//------------------------------// // revelation // Story: A time of sadness // by Slick Dash //------------------------------// The air ran through my mane wildly, in what seemed an entirely different life, I would have loved the feeling. But now it simply made me shiver as it made my face and neck cold. We had been sent the customary golden carriage pulled by two of The princess’s guards. The strong white Pegasus stallions didn’t say a word, but simply took of as soon as we were all sat in the confines of the little golden pod. About ten minutes of silence passed before Applejack cut the silence. “So, we all heard from Twilight what you’ve been seein’ Rainbow. But before we go and do anything drastic, you sure that what you keep seeing is what ACTUALLY happened that night? And not just a dream?” Everyone looked at me; I was staring ahead over the rim of the carriage watching the ever approaching castle loom nearer. I nodded silently, my stomach felt as though it was on fire and if I tried to speak it could quite possibly empty it contents out over the floor out of nerves. “Alright then.” Rarity began in a thoughtful tone. “I’d think the best way for us to find this book is to split up. If Applejack went with Twilight, Applejack can hold the books that get pulled down while Twilight uses her knowledge of the library. Fluttershy if you went with Pinkie Pie you could get the higher books that she can’t reach while she checks the lower once quickly. Spike, would you like to go with me? Seeing as you know the library and i have magic, it could work out rather well don’t you think?” “Uhhhh... yeah, sure!” I didn’t turn around to look, but he sounded ecstatic. I felt the white unicorns gaze reach the back of my head. “Rainbow, I suppose that leaves you with Princess Luna if she decides to help. Is that alright?” I felt a slight twitch in my neck at the mention of the name, but I calmed myself. I put on the most normal voice I could and replied. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.” At least it meant if the blue princess was there, I’d be able to get close to her. The guards landed outside of the main Castle gates, bringing the carriage down to a gentle stop by the big brass handles. Each of us disembarked the little vessel, and came to a standstill in front of the huge doors before us. “Come on girls.” Twilight said confidently as she took the lead and brought us up to the doors which she opened with her magic. Consumed by my thoughts, I soon dropped to the back of the line passing through the grand and colourful halls. We approached the staircase in the middle of the hall, it ended with a wide window that spanned across the entire back wall, and sprouted off to the left and to the right. Twilight led us to the right, I followed up the steps but stopped by the window. I looked out into the Canterlotte gardens. I could see the maze, all those years ago Discord had nearly destroyed us there. It’s funny; this place always seems to have something to do with each threat to Equestria. Luna was a Princess here before she became Nightmare Moon, discord had been placed here in the grounds before he escaped. And now all of this was about to end here. “What’s the matter Dashie?” Pinkie pie bounced over excitedly, “Is there something interesting outside? Like a bird? Or a cloud? Or the sky? Or the grass? Or the castle? Oh wait we’re in the castle! I mean it’s kinda obvious seeing as we’re going up the steps INSIDE the castle which suggests we’d have to be inside the castle to go up these ste”- “There wasn’t anything Pinkie.” I turned and followed my friends and followed the group up the steps without another word, leaving the pink pony to catch up. We finally reached the throne room. We entered through yet another large set of doors and the space opened up to the vast hall. The room was the same as after we had defeated Discord, the long red carpet lay ahead of us leading up to the grand golden chair on which Princess Celestia sat. Her mane and tail still shimmered and fluttered in an unseen breeze, her crown and shoes were the same royal gold they had been before. Everything was the same, but why did it feel so different. It was because of me, so much had happened over the last year that I wasn’t the same pony who had once stood here in front of a gathering of screaming ponies. Hopefully I could still be that pony again, but first it all had to end. The lies, the murder, everything had to end so that life could begin again, the way it had been before. Twilight approached the throne, “You highness thank you for accommodating us on such short notice.” The Alicorn smiled down at us all. Did her eyes linger on me a second longer? “Of course my student, after all you have all done so much for Equestria, and now you finally ask a favour from me, I wouldn’t think of denying you what you need.” The girls all bowed their heads in thanks, my mind was somewhere else and so I was soon the only pony not bowing. I felt a nudge on my ankle and looked down to see a nervous Fluttershy jerking her head to the floor. I jumped, realising my rudeness and bowed hurriedly to the whit Alicorn. As we stood back up she