Stolen Memories

by ShootingStar81

History Repeats Itself

Sunrise, the break of dawn. Such a thought was a simple thing to most ponies, being the start of the day and little more. Yet, high above Equestria, in the realm of the pegasi, it was so much more than that. The sun, peeking just over the horizon as it began it's ascent, cast hues of fiery orange and calm yellows, painting the clouds in a myriad of patterns. It was almost as though a grand artist had passed a brush across the sky and left wonder in it's wake. It was among the most beautiful scenes one could hope to ever see.

Breaking what would otherwise be a still silence, twin propellers droned on in a heavy hum, driving a sizeable airship onward with due haste. As large as they were, these propellers occasionally caught an errant cloud, setting it in a magnificent spiral that cast the most amazing of colors when touched by the morning sun. Greater than these, however, was the airship they pushed, an elaborately painted craft that could easily be the largest of any that appeared at Canterlot's landing. It was colored with nightly hues, hints of a starscape laced across it's hull. This was the Polaris, the North Star, and it was serving as home to the Mane Six.

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all arrayed around a circular table that served as the 'strategic' center of the Polaris. Situated to the rear of the ship, it sported an arcing window that allowed a fantastic view of the morning light trailing behind the ship, a view the friends had been rather enjoying as each had let their minds wander. In light of recent events, it was easy to forget the simple pleasures of the world, and this was serving as a reminder of that fact.

Whatever her friends might be dwelling on, Twilight's mind was stuck on a single, resonating thought. Of course, she had been considering all angles to this problem since she had first been told, especially once they were aboard the Polaris and she'd had time to mull it over. The situation as a whole was unsettling, no doubt, but the words of that pegasus, Thundershot, stuck in her mind like a bad smell lingers on the air.

"It made me feel empty..."

As simple a statement as that may have been, it spoke volumes to the alicorn. Magic was a power unto itself, but unless it was targeted to affect the way one felt, it never created an emotional 'feel' like he had said. As such, if what he claimed was true, there had to be more to it than just 'magic'...didn't there? She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea. It had been enough, to learn that friendship, in it's own way, was magic. This, however...it had to be something more. Something terrible, and she shuddered to think of it.

"Somethn' on yer mind, sugarcube?" Applejack had a way of being straightforward, not to mention speaking when it was needed, de-railing the train of thought that had been running circles in the purple mare's mind. Blinking as if just waking up, she finally shook her head and smiled at her orange friend, extending the gesture to all of her friends in turn.

"Nothing new, no," she finally replied, turning to face the table, and the myriad of papers, forms and books that adorned it. She placed her hoof upon a particular book, a guide to Trottingham itself, which Luna had made sure to place in the hooves of Captain Starsight. It had already proved valuable in directing their intended activities when they would reach Trottingham, and that was exactly what had brought them here at this moment. Review and reminder, as they were barely an hour away from their destination.

All of the other ponies began to shift idly, as if nervous, or in anticipation. When Twilight didn't immediately speak up, it was, of all ponies, Fluttershy that said something. "Uhm...Twilight? You said you needed to see all of us here?" she queried in her meek, but perhaps cute, manner.

"Yes," she said in a manner of one that had just been snapped from a deep thought. "I just wanted to go over the plans again. We need to be as quick as we can, if this situation is going to be as far-reaching as Celestia seems to believe." She distinctly avoided saying 'fears', not wanting to make matters worse among her perhaps anxious friends. "So, let's review. Applejack?" she says while pointing a hoof at the stetson-topped mare.

"Me n' Rarity are gonna help ya check the grand library, an' see if anypony knows any books what explain this whole mess," said Applejack, Rarity nodding in agreement, as it seemed redundant for her to repeat the same. With a nod, Twilight's hoof moved on to Rainbow Dash.

Wings flaring out, the blue pegasus grinned broadly. "Do what I do best! Keep tabs on everypony from the air, and let Captain Starsight know if there's any trouble." Another nod and Twilight continued.

"Check with the ponies and see if any word's come around about Tailwind Dale!" called out the all-too-cheery pink pony. "Oh-oh-oh! And do it...." she crouches down, making as if to cover all but her eyes. "Sneaky like...."

Five raised eyebrows and a moved hoof later, Fluttershy continued. "See if I can find anything strange among the animals, or if there are any clues leading up to this spell...or whatever it is."

Nodding in satisfaction, Twilight set her foreleg back down. "Sounds like we all know our parts. Hopefully, with some luck, we'll find what we're looking for."

