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Twilight and I followed Celestia and Luna into their lab again not long after we had finished breakfast on this last day in Canterlot. Now that the Royal Summit had ended, we'd be heading back to Ponyville in the afternoon. The girls had a week to make arrangements and changes prior to the arrival of the special squad that was being assembled. Then we could all start training for a few hours almost every day for the coming months, and perhaps until the whole mess broke open.

It would also bring the first time Twilight and I would be apart for long. She had a lot of work ahead to catch up on her postponed princess duties and figuring out the most efficient manner of delegating things she didn't really need to remain involved in.

While she would just be spending most of the day at the town hall and back by dinner, it still felt a little disappointing for both of us. After getting to be together so much, we were kind of spoiled, now that the reality of more a normalized day to day came to reassert itself.

Celestia moved to her place beside the stone platform and the colorful crystal spires of their multi-purpose magic device, nodding her head towards the platform, "We may as well begin immediately, Vojin. The full process of reading your deepest fundamental nature, both mundane and magical, will take almost an hour to complete. Then we have to repeat it all again to scan your unicorn form, if we are to have the most comprehensive picture of you and the many curiosities that surround you for study. Please place yourself in the center again."

Pausing for a moment, I cupped Twilight's cheek and brushed my thumb through her fur, sharing a small, private smile with each other before I moved into the aforementioned position, while Twilight stopped at the base of the broad stone steps, "Am I needing to stay still for this again, ladies?"

Luna flexed one of her wings as she got herself situated at her own designated place, "So long as you do not move often, or away from the center of the platform, you are free to stretch if you find it necessary, my friend. The spells we shall be using are rather straightforward, and rely more upon time to attune with you than anything else, though it will take a bit longer if you are moving about. Truly, we are only in our laboratory to enhance them with our apparatus, so we might gain the sharpest possible detail in the scans. It causes no difference in the time to gather the readings, but Tia and I both felt the unique talents you possess deserve the extra care. Also, as much as it saddens me to say, while we are taking these extra steps we will include a capacity to read the state of your soul with greater accuracy than before, in the hope we may help you have the most time."

I let out a quiet sigh, bowing my head as I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, held it, then let it out again and looked back at Luna. For the time being I was just trying not to think about that whole issue and didn't know how long it would be before I got to the acceptance stage, "I...appreciate that, Luna."

Their horns lit up and initiated the process as I stood there, trading a few comments here and there, but none of us seemed to feel very conversational after that reminder. I didn't do any funny floating about this time, though there was a vague tingling pulse now and then.

Once I saw they were done, I took a moment to stretch myself a bit more than the little I'd allowed during the scan.

My brief moving about done, I lifted a foot and began using my magic to slip off my shoes and socks, very against repeating the footwear destruction I experienced when we first discovered my second form. As I did this, I spoke in a casual tone, "You know, Twilight and I did a little experimenting in our room this week with my unicorn form. We found out when she shares her magic with me, I have no control over the shift and am stuck as a bipedal unicorn until she takes her magic back. I also figured out how to change back and forth independently of that, but far as we can tell, I have no choice with the shift when doing magic sharing in my direction."

"Intriguing," Celestia returned, watching as I started making myself shift into the rather unique form I had gained, "On a first guess, it may have something to do with how you function magically, with three independent points of expression. Your human form lacks a horn, so it is a fair chance that such is a contributing factor."

"That's what Twilight and I were thinking," I said, pausing to give my changing mane a shake and fish my lengthening tail out of my pants so it would sit in comfortable freedom for the length of the scan. I was already aware the damned thing had a partial mind of it's own, like the ears now sticking up off the top of my head. I gave them a quick wiggle for my own amusement and rolled my shoulders to settle the thin coat of fur I now had under my clothes.

I was also glad I had no noticeable size change over most of my body, which would have been annoying to need a whole second set of clothes if I ripped free every time I changed, footwear notwithstanding, or had shrunk, "Also can't get over how comfortable I feel like this... I mean, I know it's my body, changed though it is, but it feels quite natural. I figure it's a weird trick of my brain adapting, but it feels as natural as my human form does. Even the fur doesn't feel too strange or anything really, though the ears seem more sensitive to touch than I'd expected, even a little uncomfortably so. Tail's annoying when I sit on it wrong and pull the hairs of this stupid butt blanket. It also twitches and moves around too much if I don't make it stay still.

"I suppose I also understand a bit better why even stallions don't worry about clothes at all. It's weird after having the human version so long, then having all my bits become completely internal when not in use. Part of me wants to say something had to go in for the tail to pop out."

Twilight snickered, still rather amused by my initial confusion about how anything worked, when we had explored the differences in my change. The ponies of Equus have all internal equipment, apart from a mare's teats. It was an experience in itself when trying to figure out where all my stuff was. Even a stallion's balls are tucked away, with the sheath having little to no visible exposure unless allowing excitement in the obvious way.

While in my unicorn form, I also found I could control whether or not I got physically aroused, regardless of how turned on I was. It was some kind of simple muscle control, not unlike human pelvic floor muscles. However, once I let it out there was no reversing things until matters were tended or negated in the usual ways.

Twilight had rather enjoyed testing how much control I had, much to my own temporary frustration. After having her fun teasing me, she also enjoyed testing the change in my equipment in every way she could think of, which had it's own new discoveries.

We were both quite surprised at how much more productive the factory was, so to speak, considering the disparities between the human average and the stallion average were not something we'd thought of until that moment. Her only actual experience with a male was with me, after all.

The rather different and internal reproductive biology also served as another reminder to me that, although there were uncanny similarities with creatures on Earth, this was still an alien world. I had come to understand there were very few species of Equus that had external genitalia of any kind, after discussing the subject with Twilight. She was surprised by what basic biology I knew from Earth.

I saw both Celestia and Luna giving me amused smirks, to which I just shrugged, arms bent at the elbow holding my hands out to the sides with a sheepish grin, "What? It's weird to go through after a lifetime of everything, uh, hanging out."

Noting my change was complete, Celestia flashed another smirk, "I can only imagine. If you're ready, we will begin the second scan."

So began almost another hour of pretty much standing in place, though this time I had to put up with Twilight teasing me from time to time, both verbal prods about how I'd acted, and suggestive motions that really only had one goal.

For the past few days now, she was trying all sorts of ways to pester me just right, and enjoying her growing power to tempt me a little much, but as much as I tried to, I couldn't keep up the attempt at a flat stare and kept cracking a smile.

"Geh, you're asking for it later, little miss playful," I said as I narrowed my eyes at Twilight after she made another suggestive move just before Celestia and Luna finished.

Then came a surprise for Twilight after trying to get me riled up when Celestia spoke in a calm tone, her posture staying calm and relaxed, giving no visible cues to match the gleam in her eye as she caught mine, "You know, Twilight, my peripheral vision is better than I think you anticipated. I saw every single thing you were doing during the scan. You attempt to entice your stallion so brazenly now. I find myself a little impressed at how you've grown so forward around him. Are you starting to explore the waters of exhibitionism? Perhaps testing if Luna and I would be interested in voyeurism?"

Celestia delivered the whole thing in the most casual, nonchalant voice I had ever heard.

Poor Twilight went straight from playful tease to wide-eyed tomato impression as her mouth fell open with a horrified look. She sank to her haunches and covered her face with her hooves and wings, looking ready to sink into the floor.

Luna let out a soft chuckle, having nothing to add after that.

"Twilight, you walked right into this one," I teased her as I moved off the platform to kneel in front of her and pull her into my arms, prompting her to hide against my chest in her fresh dose of embarrassment.

Celestia and Luna moved to one of the tables without another word to finish preparing the spell crystals that held the scan results, leaving me to comfort Twilight in her newest moment. I chose to stay in unicorn mode for now and just focused on Twilight.

They studied the results for a few minutes while preparing the copies for Twilight and I, then walked back over to us as we sat on one of the broad steps. Celestia and Luna both had mixed expressions that seemed out of place somehow, like they were thinking about something and the right way to say it.

Celestia had a look of discomfort as she met my eyes, "Vojin, now that I have had a chance to take a look at the lingering effects of the Rose Window as part of the scans we just completed, I have have both good and bad news. You had a very unusual reaction. To be honest, the way the spell reacted to you should have been impossible. It is almost like you are physically made of magic at a very basic level, rather than normal flesh and blood. Such a thing is a fundamental impossibility for a living being like yourself, so I am expecting we will discover a more appropriate explanation for this oddity in due time after studying your magical signature. Even Luna and I, for all our power, are flesh and blood beings in our physical bodies.

