For a Thousand Years... (CableZ) (Finished)

[Xelliea]

Caelum, standing tall over the two ponies, restored the sliver-blue glow to his horn that was seen earlier. I have a plan that will both get you more respected by the Alicorns, and give me more support for my rightful claim to the throne. It is, however, a rather complicated plan, and I do not believe that now is the time, or the place to explain it to you. He once again, began to pace, only this time in a different manner. He seemed to be in thought, rather than attempting to understand more about the ponies that stood in front of him. After a considerable number of strides, he came to a stop.

I am sure, after all that has happened, you are in need of respite. We shall return to the castle, and I can explain what needs to be explained once you are ready. Without wasting another moment, clearly not worried about input from the Earth-ponies, he began casting a teleportation spell. While it is true the castle is Tele-locked, an exception is in place for a royal such as myself. We can, despite the lock, teleport in an out as we please. The spell was causing multiple gusts of strong wind the flow from his horn, leading to the prince having to shout a little to be heard.

Once the spell had activated, Hasta and Dread experienced the feeling of being lighter than air, almost being disconnected from the world. Hasta wasn't completely foreign to the feeling, as she had been the subject of a few teleportation spells in the past, but she still felt extremely uneasy. She could only imagine how Dread was feeling, who was likely experiencing said feelings for the first time. She hoped he would be ok... she mentally shook her head, since when did she care if other ponies were ok. She didn't think of it too much, as the three ponies had arrived at their destination before she had time to.

Welcome, my little ponies, to Canterlot castle! The castle itself was much more fantastic than how it appeared in the 'present'. Stain glass windows and drapes were still prominent, but here, bright murals and mosaics could be seen every way one looked. It was truly a sight to wonder at. Awesome to say the least. Alicorns trotted up and down hall ways, going about whatever businesses they had, but not a single member of the other races could be seen. Even the guards, or Equestrian knights, as Caelum corrected, were purely Alicorn. It seemed that Dread and Hasta were the only Earth-ponies for miles.

I apologise, but my presence is needed elsewhere, however... Caeulm briefly leaned through a door, signalling for a pony, currently out of sight, to come to him. ...I have someone I'd like for you to meet. In response to Caelum's signal, a lone stallion trotted through the door. The first feature that was obvious was that fact that he lacked any sort of wings to speak of, and instead only featured a horn. This is Lux, and he will be your guide around the castle. Seeing as he is a member of the lesser races, such as yourselves, I thought it fitting to assign him as your guide.

The young stallion bowed respectfully to him prince. Thank you, sir. Without even acknowledging the thanks, Caelum left the three ponies alone striding off to the throne room. I don't often see other non-Alicorns in the castle. I, as the prince gracefully noted, am Lux. May I ask your names? Hasta tilted her head to the side, she wasn't sure about this new stallion, he was too... nice. My name is Yathan. He's a little shy, I'm sure he'll tell you his name in due time.

Lux nodded enough that it almost looked like his head was going to fall off. May I say hello, Lady Yathan, and, young Sir, know that I shan't expect any information that you feel uncomfortable sharing. But I must ask, Sir, is there anywhere you would like me to show you in the castle? Once we're done, I'll be happy to show you where you'll be staying. And remember, you're guests of Prince Caelum, everyone here is at your service.

[CableZ]

Dread hadn't been interacting with ponies for long, but if there was one thing that he knew. It was that he didn't like being part of other ponies plans, at least when he really didn't have a choice. Dread was always up for helping another pony, he thought it was something that ponies just did. However when he was more so told to help rather than asked, he was quite uncomfortable by this point. He watched as the prince once again began pacing, he didn't seem to like staying still. Finally the prince said something that Dread could understand and agreed with, he was confused and exhausted. Rest sounded good right about now, even if just meant he could just sit down it would be enough. Dread didn't really need the explanation about how the castle was telelocked, nor the fact that it wasn't for them. He was just happy to be going somewhere in doors.

Being teleported was a new experience for Dread, he'd read about magic before but it never seemed to have much relevance to him. He was an earth pony after all. The feeling was odd, but it didn't really phase Dread. What he did find rather annoying was the excessive wind that seemed to be a side effect from the spell. The wind blew his dreads all over, he hated it when this happened. The weightless feeling was interesting, in all honesty Dread found it slightly ticklish. He always enjoyed trying new things.