"Who needs luck when you're with the most awesome ponies in Euqestria?" came Rainbow's comment, as boisterous as ever for her. At least it included all of them this time; she was getting better about that. Twilight couldn't help but smile, the others even giggling at her enthusiasm.

"Well, let's hope you're right, Rainbow. We could certainly use it." She didn't give voice to the fear that this incident, whatever it was, was going to happen again. Perhaps sooner than later, too, though they thankfully had not heard from Discord yet. She hoped that in this case, no news was good news. As this thought crossed her mind, another pony entered the room, an earth pony of black hue with a silvery mane. She bore a cutie mark that depicted a sextant, backed by a trio of bright stars arrayed in a triangle, the topmost of which was larger than the others.

"Captain Starsight," began Twilight, setting everypony's eyes on her. "What brings you here?"

"My ship?" she replied with a raised eyebrow before she broke into a grin. "Thought the lot of you should know, we're just arriving at Trottingham. Hope y'got your plans together, princess. It's time to set it in motion!"

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Starsight had brought down the Polaris just outside of Trottingham, as the city lacked a proper landing to accommodate an airship, much less one of it's size. Twilight and her friends had set out on their tasks almost as soon as the crew had moored the vessel, lending proof to the importance of their mission. Of course, the captain had let them know that she would keep the ship ready, in case they needed to make a hasty exit.

Once they had disembarked, the group set out to their various tasks. Pinkie was having a wonderful time pestering the townsfolk, and oddly, Fluttershy was just about the same, though few could understand the creatures she spoke to. However, it was Twilight's task that would prove most important this day as she lead the way to the grand library, Rarity and Applejack in tow. With prior review of the city itself, it was easy to be very objective in their destinations, and as such, they had spared not a moment in reaching the library. Twilight was indeed rather anxious to find out anything she could about this mystery, and what it implied for not only Equestria, but magic itself.

"A good morrow to you," came the voice of a friendly looking green pegasus, who greeted the trio as they entered the foyer to an immense library. It would be easy to assume she was the librarian. For her part, Twilight was about as stunned as when she first set foot in the library at the Crystal Empire; this one could rival it for scale and volume, and perhaps even surpass it. Books lined every wall, every nook and cranny. If there was room for it, there were shelves full of books to be had. Arched ceilings and high walls allowed for that much more room, making for a grand repository of knowledge. Celestia had been right. Trottingham did indeed have a great deal of history within the city, and not merely by virtue of age.

"Thank ya kindly," Applejack replied, tipping her hat to the pegasus. Rarity offer a smile in turn.

"Might I help you find anything?" she pressed on, lending more credence to the idea that she was the librarian here. Rarity shook her head.

"Thank you, but no. We are in search of nothing specific as of yet, so we will be fine, such as we are."

With a nod and a smile, the pegasus returned to reading a book she had apparently been browsing through before they entered. With that managed, Applejack trotted up alongside the alicorn, giving her a nudge with her hoof. "Twilight? I know y'all can be fascinated with a place like this, but we need t'focus, y'hear?"

It was then that she shook her head, appearing as if recovering from a dream or some such, before she spared the orange mare a sidelong glance. "Er...right! Right. Let's see..." Taking a few steps forward, she began to read the signs indicating the various sections, until she spotted history. "There," she finally said, pointing a hoof to the sign in question. "We'd probably do best to start off there. If anything might indicate this has happened before, that's where it should be."

That settled, the three trotted their way into a section that in itself was as large as Twilight's entire library at home. Probably larger, in retrospect. Without a word between them, they split up, each setting upon a different wing of the area. With so many books, SO many, Twilight had the nagging sense that they would be at this for a very long time. That was a bit concerning, given that time was at such a premium if they wanted to solve this mystery. Regardless, it was all they could do but search.

Perhaps a bit unfairly, both Rarity and Twilight could use their magic to levitate books, allowing them to look through large numbers in rapid succession. Applejack was stuck with good-ol' hoof power, having to handle things a bit more directly. Each of the friends searched ever onward, moving their way slowly across each section as they painstakingly checked each and every book. Every so often, one would stop to take a closer look, but apparently finding nothing of note, would put these books back without comment. Twilight even began to wonder if this search would be fruitless as the time drug on.

For nearly an hour they searched, long enough that all three were starting to worry, until Applejack came across an unusual tome. This one was housed amidst books that were noted for further history, some covering times over a thousand years past. Most had a small layer of dust upon them, given their lack of use, and the seemingly limited staffing of the grand library. However, this one stood out. Not because it was fancy, pretty, or made in any particular way. The first thing she had noticed, in fact, was a distinct lack of dust upon it. Pulling it from the shelf, she looked over the cover, which was hoof written by a pony with elaborate, flowing script.