"As for how the spell affected you, I must confess it is one of the least desirable ways it could have happened. Not only will the additional spell we mentioned not be able to function on you, but not all of your memories in the past two months were able to settle past the Rose Window as they should have and will likely not return over time. You shall otherwise recover your displaced memories over the next month or two. Even casting it in fear as we did, had we known this was possible, we would have used a different approach. I am so very sorry for what we have done to you," Celestia lowered her head, ears back as she closed her eyes in shame, "Though there is nothing we may offer to truly make up for this, know that anything you feel you require that Luna and I can provide within reason, you have only to ask, and it is yours."

I scowled and grit my teeth as I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at either of them in that moment. Twilight moved to hug me close without a word, nuzzling me, and I just let her soothe my frustration and anger.

It was one more thing going wrong. One more weird discovery about myself. One more thing that couldn't have been predicted. I had a moment of just wishing this kind of stuff would stop happening, even as it was starting to feel almost normal with how frequent it was.

Taking a while to let myself feel it for a time, I also let the frustration bleed out of me and allowed Twilight's presence run through me, cooling and soothing me within.

Once I felt calm enough, I let out a heavy sigh and looked up at Celestia with a scowl, "What's done is done. I'm going to be kind of upset with both of you for a while, but after learning why you cast the Rose Window and everything else, I'm stuck either dwelling on it to the point of spewing vitriol, or moving on. There isn't anything I could ask for right now that I don't already have, so I'll just put that aside for another time. Like I said before...just...let me get my missing memories back, as much as I can anyway, and we'll forget it happened. I don't even want any cheap temporary gratification from yelling at you about it. That'll just make me feel more bitter in the end."

Celestia met my gaze with a pained look and nodded. We just put it aside after a moment more and moved on as Luna took over.

"We also took the opportunity to look over some of the major markers of your magical signature while we prepared your copies of the results. There are some rather curious aberrations that we will have to look further into. While this is not so unusual to see by itself, as even the most seemingly ordinary of creatures can have rather unusual traits buried within, I do not know why some of the aberrations are different between your forms. I had expected some of course, but not the ones I noticed. Perhaps it is the mixture of your unusual magical capabilities and the fact you are a human, which we are not very familiar with for obvious reasons," Luna said, looking more thoughtful for a few moments.

"Alright. I guess that could be some of the first stuff I focus on when I start studying my own signatures... Oh, before I forget, I wanted to know your opinions on what point I could start letting it be known I can do this two-legger pony thing. I realized that if Twilight needs to share her magic with me in a critical situation, it would be wise to be as prepared as possible for those critical situations. That means training under anticipatable conditions, which in turn means at least a little training in this form. On it's own, walking on these hooves I got isn't difficult, but I wouldn't say I'm ready to jump into a fight like this without some time to adapt to the changes of just the shape of my legs alone. I don't even know how much grip my hooves have compared to my feet yet, not to mention the brief experiments Twilight and I did this week seem to suggest the presence of less obvious physical differences. Things like what appears to be denser muscle mass that leaves me a little stronger, despite being physically the same size. Assuming you don't think I should keep hiding it, I might even talk with Doctor Hoofmeister about running a medical baseline or something," I said, hoping they would understand I would have to make this form public in order to train for what was to come.

Celestia gave me a slow nod, "I can see the merits in that. There is no great reason to keep this aspect of yourself hidden that I can think of. Share it as you see fit. However, I recommend keeping your Spellweaving ability hidden. While you lack the training to make much use of it, it is not an unfounded concern that your unique potential to create true artifacts of power unaided will be rather desirable for exploitation. More nefarious parties would most likely not know or account for your present inability to use your gifts, were they to become aware of you and attempt your capture.

"Had you several years to progress in your magical studies and hone your skills like a proper mage, you have the potential to go beyond most others, assuming you were not caught by surprise. You would be able to move beyond many of the standard limitations of spells and counterspells. The shields alone that you could potentially learn to create will bypass the various choices of balance others must work around, such as merging absorption and transference of power. Perhaps even energy capture and transformation in various applications.

"Luna and I have talked about this a great deal. We expect you are capable of previously impossible things with this gift. That includes being the first Spellweaver capable of engaging in live combat. The teams we have always had before require a minimum of distractions to make the most of their skills, due to the delicate nature of merging conflicting spells. You lack such hinderance. Though you have much to learn, even the basics of combat magic should allow you to do wonders. One of your trainers will be a well trusted, high level battlemage for this reason."

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, I had to keep all that in the back of my mind now.

Taking a second to let even more stuff sink in, I rubbed the bridge of my muzzle with a purple-tinged gray furred hand, then gave a small huff as my sense of constant overload grew a bit further and left me wondering at what point I would have an anxiety attack or something, as even trying to go with the flow was leaving me more nervous over time, my tone was bemused, "Ok, I'm free to share pony mode, have to hide the fact I'm a magically delicious noob, and need to try and figure out how to be the Batman of wizards in record time. On top of everything else. Yeah, no pressure."

Luna gave me a sympathetic, if somewhat confused smile, "I am unsure of the meaning to some of what you just said, but I believe you will do just fine, my friend. Do you have any further questions on these things?"

I glanced at Twilight and she gave a small shake of her head, so I looked back to Luna and shrugged, "I guess that's it for now. It should be fun to see how the girls and Spike react to...yeah, I think I'm going to stick with calling it pony mode from now on. You two aren't about to spring anything else on Twilight and I just before we leave the lab again, are you?"

There was a pause where I couldn't help but groan when I noticed both of them show a moment of surprised guilt.

Of course they did.

"Ok, so you've got something to share. It's not bad, is it?" I said with a resigned tone.

Celestia spoke in a gentle tone, "It is more complicated than such a simple definition, but there are positive aspects to share along with the unpleasant ones," she paused before continuing, "It is time for us to tell the complete picture of the Guardian of the Bearers. We could not share the rest until the Royal Summit was complete, as some of that needed to preempt our sharing more on the matter."

My ears perked forward at that, noticing out of the corner of my eye when Twilight's did the same as we both blinked. I had a moment of wondering if I'd ever grow used to the ear stuff. And as if in counterpoint, I found the odd moments of synchronicity with Twilight rather fun.

Celestia looked at Twilight and gave a quiet sigh, "I apologize for being deceptive, Twilight, but you finding that scroll about the Guardian of the Bearers was not accidental. I had placed an advanced Notice Me compulsion on it that ensured you would find it, but only thought it pure chance. It was a spell you could never have detected without actively trying to locate subtle enchantments. You had to find it and approach me about it in a certain way, just as it would nudge you to react to discovering Vojin was to be your Guardian in a certain way.

"This is part of the unique challenge to guiding future events. I knew of various ways to ensure you learned how to find your Guardian, but how events led you to him would help shape your actions along the way. And I will admit that, yes, even this present conversation is planned for certain reasons. You already know about the web of influence I utilize across Equestria and Equus. Both by my own efforts, and those of ponies and others I entrust certain tasks to."

Twilight frowned, I could feel frustration bubbling inside her, but there was a note of acceptance mixed in as well, her voice remained even as she spoke, "So what else can you tell us about the Guardian of the Bearers?"

Celestia gave us both a small smile, "The most important part is actually a relatively happy thing," she looked at me then, "Vojin, you will not be fighting alone. There will be five others joining you in due time. One Guardian for each Bearer. To act as their personal protector and help you keep them safe. While there are still many unknowns, Luna and I are certain three of them will be stallions. The other two Guardians have yet to settle between stallion or mare, leaving them more of a mystery in this regard at present."

I felt a great deal of relief flowing through Twilight when she heard her friends would have their own Guardians, and that I would not be standing alone against what challenges we might face all too soon. She wrapped her forelegs around me in a tight hug and I held her in kind as she sniffled.

Once she saw Twilight was ready for her to continue, Celestia did so, "Vojin, you were drafted into the Guard because of this. It is the reason why you now hold the title of Guardian and were made equivalent to a Colonel in rank. While we are assigning a squad to yourself and the Bearers for their protection, to be under your command when you are ready for such, it is your fellow Guardians yet to be found that truly brought about the decision. The squad we are sending you is not just for training, but a precursor and stopgap of sorts to help keep the girls safe, while giving you time for finding and confirming your fellow Guardians. I can tell you that at least one member of the coming squad appears set to be a Guardian themselves, but I do not know anything more specific than this, as there is much haze around them in our foresight."

Luna took over, a warning look on her face, "We must also impress upon you both the extreme necessity of keeping this knowledge to yourselves. There is a very high chance, should you tell the rest of the Bearers, or attempt to name a Guardian before they have been confirmed, that such will lead to the death of either Guardian or Bearer. All of your positions are precarious in events to come as it is. We have tried to guide events in favor of the Guardians, in addition to the Bearers, but the balance is fragile. Please, heed us and breathe not one word of this to your friends. If somepony makes a wrong assumption or guess before the time comes, we fear they will take action and lead themselves into further danger. After all five have been confirmed, you are welcome to tell them everything we share with you today."