When they arrived within the castle, Dread didn't really feel like they had left the outdoors. The place was huge, it was probably the only time he would ever get to see the inside of the castle. It was a color explosion from every angle, did ponies really live here? Dread had only ever been inside his small house in the forest that was barely 4 rooms big, this was something from a different world to him. He wished he could admire it a little more, but the wind that had been brought up by Caelum's spell had tangled a lot of his dreads together and not the knots were blocking his vision somewhat. He sighed and began trying to untangle them, which wasn't entirely easy. He stopped for a moment when the prince began speaking again, but he was annoucning his departure so Dread thought he could continue. By the time Lux was introduced to the group, Dread had managed to get his mane in order and was now paying full attention. He flicked his head to the side to get the dreads out of his face just in time to see Caelum walking away.

He turned to face the new stallion, he was a unicorn. Apparently for a 'lesser race' to be in the castle was a big deal or something. Lux made his introductions and asked for their names, Dread didn't really like this new stallion just from face value. He seemed like the type of pony that followed others rather than making his own way in the world, Dread had never really understood that. Although he could be wrong so he made no judgements, he didn't even express anything on his face. In fact he hadn't shown an expression since...well since Hasta had bumped into him back in the present...or future, whatever. Dread wasn't entirely interested in seeing the castle, he'd read books on architecture and knew that Canterlot castle was very uniform in its design. He looked at this Lux for a few minutes, studying him. Dread came to the conclusion that at this point he really didn't care about this pony or any of the others in the castle for that matter. He usually wasn't so dismissive but he came to the conclusions that there wasn't much more to learn about the situation. He'd be told all he needed.

Clearing his throat he decided to speak to the new pony.

"Um...I'm Dread...could you just show us to where we'll be staying...uh please?" His tone was cold, quiet and slightly raspy.

Lux was evidently disappointed in this, he seemed ready and prepared to show them the entirety of the castle. He didn't want to appear rude to the prince's guests however so he instead just smiled and nodded. The walk to the room took a few minutes, it was at the top of one of the castle's spires and the stairs took some climbing to say the least. Lux opened the door to the room they would be sharing and proudly presented it too them, taking them on a quick took (which wasn't much considering it was only 2 rooms. He walked back over to the door and turned to face the two ponies.

"If you need anything else be sure to-"

He never finished that sentence as Dread closed the door before he could finish. He knew it was rude and didn't really mind. He understood basic social conventions and understood what it meant to be rude or mean. However he had come to his own conclusion about these things and it was that they would not exist if they weren't meant to be used from time to time. Lux talked to much and Dread decided he had had enough. With a tired sigh he walked past Hasta and over to one of the beds. he climbed up and collapsed into a heap of untamed dreadlocks. He looked up at Hasta and he thought that there was no need to be shy with this pony, after all it seemed as if they were going to be together for an indefinite amount of time before the prince returned.

"So...do I call you Yathan or Hasta?" It was a genuine question although he asked with a slight smirk. He had come to the conclusion since they had arrived in the castle that she had lied about her name to protect herself. He wondered who she had lied to, him or the prince. Why she would have cause to lie to either interested him as well, and he had learn to like the feeling when he had somepony on the ropes. He waited for a response with his dark blue eyes fixed on her.

[Xelliea]

Hasta really couldn't understand Dread's honesty. He'd actually given his true name, not to mention his completely matter of fact attitude through the entirety of today's events. She still couldn't fathom how he could be that way, how he could bare to present everything about himself on a platter to any who even glanced his way. Still... it was pretty impressive. Despite the confusion of it all, Hasta was impressed. And Hasta being impressed only came once in a blue moon.

Once the ponies had entered the room where they were staying, and Dread had slammed the door on (the rather irritating) Lux, Hasta wandered over to her bed and slowly sat down upon it, in quite stark contrast to the way that Dread threw himself on his. Hearing his voice, she turned her gaze to settle on him. She chuckled to herself when he asked his question, his social ignorance was rather amusing at times. Ah, Dread, I didn't lie to you. You may be ready to tell them your true name, but I'm not. I just don't trust these Alicorns, and the prince is certainly no exception. It's Hasta.