True Magic: The Price of Love

"Twilight!" she finally called out, drawing not only the alicorn's attention, but Rarity's as well. "I think y'all should see this." At those words, the others converged on the orange mare, meeting up with her moments later. When she held up the book, it became encased in the soft, purple glow that was Twilight's magic as she slowly drew it to herself, looking over the title.

"Huh...this seems a bit odd," she said flatly, then working to open it up. Inside, the script was much the same as on the cover, delicately, perhaps even lovingly written. The author had taken a great deal of time and effort to write this, that much was certain. At first she merely browsed the pages, scanning for anything that might lend clues to the crisis they were now facing. However, the longer she looked, the more she was drawn in by what she read. There was something else here, something more than mere words. This book told a story, in a way, of something that was both familiar...and yet completely unknown.

"Are you quite alright, dear?" came the familiar voice of Rarity. When Twilight looked up, she could see mildly concerned expressions on both of their faces. It appeared she had gotten a little more into reading this book than she had thought. Smiling sheepishly, she cleared her throat, closing the book for the moment.

"Sorry about that, girls. This book is just...it's something else. The author has a grasp of something, an idea that...well, it's hard to explain." Before either of them could ask, she opened the book back up, and began to read aloud.

Magic. This is a power all unicorns are familiar with. They all wield it to some extent, some great, some lesser, but they all wield it by their adult lives. Many understand some of it's intricacies. Some dedicate entire lives to unraveling it's deeper mysteries. Yet, such ideas rarely fall outside of the interests of the unicorns themselves, as no other type of pony has this ability.

Or do they?

I have begun to unravel something mysterious. Something powerful. I have been graced with the good fortune to study the newly discovered Crystal Heart, and the pony it is now bound to, Queen Emberheart. What I have discovered is most telling. Believers in the powers of harmony have often cited that friendship is magic, or at the least, a form of it. I have become a believer of this idea...a believer and more!

The Crystal Heart has shown me so many things about magic. We have barely scratched it's surface! This artifact takes the love and joy in the hearts of the people, and focuses it into a force so powerful, so grand, that it can repel the greatest evils we have seen. It can even be seen across all of the lands, or so we've been told. More than this, however, is what it implies to me. What it compels me to believe. If friendship is indeed magic, then love...love must be the greatest of all magics.

However, just as friendship has it's opposite in the form of an enemy, so, too, does love. If love is indeed the truest form of magic, what, then, is it's opposite? If our Crystal Heart can take the love within us and protect an entire empire, what could hate or it's like do? Magic is balance; there are always two sides to it. I dread to think what this might imply for us, or for our beloved Crystal Empire if these ideas come to light in the wrong hooves.

It was at this point that she stopped reading, sparing a concerned look to her friends. Both Applejack and Rarity had similar expressions on their faces, though neither fully comprehended the ideas it mentioned. Ever the straightforward one, it was Applejack that spoke up first.

"S'all well an' good there, Twi, what ya found, but..." She lifted a foreleg, rubbing absently behind her head with a hoof. "But ah don't see how this is gonna help us."

"I have to agree, Twilight," Rarity chimed in. "It has some rather...unusual implications, but nothing it has mentioned seems to apply to disappearing cities."

Twilight frowned somewhat, looking down at the open passage she had just read from. "This book speaks of true magic. A power stronger than just friendship. If an entire city has disappeared, it stands to reason this might apply. I mean, come on girls, has anyone ever heard of magic that does THAT?" The mares were forced to both shake their heads. That much was true; none of them had ever heard of such a thing in magic before. Maybe they WERE on to something here.

Silence fell upon them as each pony looked to their own thoughts on the matter. What Twilight had said was making sense, and it was a bit unsettling. Not because she might have been right, but for what it implied. A magic stronger than anything seen before? Stronger than friendship? Was that even possible? Questions were mounting faster than answers, and it showed across each of their faces as one looked to the next. Twilight made as if to speak, but as she opened her mouth to do so, she felt something, and it made her blood run cold.

Empty....

Her eyes widened so quickly that both of her friends looked on in shock. "Twi? Y'all ok?" Applejack asked, a touch of concern evident in her voice. It was only a moment later that she felt the same thing, as did Rarity. It was a deep feeling, a sense as much as an emotion. A feeling that no matter what you did, what you had, or who you knew, you could never fill your heart. An emptiness that clawed at the edge of awareness, threatening to drag one down into a despair that would never end.

"We...we have to go!" Twilight finally announced, sounding a bit hoarse against the dryness that had taken hold of her mouth just then. Her two friends agreed wordlessly, all three turning to leave the library with all due haste. Levitating the book, Twilight took it with her, getting the feeling that it might have more answers if she took the time to read it.