Twilight and I both felt nervous from what Luna just said. We looked each other in the eye for a long moment, confirming to each other we wouldn't say a thing to the others.

Turning back to Celestia and Luna, I had a question, "Ok, so you mentioned the need to confirm each Guardian. What do you mean by that?"

Celestia gave me an unreadable look, "This is where I fear we must be more secretive again. While you can discuss what we are about to show you with her afterwards, Twilight cannot bear direct witness to what else we have to share," she looked at Twilight, "I am sorry for keeping you in the dark over this side of things, but I do not do it without good reason."

Twilight frowned, frustrated again, but accepting, "I don't like it, but I understand. Shall I meet you back at our room when you're done, Vojin?"

Before I had a chance to respond, Celestia shook her head and spoke again, "You do not need to leave, Twilight. We must take Vojin to our viewing plane. He will be one of the few mortals we show it to. I am sure you remember your own rare visits well from your time as my student, and more recent times since your ascension. We will not be long from this plane's perspective, so just give us a few minutes and we should be done. You and I can discuss other things while I show him what is necessary there."

I blinked up at her with a tilt of my head, one ear splayed sideways with the other perked, now a bit at a loss over what was happening, "Viewing plane?"

Celestia nodded, "Yes. Luna and I will also need to temporarily separate you from your physical form and carry you there, as your mortal body cannot properly withstand the journey, due to the amount of mana that flows through and around the space we shall be talking. Let us know when you're ready and we will begin."

Turning back to Twilight, I gave her a nuzzle as my tail twitched, giving her a squeezing hug, "I guess I'll be right back, or something."

"Alright. I'll be waiting," Twilight replied after returning the nuzzle.

Looking back to Celestia and Luna, I nodded, "I guess we should get to it. I'm assuming that I'm just going for a ride, so to speak?"

Celestia gave a small smile, "Just relax. You will not really notice the journey, and I expect it will appear rather sudden to you as I carry you there."

Not knowing what else to do, I just settled myself in Twilight's embrace and waited for whatever it was going to be like.

Then Celestia's horn began to glow, and a moment later the world flashed around me into an incomprehensible burst of random colors before snapping back into focus in a sea of soft glowing nothing and stars, a layer of almost-yet-not clouds meeting me as I fell over without Twilight next to me all of a sudden. I wasn't even going to question why at this point. Everything felt different, and somehow I knew time itself moved a different way here.

And the floor seemed rather soft, having thumped into it upon arrival. So there was that, too.

After picking myself up to stand again, Luna motioned with a wing for me to stand between herself and Celestia, in front of what looked to be something resembling a vast wall of TV screens, all displaying images that changed faster than I could follow. I could only tell it was various scenes containing ponies of all kinds and colors, but I had no idea what it was for yet.

Celestia spoke in a now more determined voice, beginning to wave a hoof at different points amongst the screens, seeming to direct the chaos into a new form as scenes began to solidify into things I could keep up with, "In this place, we are free of all possible spying or intrusion, so I will not mince words with you, nor will I hint around things, Vojin. I feel you will appreciate it, given the gravity of what Luna and I are about to tell you. I will also not hide the fact we will be withholding secrets about the full scope of all we know, but please allow us to guide you. Luna and I admit we made a serious error with the Rose Window spell, yet it is done and unable to be changed, and now we are hoping we have not damaged your trust in us too far. We need you to trust in us for the days ahead, though we cannot tell you exactly why.

"You are here on Equus because things have not gone as they were meant to. I must confess that we have no true knowledge of you beyond knowing you would come, considering our misinterpretations of what to expect. Even the meaning of your name was part of a series of key markers for us to recognize you, should we miss other indications. It has been surprising for us to discover what we had thought would be multiple beings has turned out to be all contained within you alone. We had been expecting a much more literal dragon for one example, despite the contrast you have turned out to be, based upon what we had seen. A peace-loving warrior dragon with red scales that would bring love and hope for the days ahead. I had even thought perhaps we would see a friend of old Styx himself. It has been an admittedly humbling reminder that despite our experience in discerning the difference between metaphor and literal in the visions we see of the future, we will always misinterpret things at times and make mistakes.

"I do not presently know how or why, but at some point in the past, around two thousand years from what Luna and I can gather, the events we now face were first set in motion. We understand enough to know that with your arrival, we have begun the long awaited divergence away from the intended course of Fate in this time period. The Bearers did not originally need their own protectors in order to defend our world. They had been fated to always endure, to be the ones that could save the day, but the danger has grown too severe and that push of Fate is being negated by unknown means. I have tried to strengthen it, but due to whatever forces are now at work, this effort has had no effect at all. Nor do we know what has changed Fate in order to bring about yourself and the other Guardians coming to defend them."

All I could do was blink at what she just said. With all that had happened during the week, I was to a point where it was getting difficult to process much else. Focusing on just listening and going with the flow, I tried to take it all in for later, if not able to deal with it right away.

She kept moving screens into new places, her probable centuries of experience with such things had her moving with speed and fluidity in her hoof gestures, all the while more and more images became clear to my eyes, at least as much as unknown faces and places could, "We know that Fate will move to push itself back on course, but the manner in which Fate corrects itself is a very severe and brutal process to those living through it.

"The Event we told you of, the one that led us to use our spell on you out of fear, the demonic plague and the circumstances surrounding it...that was the last time Fate moved to correct itself from tampering. Luna and I both fear it possible that the immense shift that has taken place will lead us into a cataclysm before this ends, as the forces at work are greater than what came before. The Event saw us wielding much of our true birthright, and it was enough to cause a great deal of harm before Equus settled itself once more. Though we succeeded in containing the consequences of The Event to the the region in which it took place, that will not be possible this time. I will show you some of the visions Luna and I have seen. Vojin, you must understand these events as much as possible, if you are to succeed in protecting Twilight and the rest of the Bearers."

If I wasn't worried enough before, I was certain I couldn't be far off by now. The two of them seemed to be laying a lot out in the open. To make it all the more difficult, I couldn't shake a certain amount of wariness because of the spell they'd cast on me for a while, maybe I would stay wary forever. Mistake or not, it was something I could not just forget had happened, even if I could forgive. For now, I would keep trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. I really did want to believe in their better intentions, even as I made sure I only gave them intentional trust. A position I detested being stuck in.

With the crazy idea of Fate going wrong as they suggested, and the rest of it, I attempted to just take it in stride because I didn't know how else to react, feeling overwhelmed again. I knew I needed time to think to really take it all in, yet no idea how much more would happen before I got the chance. I watched screens align and freeze on still images, seeing only hints here and there of anything I could recognize. There was a glimpse of Spike in one or two of them, and I noticed the one in the center right in front of me was frozen with an image of the Tree of Harmony.

Whatever I needed to learn and do, I sensed the Tree was pivotal in some way.

Luna interrupted my introspection as she watched Celestia finishing the task of preparing the visions, "My friend, what do you remember of the serial play that allowed you to learn of us while on Earth? I know you were familiar with some events, up to the Equestria Games that were held in the Crystal Empire, so you knew of fairly recent happenings."

Taking a moment to think as I folded my arms, feeling somehow compelled to keep staring at the Tree of Harmony, I replied, "The only thing about the show that seems to stand out as relevant right now is a strange crystal chest at the base of the Tree of Harmony that I never learned the purpose of. Blue thing, had six keyholes around the outside, about the size of a large pumpkin, I think. It grew after the Elements were returned to the Tree of Harmony in order for the Tree to fight off the plunder seeds that Discord planted prior to his defeat after his long reign."

Luna tilted her head with a frown, "Hmm...no such thing appeared by the Tree when the Elements were returned. Have you any knowledge of what it was for?"

I shook my head, "No. I'm pretty sure it was some deus ex machina thing for the heroes to have a way to save the day for the season finale, but whatever it was, I didn't find out before coming here."

Celestia spoke up then, "I understand your meaning. Every world, every reality, tends to have innumerable alternates following what are often very similar paths of Fate in most cases. They are at different points in the same greater common timeline, but they tend to stay similar until their unique divergences, regardless of possible reconvergences, except when influenced by those with enough power to alter the plans of Fate. Perhaps we were meant to have a similar crystal chest appear that day, if what you saw was keeping close to the intended path, but that is no more than speculation. It could have easily just been one of the arbitrary additions we have noted. There have been a number of differences between our world and what you had known, from what you have said and shared in your letters.