Hasta and Dread talked to each other for a while, speaking about what had happened to them since the relic had activated, their opinions on it, and, for the first time in quite a while for Hasta, idle banter. The Earth-pony was happy to have some time to rest. She was almost as tired as Dread appeared to be. Just interacting with the relic seemed to have made her quite lethargic. Once they had finished talking, Hasta pulled a book from her, thankfully still intact, saddlebags. The book was titled 'For a Thousand Years'. Seemingly fitting, given the day's events.

The evening rolled by and the night arrived as fast as a speeding train as the two ponies lay in their room. It was past 9 o'clock before Hasta began to get tired with reading and rose from her bed. Seems considerably odd that we've been undisturbed for so long. Perhaps we have the night off, as it were. If you don't mind, I'd like to go for a walk through the castle, clear my head. Having finished her sentence, she trotted to the door. Was she being honest? Even she wasn't sure at the moment.

Leaving the room, she wandered off down the hallway to the right. The castle was labyrinthine in its design, but all the passages seemed to lead somewhere. As she walked, Hasta took the time to run some thoughts through her head. Namely, what she thought of Caelum. He was up to something, there was no doubt about that. He seemed desperate for the throne, and driven ponies often do strange things to get what they want. And why didn't he introduce his sister at all, it was almost as if he was trying to keep them separate.

Hasta had soon stumbled upon a balcony, leaning out over the castle into the night sky. After opening the bright door, she stepped out into the cold air. It was a huge balcony, easily big enough to fit a crowd of ponies. Alone in the illuminated darkness, Hasta only looked up at the sky, in awe of its natural beauty. It had been so long since she had been able to enjoy the little things in life.

[CableZ]

Dread didn't understand why, but he had taken a liking to Hasta. She seemed like the type who knew everything there was to know about how to understand social...stuff. The opposite of him basically. He never truly understood why or for what reason but he knew when he liked a pony, and he at least respected this one enough to say he liked her. He sat on the bed and watched as she wandered over to hers, his eyes studied over her details again. He usually did this around 3 or 4 times with some ponies. He noted the way she softly and slowly sat on her bed, far more graceful than his slump technique. She then began speaking so he decided to pay attention and listen intently.

He was happy to hear that he had not been lied to, but he also noted that she brought attention to the fact that he had given his real name to the prince. Dread never thought much on giving his own name, not only did he assume it was the polite thing to do but no pony knew who he was even in the present. Why would it matter if ponies that don't even exist in his time knew his name? He found it interesting that she didn't trust the Alicorns, he could understand why though. I mean when you go back in time and the ponies who brought you back openly want something of you, it's not exactly that easy to trust them.

The next few hours that Hasta and Dread spent talking were interesting, Dread had never ever had a conversation this long with 1 pony. He enjoyed it, it was confusing and slightly uncomfortable but he was surprised at how long he managed to talk for. They didn't talk about anything personnel, which probably helped. After awhile, Hasta began reading a book and Dread was left to his own devices. Dread figured he would do some work while he had some down time, he recalled that he had brought the draft of his current work in progressed that he had been commissioned to write. He opened his saddle bag and brought out the paper booklet. The book itself was a spin off of the Daring Do series, everypony thought that the original author wrote the spin off that was based on Daring Do's early years, yet most of the stories were written by Dread. He got caught up in his writing and before he knew it, the sun had set and the night was upon the land of Equestria. He looked around to see that Hasta was out of her bed.

He did agree that it was odd they had been left alone for so long, surely the prince would want to take action on this. Regardless he gave Hasta a simple nod to acknowledge her leaving. he watched as she left and decided to stop writing for a moment. He hopped of his bed and looked out of the window, he had a tradition that he liked to keep too every night. There was no reason to not stick to it tonight.

Leaving the room, Dread wanted to find somewhere out in the open. After wandering around for awhile, Dread figured that Canterlot castle would have a balcony or two. After yet more wandering, he found a glass plated door that he saw led out to a large balcony that was probably used for parties or something similar. He wandered out to the edge of the balcony and looked up to the moon, he sighed and smiled at the moon as he always did at night. He was about to say something, but then noticed that Hasta was on the other end of the balcony.

"Oh...uh...I'm sorry I didn't know...anypony was out here"

Dread stuttered his words, he backed away and began walking away.

