11/8/2015 New attitude and a Bygone freaks out

Mirage Moon sat in front of the train station as his ears twitched slightly; hearing the horn blow. He had to report back to Luna of his findings as well as get this book to his secret library that very few ponies even know about. Mira stood up as the train came to a screeching halt and the doors opened in front of him. He made his way into the train and found a seat in the middle of the train as it seemed to be empty and it would make for the perfect place for him to study his book, before he got back to Canterlot. He jumped up into a nearby cushion against a window as he pulled his satchel out and pulled out his new book that had the strange ancient symbols on the cover of it. He flipped it opened and began to study each symbol of the first page carefully just as the whistle for the train sounded once more and started to move.

Bygone Specter was a little unnerved with the whole 'Miss Mist Guard wanting to hurt Miss Applejack' thing. He'd run back to his cart and all but drowned himself in emotions he'd stored in the heart prototype. Of course most of it was affection from said guard, but it got the foul taste out of his system. Thus he found himself on the train platform not too long later. Why? Well; he figured he'd head up to Canterlot and check up on his friends if he could find them. Mister Mira he'd not heard from since he first met Miss Mist! He wandered through the train-cars and eventually spied a familiar pony. He almost broke the door he clambored in so fast. "Hi!" he cheerfully quipped as he hopped up onto the seat across from the unicorn. Yay - He already found one of his two friends and he hadn't even made it to the city yet!

Mirage Moon ears twitched slightly as the door was almost busted down. He lifted his eyes from his book; only to see a small unicorn foal staring into his eyes, "Um...o-oh hi, Bygone. How is it going?" He asked, before setting his book inside the satchel and looking back up with a smile. It was an oddly warm smile something Mira his self never did...he was smiling? Mira looked to By and then to the door where he basically crashed through, "My, By ya should watch that excitedness." He said, before turning back and patting Bygone on the top of his hat.

Bygone Specter was about to speak up before he saw that smile. Whaaaaaaa?! Who was this pony and what did they do to Mister Mira!?! The foal stared perplexed at Mira for a few moments longer and then his head just tilted to the side until it was at a 45 degree angle. He almost forgot to reply to anything the unicorn said! He was in shock! Were all the ponies around him going crazy?! The foal bounced back, however, and scuffed a hoof. "Weeeell, a lot has been going on... I made another friend aaaaaaand was interrogated by the element of honesty...." he'd say as he scuffed a hoof on the chair he sat upon.

Mirage Moon looks to By as he scowled slightly a bit taken aback to his actions. He shook his head and sighed, before smiling again and listened to his friend explain things, "Oh!?!" His ears perked, "A new friend? That is good. I am happy for you." He said warmly, before tilting his head to the young foal as he explained about the element of honesty, "Oh...Applejack? She means no harm I am sure it was all for a good reason." He told him, before returning his head back to it's normal position and sitting up straight. Mira turned his head to look out the window as he saw the city coming into view and off in the distance was the castle it's self they were almost there. He grabbed his satchel and took the strap around his neck as he looked to By, "Well almost home. If you wouldn't mind we can continue our conversation, but I do have to see my dear moth and teacher first." He said...another weird thing since he never openly talked about Luna that way in the past.

Bygone Specter goes all but wide-eyed as Mira continued to act totally out of character! It confused the poor foal to the point that he had to hop over to Mira's side and try to get a hoof to the unicorn's forehead! It was a rather amusing endeavor. "Are you feeling okay? Curses? Enchantments? Your not acting like yourself!" he' say as blunt as only a foal could be. He'd even said he was 'happy for him'! And then... Applejack meant no harm and had a good reason?! And then the way he spoke about Luna with such... not-cold-ness! What the... The string of mental expletives that followed would make a guard blush. He learned them from guards for them most part anyways!

Mirage Moon blinked a few times as his young changeling in disguise friend bounced over to his side and tried to place a hoof on his forehead is what he assumed, but he could only reach his chest as he sighed at the foal. Mira chuckled shortly after, "Why...what in Equestria do ya mean? I am in perfect health and high spirits. I found a good book at the ruins is all...no need to fret so much, my dear best friend!" He finished with a hoof going to By's head and under his hat as he rubbed By's head. Soon the train pulled into the station and the familiar screeching of the train on the tracts coming to an halt was heard, before the conductor announced that they were in Canterlot now. Mira jumped to his hooves as it nearly pushed By off, but Mira's crimson magic illuminated around By's body and held him suspended in mid air.He smiled as he looked to the levitating foal, "Come on, By! We have to go so we can play or what ever it is you want to do after I speak with mommy dearest!" He exclaimed as he took off and exited the train with a gallop as poor By levitated in his magic behind him until they were off the train.