"However, with the state of things now, almost everything has become an unknown from what we once saw laid out in our foresight. One example, if you will forgive my using it, is that we cannot even perceive your own anticipated end, relying instead on calculations for your available time. You are shrouded after a point from our ability to see. It is the same with the Bearers. Even winning or losing the coming war, we are unable to look beyond a point in time and all becomes haze and mist. Every matter and event we have tried to perceive becomes shrouded at various points, with nothing discernible beyond around just over two years or less from your arrival. The coming war is not over by then. And the shrouding effect is growing worse, cutting off increasing amounts of what we can still perceive. At the current rate the shrouding grows, we will have no more divination or similar tools of foresight in a matter of months. Not even something as simple as looking into the next day. For the first time in our long lives since we first learned how to look into the future, we cannot see the path ahead."

It was then I realized just how nervous both Celestia and Luna were. That I saw the little twitches in their ears and faces, the way they tensed certain muscles. After so long being able to look ahead, whether in divination or scrying or other methods, to find themselves cut off from foreknowledge must be a daunting prospect.

There was still the possibility they were playing an act, but I had a sense that even if there were any hidden designs I couldn't fathom, the little cues of tension I noticed were real. And the idea that something was powerful enough to shut them down in such a way troubled me more than what they had said.

While they could be just that good at acting, as I stared at the hovering image of the Tree of Harmony, I felt a sense of knowing they were being blunt and honest in this.

Once I had a moment for it to sink in, I frowned, "Then show me what I need to know and help me prepare."

Celestia waved a hoof again and five screens with indeterminable masses of shadow with a rough pony shape moved into prominence beneath the one displaying the Tree of Harmony, "These scenes are nearly all that is left of the still accessible visions of the Guardians you must find. Luna and I discovered their presence too late into the progressing loss of foresight and these are what we found.

"At present, we know two shall be earth pony stallions, one is a unicorn stallion, and one is a pegasus of unrevealed gender. The last continues dancing between a pegasus and a unicorn, gender unknown, and dependent upon future events. Four are current or former members of the Guard. Four them have proven themselves in combat. We know there are cues to help you confirm them upon their protecting their Bearer in a certain way when you are unable to. We believe you will feel the truth in the moment you witness the act of protection suggested."

I glanced at her as my ear flicked in her direction, "What are the cues? Will I have anything solid, or just things I could potentially misinterpret?"

She nodded, "In these visions, you will get some impressions as a scene plays out. I cannot tell anything of the Bearer represented in any of them, only that one of the ponies present is the Bearer and another is their Guardian protecting them from harm. The vision of the Tree of Harmony is also critical, but I do not know what it means. In a sense, it seems to reference the Bearers in that there are six entities referenced in bursts of impression, but there is so little to go on that I cannot ascertain what it truly means.

"When you are ready to learn, you need only reach out and touch them."

My tail lashed behind me as my ears twitched between aggressive and nervous, arms unfolding as I stared at the image of the Tree of Harmony for a long moment, not knowing why it kept holding my attention so much. I would save it for last, reaching out to touch the first vision of one of the Guardians I needed to find.

The moment my fingertips touched the image, the world around me flashed.

***

I was running down an indeterminable street, surrounded by shadowy masses that had to be buildings, but after about seven feet it just faded into the shadowy haze over my head, leaving not even height for me to help identify what I was witnessing. At best, a town-style setting was my guess.

For an unknown reason, I was carrying a staff and wearing something I couldn't see, in pony mode from the feel of my ears and hooves as I charged down the street towards a vague unmoving mass I knew was a Bearer that had several dark and deadly shadows racing towards it.

A heartbeat later, I knew I wouldn't make it in time and I felt tears begin to form in my eyes at what would happen to the unknown Bearer I was racing toward at a dead sprint.

Just before the shadows reached the Bearer, another larger mass surged from around a blind corner and knocked away the first shadow with an act of raw physical power, causing it to explode into bits of dark that faded away, even as another shadow landed on the unknown Guardian and somehow I knew bit into their back before the Guardian could toss the attacker away.

As I cleared the last bit of distance, the unknown Guardian had fought and smashed at least six of the deadly shadows that seemed to attempt attacking both Guardian and Bearer alike. Each time, the unknown Guardian blocked and knocked away the attack, as though familiar with how the shadows behaved.

The vision closed as I reached them, helping finish off the attackers with my magic and the staff I bore. Words echoed through the aether across my mind in a powerful voice I couldn't place.

_ When you cannot arrive in time, they will fight off the many. _

***

I took in a sudden breath.

The vivid experience had me feeling everything as though it were real, finding myself panting and disoriented.

And somehow, I knew it was not a mere vision of a possibility at all.

I glanced at the two alicorns that were standing on either side of me, seeing their looks of shock.

"What just happened? That...that was like watching my own memory or something," I said, working to calm myself back down from the intensity.

Luna stared at me, "Vojin...you should not be able to witness these visions like that. It was only supposed to play the scene. That you experienced it in such a direct manner means the visions we found are likely glimpses of your future, and neither I nor Celestia will understand them as well as you will. We only watch the scene and can read some of the meaning contained within. You can instead experience the very emotions of the moment shown, and understand it more completely than we could ever hope to."

I felt Celestia touch her wing to my back, "This will be all the more important in your discovering the other Guardians, Vojin. When the moment comes, you will know who they are and that they are ready to protect their Bearer in full, beyond anything an assigned guard could do. More than before, I need you to proceed through each vision. I will not ask you to try and explain everything you witness, as you are the one that needs to know. Though I do hope the last of the five will make some sense to you, for we do not understand what it represents."

Nodding after a moment, I started reaching for the second vision, "This is bloody intense. Suddenly getting thrust into emergency situations right in the middle like that is overwhelming. Still...that's a small price to pay if I can keep the girls safe. Here goes round two..."

I touched the next vision and everything flashed around me again.

***

My feet pounded the stone as I went charging through a snowy night. Again, I found myself surrounded by almost amorphous buildings I could not see the details of. It felt more city-like this time, with patterns of light on the ground suggesting streetlights I couldn't see.

Somehow, I knew Twilight and several members of the Guard were not far behind me. Rainbow Dash and a few pegasi guards were in the air as well, heading our way after I alerted them.

We were all racing towards the sounds of a struggle in an alleyway, where the almost too weak tracer spell was guiding me now that I was in range. I noted something had reduced it near to nothing somehow.

Dashing around corner, I saw the dark mass of what I knew was a Bearer laying on her side, visibly injured and bleeding from a blow to the head. The unknown Guardian blocking three shadowy assailants that were rushing forward as I joined the fight with fist and force in the enclosed space.

Though there was nothing visible, somehow I knew one of the shadows stabbed the unknown Guardian before they could fully react to two attacks at once, choosing to stop the one going after the Bearer over their own safety. The unknown Guardian fell to the ground as a rush of blood began to pour out upon the snow-dusted stone. The three assailants were subdued by me in a brief melee, with Twilight and the guards just reaching us at the end of the alleyway.

The vision closed as my magic seemed to be shifting in some way as I rushed towards the Bearer and Guardian, but didn't tell me what happened to the fallen Guardian as another set of words echoed. The distant voice was like a sort of thunder in my mind, immense and driving.

_ When you are not first aware of the threat, they will give you enough time. _

***

I gasped as the vision ended without warning again, sending me through another emotional crash.

"I assume it was as intense as the first one, my friend?" Luna said after she saw I was back again.

Swallowing, I just nodded in response.

After enough time to feel ready, I went straight for the third one, determined to know.

These may all be scenes focused on moments when my friends' lives were endangered. I wanted to know where I came up short in keeping them safe, hoping I could come up with a way to avert the danger, or at least recognize the moment so I could play my part and be there for them when they needed me to be.

My awareness flashed again and I entered the next vision.

***

My vision swam as I tried to recover from the explosion, the ground rumbling and stone threatening to drop on all our heads. A quick glance around showed the others all shifting a little, informing me they were all still alive. I was holding the crumbling rock at bay, worrying how much of it I could handle as I started weaving a second physical shield into the first, acting like support beams and reducing some of the demand to just keeping the spell's shape and letting some of the pressure transfer into the ground at my feet. It was a slow process, but some earth manipulation magic was slowly shaping the rock to prevent everything above us from turning us into paste.

In the moments that followed, I recognized the blast was some kind of stunning spell, mixed with some kinetic or other effect able to cause this collapse. Somehow, it didn't knock me out like the others. If it had, this cave would have become our tomb.

The unknown Guardian snapped back to alertness, recovering well before the rest and asked where the Bearer was after a glance at the others.

I remembered a Bearer had been further ahead. In the hazy flash of events and fuzz of the vision, I recalled seeing them collapsing when the spell went off...