[Xelliea]

Looking up at the stars, at the cold, clear, black night sky really put everything in perspective. The first thing that came smashing into Hasta's mind was the reality of the fact they had actually been transported back in time. They were actually living thousands of years before they were born. It was enough to make even the most intelligent pony's head spin. Yet, despite this, the sky she was looking at was the same sky that the ponies of her era, her lifetime, were gazing at so many years in the future. That, at least, made her feel a little better.

What crept into her mind next was why, exactly, she was using the word 'they' and 'we'. Why did her thoughts constantly return to Dread? Hasta deduced that it could only be the fact that, in this vast world of the past, Dread was the only one she felt she could trust. Trust was so valuable, especially to Hasta, but why did her trust lie on that odd Earth-pony. That pony who probably doesn't even know his hoof from his nose when it came to social interactions with other ponies.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Hasta noticed the door open, causing her to spin her head around to see, who else but Dread himself slowly creep through the doorway in a fashion that Hasta found somewhat unsurprising. Before a word could leave her lips, the stallion had already begun to back away, returning from where he had come. Thoughts rushed through her mind at a mile a minute. Did she want him to come back, to have somepony to talk to, or did she want him to go, to have so time in private. By the time she had decided that she would actually like him to stay, he had left.

She could only stamp her hoof slightly on the marble floor of the balcony is frustration. Her reflexes and thoughts were usually so rapid. She'd always been able to manufacture plans in the blink of an eye and make decisions even faster. Everything that had happened must have seriously messed up her normal thought patterns. Then again, it isn't everyday that a pony is thrown into the day of Alicorns and contests for the throne. She wished Dread had stayed, now she was just alone with her thoughts.

Or so she would be, were it not for another voice, oddly familiar, originating from the door across the balcony. With practised reflex, Hasta darted into the shadows, hiding and lying in wait to see to whom the voice belonged. The door swung open, and the voice was magnified now that there was naught but air between the ponies. Hasta could hardly believe it, it was Lux!

As far as Hasta could tell, he was talking with himself, yet the tone of his voice seemed to suggest otherwise. ... have always stood for Princess Stygian, as was Vincere's decree, but this is not the time to take sides... Hasta listened closely, unsure as to what she was hearing, and to what the Unicorn was actually referring.

[CableZ]

Dread felt bad, he had interrupted Hasta without any thought. He was meant to feel bad wasn't he? Regardless he was now back inside and wandering around this impressive castle. Dread Lock's mind was going into overtime, he tried to clarify his entire thoughts on this place and his unlikely companion. Dread was not good at deciding what to do in social situations, he didn't know what he was meant to do now. Dread felt like he was back in the present, alone without any sort of plan or place to be. He absolutely hated it, he couldn't handle it in all honesty and he started panicking slightly. He had to stop and calm himself down, it wasn't the time to think about his own life issues.

He shook his head and tried to forget these feelings, Dread didn't want to get into the slump that occurred when he thought about his future. He decided to wander around for a bit and see if he could find something interesting. Quietly wandering the halls of the impressive castle, Dread found that this place was so massive that he had managed to get himself lost. He had come to a junction in the large corridors and lost which way to go, he didn't recognize where he had come from either due to how uniform the design was on the castle. He sighed at his own stupidity, he walked to one of the nearby walls and slumped against it.

'Well...what now?' He asked himself in his thoughts and while it was a rhetorical question, he needed to answer it. Dread looked around and thought about where he would rather be right now. He thought and though and he could not for the life of him think of an answer. Most ponies would think of home, Dread assumed that much. What did he have back home however? A small house full of books, paper, ink and dust. At least here he had somepony to talk to, although he wasn't entirely sure if she liked him after disturbing her. That and she seemed to lie, which made talking to her give Dread a headache trying to figure out if it was a lie. As he sat there he decided that a place he knew would be a good place to rest was the room that he and Hasta were staying it. At least there he would know that she was coming back and at least he could get some work done. With a newly decided destination, he set off to where (he though) the room was located

[Xelliea]

Hasta continued to hide in the shadows of the balcony. The size of the balcony and the small amount of illumination made it easier for the Earth-pony to hide, not to mention that is was her job not to be seen. Though her abilities had been somewhat shaken, she could still stay out of sight if she wanted. While she listened to the Unicorn speak to some unknown entity, she noticed that he had a sword strapped to his side. It certainly seemed odd for a servant or guide, which Lux seemed to be when he had shown the two ponies around, to be carrying a sword around with him. Were any of these ponies worth a bit for face value, Hasta thought, slightly ironically.