"Wait, you have to..." began the pegasus at the entrance, but she was promptly cut off by Rarity as the trio galloped by.

"No time to explain! You need to leave, now!" Looking rather perplexed, she watched as the mares left the library with startling haste, perhaps too dumbstruck to offer comment or objection.

As they reached the outdoors, the sense they had felt began to build. To expand. The hum of magic was becoming increasingly easy to detect, and it was the that Twilight had no further doubts that ANYpony could feel this. It was enough to send chills up her spine, and a quick glance to her friends revealed much the same. They looked every ounce how she felt. Alarmed. Confused.

Afraid.

Just then, Rainbow Dash swooped in, gliding a few feet overhead as she looked down at the trio in concern. "What's up? You look like you're in a hurry!" She either hadn't felt it yet, or wasn't paying it any mind. Whatever the case may be, Twilight refused to let up the pace, a look of grim determination coming across her face.

"We have to get out of the city! There's no time to explain right now. Tell Captain Starsight to get the Polaris ready. We need to go, now!" Though she looked ready to object, Rainbow apparently thought better of it, and with a curt nod, shot off into the sky once more, making her way back to the Polaris.

As large as Trottingham was, the trio was moving at an impressive pace, nearing the fringes of the city in short order. It was a good thing, too. As they drove on, surprising the townsfolk as they passed, Twilight could perceive, almost SEE reality itself bending and twisting at the edges of her vision, as if something was attempting to wrench control of the very fabric of the world free. If she were not here to witness it for herself, she'd never have believed such a thing possible, much less actually believe it was happening.

The three mares cleared the edge of the city moments later, none of them so much as sparing a backward glance. That empty feeling was strong, almost overwhelming, and it served to drive them onward in a desperate bid to escape it, more than the outcome that was sure to follow. As if on cue, there was a sound unlike anything they'd heard before, like the air itself was being...torn. There was no flash of light, no show of power, nothing. In the blink of an eye, Trottingham was suddenly just gone, right on their flanks as they escaped the city limits.

One would have assumed the ordeal over, but not quite. With a sound not unlike a thunderclap, air suddenly rushed in with hurricane force, moving to fill a void left by the now missing city. So great was the force that it threw all three of the ponies down, driving them back toward the crater left behind for several feet before each found purchase on the ground with their hooves, waiting out the brief but intense rush. Even the Polaris strained against the pull, it's mooring ropes pulled taut as the trees that anchored it creaked in protest at the might of the pull. Thankfully, they held against the torrent of air, which ultimately lasted only a few seconds.

As it passed, Twilight began to rise shakily to her feet. She didn't know what she felt just then. Fear, worry...awe. Whatever they had just experienced was beyond the scope of any magic she was familiar with, any magic she had ever even HEARD of. This was a league of it's own, and it was almost terrifying. Her eyes turned to the enormous crater that served as the only mark that Trottingham had ever been there, the act of which sent a shiver up her spine. They had almost been a part of this...

"Oh my gosh!" she finally said aloud, turning to Rarity and Applejack, the two taking a bit longer to recover from the disaster. Both of their eyes turned on her, their shock rather evident. "The others! Did they make it out?" Worry passed between the friends just then as they cast their gazes about, hoping to see signs of the rest of their group.

It was then that Rainbow Dash appeared, hurtling through the sky like a meteor before she landing in their midst with a heavy thud. Even the blue pegasus looked alarmed at what had just happened, though whether out of confusion or ignorance was debatable. "You three alright?" she almost demanded, her assertive nature kicking in at the threat of disaster. Each in turn gave her a solemn nod before fixing the pegasus with pleading gazes. If anyone would know, it had to be her.

For a moment, Rainbow looked confused, mostly that they were all staring at her so intently. After a moment or two, she started to whip her head around sharply, as if looking for something important. "Wait, where's Pinkie? And Fluttershy?" At those words, Twilight felt her heart sink to a low she'd not known since their first encounter with Discord. Looking back to the crater that marked what once was Trottingham, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"They..." she murmured softly, unable to finish more than that one word. The others caught on all the same, following her gaze back to the crater as well, each alone with their thoughts for moments that seemed as if to stretch on forever. The disappearance of an entire city was tragic, to be sure, but to lose a friend, much less, two....

"What....what do we do now?" Rainbow asked, her tone far shakier than normal, given the current events. All eyes turned to Twilight, the mare that usually had the answers they needed, even if they didn't always listen, but this time? She looked completely lost. She didn't have an immediate answer. She had ideas before, of course, but the loss of not one, but two of their number stung in ways words couldn't express. She felt numb...