And a large slab of stone had fallen between the rest of us and her, cutting us off.

The moment I told them, the unknown Guardian had bellowed the Bearer's name and charged at the slab of stone. My mind of the vision seemed unsurprised as they tore through the stone, turning it to gravel at an astonishing rate.

I tried to push my magic to work faster, to solidify the stone so I could spare some effort in getting to her, but knew I needed almost a minute of fusing the stone back together before I could dare. With the enemy we were hunting in this cave, it was a painful and dangerous spot for the Bearer to be in.

In a short time, the Guardian had an opening into the rest of the tunnel and I could just see the Bearer laying on her side with a bleeding, badly broken leg and the one we had been chasing approaching her. The unknown Guardian rushed forward, wasting no time in engaging our enemy and keeping them at bay.

I was still working on the stone as the others were getting up and the unknown Guardian took down the attacker I couldn't really see from my position, the vision coming to a close.

The voice called out again, sounding like male and female together in a chorus of multitudes.

_ When you must hold back the mountain, they will rise to tear down the danger pursued. _

***

I sucked in a breath as the vision ended again, but felt like I had more of a handle on it this time.

Once I had a moment, I spoke, "I think I'm starting to get used to this. I don't know what kind of enemy we're supposed to be chasing in a cave, but I guess I need to make sure I keep earth manipulation on my magical practice list."

Celestia nodded, "If you feel a nudge to do something from these visions, I highly recommend you take it as valuable advice. They may guide you more towards how to best prepare yourself for the days ahead."

"Agreed. I've been leaning towards setting earth manipulation aside in exchange for focusing on other areas once I had enough basics done. That vision makes me think I better keep on them after all," I returned, taking a breath and letting it out again.

Reaching out to the fourth, the world flashed around me as I entered the next moment in time.

***

I was in a place of blowing wind and dust that was thick enough to be a fog. The sand stung as it peppered across my sensitive ears for a moment's awareness before sensation went dull and vague within the vision.

All I knew of my mind in the vision was wildness and fury, my whole focus fixated on the shadowy enemies I was engaged against, sword in my purple-tinged gray hand as I snarled and growled like an enraged animal. I didn't even know what I used to hit with as three strikes I made connected with three separate targets in rapid succession. I felt like I was floating in my own body, disconnected as I fought like a madman.

It was only the part of my mind separate from the vision that caught the dark mass of a Bearer sent flying several feet by a large biped, as the apparent berserker rage blinded me to it otherwise. The Bearer did not move after she landed. The part of me in the vision paid the sight no heed as I tore into the enemies before me. I couldn't understand what had me disregard everything else around but the enemies I was already fighting, and tearing to pieces with excessive violence I didn't think myself capable of.

In vague flashes only seen as I whirled this way and that, I saw another unknown Guardian, a pegasus, drop out of the howling wind between the large biped and the stunned Bearer laying on the ground. I could not see much of their fight. Somehow, the swirling wind and sand was summoned by that large biped, evidenced further by them fighting with physical blows and concentrated hammers of the swirling storm.

Just as I finished the enemies near me and turned to go after the large biped with the rather unsettling, gleeful craving for wanting to rip something else apart, I saw the unknown Guardian land a powerful strike to the biped's head with a sharp cracking sound heard over the howling wind, which then began to calm.

The vision closed as the biped fell and I heard the resonating voice of two and many again.

_ When you turn wild and ignore the true threat, they will stand against the storm. _

***

I collapsed to my knees, holding myself up with shaking arms as the vision ended and began trying to catch my breath again, unsettled down to my core by what I had just witnessed, my ears pinned to my skull.

The Bearer was protected like I expected, but what...what happened to me?

The state I was in during that vision was something I could only describe as feral. I had felt the depth of the madness that had consumed me. With how much I valued my ability to think, the very concept of completely losing my mind like that terrified me in a way I didn't quite know how to react to.

I just swallowed against a lump in my throat, having a moment of wishing I could feel Twilight holding me right now.

Luna's gentle voice broke the silence, "It is...a frightening thing to see from yourself, I know," her hoof rested against my back, "Even now, I sometimes have moments of terror that I might slip into the madness I had given myself once more. That I might have no ability to control myself and go on a rampage again."

I felt Luna move close and pull me into a hug, her voice choked with emotion, "It...it isn't easy, my friend, but it is not beyond you to overcome. You should still keep your deepest desires, still love those you care about, as I did when battling my sister. For all I raged at her, as hard as I hit, not once did I actually try to kill her. I only tried to show her I was more dominant, that I was stronger and she should submit. As painful as it is to endure, you can endure. I am entirely confident you would never hurt Twilight or your friends, no matter how wild you become for a time."

A hand held one of her forelegs a little tighter as I leaned into her embrace, knowing I needed to ask, yet not sure if I could trust their answer, "...do...do you two know what happens to cause it?"

Celestia's voice then sounded far older and more tired than I had heard from her before, as if countless burdens of knowledge were given sound and physical weight, "Not when, or why. All I can tell you for certain is, if you do not bear the events to come, Twilight will."

I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed tighter into Luna's hold, gritting my teeth.

It took longer than I would like to admit, but I fanned the fire that drove me to protect Twilight, and in a slow movement, I pulled myself to my feet, or hooves in this case. Many claim being willing to stand in harm's way for the one they loved. Few could say they knew something of what they would face before it happened and still stepped forward to meet it.

I stared at the image of the Tree of Harmony with that determination in my eyes and squared my shoulders, knowing I'd have walked through fire for Twilight in an instant. The only real difference now would be my awareness that there really was fire coming.

"No matter what, I won't let her come to harm if it's within my power to prevent... If that... If it includes giving up that much of myself to spare her whatever causes it, if I have to be some kind of damage absorber for her...I still think it's an easy choice...," my voice wavered for a moment as I settled myself, turning to meet first Luna's eyes, then Celestia's before speaking again as the weight of it settled on my shoulders, turning back to the image of the Tree, letting out a long sigh, "...this kind of burden of knowing is something you two carry all the time, isn't it?"

They spoke in unison, both quiet and solemn, "It is."

I closed my eyes and took a slow breath, nodding before opening my eyes to look at the image of the Tree again, not knowing why it seemed to give me strength, "I think I'd prefer we never mention this again, even to each other. Don't warn me or anything unless you think it can be prevented, alright? Just gonna stress me out worse if I have to focus on it. Come what may, I will protect Twilight with everything I have. If that is the price, then so be it."

I felt a wing touch each shoulder in a silent gesture of solidarity from them both.

Once I had a bit longer to settle my mind, I touched the last of the five visions and dove in.

***

I found myself running across a snow covered field just outside of town, heading for a brutal knockdown, dragout fight between the two ponies I could see tumbling around, kicking up snow and throwing hard blows. They had devolved into vicious snarls and angry shouts, rather than any coherent words.

My mind of the vision raced at how could they be trying to kill each other. The part outside the vision realized it was a Bearer and a Guardian engaged in such a heavy melee when they were just supposed to be sparring. There was a strange sense of a recent pervasive emotional pain.

Thudding blows were strong enough to be audible. A different sound rang out as one of them seemed to crack a bone with a strike, only to have it returned in the next moment by their opponent causing something to crack in reply. They fought as if they didn't even notice. I couldn't tell what tribe they were in the hazy dark masses that were their bodies in the vision, let alone what had been broken or even who it was.

I found myself stopping a short distance away as puffs of breath escaped my muzzle, ears back against my scalp in heartache, a moment from forcing them apart. Red spatters of their blood were visible in the snow all around them in testament to the severity with which they were beating each other.

Before I could move to stop the fight, the unknown Guardian pinned the Bearer at last, receiving a shouted statement full of intense grief and anger for the effort. A moment later, the Bearer was met with a shouted reply from the Guardian that made me feel stunned, though unable to hear any words.

Whatever was said, the Bearer was stunned silent by the words as the unknown Guardian collapsed at her side and began to cry, saying they couldn't bear watching their personal agony repeat for the Bearer.

All I knew was a sense of shock at what the unknown words had been, even as the strange confirmation resonated and I understood the Bearer would find her way back to health when my best effort had failed to reach her, even as she healed her Guardian in kind. The two of them cried and clung together in the bloodied snow as the vision faded.

Words again went dancing across the edges of my perception in that thunderous voice.

_ When you cannot truly understand, they will know the depth of pain in the mirror. _

***

As the vision ended, I didn't gasp or inhale as I came out of it. Instead, I could only manage a quiet sniffle, feeling a tightness in my chest. I realized after a moment that I'd been weeping from what I had felt, yet I didn't know the reason why.