Bygone Specter was wide eyed and almost terrified! Mira was.... acting like a pony?! What the, how, when, why? Did he get under a curse that made him nice?! Did such a thing even exist?! The foal eeped as he was suddenly picked up in Mira's magic and then Mira spoke again to the point he started squirming. They needed to find Luna indeed! He liked the new not-so-cold Mister Mira but it still terrified him! Soon as they were out of the train though he was let go and crashed down face-first onto the platform. "Oooowwww..." he whimpered from where he was.

Mirage Moon jumped down from the plat form and looked around. Oh how he did miss the city, but at the same time wish he could of been gone longer due to his studying and the ruins...well the ruins with the hidden chamber that is now blocked off due to the cave-in. Mira looked around more and didn't notice By so he poked his head back up onto the platform and saw him laying down, "By!" He shouted as his horn lit up again and the magic surrounded By pulling him to his hooves, before letting him go, "This is no time for a nap! Come on there is work to be done! Off to the castle!" He exclaimed excited as he pointed his right fore hoof towards the castle.

Bygone Specter eeped once again as he was placed up on his hooves. He then took one look at the almost bouncingly excited Mira before he gave a cry and ran of towards the castle at an almost blistering pace. "Lunaaaaaaaaaaa" would be the cry as he simply ran for the castle so fast some might think he had teleported if it weren't for the comical cloud of dust! If a guard stopped him he'd show them that pass the princess gave him! He just needed to get to the one pony around here he knew might be sane still! How funny it was this strange sudden change in Mira scared him more than the geas did! He hardly even stopped at the castle gates as he ran right for the throne room since that would be where the alicorn would be!

Mirage Moon blinks a few times as he watches By race off towards the castle. He nodded and smiled as he would trot after him, "That's the spirit, Bygone!" He called after his young friend. Mira raced passed the guards as they gave him a quick salute that he mostly ignored when he passed them. He made his way through the castle gate and into the long hall way connecting to the throne room. By seemed to of already be in the throne room though as the doors were left opened and the little changeling seemed to be in a panic. Mira wondered why as he gripped his satchel and trotted into the throne room his self; bowing as he entered it, "Dear, Princess...I have returned from the ruins you had sent me to." He announced as he entered.

Princess Luna was indeed where they thought her to be, sitting on her sister's lavish throne. She was, for a moment, unfocused on the world. Her mind was elsewhere, mulling over the scene that had happened between her and Mist, as well as the mask she had retrieved from Bygone. Moreso on the mask. It was locked away safely within a spelled chest, but she couldn't shake the eerie, dark aura that she'd felt around it. It was dangerous. If she was fool enough to put it on, what if it cast her back to Nightmare Moon that was? The idea made her shudder, and she was granted reprieve from her wandering, intrusive thoughts as a certain foal came bursting into the throne room. "Bygone!" Luna greeted in mingling surprise and welcome. Her surprise was to only grow as Mirage entered soon after him. There seemed to be something.. different about him, or at least he'd never greeted her like that before. "Ah, Mirage! I am glad to see your return after this past fortnight. How were the ruins?"

Bygone Specter practically bolted across the throne room and dove behind Luna's throne. "Mira's gone crazy! He's being all cheery, and...and excited, and nice! I don't know how to deeeeeal with iiit!" the little changeling cried as he hid behind the throne. The geas didn't even make a single sound as focused on his terror of the strangely acting Mira as he was! Why the tartarus was he scared of a cheerful Mira?! It just freaked him out so much for some reason!

Mirage Moon lifted his head up with a smile, "Oh, yes! It was quite...erm...eventful! To say the least I found a book there, but as for anything else...well it was absent of life to put it simply...void of all, but the rates that scampered around and hid when they saw me." He explained, before walking up to the throne and stopping as he peered to where Bygone would be hiding, "Oh, Bygone...what am I going to do with you?" He chuckled, before looking back to Luna, "Geesh he is acting like it a crime to be happy. Mother maybe you can talk some sense into him?" He suggested as he held up the satchel and moments later his horn lit up as the satchel opened and out levitated the book he found and brought all this way, "See this the book I found. It's called the Fall of the darkness." He explained as the ancient language would probably be hard for Bygone to read more so than Luna her self, "From what this says the book was written over fifty milleniums before Equestria was formed!" He said excitedly. He looked down for a moment and sighed, "Unfortunately I can not find out if there is anything else to be had there. This book was found in a sealed off area underneath the castle. I only found it by mere chance cause the illusion that sealed it away was weakened to some extent. What ever hid that chamber away though had to possess some powerful magic for it to be hidden for so long." He said, but then his ears lowered a bit, "The ruins are no more the chamber I found this book in collapsed I was barely able to make it out, before it was entombed...I-I am sorry, mentor." He told her sadly and let out a sigh.