... if the entire order strays away from the Princess, I will not. That I promise. Nor will I commit any act against the two guests of the Prince. The code of the order is to follow the Princess and protect the innocent. I will never break either tenants... Hasta was surprised by what she was hearing. Lux wasn't just a servant, he was something else. And he was refering to her and Dread. Something was definitely going on. Yet, she found some comfort in Lux's promise concerning herself and her friend... she stopped. Did she actually consider Dread her friend, the first one she had made, legitimately, in so long? ... yes, she did. It sat right with her that she considered him a friend. It felt... like it was the correct path to take.

A friend... a true friend...

She didn't have long to think of that fact before Lux had begun to speak again. If the entire order were to turn on them, then the oath-breakers would have to make it through me first. Yes, father, you have my word. So the Unicorn was actually talking to somepony. Apparently his father. Was it all in his head, or was his father just invisible to Hasta. She didn't know, but she had heard enough. With speed and haste mixed into one, she darted through the door that Dread had, thankfully, left open.

Somepony's there! Lux spun around in a rapid motion, but nopony was there. He just hoped it wasn't a spy. Relaxing, he bid farewell to his 'father' and he to left the balcony. Only silence remained out in the pale moonlit night... silence, and a thin fog...

By the time Hasta had made it back to the room, she had almost fully calmed down from her brief adventure. She spotted Dread, lying on his bed, apparently writing. She decided to keep what she had heard to herself. Not out of a wish to keep secrets from Dread, in fact she wanted to tell him, but she feared that telling him would only confuse him, and the whole situation, a lot more. And to be honest, there wasn't much she had heard of importance to the two ponies, as long as Lux kept his distance.

Can I ask what you're writing, Dread? And, if you've written much in the past? Hasta asked in an oddly soft voice as she walked back over to her bed. He seemed to be so happy when he was writing. She didn't want to disturb that.

[CableZ]

Dread had actually managed to get a lot of work done in his down time, they say that traveling is the best thing for an author. It seemed time travel counted as travel as well. While he was writing he thought about the situation he found himself in some more, it was odd to be sure but he found it all rather exciting. Dread had read a lot and not once had he ever read any detailed accounts about ponies traveling back in time, it was not only a new experience for him but for anypony. It gave him a sense of belonging, he wasn't the only pony to have not done it. He was very glad to have somepony to share this experience with, it not only assured him that he wasn't alone in this experience but he would probably be lost without Hasta. They had to convince a large group of ponies of something...yeah he was lucky Hasta was there.

Speaking of Hasta, she had just walked into the room. He looked up from the pages that covered his bed and gave her a little smile, Dread's smile was a completely natural thing. He couldn't smile to be nice, he just smiled when something made him happy. He sighed and went back to looking at his pages, however his attention was brought back to Hasta as she asked him a question. Her voice sounded different, she must be tired or something. Dread had never been asked about his work before, it wasn't something he entirely took pride in but he never sent a book out unless he was happy with it. He tried to think of the appropriate response before answering.

"I'm writing the 4th 'Young Daring Do' book, It's the series I write." He said perfectly honestly, He had no idea how ridiculous this sounded and just waited for a reaction. "I've written a fair amount, I wrote the Ponyhikers Guide To The Galaxy series aswell, and a few other books" He again claimed to be the author of one of the most popular book series around, first the Daring Do spin off and now this? He just looked at Hasta for a moment before going back to organizing his notes.

[Xelliea]

The hiding and running had only served to make Hasta more tired, so she got down on her bed in a slightly less graceful manner than she had the first time. She was almost ready to sleep, but she decided she'd prefer to speak to Dread instead. That, and the fact that she was uneasy to go to sleep to early in such a foreign place. Thinking about it, she wasn't too tired after all. She thought about the fact that she had seen Dread smile for the first time since they had met. He had a nice smile, an honest one...

Ponyhikers Guide to the... really? I've only read the original, but I must say I loved it. Your writing ability certainly doesn't reflect your, if you don't mind me saying, normal slightly nervous and curious attitude. Hasta was acting rather uncharacteristic, but since she was tired, it wasn't too much of an enigma. Still, she wasn't being disingenuous when she said she liked the book. She read a lot of historical novels, but she had dabbled in nearly every genre. Apart from, that was, romance. She'd never had a mate, and to be honest, she had no interest in reading about somepony else's.