"What was...that?" came all the quiet words I had, still reeling from how much sadness ran through the vision.

Celestia's voice was soft, "Vojin, do you know what happened? There is so much sorrow permeating the vision, yet we cannot tell anything of the reason for it. Nor do we know why Bearer and Guardian fight each other with such fury, only to shout at each other and start crying together right after. What did you learn?"

Swallowing as I wiped at my eyes, I turned to look at Celestia, "I don't know. I felt like...I was failing to protect the Bearer from something severe within her, despite my best efforts. I think I was trying to help her recover, for lack of any other explanation, but couldn't because I didn't understand the full weight of it in some way. I don't know what could have been devastating enough to do that to one of the girls..."

We remained quiet for a minute before any of us spoke again.

"...I had truly hoped you would be able to tell us more," Celestia said after a period of silence, "It is that vision which worries me as much as your own future. Without understanding more of it, I cannot offer you any suggestions or advice."

"I suppose it was too much to ask for us to understand everything coming our way. Whatever happens, I'll deal with it as it comes, Celestia," I said in return, looking at that last vision again.

The three of us went silent for a while longer, myself taking some time to absorb the emotion and put it away again.

Once I felt ready to continue, I spoke in a soft voice, "Is there anything else about the Guardians? I feel like that last vision of the Tree of Harmony has little to do with them."

Luna answered, "There are a few more things to know. In a similar fashion that you will bear something in Twilight's stead, so too will each of the other Guardians be enduring things for their Bearer. Many of the wounds you and the other five will likely experience shall be a trade of sorts. Instead of them being experienced by the Bearers, such will be for the Guardians to bear. This seems to be another of the changes to Fate guiding the Guardians as protectors. To an extent, you are living shields against harm that would otherwise fall upon your charges.

"That such a thing is added to the burden of what the Guardians shall be for the Bearers says a great deal about the hardships you will face, yet we are hopeful. We found only glimmers of it before our foresight was blocked, but there was some sort of change that gave all of you, the Bearers included, the power to endure much greater forces than before and remain unharmed where you might otherwise have been mortally wounded. While we do not know anything further, I suspect in time we may discover a way to armor you beyond what we presently know. Perhaps it is something drawn from your ideas brought from Earth that we will learn and put to use after we have time to study."

"I guess we really are damage sponges...," I said with a sigh, knowing I already accepted it from before, continuing on after a moment more, "Alright. Let's hope we figure out that armor thing sooner than later. Anything else I have to worry about?"

"Well...," Celestia started, clearing her throat before continuing.

That kind of lead in is never a good sign. I was already bracing myself.

"I know this will sound strange, but I do not bring it up on a whim. For the two Guardians that have yet to settle between mare and stallion, should either turn out to be a mare..."

I just started moving a hand to my face as she spoke. This one was going to give me a headache, I could just tell.

"Assuming we are victorious, as the head of the Guardians, for some reason you will be responsible for ensuring each of the Bearers has a foal when the fighting ends," Celestia finished.

All I could do was pinch the bridge of my muzzle and give a faint groan, wondering how much weirder my life could possibly become, taking a long moment of silence before I gave her a deadpan look, "You've got to be kidding..."

"I am afraid not, Vojin. This was rather clear. You need to ensure each of them bears a foal, should they not have a stallion as their Guardian," Celestia said in a dry tone that spoke to her own bemusement.

"Ok...but what if I, uh, run out of time before the end? This whole mess is supposed to last longer than I've got. Heck, we don't even know if I could give Twilight a foal yet...," I asked in a quieter tone.

Celestia blinked, giving me a confused look for a moment, then realization crossed her features, "Oh, you must not yet be aware of spells that grant compatibility between otherwise incompatible species. It might take several months at most if coming from another world is dramatic enough an issue, but we could create a compatibility spell for you. I do not know what to tell you about the timeline, however. Does anything come to mind in that regard?"

Giving the bridge of my muzzle another rub with my eyes closed, I tried to give it some real thought, an idea coming to mind after a moment, "Um, do you have artificial insemination in Equestria?"

Both Celestia and Luna gave me an odd look.

"Judging by your expressions, I guess not. Short explanation, taking sperm samples and fertilizing an egg. In or out of the womb. No sex necessary. I already know some on just how many variations there are for preservation and stasis enchantments that could be infinitely refreshed, so any...ugh...samples I create would remain viable," I said at length, giving a slight cough as all that gave me experience a small blush, the whole situation having gone so weird all of a sudden. I had a moment of questioning what could have possibly happened in my past for so much weird stuff to happen to me so much in the past two months.

Celestia thought for a bit, nodding when she seemed to finish taking that in, "Hmm...I believe that answers the question then. I...I am sorry to remind you of your condition like this, Vojin."

I just waved her off with a huff, "It is what it is. I'll deal with the here and now so I don't go crazy over stuff that isn't here yet. I'm partly still expecting one of you to say 'gotcha' about the whole bloody idea of ensuring all the Bearers have a foal after this mess. Twilight and I haven't even really talked much about that stuff yet. Geh...still, while we're on this side of things...do you two think the Guardians will also be romantic interests? The whole thing about giving the Bearers a foal makes me wonder."

Luna stretched her wings for a moment before answering me, "Tia and I have both considered such, and there is certainly nothing to discount the possibility. Such attachment would be quite conducive to the Guardians being more driven to protect their Bearers. You can already speak for how it drives you to protect Twilight. If that is the case, it will certainly settle the issue of foals, if the Guardians all want to give them one, does it not?"

That made me snort in amusement, smirking as I saw both of them gain wry grins themselves. I felt better after that, as small a moment as it was. It seemed we needed a moment of levity after all that had happened since we got to this place.

Taking a deep breath and letting it go, I looked at them, "Ok. Was there anything else about the Guardians I need to know? I might actually lose my bloody marbles if you tell me I suddenly have to plan for a song and dance routine or something."

Celestia gave me a small smile and shook her head, "No, there is nothing else to know with the Guardians that I am aware of right now. The vision of the Tree of Harmony is something else entirely. It is also a true vision, unlike most of what Luna and I learn through our divination spells. After everything else, I suspect it was meant for you to see most of all. This is the last matter we must attend before we depart the viewing plane."

"It's certainly been an interesting visit. Come what may, I'll do the best I can in the days ahead," I returned, eyes landing on the image of the Tree of Harmony again.

I started to move my hand towards the last vision, unsure what I would see from the image of the Tree that had kept giving me strange feelings.

When everything around me flashed, it was not like the visions of the Guardians.

...

I stumbled as I dropped a bit, like I'd teleported somehow, and looked up at the gleaming crystalline form of the Tree of Harmony standing tall and proud before me.

All around was somehow alternating at random between pure colors of every kind. Each one filled everything around without form or deviation, seeing no difference between the space above me right down around the indistinguishable surface my hooves were planted on. If I turned my head or blinked, the color of the world around me changed with suddenness.

There was no noise, even when I tried to make some. Not even ringing in my ears or hearing my own blood from the absence of sound. Absolute silence.

All that was present in this unsettlingly still place was myself and the Tree of Harmony, with six strange orbs I couldn't quite make out the look of hovering before it.

Then sound came at me like a force of nature.

_ Catalyst. _

I stared at the Tree in shock and took a step back as my ears went flat to my head, startled at the sudden appearance of the voice from the earlier visions. An immense presence now accompanied the thunderous sound of a male and female speaking as one, both a single pair and a collection of countless thousands at the same time.

_ When the time comes, you shall bring these things into creation. _

Swallowing, I looked at the Tree of Harmony as it pulsed with the words. The voice was overwhelming as it resonated and echoed like lasting thunder from a storm.

_ Gaze upon them and remember. Without them, all shall be lost to the hunger that has no end. _

I then watched the six orbs moving about for a moment before one moved into prominence.

As I looked at the one that rose, I saw both sand and soil, water and stone at the same time I somehow felt vast mountain ranges, oceans and rivers, expansive tracts of land and water. Even planets, stars and nebulae in the vast void that stretched beyond imagining. Part of my mind realized I was looking at matter itself.

_ Substance _

The next orb moved into prominence as the first fell back, brimming with leaves and fur and feathers. I felt endless forests and grassy fields, swaying seaweed and schools of fish, herds of countless animals running and flocks of countless birds flying. The essence of the spark of life and everything we say is alive.

_ Soul _

The orb of living things returned and the next rose. It was even stranger than the first two, seeming to have a lensing effect around the edges of something that was there and not there. I felt...direction and position, pull and push. Another moment, my eyes widened again as I realized I was somehow looking at the very fabric of spacetime itself.