Empty.

Vaguely, Twilight became aware of voices, muffled as they seemed to be, as though they were background noise against an unfathomable silence. Slowly, awareness came back to her, prompting her to blink rapidly, as if awakening from a dream. She suddenly became acutely aware of the worried looks on her friends' faces.

"Twi? Twi! Y'alright? C'mon girl, say somethn'!" Applejack's familiar voice was a cool reminder to ward off that feeling that had nearly overwhelmed her moments before. The orange mare had a hoof to each shoulder, as if she'd been shaking the alicorn, watery eyes showing she was on the verge of tears. The others looked on with every bit as much concern, but were waiting to see. When Twilight's eyes began to move once more, relief showed on their faces, a relieved sigh escaping the earth pony.

"Ya had us worried there fer a minute, Twilight," said Applejack, using a hoof to briefly touch her friend's cheek. "Y'all went all silent on us after what y'said...'bout..." she trailed off at that, letting the thought sink back in. Indeed, it seemed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy hadn't escaped the city before it vanished, and though Twilight's heart sank for it, it was clear her friends were suffering just as much for it as she. "D'ya think...are they...?"

"No," she said sharply, surprising even herself as she stamped a fore-hoof down. "I can't believe they're truly gone." I can feel it... she quietly mused to herself. "There's something else at work here, something...dark. I don't know what yet, but the cities can't be truly gone. I won't believe that!" She almost shouted that last part, and with such conviction that it shocked the others, each watching her with a bit of disbelief. She wasn't usually so...assertive.

A few moments of silence passed before she spoke up again, this time in a calmer manner. She felt horrible for the disappearance of their friends, but she couldn't let that guilt stop her now. They had a reason close to the heart to solve this now. "Where's the book? The one Applejack found?" She asked, sending the group looking this way and that. Rainbow, however, stepped forward, clutching the sizeable tome in hoof and foreleg.

"You mean this one?" she asked as Twilight took hold of it with her magic, pulling it over as the pegasus let it go. "I saw it on the edge of the crater when I caught up with all of you. Figured it might be important."

Nodding absently, Twilight touched a hoof gingerly to the book, as if it had become the most precious thing in the world. "I have a feeling we'll find out more about what's going on in this book. I'll need time to look it over, but..."

"Princess!" That voice was unmistakable as it called out across the field. Captain Starsight was galloping up to them with a purpose, Hotplate, the ship's cook, in tow. "Thank the stars above you're alright! Did you see that? The entire city just...just gone!"

Starsight and Hotplate both looked to be in awe. As terrible as the events might be, they were still a marvel to behold. To see magic like this, such raw power, was...unique. "We're fine, Starsight, but..."

"But not all of us will be continuing on with you," Rarity continued, finishing the thought. Though she looked confused for a moment, the distinct lack of two of their number filled in the gaps for her. It dawned on her that not everypony made it out of the city after all.

"Discord was here, just after you left," she said, picking back up on some semblance of a conversation. "He just said Celestia was in Couldsdale, and that we should meet up with her next. In light of these events, that might be a good idea. We could use more supplies, too, seeing as we can't get 'em here anymore."

Twilight glanced between her friends after the captain spoke, getting solemn nods in return. As hard as it was to press on, especially now that two of their own were missing, it was now imperative that they find out what was going on. Though they might be gone, NONE of them would abandon their friends. With a look of grim determination, she nodded to the captain. "Sounds like a plan. Are we ready to go?"

Starsight grinned in response, motioning for Hotplate to head back. "Ready an' waiting, princess. We can hit the air as soon as all of ya are aboard." With that, and a wink, she turned as well, shouting across the field to get the small crew started on releasing the moorings that anchored the ship. Sparing one last glance at the crater, Twilight shuddered before she made to follow, her three friends in tow.

This was going to be a pyrrhic victory for them. They had found the book, or at least, a book that seemed to have some ideas, but they had lost two of their own. Even if it wasn't truly permanent, their loss would still wound the group as a whole. When one was so close to their friends, it was easy to be stung by their unexpected absence.

As she trotted along behind Starsight, she brought the book up again, looking over it's cover with intensity, as if this alone could answer any of her multitude of questions. "Don'cha worry, Twilight. Y'all'll figure this out. Ya gotta...for their sake." Applejack said this with a bit of a forced smile, evidence of tears still clearly visible in her wet eyes. Twilight managed a weak smile in return.

"I will do my best, Applejack. I won't give up on our friends. Not so easily."