She pulled the same book that she was reading earlier from her bag. It was a historical piece, but its title gave that away. It concerned the first defeat of Discord, the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon, and the reign of Celestia. It had a small section about the final defeat of Nightmare Moon by the Elements of Harmony, but it mostly concerned her original rise and banishment. The book featured quite a few descriptions of the midnight mare of darkness. How he magic was on level with, if not greater than Celestia's. How she could shift, at will, into a form like the night sky itself.

It did, however, cover one topic that interested Hasta for reasons more than just historical knowledge. It stated that, in theory, any Alicorn, under the right conditions of resentment and stress, could be taken over by said emotions, and become like Nightmare Moon. But, that was just theory... right?

[CableZ]

Dread had never received praise before (big surprise right??) He sort of liked it, although not for the egotistical reasons that most ponies would get from it. He was happy that he could give others enjoyment, it wasn't sure how he had done it but he knew what it felt like and it felt good to give others that feeling. He decided that he had written enough for tonight, in fact at this rate he would have the book done before his deadline. Which was always good because he got a bonus and some free time to...well he never figured that part out but the extra bits did help here and there. He gathered up the pages, making sure to put them in the right order to avoid a frustrating task later. After the pages were in all gathered and placed back in his saddle back, Dread looked around. He saw Hasta reading the book from before and was about to ask about it, however his words were beaten by a large yawn that escaped Dread's mouth. Even his yawn was quiet and collected.

He decided that he should get some sleep, it was late and the prince probably had a lot planned for them tomorrow. He moved up the bed and dug himself under the covers, shuffling to get comfortable. He then remembered that he was not alone and thought that he should say something

"Um...Hasta?" His words were hard to hear, but audible all the same "Good night" His soft voice said nothing more as he placed his head on the pillow and was soon sleeping. His breath was so quiet you might not be able to tell that he was still breathing

(OOC: short post just to progress the plot )

[Xelliea]

Hasta continued to read through her book. On every other occasion, she treated it and read it like a novel, as intended, tonight however... tonight she was reading it much more like a referenced guide or a research piece. She looked over almost everything about Alicorns in general. Their society, their personalities and their history. The book didn't go back to pre-Discordian times, so there was nothing on Caelum or the time they were currently existing in.


The book was interesting, but it was more concerned with history. Events that hadn't even happened yet. It was enjoyable to read, but wasn't really the guide of information that would have been truly useful to her. So, instead of worrying, she just continued to read until she grew too tired. Realising that, by this point, Dread had put his writing tools away and was about ready to go to sleep too, she placed her book back in her saddlebags and pulled herself under the duvet. She smiled at Dread wishing her a good night, and returned with a good night of her own. Within a short time, both ponies were asleep.

Despite the two ponies being fast asleep, the castle still bustled with activity. In his room, Caelum sat at his writing desk, drawing out plans of the Everfree forest. Sheet after sheet, he never seemed to get it right. On every draft, there was one feature that was always present: a cross. The cross was labelled 'Noctis's Sanctuary', though it's location on the map changed almost every time. He knew the general area where it was located, but even his most powerful magic was having problems getting it right. Despite this, he kept trying. The location was important... so very important.

In a different part of the castle, Lux sat in his own room, staring into the face of a helmet, his helmet. It was made of an impressively strong metal alloy and, despite its used state, still shone in the light, reflecting his face almost perfectly. Lux sat still, just staring. What did it mean, any more? The thought played over and over in his mind. Was he his own pony, or just another cell in the body of the order. The order... what did it mean. What was honour worth? What the price of truth? He didn't know, but he knew he could find the answers in this helmet, and its history.

Out the castle gates, though the dark, torch-lit streets, on the other side of that quarter of Canterlot, lay the Ministry headquarters. The Ministry of Revelations, that was. A group that had been disbanded way before the 'present' that Hasta and Dread had come from, but still stood tall in this day. It was the biggest collection of ponies dedicated to magical science and the study of magic in existence. It was well liked by the general public, especially the Alicorn and Unicorn populations, and had started a handful of Universities across Equestria to help promising young Alicorns reach their potential.

