it. You're so close… J-just open your eyes."

The mare had moved to look at another of the spellbooks that had spilled out of Starry Dawn's bag. "So she was one who still respected the old traditions," she murmured to herself.

Magic.

Misty whirled to look up at the mare with tear-filled eyes. "P-please, use your magic to save her!" she begged desperately. "Bring her back!"

The mare met her gaze for a few fleeting seconds, then she looked away "Magic can't do everything, little one," she said gently.

It was a truth Misty had already known, but she'd had to ask. The mare's words, however, were final, crushing the last spark of hope. She wasn't sure how long she lay there, her small frame trembling with the force of her sobs, tears soaking into her mother's fur. The pain was hot, like Misty herself was dying as well. How could the world be so cruel?

But no, it hadn't been the world that was cruel, had it? Not really. It had been ponies. The thought pierced through Misty's sorrow, twisting her grief into anger. "Why didn't they just let us stay the night?" she sobbed, her voice raw. "We weren't doing anything to them. My mom's the nicest pony in the world. Why would they do that? Why couldn't everypony just have gotten along?!" Her heartbroken plea rang out into the quiet night.

The mare's eyes sparked at the words, a flicker of recognition, of understanding. Her expression hardened for a moment before softening. The mare moved to lie beside Misty, her larger body settling gently on the earth, careful not to disturb the grieving filly. "I'm so sorry, child," she said genuinely, her voice soft. "This shouldn't have happened to either of you." Her head bowed. "I'm sorry. If I had been quicker..."

"It wasn't your fault," Misty whispered. She wished the mare had come sooner, but she couldn't bring herself to blame the mare even a little. She'd saved Misty, done what she could. It was more Misty's fault than hers. If she'd just kept her mouth shut in the village. If she hadn't slowed her mom down.

A physical weight was laid over Misty like a blanket. She assumed the mare had given her part of her cloak. "Where do you live, child? I can take you home," the mare offered. "Your family must be worried for the both of you."

"Starry Dawn was the only family I had," Misty answered dully.

The mare frowned. "Your father…"

"Never met him," Misty said. "Don't even know who he is."

The mare's ears flicked thoughtfully. "Any extended family? Friends?"

Misty shook her head miserably. "Nopony liked us. And mom was an only child." She turned look at the mare properly. That's when she realized it was a large wing that had been draped over her protectively, not a cloak. Her eyes widened. How was that possible?! A horn and wings?! But that meant- "You're an alicorn," Misty breathed.

"Yes," the mare admitted. "The last one. My name is Opaline." So that was how she could do magic. How she was so powerful. She wasn't a unicorn at all. The news was both crushing and exhilarating. Maybe there wasn't a unicorn that could do magic out there, but a living alicorn was- huge. The implications of such a thing…

"Are you a queen?" Misty asked, stunned.

Opaline scoffed. "Of course," she said quickly. Then she softened. "But never mind that for now." She hesitated and then suggested. "I- I suppose you can stay with me for now. Until you find somewhere else. I can't rightly leave you alone."

"You- you'd let me stay with you?" Misty asked, eyes huge.

"That's what I just said, yes," Opaline repeated, a tad impatiently. Then she let out a long breath. "I have plenty of room in my castle," she continued. "And I can take care of a filly well enough." She said it like she was trying to convince herself.

"You have a castle?" Misty gasped. Then she blinked, embarrassed for the outburst. Did she really want to impose herself on this pony? An alicorn? Surely, she'd just be a burden. "You don't have to…"

"I'm the one that offered," Opaline sniffed. "Don't assume I go around giving offers lightly. I've already decided."

Misty gazed up at the alicorn, then turned back to her mother's body. "Thank you," she whispered.

.

.

.

.

.

Back in the present…

Thinking back to that night always hurt. And the pain would never go away. But the time she'd had with her mom before that- Misty would always treasure. And she wouldn't forget the lessons she'd learned. Not any of them.

Misty scowled into her sheets, unhappy that her thoughts of pride at having finally used magic herself had turned to darker memories. But she couldn't help it.

She'd heard it, in gossip, in murmurs, even in conversations with Izzy's friends. So now that magic was back, ponies wanted her mom's knowledge on magic. They'd scorned her all her life, driven her to her death, and now unicorns wanted to come crawling to her for help. The gall of it made her blood boil.

The unicorns would get no help from her. They didn't deserve it. Opaline had turned Starry Dawn's spellbook collection into its own wing in her library. Nopony would ever find it. And Misty certainly wasn't going to help them. Maybe once Opaline fully reclaimed her throne and magic, Misty would help the unicorn's Opaline approved of, Misty trusted her judgement. But until then, Misty wasn't going to let slip even a single spell to another unicorn. Not one.