_ Foundation _

The orb that was the fabric of reality returned, allowing another strange orb to rise into prominence. This one looked to be made of stormclouds, lightning, fire, crashing waves and rumbling earthquakes. In the part that was beyond sight, I felt volcanic eruptions, pounding hurricanes, even an exploding star and a black hole crossed my awareness.

_ Force _

As the essence of natural forces withdrew, a ball of twinkling lights moved into place. In it, I could see all infinity and single instants together. Motion and governing. A guiding force of all that is. A thousand individual lights glittered within, performing in the manner and order they were meant to. That which allowed events to happen.

_ Time _

As the orb of Time pulled back, the last came forward.

It was the most enigmatic, glimmering with a thousand colors at once, yet at the same time it exuded a purity in a way I could not truly fathom in it's entirety. It was energy and sparks of power at the most basic level. Then the feel of it crashed over and through me.

I was able to see, hear, touch, smell, taste, and feel laughing beings, anger and sadness, boundless memories gained in life, what defined learning, the meaning of dedication to a purpose, first times with a true love, that which defines us all at our deepest core.

My pounding heart threatened to leap out of my chest as I felt like I was just a moment away from being subsumed by all I knew in that moment of looking at the last orb. I could feel the essence of myself spreading out into what I witnessed, feeling myself drifting away from all sense of self as I bore witness to a pure expression of sapient experiences, of living and loving, death and rebirth, and all that came with being alive and beyond.

_ Spirit _

When the orb of Spirit returned to the drifting circle with the rest, and the feel of it's essence left me, I collapsed without even knowing I was falling until I had already stopped.

My body was trembling, limbs weak as I moved with agonizing slowness until I managed to sit up once more, taking at least a minute to manage such a simple motion after what had just washed over me. As far as I could tell, I was granted time to recover from the experience.

And then the booming voice of two and many thundered once more.

_ You shall complete their creation when the time comes. Continue preparing yourself and you shall be ready on that final day. _

I felt a need to speak as the voice paused, now managing to get myself to a knee as I looked up at the orbs and the Tree of Harmony, not knowing if something changed in this place to allow me to make sound, if it was an illusion of my mind, or if this entity now allowed me to speak, or even all three, "What are you? Are these orbs representations of the Bearers?"

_ We shall not answer the what of ourselves as you are. In this place you are as close to our whole presence as you can withstand in a mortal existence without subsuming in our power. It is in this place you may understand our words with certainty. _

_ These are not the Elements of Harmony. That which we have shown you does not yet exist in the manner needed. Your Bearers have their necessary role to play. _

_ Remember those defenders we have shown you before your coming here. Each provides unique support to their Bearer. They shall bring them strength in ways they will need in the days to come and our plans after. Their destinies shall now turn to our service, and the first shall come to you soon. They are the embodiments of Endurance, of Abundance, of Absurdity, of Faith, and of Devotion. _

_ Trust in your royal sisters, for they will do you no harm beyond their one error. They hold your needs and opinion closer to heart than you yet know. You may rely upon them in unreserved faith without fear. _

_ Speak not of this experience to them. You shall tell them and the foal of Magic only that you must remain silent on all you have learned here. _

_ Above all else, know that if even one Bearer is lost, so too shall all else be lost. _

_ Protect your Bearers until the end, so they may in turn protect all others. _

_ We shall always watch over you, embodiment of Potential. _

...

Without further warning, I found myself back in the lab and gasped as I shot up, or tried to as Twilight yelped and clung tighter. My heart was racing as I began trying to catch my breath, getting a grip on Twilight in return, gulping down air as my vision swam. I only had a vague awareness Twilight was talking, feeling her emotions in a near panic.

As everything raced around in my head and I began to get a grip on where the bloody hell I was in reality again, my eyes locked on Twilight and felt an overpowering urge to kiss her.

I captured her head in my hands and met her lips with intensity, feeling strange tingles that whispered something to me that I couldn't make out with any clarity. All I knew of the moment was the sense that I would kiss her again when we found ourselves in a reversed position. I had no idea what it meant.

My capacity to grasp where I was finally returned as the kiss ended, almost like I'd drained away an interference, seeing Twilight wearing a somewhat silly expression and a bit breathless. I blinked for a second as I took in her expression, a soft chuckle escaping at her dazed look, "Uh, good kiss I take it?"

She blinked once, then twice, then on the third blink she shook her head before locking her eyes on mine with a satisfied grin, "I wish you could do that more often! That kiss was loaded with magic, Vojin! Bursting with a kind of pure magic I've never even felt before! I don't know what just happened for your eyes to be glowing like that or your body to have so many tiny lightning bolts run over your skin or those tingles or everything I felt from you, but after that kiss... I somehow just know you're ok and I don't have to be scared for you like I was. Just...I love you. I love you so very, very much."

As she wrapped me up in a tight embrace I returned with a warm smile, I had a moment to get lost in it before catching sight of Celestia and Luna staring at me in shock again. I had a moment of wondering if I was developing an inadvertent habit with that.

After a pause to relish Twilight's embrace again, I looked between them and ventured a question, "So, uh...I take it that wasn't supposed to happen either?"

Celestia worked her jaw for a moment before speaking, "You...you vanished from our viewing plane without Luna or I deciding it. Vojin... What have you seen?"

I frowned at that, looking off to the side. I had been commanded not to tell them about what I experienced in that strange place where the Tree of Harmony or whatever it was had spoken to me.

There was no way I wanted to start making up lies in front of Celestia and Luna, even less so with Twilight, and not just because she'd know if I was lying to her just because my emotions would give me away.

Lacking any other apparent options, I decided to stick to simple bluntness as I responded in a firm voice, "I need to stay silent about that. I'm sorry I can't tell you, but you will just have to trust I have good reason to keep what happened to myself," I looked Twilight in the eye with another frown, "That means you too, Purple Angel. May I have your trust in this?"

Celestia and Luna seemed to scowl with indignation, but there was no immediate argument. It looked like they were either going to leave it at that or catch me another time. Or maybe they were gathering their thoughts. I didn't know.

Twilight though, she just frowned a little before nuzzling my cheek, "If you need to stay silent about whatever happened, I trust you have a reason, and that's enough for me. There is nothing I wouldn't trust you with, my stallion."

Luna spoke up after a moment more, her voice a bit tense, "My friend...if you truly need to hold this to yourself, I will not argue. If we are to show that you may trust us, then we must be prepared to grant you trust in equal measure to what we wish from you. I will admit my dislike of it, but I will not press."

Celestia echoed her sister, "I concur with Luna. Vojin, will you at least promise to speak with us about it should you feel you are able to in the future?"

"That much I can do. I promise I will tell all of you if I think I can speak of it down the road. It's hard enough for me to grasp what happened as it is," I replied at length, taking time to select my words with care. I didn't know why the voice from the Tree of Harmony needed my silence, but I was not in a position to argue, let alone understand everything that took place.

After a small pause, I spoke up again from something that had been nagging at me most of this week, "Not we've got that out of the way, um... Celestia, Luna...uh, I'm not really sure how to put it, or if maybe it's just the stress of taking in everything that's been happening in such a short span of time, but... Well, I can't stop thinking it once it registered in my thoughts. For some reason, the more I'm around you two, the more oddly familiar you are in a way. It's really subtle, but it's there in the little things, little mannerisms I have noticed in the two of you that are so familiar to me in some way."

Both of them looked at me in thought, glanced at each other, then Luna spoke with a careful nod, "My friend, my sister and I actually spoke of this with each other just last night. It is something we have also noticed. A strange, subtle familiarity that escapes clear definition, yet continues to linger in our interactions with you. I do not know what it is from, for we have never met you before your arriving on Equus two months ago. I do admit it is a pleasant thing to have between us."

I arched a brow in thought, "Huh. Well, at least it is a nice little extra."

To my surprise, I noticed Twilight turning pensive as her emotions shifted, leaving me wondering why she was getting nervous. With a nudge, she gave me a tense little smile and leaned closer, looking to be gathering her thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I just thought of something I wanted to ask them," Twilight half whispered to me with a nuzzle, then raised her head to look at the Princesses, "Um...I need to know something I haven't been able to figure out."

Celestia looked at her with a calm smile, "And what would that be, Twilight?"

Twilight looked at me again, then the floor for a long moment before she found her voice, keeping her eyes on the floor, "Vojin died after the timberwolf attack. By all accounts, I...I should have lost him that day," she sniffled and looked up at Celestia, "How did he live through his body f-failing? I can't let it go without knowing what let him stay with me, how his presence seemed to rest inside me until his body was healed enough to support him again."

I tightened my arm and nuzzled her at that. She had moments where she started worrying about it again. Kept telling me she wanted to know if it was something she did, in case I needed her to carry me like that again.

