//------------------------------// // New Messages, New Beginnings // Story: A World in Chaos // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// Five months had passed since the return of Luna and the land had been restored to its once glory. The nations surrounding Equestria were at peace once again, ponies, zebra, minotaurs, and others were trading freely in a way they had never before. Dear Element Bearer, I hope this letter reaches you well as the message I deliver is most troubling. A statue of one of the most dangerous creatures to ever exist has been stolen from the gardens in Canterlot’s Royal Gardens. As a sworn defender of the realm and knights of the crown you are required to report to the Castle of the Sun in Canterlot by the 7th day in the ninth week of this Spring in the new Calendar of Luna’s Return. Thank you and travel well. *** “Twilight?” Trixie asked as the lavender mare sighed sadly and rolled the scroll tightly. “It’s the royalty,” she responded and levitated the scroll to Trixie who tossed it aside with her magic, “they want me, all of us, to return to the capital for some statue.” “So,” Trixie smiled, “they’re making a statue of you? Perhaps the Great and Powerful Trixie can stand with you in your triumphant moment!” Twilight lay her head on her hooves and huffed. “Sounds like it’s a lost and found mission. Whoever wrote the letter wants the Element Bearers to find it.” “So, can the Great and,” she stopped her gloating voice when Twilight glared at her, “c-can I come along? Trixie will miss you,” she pouted. “I’m sorry, but the show must go on, right?” Twilight smiled reassuringly. “Yes, but it’s not the same without you… I’m not the same without you.” “Don’t worry,” Twilight whispered, “it’ll be a couple days and I’ll be back. It’s a statue, how much trouble could it be?” *** “Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Look, A leeter got here for us,” Rainbow called as she galloped back to the fully regrown and beautiful cottage. “I went to the mail hut and they gave me a letter from the royal palace! Lookit, read it,” she shouted in excited glee as she entered the house and looked around the main room. Sparse as it was the living room was cozy and clean, bright and inviting. Nothing like it was a year before when Rainbow lived alone in it. “I’m in the kitchen, Rainbow,” Fluttershy called out. Rainbow hurriedly took to flight and flew into the kitchen, stopping inches from Fluttershy who was mixing some batter. “Oh, that’s the letter you were talking about? Let me see,” she said taking to her hooves and extending a wing, her regrown wing, to take it. “Oh my. Oh,” Fluttershy mumbles as she read. “We’re going to the royal palace, Rainbow!” Rainbow landed and grinned widely. “Yes~! I knew it, they loved my rainbow boomer so they want me to do it again. Just,” Rainbow giggled, “don’t fall this time.” Fluttershy gave Rainbow a playful shove. “I’ll tell Scootaloo, you get a saddlebag packed.” *** “Well, Ah’ll be. Big Mac, Ah’m headin’ back to the castle,” Applejack called as she rolled to her hooves. “Maybe Ah’ll have mah little one there.” “Well,” Big Mac replied in a calm voice, “maybe. Only thing ya have ta do is find a statue, then next month ya have the baby. I’m proud’a ya, AJ. Takin’ back the farm and rebuilding it. Hiring ponies ta farm it so yer sis doesn’t have to. You’re livin’ up to yer element.” “Heh, and I know I’ve taken back to the local accent. It’s sure easier ta talk like this,” she replied with a slight drawl. “Let’s pack and git, Ah wanna see the girls again.” *** “Girls!” Fluttershy called as she and Rainbow landed in the courtyard of Canterlot castle. Applejack and Twilight grinned to see the duo and a little cart behind them. Scootaloo peeked over the side as they landed and she wasted no time jumping free and kissed the ground. “Oh, sweet Celestia I love the earth,” she kissed the ground and nuzzled the grass as Applejack rolled her eyes. “For a pegasus ya think she’d think it was a thrill ta fly around up there,” Applejack mumbled to Twilight. “Sorry, Scootaloo. We got going a little fast and might have done some stunts-” “They were awesome-tastic! We were all whoosh and ka-swish, then whirrrrrrrr-oomp!” “Yes, and that was about the time Scootaloo vomited,” Fluttershy blushed, “and we’re very sorry for that. We promised her some iced cream when we got here. Is there any word from Midnight Strike yet?” “Nope,” Applejack said as she approached the filly and patted her back. “We’ve been here nearly an hour and no one’s come by to even greet us.” “Twi’s right. Somethin’ ain’t right here.” Rainbow snickered as she unhitched herself from the cart. “Jack talks funny, like the farmers in town. Ya know, the apple ones.” Fluttershy nodded. “She’s part of their family, remember?” “Duh,” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “but we haven’t seen her for like, forever! I know cuz I counted,” she stuck out her tongue, “and her sister still lives and we play tag and hide and seek-” As Rainbow began to ramble about the games she played with Apple Bloom and other fillies and colts around town Twilight, Applejack, and Scootaloo stood in a semicircle watching. “Wow, she sure can ramble,” Twilght said to Scootaloo. “You have no idea. She talks as much as any three ponies when she gets excited. And so you know, don’t bring up her,” she leaned closer and the others leaned in to listen, “her past.” “Why wouldn’t we bring up her past?” Twilight asked aloud, startling Fluttershy and causing Scootaloo to facehoof. “Oh, when I was a hermit I was living in the tree that Fluttershy helped and fixed and when I was a little filly I moved in and was really hungry and there was a time that I had no food in the winter and it was so cold I could use my nose drippings as pokers to poke stuff. It was fun but my heart was so sad that it was hard to have fun a lot like and then there was the spring where it flooded and all my--” “Oh, that’s why.” “Oh, that’s why,” Scootaloo mocked Twilight as she huffed, blew her bangs from her eye and trotted past the mares, stopping suddenly, then bowed. The rest of the mares stopped talking/listening and looked to the palace doorway and the tall white Alicorn exiting. “Rise, my little ponies. You needn’t bow to me, I should bow to you for all you have done for the world. Come, time is important in this matter and my sister has news for you all that few know but those privileged.” “Why, thank you, your highness,” Twilight chirped as she trotted beside Celestia, “I often wonder what you two have been up to since we all parted ways. Trixie thinks you’re too important to talk to us now, even though I told her you’re more than willing to make time for us-” The mares behind Twilight and Celestia rolled their eyes. Celestia listened patiently as she led the mares and filly to the throne room where Luna waited. Twilight fell silent as she viewed the equally tall and regal Alicorn sitting on her throne of dark blue cloth and pillows of the purest materials available and looking intently at the entering ponies. Twilight fell behind and in line with the others as Celestia took wing to her throne. The mares bowed once they reached the base of the stairs leading to the throne.