Prologue
“To my Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle,
I don’t not to ask this of you my student but something has come up and I nor Luna are able to attend to it. Something within the old Castle within the Everfree Forest. The very same one that you and your friends defeated NightMare Moon. There is a chamber below the Main hall. One that is sealed by a powerful spell, but that magic is old. And I am worried because I felt a flux from that very seal just a little while ago. I worry that the seal has weakened over time. I know this is much to ask of you, but I ask this as a friend. Please, seek out this seal and find out if it has been opened or this is just myself worrying over nothing.
And please, if you decide to seek this task out, I ask that you take heed to be safe my student.
Sincerely,
Your friend, and teacher, Princess Celestia.”
One purple Unicorn read the letter over and over again before she placed it down.
“Spike.” Said baby purple dragon walked into the room.
“What is it Twilight? I’m still placing the rest of the books back in order.” The dragon said sighing.
Twilight only smiled at the little one, “By alphabetical order, and by the order of their Authors?”
Spike jumped at the words she said, “Wait I was supposed to go by their authors too!” He said in a panic.
Twilight only giggled at the panicking dragon, “No Spike, I was joking. And get a quill and paper please.” She said as Spike pulled out said items.
“Ahem, Dear Princess Celestia. In regard to your letter, I will be more than willing to go and check on this seal for you. But you have no need to worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.”
“Can you send that to her right now please Spike.” Twilight said as Spike nodded to her and walked over to the open window as he rolled up the scroll and blew on it as it turned into a light green mist and was gone with the wind.
“Alright, but what did the Princess want you to do anyway Twi?” Spike asked curious.
Twilight looked at the baby dragon, “Oh, she asked if I could go and check something at the old Castle ruins. So I’m going to see if Applejack can head over with me to check on it. She the only who is free today since I know Pinkie is babysitting the Twins. Fluttershy and Rainbow are in Cloudsdale at a meeting with the Pegasus Court. And Rarity said that she is still busy finishing her orders. And Applejack is the only one that isn’t doing much at the moment from what she said.”
“Well since you don’t need my help. I think I’ll head over to Rarity’s to see if she needs help with anything.” Spike said happily as he headed for the door.
“After you finish organizing the rest of the books right?” Twilight said with a smile on her face as Spike stopped mid step and sighed.
“Right. After I finish organizing the rest of the books.” He said a little downcast but Twilight just reassured the dragon.
“And if you do a good job. Then maybe a nice gem will find its way into your dinner tonight.” She said making Spike perk up rather quickly.
“Sorry Twi, but I have a job to finish! Good luck with whatever the Princess wanted you to do!” He shouted as he ran into the other room leaving a giggling Twilight behind.
“Alright then, off to Sweet Apples Arches.” She said as she used her magic to open the front door as she walked through and closed it behind her.
-Sweet Apple Arches
It was a nice sunny day out and the wind was blowing a nice chilly breeze by as the sound of bucking was heard throughout the hills.
And one light Orange Earth Pony was pulling a cart filled with buckets of apples.
“And done! Boy, them apples seem to not want to come down this time around.” Applejack said giving a small laugh as she backed the cart into the Barn before walking back out and closing the doors.
“Hey AJ!” A voice shouted out. Applejack knew instantly it was one of her friends since they were the only ones that called her by that nickname.
She turned around to see Twilight trotting down the pathway, “Well howdy there Twilight. What can Ah do for ya?” AJ asked.
“We early today I received a message from the Princess Celestia asking if I could check on something for her in the ruins in the Everfree Forest. And she wanted me to have somepony go with me. And since you’re the only one that isn’t busy at the moment. Soooo..” Twilight said giving a halfhearted smile to which Applejack just sighed and chuckled.
“Yea I’ll go which cha’ Twi. I just finished up my work for the day so let’s go and check on this whatever the Princess wanted us to do.” AJ said beginning to walk towards the entrance to the farm as Twilight just smiled and followed behind her.
Using a teleporting spell, Twilight was able to bring the two close enough to the Ruins located within the Everfree forest but Twilight stopped for a moment to catch her breath which didn’t go unnoticed by the Earth pony there.
“You alright there Sugarcube?” She asked as Twilight just nodded to her.
“Yes, but for some reason I had to use more magic to get us here for some reason.” Twilight said wondering about just why it was like that.
But she shook her head thinking that it was just because of the Everfree Forest. Nothing was normal here. And everything was abnormal. And nopony had ventured past its pathways because of the unknown that lies within it.
“Come on Twi, I don’t want to be here any longer then we need to. This place still gives me the hebbe Jebbes.” Applejack said walking up the stairway that lead up into the main chamber where everything began for them.
It was the same room where they sall gained the Elements of Harmony, and where everything began for them. They both couldn’t help but take a moment to bask in their memories.
“Let’s see, the Princess said that it was located somewhere near where Nightmare Moon was defeated so that would mean… There!” Twilight said pointing a hoof over to the platform.
The two ponies made their way towards the platform where they turned around and looked back onto the whole room.
“So where is the do hicky that were lookin for anypony?” Applejack asked.
Twilight lit the front of them up with her magic letting the small area infront of them.
“Were looking for something that the Princess said was covered by a seal of some kind.” Twilight said moving over to the right side of the room with her magic lighting the floor up.