was smiling at me, it wasn’t warm, but almost sad. A sad smile... I had never seen such a thing on the royal Pony. “Twilight, I had the librarian bring these for you.” Her horn glowed, and from behind her throne she brought out a number of thick looking books. “They are probably the most likely candidates for your search. They are logs of nearly every pony known to study dark magic. I hope these help you all in your search.” The girls huddled around them for a moment, then turned to me as I still stood solitary in centre of the large empty room. “C’mon Rainbow, this is your search after all!” encouraged Applejack. I glanced to the door, just mere feet from the throne. If Princess Luna were to enter this room, it would be from there. I took a deep breath, preparing to tell everyone the truth. However, as i opened my mouth, the white Alicorn cut in. “Would you girls possibly mind if I spoke to Rainbow Dash for a moment? You girls can begin your search and she can join you momentarily.” The girls murmured a confused agreement to the Princess and began to look through the books, while the Princess put a foreleg onto my back and led me out to a balcony to the side of the room, overlooking the maze. “I understand that it was your wish to come here?” The Princess looked at me bemusedly. “How’s that?... Your majesty” I added quickly, realising my mistake and correcting it quickly. “Well, even though Twilight didn’t say so in her letter. You have come here only a week after you lost...” The princess seemed to stop herself, as though she was about to say something offensive and realised it. “The man I loved?” I offered the title, and Celestia nodded in acceptance. “Well, now you’ve lost him and you are suddenly here about some dark pony who has been causing pain here in Equestria. Then your friend Applejack just said that this was ‘your search after all.’ So tell me Rainbow, what has you so shaken?” I backed away slightly from the overwhelmingly knowledgeable Alicorn. “I’m not shaken! What makes you say I am?” The smile on the princess’s face faded slowly as she realised that something really was wrong. “You came in last, when normally you would be first in line at the chance of something new, like this hunt for someone dangerous. You were too distracted to show the respect that you would so often give without a seconds thought.” I grimaced at how obvious id been. “And most of all, you keep glancing at the door to the royal chambers. What’s the matter Rainbow?” I panicked, I wasn’t sure what to say and what not to say. “Uhhhh...” I looked around for inspiration but none came. “Uhhhh...” The princess’s gaze seemed to penetrate my soul itself, she wasn’t being forceful, maybe it was my loyalty (That damned loyalty) that was making it so hold to keep the truth from my ruler. “I’m having... dreams...” “Of?” “That night. The one that Tom died.” She didn’t look surprised; she’d probably figured that out within the instant I mentioned dreams. She looked at me inquisitively, when I didn’t respond she pursued me. “And what happened in these dreams.” I strugglef to word it, I didn’t want to blame Luna. Not because I thought there was a chance I was wrong, but because I knew if I accused the princess I would immediately be denied any chance of getting near her. To make her pay! I tapped the side of my head with my hoof and asked quietly. “Is there any way of showing you all what I saw? Actually SHOWING you?” The princess smiled in understanding and nodded, she led me back into the hall. “Girls? Could you come here for a moment please?” My friends all turned their heads, they had been in the middle of a heated discussion about a possible pony who had a blue tinted hue to his magic. But they all stopped at the sight of my slightly crestfallen face. They came over without question, Fluttershy placed a hoof over my shoulder, “I-is everything... alright?” she was worried for me, as always. I didn’t like this dependant Rainbow Dash if had become over the last two weeks. Yet another thing I blamed Nightmare Moon for. Celestia’s horn began to glow once again, and from the under a cushion on her throne she brought out a glass orb. Twilight, gasped for a moment with realisation in her eyes. What was it? It just looked like a lump of glass to me, then again I wasn’t Celestia’s top student in magic. My friend saw my confused expression, and smiled. “Do you remember the story of how Tom got here? I was using a spell to record the sunrise? Well, that’s what it would have been recorded into.” I looked back at the clear orb, now floating in front of me. “So...this thing can show you past events?” I looked into the centre of the hollow globe, but I couldn’t see anything. The princess began to speak. “Yes, it can do that but only if a spell was cast to record that even in particular.” My heart sank, “Then what good is it?” The princess chuckled slightly which caused me to look up at her in surprise. “With an alteration to the spell, this orb can also show past thoughts and imaginings. As long as the image is strong enough in your mind, we will be able to see what you’ve been dreaming for so long.” The girls all gathered around, as