Celestia blinked as she looked between Twilight and I, then gave her a warm smile, "You shared a piece of each other's soul when your link formed. In the process, I believe it has given you both the capacity to carry each other's spirit for a time, provided you remain physically close by. It is possible you are able to do it without any effort, though it might have also been something you did without realizing it. This is something I can only make an educated guess about, as I only have a limited amount variables accounted for. Assuming you remain in close proximity, it is quite possible you can do it again, though let us hope you never need to test it."

Twilight squeezed closer to me and lowered her head to my chest, my free hand moving to hold the side of her head as I felt her settling down again. Despite things having worked out, that day gave her a couple nightmares. Luna had visited her dreams to quell them, and the mornings after she had them were sniffles and comforting until she calmed again.

When I felt she was calm again, I caressed her cheek as she held her head against my chest, figuring she was listening to my heartbeat like she often did when worried about me in some way, "Feel a little better now?" Twilight gave a small nod from her position, turning it into her cheek rubbing against my chest as she took a calming breath, content where she was.

"My friend, we have been here for some time now and it nears the hour of lunch. Have you anything else you wish to inquire upon?" Luna asked.

Taking a second to search my brain, there was something that came to mind. I hadn't been able to make sense of it and it had been nagging me more and more almost since breaking the Rose Window.

"There is something that's been bugging me," I replied as I started pondering it again, "Something about the orb that brought me here. From what I've been able to sort out from my magical studies, I've been left wondering because it doesn't add up and I don't believe in coincidences. With how powerful the artifact was supposed to be, even with the unintended dimensional jump, it would have still been locationally accurate on Equus, right?"

Luna gave a slow nod, curious, "That is correct. Why do you ask?"

"If it was supposed to bring the target to the castle...," I returned, confused by what was supposed to be a straightforward function of the orb based on what I'd learned.

"How did I wind up in the sky over Ponyville? And with perfect timing for Twilight to catch me?"

***

Twilight and I, myself back in regular human form, were walking through the castle to meet with the girls before we left for the train station after a quick lunch. We'd been in the lab longer than expected.

What was weighing on both of us now was discovering Celestia and Luna had managed to miss that one fact in the face of everything else that had been happening. They said they would spend some time studying the expended orb, but it was unlikely to offer much insight as it burned itself inert when fulfilling it's purpose. They didn't know how it could have been so far off.

It was one more question without an answer right now.

As we passed a view of Canterlot, I blinked as I came to a stop, finding myself moving over to the window as sudden curiosity came over me.

"Twilight...what is that big thing off in the distance?" I asked, pointing at what looked like a large swollen form at the far edge of the city's immense platform. While I could only speculate from here, based on how it compared to the buildings, it had to be immense, and an unknown amount of its bulk was hidden behind the edge of the platform, the ends just starting to curve back towards the middle again. What I could see of it's gasbag was covered in elegant white and gold designs, and had to be at least several city blocks long.

She moved next to me and replied after a moment with a faint smirk, "You mean the Bastion-class airship? If I remember correctly, the Glory of Dawn was supposed to be stopping in Canterlot for something. They do tend to catch your attention when you see one for the first time. What do you think of one of the flagships of the Equestrian Navy?"

"It reminds me a little of aircraft carriers and battleships back on Earth for some reason. All I really get from it right now is size though. They have a mix between heavy spell cannons and flier support, right?"

"Yes, though the flier support is secondary. They're colloquially called floating fortresses. I'm not much of a fan of airships, but I can't help the sense of pride I get when I see one. No other nation on Equus has anything like the Bastions. And we have six," she said in a proud tone and a smile.

My mind started running through things I started to realize I couldn't remember, frowning in thought, "How big is the crew on those things?"

Twilight paused for a moment, "Just over 2300 ponies, if I remember it right. You're bothered by something. What's on your mind?"

I glanced at her before looking back out at the city, starting to look at the size of the platform, "I just sort of realized I can't remember some basic facts. I'm sure I would have looked and remembered something as simple as the population of Ponyville or Canterlot."

"Well, Ponyville has a current population of 487, counting you. Canterlot's population is 19,820, as I recall. I know you learned that before. Some of your displaced memories?" Twilight asked in a soft voice.

All I could do was frown for a moment, running a few things through my head and feeling frustrated at stuff I know I'd have learned being found absent, "Yeah, I think so. It's just simple stuff, but I always liked picking up those little facts. While we're here, what is Equestria's population and land area?"

Twilight hummed for a second, "I believe the last census placed us around 316 million Equestrian citizens, mostly in small towns spread across the country. Land area is 3.63 million square miles."

I blinked at the size, it put Equestria almost at the same size as China, "Huh, well, how about the available space on Equus? What is the diameter of this planet?"

Twilight had a faint smile at getting to recall facts and figures, "The liveable area we have, including oceans, is approximately 1.634 billion square miles. Though that is mostly an educated estimate as we don't have the means yet for taking a more accurate measurement, due to the storms constantly shifting over time at the edge of the world, making it more of the accepted number, rather than a fixed measurement. Celestia and Luna are the reason we know this much, as there is a fair bit of the world still unexplored. The diameter of Equus is 101,294 miles. How does our world compare to Earth in size?"

All I could do was stare at her for a second as the numbers went around my head. For whatever reason, I remembered Earth figures just fine, responding after a moment to collect myself, "Twilight...uh, that's more than eight times the surface area of Earth, and there aren't any areas covered by permanent storms. Your planet is larger than the biggest one in Earth's solar system. Jupiter is only 86,881 miles in diameter. Earth itself is just 7,918 miles. I'm not even going to question the state of planetary gravity. Um, I think I'll ask one more and stop so we can get going. What is the world population of Equus currently? Earth was roughly around seven billion, last I'd checked."

"It's estimated that the various races combined would total up to more than eleven billion. We don't really know for certain, since it takes so long to get from one side of the world to the other, and there are a number of countries we just estimate because they never share population numbers. That's also not including the Farlander Clans because they refuse to let visitors very far past their borders, so we don't know anything about their population beyond what they choose to share," Twilight replied as we started walking again.

"Farlander Clans?" I asked, curious as I filed things away.

"The Farlander Clans are a large collective of rather secretive dragon clans that live in a wide band of space at the edge of the world between the storms and the other races of Equus. They have spoken about some sort of unstudied capability to grow gems like plants with the energy of the storms and are very self-sustaining. They only trade out of curiosity, rather than any need. We know less about the Farlanders than other dragons, which kind of says something when there isn't much known about dragons to begin with. They're very insular, but even though they're known to be more well-mannered than most dragons, they also guard their borders more jealously. They trade and talk readily enough with travellers that obey their limits, but they don't take any other incursions well at all. Among scholars, what little information is available is pretty common knowledge partly because there's so much mystery surrounding them," Twilight stated, bordering on lecture mode as her eagerness to educate swelled.

I paused in my thoughts for a second and realized I wasn't going to remember much more if I didn't take time to absorb everything I'd experienced of late, "I think I better just stop the conversation there or going to go in one ear and out the other. We can geek out about facts and figures later, after I have some time to absorb everything that's happened. I honestly feel like I'm on the verge of developing a nervous tic, Twilight. We've had so much happen so fast this week, and that was after it got kicked off with our finding out about my pony mode, time limit, and other discoveries, then that day finished off with breaking out of a Rose Window spell and all the confusion that brought. And with what I just learned and experienced in their lab..."

More and more, I felt like I was closing in on a meltdown of some kind. I was very much looking forward to the coming week being far more quiet and dull.

One of Twilight's wings curled around my waist for a moment as we walked, concern radiating from our link and in her voice, "I know it's been a lot. I also know whatever you saw that you feel the need to keep secret on has left you a lot more nervous than you were before, despite how well you keep it hidden inside. I'm a little overwhelmed after this week as well. Wanna just snuggle up in bed when we get home and have a couple of lazy hours to talk, vent, or even misbehave before we get to sleep?"

Seeing her flash me a sly look, I felt myself smirk as I brushed my fingers through her mane, "Sounds like a plan."

Not long after that, as we stepped outside and headed towards the others before leaving to catch the train, I found myself stopping at an odd feeling of being watched.

I turned my head to look off to the left and caught a glimpse of feathers, black and white of what had to be separate owners, vanishing behind the edge of a castle wall. The small size precluded a pegasus or gryphon, but I couldn't shake the sense whatever it was had been watching me a moment before I looked.

With a curious contemplative feeling about the occurrence that was far too strange to be random birds, I moved to join Twilight and the rest getting into the carriage.

There were so many things leaving me with even more questions. All I could do for now was move forward with what I knew, and hope answers started finding me faster than new questions soon.