She moved slowly with Applejack following behind her closely until Applejack walked right into Twilight who stopped suddenly.
“Ophff! Why the hay did ya stop all of a sudden Twi?” AJ said shaking her head a bit.
But Twilight didn’t answer her, so she moved up to see that Twilights magic was shining over a small seal that lit up from her magic touching it.
“This must be the seal the Princess was talking about. But it looks different from any Seal I’ve seen before. And trust me when I say, I’ve seen most to all of them. But this one doesn’t resemble any I’ve read about.”
“And that would mean what again Sugarcube?”
Twilight turned to Applejack, “This seal predates more than 2000 years. It’s older than the oldest Equestrian scrolls that I read.”
Both ponies looked at the strange marking glowing on the ground. It was a circle with a single dot that was half cut off in the middle of it, and surrounding the middle circle. 9 different spikes pointing off in different directions while a second circle with an opening on the inside of it was off to the right side between another line.
To both of them was something out of this world.
“So um, not to be a sour pony but just how are we suppose ta know if the seal is open or not?” AJ asked but Twilight just shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. But the Princess said something about it hiding a chamber of some kind, so it looks like it’s still sealed up. So I think we’re good for now. What do ya say we head back now?”
“I couldn’t think of anything better to do!” Applejack said taking a step forward but didn’t notice that she stepped right on the marked seal that’s light disappeared.
But little did the two now. The Seal began to glow in a dark hue before a small mist flowed into the air before it dissipated.
Back at Ponyville Twilight and Applejack separated from each other after being brought back from the ruins in the Everfree forest.
“Oh, hey there Twi! How was the mission the Princess gave you?” The Purple dragon asked as the unicorn walked into the house.
“It was good. It seemed the Princess was just worried that’s all. But I need you to send this letter to her Spike.” Twilight said using her magic to float the scroll over to the baby dragon that took it and blew over it at the window as it blew into a green mist and flew into the sky.
“Alright, I’m going to hang out with the CMC today if that’s alright with you Twi.” Spike shouted as he rushed out the door before Twilight was able to give him an answer.
She couldn’t help but chuckle at the childish acts of her longest friend and surrogate child. No matter how mature he acted
around her, she could still see him act like a child which made her happy inside.
“Well, let’s start looking up old seals. I want to know if there is anything about the one I saw.” Twilight said as she looked around there the oldest books in her possession.
-Elsewhere in Equestria
A scroll appeared infront of the reigning Princess of the Sun, Celestia. And without a moment’s hesitation she opened the scroll with her magic and read the letter.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
I have gone to the ruins located in the Everfree Forest with Applejack at my side. And I am sending this letter to inform you that the seal as far as I know is still will, sealed. I used my magic to locate it but the strange thing is that I have never seen any seal of magical sealing like it before. But I am certain that is has not been tempered with or even has been touched in many years. So you have nothing to fear.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.”
The Princess sighed out in relief upon reading the letter her student sent her.
“Has word been received of the seal that lies within the old castle ruins dear Sister?” A new voice asked walking into the room. One that he Princess of the Sun knew all too well.
“Yes Luna. Twilight and Applejack have taken to seeking this nerving feel we have felt and it seem that it was for not. The Seal remains untouched and has not been activated in anyway.” Celestia said as her sister made her way over to her.
“But we still have the feeling that tells us something is coming to Equestria dear Sister. But we know not of what.” Luna said looking past her sister and through the open window.
Celestia could only sigh as she felt the same as her sister, even with students word that the seal was not active, this unnerving feeling told her something was going to happen soon, and the only question to asked was what was going to happen.
- Three days later-
“Applejack! Where are you!” A voice called out to the orange Earth Pony who was bucking apples from a tree.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Applejack recognized the voice that called out to her, “I’m over here Apple Bloom!” She shouted out as out from behind a tree appeared the small filly with a light yellow coat and a red mane and tail, but she wasn’t alone. Right behind her was two other fillies.
“Well if it ain’t the Cutie Mark Crusader’s. What do ya’ll need?” She asked carrying a basket of Apples to the cart nearby.
“We’re jus wondering if we could have a sleepover ta night at the Club house. If that’s alright with you AJ.” Apple Bloom asked as Applejack just chuckled.
“Well, I don’t see why not. Jus make sure ta be careful. An I don’t want to find out that you little fillies were running around and doing what not out in the Orchards is that clear.” AJ said getting a quickly nodding their little heads as they rushed off.
Once more Applejack let out a chuckle as the little fillies rushed off leaving her to tend to her work.
But fate was a cruel thing.
The dark mist that had escaped the seal from the ruins in the Everfree Forest had slowly spread over said forest as it was now the size of a large cloud.
And as the night come over Canterlot, the dark cloud began to come alive as Thunder and Lightning rained down and the wind carried a chilling gust throughout the land. To anyone watching it was as if the element themselves were fighting each other.
But as soon as it began, it came to an end with one last flash of light that formed from a ball of light that flew down to the forest below blanketing the area in a thick mist.
And within that mist a figure stood up. A dark mane, and a dark grey coat. Dressed in a cloak of dark material and blood red eyes that seemed to pierce into the very soul of anypony they looked at.
The dark pony stood up looking at the forest around him.
“Where am I?”