I plucked the glass globe out of the air with my two forelegs and fell onto my haunches. “Let your mind wander, with my magic guiding your thoughts I can show everyone what you’ve seen. But as you feel my presence don’t resist, if you do so you risk losing the memory! Do you understand?!” demanded the princess. I was suddenly very tense, yes i hated the second half of the memory. The memory of that night, but that memory of the day proceeding it was the most wonderful I’d ever known! I did as I was asked and let my mind clear itself out and just float around. As we all watched, the image began to take form inside the orb. I watched the images, but didn’t let them effect me, worrying they may make me resist the slight tingling inside my skull which was Celestia’s magic. As it faded in, it was a depiction of me. Slowly landing over Tom on top of his car, it was as though we were all just an invisible third person watching the events take place. I heard Twilight gasp at the sight of Tom again, after all this was almost as though they were seeing him in real life, there he was doing something new to them. Because they hadn’t experienced it, this was almost a new chapter of their memories of him. They all watched on. They watched as I lay on top of Tom. Rarity squeaked a small “That’s so darling!” as she watched happily with Spike smiling beside her. When Tom began to stroke my hair I heard Applejack snort with a small happy laugh. When the little me inside the orb snuggled up close to Tom and curled up with him, Fluttershy said in a small and jubilant voice “That’s really nice.” And I even hear Twilight let out a slight “N’awww” as both the miniature replicas of me and Tom fell asleep. “So that was the same day?” Asked Twilight, amazed at how something so beautiful could happen mere moments before such a tragedy. I nodded contently, the memory made me feel warm inside, and it had seemed to do the same to everyone around me. Seeing Tom so happy in some of his final moments alive helped made us all feel happy and glad for him. “Hmmmm...” Celestia looked slightly befuddled but said nothing more than that. She tilted her head slightly, and the images began to speed up. In double time me and Tom entered the car and drove down the cliff’s road. I was slightly glad to have the convocation from the inside of the car kept away from the girls. That was my little private memory of him, and it wasn’t meant for sharing. The anger seemed to begin in my stomach, knowing what was fast approaching meant that I would have to see that damned magic cloud! The cloud that had taken Tom from me! “This is it.” I said shakily, and with that Celestia resumed the memory at normal pace. The girls all took an intake of breath as they watched, dreading what would happen next. And surely enough, the scene played out just as before. The car flipped upon contact with the dark star filled cloud, and was sent tumbling to the ground. All of the girls and spike scrunched up their eyes and tried to look away upon hearing Tom’s scream. But Celestia said firmly. “Don’t look away! Rainbow needs you to see this, to help her understand!” they all obeyed, and carried on watching as the orb began to focus on the cloud giving them a better view of it. The anger was boiling now, making me almost scream with rage, but I still allowed Celestia to poke around my head, I wouldn’t lose this memory for the world! I would not lose my last day with Tom! The image faded eventually and I released the orb back into the clutches of Celestia’s magic, which took it back to the throne where it belonged. Everyone watched me for a moment, all of them were speechless. Spike was the first one to start connecting the dots. “So that cloud was what attacked you? And that was definitely magic, there’s no mistaking that!” Applejack took over, “And it was definitely dark blue like you said.” Rarity than began, showing her ability to notice detail. “But you didn’t mention those sparkles within the blue colour.” “KINDA LIKE STARS!” Pinkie chipped in. “Oh dear, that sounds ... familiar!” whispered Fluttershy, horrified as she made the final connection. Twilight Sparkle stood there, looking at me. “That’s why you didn’t mind coming here. After so long not even flying by yourself, you were suddenly fine with making the trip here.” she wasn’t mad at me, which I was glad about, she simply sounded amazed at how she had missed these details. “You came here, to show us this? No. You could have just told us. That magic has only been seen being used by one mare in the history of Equestria.” Celestia stood still, she didn’t speak a word but simply let her subjects come to the conclusion themselves. Twilight continued to think out loud. “That magic... it’s the kind that was used by... Nightmare Moon!” With that, there was a creak from the corner of the room. My rage had been burning from the moment I had seen the cloud, and hearing her name only made me angrier. I was in a dangerous state. We all turned to look into the corner from which the noise had escaped. The door. Just a few feet away from the throne. Had opened, and in came the dark princess of the night sky. Princess Luna...