Princess Luna could only sit in a shocked silence as Bygone streaked across the room and behind the throne, babbling about Mirage's odd behavior. She didn't know what he meant, not until Mirage himself started talking to her. Bygone had been right, her student was awfully cheery, which was very unlike him. He was usually very grumpy and sullen. Luna held her silence, letting the unicorn talk on while she gathered her slightly scattered thoughts. "My sister and I were the ones responsible for building that castle. We had help, of course, but it was to be our home for when we were first crowned princesses. I know little of that book, other than its existence.. If it was sealed away it may have been Starswirl the Bearded's doing, or my sister's, but I know not why. Perhaps simply because it is very old, which makes it a precious and ancient artifact." Luna finally spoke up, her brow furrowed slightly. "I must say, though it is not a bad thing to be happy.. this new attitude is very unlike you, Mirage, but welcome to see you in such good spirits. Is there any reason as to why that is?"

Bygone Specter perked up, quite happy that he wasn't the only pony finding Mira's behavior to be extremely out of character for him! He peeked out from behind the throne, pushing his hat back up straight. He looked in the direction of the book that Mira was showing and just saw a bunch of squiggles on the cover. He had no idea what it said! But the title was really foreboding! Why did finding a book with such a foreboding title make Mira so cheerful?! He was rather confused he was....And overwhelmed by his normally rather sullen friend's cheerfulness!

Mirage Moon looked up to Luna as she approached and simply nodded as she explained about the castle and the book. Mira then took a step back and frowned at her next question...no it wasn't a question per say it was more like an interrogation, "Oh...well I don't know it happened when I left Bygone and a Pegasus that was hassling the poor little guy. I decided to go back and thinking I missed something I went back to the castle and discovered the unexplored area and this book. Then I just don't know...I guess finding something that seemed to be tied with my past made me a bit cheerful." He explained, before looking over the book; a faint flicker in his eyes as they turned black as darkness for a moment, before returning to their normal crimson hues.

Princess Luna peered down at Mirage appraisingly while she listened, trying to discern if there was anything otherworldly about his change. There.. didn't seem to be, as far as she could tell. "This is understandable enough. Such things are capable of lifting one's mood. Come on out, Bygone, it is safe." Luna replied, aiming the latter towards the little changeling behind the throne. Her tone was light and a ghost of a smile crossed her face as she turned back towards Mirage. "I am glad that something came out of going to the old ruins, and that doing so helped you." Luna finished, peering curiously down at Mirage. She was sure, just a moment ago, that a shadow had passed over his eyes, but she couldn't be entirely sure.

Bygone Specter flicked an ear and looked briefly at Luna... She said everything was okay? Even if the geas made him scared of her he did trust her! he tentatively stepped out from behind the throne and made his way to the side where he could look between them.... He turned to the almost scarily cheerful Mirage before starting to speak and... Oh stars Mira's eyes turned black for a moment! "Aaaaah; he's possessed! I knew it! Black eyes - Black eyes!" he'd cry as he bolted from the throne room in a cloud of dust.

Mirage Moon stared at Bygone as he called him possessed and ran right past him and out the door, "Um, By..." He tried, but it was no use as he was gone. Mira sighed and looked to the floor. He looked up to Luna with tears in his eyes, "Oh, mom...i-it's just like before...my friends are abandoning me all over again." He cried out as he all of a sudden hugged Luna and buried his face into her chest to hide his tears as he recalled all the times before he tried to make friends, but they didn't last and sooner or later he was always left alone.

Princess Luna's coaxing didn't work out as well as she hoped it would, but at least she now knew it wasn't her eyes playing tricks on her. Bygone threw tact out the window by fleeing the room after the sight they'd both witnessed.. and only ended up upsetting Mirage. She moved towards her student and circled a foreleg around his shoulders in a comforting gesture. "He may still be on edge from your change in mood. I will talk to him, when I get the chance, and I do not think Bygone is the type to so quickly abandon his friends. He himself is an outcast from his hive." Luna murmured. "He will come back around."

Mirage Moon pulls his self from her and nods as he wipes away his tears, "...Y-yeah...you're right." He said as he turned away from his mentor and looked towards the floor; where his satchel dropped after the outburst he just did. Mira used his magic and brought it back to him as the same happened to the book, "Well...I think I should go back to my personal library and put this in the sealed room you helped me seal to protect the dark books I possess." He said as he tucked the book away and closed the satchel, before turning and giving a quick bow to Luna. He then turned back and made his way to the door as he called out, "If I am needed you know how to access the chamber I shall be hold up in there with in the next week or so until I unlock all the secrets of this book." He told her and then proceeded to leave the room.

Princess Luna released him from her embrace once he made to pull away from her. She merely watched as he retrieved his belongings, remaining silent while he spoke. "Very well." The lunar diarch replied gently. "Please do not shirk sleep again as you have before, and should you ever need my help, I will gladly give it. I might be able to assist in wringing understanding from that book." Luna offered aloud as Mirage left the room, but she didn't expect a response- he would hear it and remember. Luna stood their a moment longer before she returned to the throne- there she could no doubt rest and instead focus her mind on dreams for what remained of her time. Keep her mind off of other things.