Inside the headquarters, within the director's office, High Noon paced around in circles, every so often he would stamp his hoof in frustration. How was I supposed to know that the test would send that Unicorn back to his time? Caelum did just drop him on me, anyway, its not my fault. He constantly repeated the same line over and over again. He looked over gathered data, reports of his last tests, everything. Nothing explained why the Unicorn had been sent back to the future. Noon was only trying to develop a theoretically simple Foresight spell. Best not to do any further research tonight... He mumbled to himself, slumping down in his chair.

Back in the castle, despite the outside world still turning, Hasta and Dread lay asleep in their beds. Embraced in silence and darkness, they slept the night away in the land of dreams.

[CableZ]

Dread moved very little when he slept, he stayed pretty still and just slept peacefully. Dread didn't dream very often and when he did, they weren't the happiest of dreams. The only recurring dream he ever had went like this; Dread would find himself stood in a large forest, where the tree's were so tall you couldn't see the leaves atop them. The forest would never end and there would never be anything or anypony other than Dread there. When he first started having this dream, Dread would run through the forest for what felt like hours and never find anything. These days Dread wouldn't;t bother and would just sit down at one of the tree's and wait for the dream to be over. As he sat there, looking out into this endless forest of nothingness. Dread felt that this time he wasn't alone, there was no pony there but he still didn't feel alone. He smiled in the dream for the first time and sleep seemed that much easier because of it.

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As the light crept across the room slowly, Dread stirred in his bed. He had always been a light sleeper, he never slept long nor did he need too. He fidgeted in his bed for a moment, letting out a quiet yawn as he did so. Quietly he slipped from under the covers and placed his hooves on the fine wooden floor, it took a moment or two for him to get his balance due to his slightly tired state. He walked blurry eyed over to the window and looked out into the world, he squinted slightly at the sudden burst of light in his eyes. As his eyes focused Dread realized that he wasn't where he thought it was, he was still in Canterlot castle...in the past. He let out a sigh and thought about what to do, he then realized something. Turning he saw the other bed in the room, and saw the clear bulge that was under the covers. Another sigh escaped his lips and he turned back to look out of the window and thought about what was the next best course of action....Actually what he was really wondering was when breakfast was going to be served.

[Xelliea]

Caelum slowly trotted out of his room at first light. The sky was still orange with sun rise and most of the castle was still sleeping. He hadn't slept much, his thoughts overrun with what would happen the next day... today. He sat down in the doorway, holding up his front hooves. He rotated his hooves around in the air, like he was caressing an invisible sphere. He smirked, eyes darting over his hooves as he held them up to his face. The cool air of the early morning drifted through a nearby window. In the chill atmosphere... he could almost feel it in his hooves.

The prince blinked a few times, then got to his hooves. He wandered though a couple of hallways, his normal levels of awareness returned rapidly as he became more and more awake. His plan was to head to the throne room, then think more over the day's events, especially his guests from the future. In his distraction, he accidently hit something.

Looking down upon what he had collided with, he saw a familiar face looking up at him. Sister? The shorter Alicorn shook her head to try and remove her yellow and white mane from her eyes. I... I... I'm sorry, brother, I didn't mean to knock you. Caelum raised a hoof slightly, then lowered it again. His eyes scanned over her brown-coated face. Is it too much to ask you to look where you're going? She acknowledged his comment with a quiet No... as he pushed past her, continuing on to the throne room.

_________________________________

Hasta had been awake for quite a while when she saw Dread rise from his bed and look out the window to the sun. She was quite the early riser, but she hadn't wanted to disturb her room-mate. Seeing that he was now awake and active, she slowly got up from her bed. Despite being awake for a while, she was still quite drowsy. Good morning, Dread. She spoke with a smile as she looked at the Earth-pony, rising up to stand at his side.

The two ponies talked for a short time span, before there was a knock on the door. Hasta trotted over to the door, pulling it open. On the other side stood a grinning Lux, happily looking between Hasta and Dread. Good morning Miss Yathan, Sir Dread. Can I show you to the dining hall for breakfast?

