Vast Vista came to the town of Star Harbor for two reasons. One was to find a place with beautiful scenes to paint, and the town was a perfect place to do so. It's ships were majestic and the city had a great view of the ocean. The second was to continue to work of the Scholars there, by gathering information and making contacts with the smugglers. Her brother was going to join her, but the Order had more work for him.

"Gotta go down to Greenfields with Professor Sweet," Charter had said a month ago. "Once that's done, I'll come straight here." The two unicorns were close, ever since their father was killed helping the order protect it's Knowledge. 

Vista was sleeping when she awoke to the sounds of cannon fire. She opened her windows, and was amazed that in the moonlight stood a armada of ships, and two Sun and Moon Idols in battle. Beams of light seared pony and deck, ponies drowning in the harbor, the air filled with blasts. A stray cannonball hit a warehouse that was on the docks, shattering it's walls. 

"I have to get out of here," Vista said, closing the shutters. She grabbed a cloak and a satchel - she learned early that she needed to be prepared for any rapid escape. As she left, Vista passed the paints and canvas that was working on. They depicted the sunrises and nightscapes of the city, all done in bright lovely oils. 

She exited the apartment she was renting, and went down the hall and the stairs in rapid speed. She had an escape route prepared, and decided to get out of town. Whoever was trying to invade, she didn't want to stay to know their intentions. Vista got to the street, and trotted at full speed down the road. It went past a small beach, when she turned her head and looked. 

She gasped. The ocean had receded from the harbor. 

Shocked, she snapped herself out of the daze and continued her run. But then she soon heard a roar from the beach. A monstrous, terrible sound that was rushing at high speed. Vista turned her head, only seconds as the tidal wave hit her. 

----

In his dreams, Scroll remembered the last moments before going to sleep. He was admiring his impeccable penmanship on fine parchment, but frowned at the contents of the letter. After dinner, Sweeper wanted one dictated to her brother Torrential Waters, which she referred to as "Rain". The letter was very wordy, almost going onto four pages. And almost all of it was random musings but little substance. The whole of the work could have been summed up thusly: 

[i]Hi Rain, I'm doing good, CAKE!, My underling too scared to ask a date, Do you have a camera? Take pictures! Also, do you have an interest in scholarly studies? Have a have good day! [/i]

[i] At least she remembered to ask about the disappearances[/i], thought Scroll. "Star Dancer is going to Earthborn territory tomorrow - overtly as a courier for Dean Iron Spoke from the farming colleges in Whitegold. But it may take time for the letter to get to your kin - we don't know his exact location, save for the tales we heard."

"Well, I've been meaning to write to him, he seems so lonely," said Sweeper. 

He couldn't quite remember the rest, say going to the pile of sheets that served as his bed. But now something seemed odd - what was a breezeless night now was howling wind. In fact, he felt the cool air brush over his whole body. [i] Did I forget to close the window? [/i], he thought. He was about it get up, when he realized he couldn't move his legs. 

Scroll opened his eyes and saw the stars and vast night above. He looked to his side and saw one of Sweeper's wings and the fast moving landscape many meters below. 

"What in Celestia's name is going on!", he screamed. 

"Oh, morning Scroll," said Sweeper, turning her head briefly to him. She was going as fast as she could, passing over the forests and plains of Equestria. He looked at his body - it was wrapped in sheets, and he was tied down to the alicorn's back. 

"Morning! Well it's one discord of a morning!", he replied. "What am I doing here flying!" 

"Well, I decided to check out a strange light I noticed in the north, maybe Northeast. I felt something in that direction during dinner."

"Was it really necessary to drag me out of bed? And why didn't you wake me up?!" 

"It was only after you went to your slumber that I realized that it could be one of my kin in trouble. That was no ordinary light, that much I am sure. And you were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to bother you. So I swaddled you in some blankets, and tied you down to my back."

Scroll sighed, and then began to blush. He was like a child being carried by his parent, one who didn't want their filly to have a nasty fall. "How far do you think we have to go?"

"Who knows?", replied the Alicorn. "But even at this top speed, we may not arrive near the spot were the Light landed until sunrise. But I don't know the exact location."

"Then how will we know we're in the right place?" 

"I suspect were there's nothing but a vast waste," said Sweeper.