[CableZ]

Dread enjoyed the early morning coversation he was having with Hasta, it was a new experience that he decided he liked. However it was soon interuppted by a knock on the door which Dread responded to with a sigh because he could guess who was on the other side. Hasta opened the door and sure enough there stood Lux with a grin on his face that seemed completely unnecessary, Dread shook his head as he walked to the side of Hasta to greet their guide. At the mention of breakfast Dread changed his tune of Lux, he was hungry and food sounded pretty good right now. He looked at Hasta for a moment before turning back to Lux and nodding in response to his question.

They were lead from their room down the many corridors that connected the rooms of this impressive castle, all the while Lux talked about the castle, seems like he was making up for not being able to give the tour yesterday. Dread tuned his ramblings out and instead decided to speak to Hasta, he tried to remember to call her Yathan to keep up her ruse. It wasn't his place to give away her secret after all. He kept his voice down however to make sure Lux would not try and interrupt their conversation, he seemed like the type.

"So...what exactly do you think Caelum has planned to make the Alicorns trust us?"

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They chatted in hushed tones for the entire walk to the dining hall, which seemed quite far away judging by how long they had been walking for, although part of that might be attributed to Lux constantly talking. They arrived at a very large pair of double doors that went up to the ceiling, the doors had carvings all the way up them that depicted all sorts of impressive looking ponies, all of them Alicorns. Lux proudly pushed to door open to reveal the dining hall, which was beyond anything Dread or Hasta will have ever seen. They were at the end of the room, they could see the impossibly large table that stretched to the other end of the room. All along the side of the walls were huge stain glass windows that depicted more famous ponies of this period. The room was truly something to behold and it would make the biggest on ponies feel quite small. Around the room were many different ponies that were more reminiscent of the ponies from the present, although they were still quite large. The mares and stallions were all busy getting Dread and Hasta's places ready and even more were ready to present the food to them. Dread and Hasta were shown to their seats that neat the far endof this imposing table, they were seated next to each other and despite the tables size, they were quite close, probably in an effort to have as many ponies be able to be seated as possible.They were so closely packed that Dread felt his leg brush against Hasta's, which was a slight shock that caused him to flinch slightly, but he soon got used to it. The many platters of food were placed in front of them, each holding a mouth water dish that was made by master chefs. The waiter ponies and Lux both backed away and left the two to eat in peace. The room was now completely empty with the exception of Dread and Hasta.

"Seems the prince cleared the guest list...I think it's just us" Dread's quiet voice faintly echoed in the massive room. He looked to Hasta before serving himself some food and placing the platters near Hasta so she could get some herself.

[Xelliea]

Hasta was rather hungry by the time she had made it to the dining hall. She'd enjoyed speaking to Dread on the way through the castle, but she was looking forward to being able to sit down and have something to eat. She had found it quite odd that not only was the dining hall completely empty, with Hasta and Dread being by themselves, but that they were also being waited on hand and foot by waiters and servants. Why was Caelum treating them so well, was he really just treating them like very welcome guests... Hasta didn't buy it. He was up to something.

Lux took a step forward to stand beside the two ponies, now rather distracted by their meals. Caelum would like to meet you in the throne room when you're done. He said in an overly friendly voice. Hasta nodded, but wasn't distracted too much from her meal. Despite being the delicacies of thousands of years ago, the food was amazing. Hasta was enjoying it immensely, and it seemed that Dread was too. They had finished multiple plates before they were finally finished.

The two ponies, after finishing their meal, rose from their seats in the dining hall. Hasta stretched briefly, then turned to Lux. So... to the throne room? Lux smiled in acknowledgement, then lead the ponies out of the room. The trip to the throne room was almost as long as the one to the dining hall, but the passages seemed even more brightly coloured and lit. They traversed down a couple of floors, and through countless halls, but they eventually came to, as Lux was all too happy to point out, the entrance to the throne room.

After you... Lux pulled open the door with considerable effort despite using telekinesis. It was clear designed for Alicorns and their stronger magic. The throne room was an amazing sight, it almost made the other parts of the castle look dull. Statues, windows and torches all served to make the scene an explosion of colour. On the other end of the room, resting on the towering throne, sat Prince Caelum.

Ah, hello my guests of tomorrow. I hope that soon, with your help, the seat I now sit upon will finally, truly belong to me. He beckoned the two ponies to come further into the room so he didn't need to shout to talk to them. There was a large table in the middle of the room, two seats pulled out, clearly meant for the two Earth-ponies. Please, take a seat.