Liberate the Sun

by Seether00

Chapter 2: Ponyville Discovery

Chapter 2: Ponyville Discovery

Ah, progress. Such a simple word for a multitude of pleasures. The hiss of steam escaping from hot metal, carrying with it the delightful tang of sour grease and burnt coal, was a bite across the nose. As Mayflower stepped onto the train platform, she welcomed the sights and smells like a circle of her closest friends.

Wallflower alighted next to her, struggling to keep both their suitcases aloft. He moved listlessly, missing the jolt provided by his usual cup of coffee. Coming face-to-face with a pair of huge blue eyes framed by the poofiest cotton candy hair he had ever seen proved to be an effective substitute.

“Hiya!”

Wall couldn’t help letting out a startled yelp as he dropped the luggage. The sudden appearance of the grinning pony sent him instinctively scurrying behind his sister.

Procuring an index card from her mane, the pink mare cleared her throat and read aloud, “Greetings, visitors! On behalf of Mayor Mare and the Ponyville Tourism Board, welcome to Ponyville!” Balloons and confetti burst from a wheeled contraption set up nearby. “I’m ‘write name here’. Please follow me to your complimentary party!”

Mayflower took the lead, adopting her most formal manners. Mother’s lessons on etiquette flowed naturally. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss…?” she asked, extending a hoof in greeting.

“Pinkie Pie!”

Since Pinkie habitually ambushed newcomers, the Mayor had decided to turn it into an official position, funneling her urge in ways beneficial to the town. Tourists were left with a friendly impression and the Cakes received free advertising.

“Miss Pie, I am afraid we must decline. My brother and I are in town for a brief sojourn, and as divine as a party sounds, we simply cannot spare the time.”

“Ooo… you talk fancy.” Pinkie sounded impressed. Luckily, she came prepared for such a scenario. She wasn’t Chairmare and sole member of the Ponyville Welcoming Committee for nothing. “Here you go”—she flourished a pair of small cake boxes—“Pinkie Pie’s Patented Portable Party… in a box.”

Each container bore the name ‘Sugarcube Corner’ in pink lettering. May’s eyes lit up at the contents: a bag of confetti, a party popper, and most importantly, a Death by Chocolate cupcake. Dropping all pretense of manners, she stuck her face in the box and attacked the treat with gusto, completely unconcerned by the chocolate frosting smearing all over her plum furred muzzle.

Wallflower gave his cupcake a perplexed look. “Vanilla sponge with strawberry-basil frosting, my favorite. Only a few bakeries in Manehattan make these. How did you…” He looked up to find Pinkie and her party paraphernalia gone. “…know?”

After a moment, he shrugged and took a bite. The brochure mentioned Ponyville’s rather eccentric history, but at least the residents seemed nice.

---

The residents of Ponyville were normally a very friendly bunch. They were used to odd ponies visiting and didn’t give them much thought, unless one was trotting through town openly carrying a weapon.

Fearing the theft of her precious prototype, May insisted on bringing it along, despite Wall’s protests. The collapsed crossbow strapped to her side rattled as she walked. Combined with the hang glider bag slung across her back, she made for quite the sight.

“There’s virtually no crime, May,” her brother complained. The stares being thrown their way made him uncomfortable enough to quicken his pace.

“No chance, Wally. I’m not letting Alula out of my sight.”

“You gave it a name?”

“You’re the historian. Heroes of old named their weapons all the time. It’s lucky.”

Wallflower rolled his eyes; it was true that most weapons of legend carried names, like Vainglorious or Justice Bringer. However, it was also true that most of those weapons turned out to be cursed and eventually brought ruin to the wielder. It was unlikely that his sister had paid a sorcerer to enchant the crossbow, so Wallflower held his tongue on the matter.

After checking into the local inn, he insisted their first stop be the town library as it was the mostly likely place to house a map of the Everfree Forest.

The building was as far from Manehattan architecture as can be. Neither pony had ever encountered a tree turned into a living space before.

“They certainly strive for a natural motif,” Wall observed.

On arrival, a rather surprised lavender unicorn ushered the travelers inside. The library rarely received patrons; Ponyville wasn’t the best-read place in Equestria. The only other visitor was a cyan pegasus skimming the children’s adventure section.

“Welcome to the Golden Oaks Library,” greeted the librarian. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. How may I assist you?”

Wallflower’s mouth went dry. Standing before him was the Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, twice recognized heroine of Equestria. He mentally kicked himself for scanning the brochure so quickly. Surely, it mentioned Princess Celestia’s own student living here.

“Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name’s Wallflower Scroll, and this is my sister, Mayflower Wind. May I say, it’s quite an honor to meet you, Lady Sparkle.” He gave a little bow. “Hereditary Color Schemes through History was fascinating.”

“You’ve read it?” Twilight clapped happily. A serious scholarly discussion was one of the few things she missed about Canterlot. “And just Twilight is fine. What are your thoughts on the discovery of mane dye and its cultural eff—”

“Hey, I’m Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus rudely horned in between the chatting scholars. “Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” She couldn’t let Twilight steal all the attention and puffed out her chest, waiting to bask in the inevitable, but deserved accolades.

They didn’t come.

Twilight gave her friend a flat look. Why did Rainbow always insist on stealing the spotlight? Can’t she see I’m having an intelligent discussion?

“So...” She turned back to Wallflower. “You’re a historian. I’m quite the history buff myself,” she added, rubbing a hoof against her chest. Wallflower knew a challenge when he heard one. The unicorns commenced quizzing each other on Classical Equestrian history while an increasingly put out Rainbow Dash tried to garner their attention.

“Name the last chancellor of the Earth Pony Parliament.”

“Hey! I asked if you’ve heard of me.”

Wallflower groaned. “Chancellor Custard Tart.” He rolled his eyes a bit. “Far too easy. My turn. What was the Law of Trinity Punishment?

“Equestria’s fastest flyer.” Rainbow’s voice lost a bit of its brashness.

“The Law of Trinity Punishment was written by Princess Celestia nine-hundred years ago, outlawing the death penalty, replacing it with three maximum punishments: life in prison, banishment, or service to the crown til such time the Princess determined repayment to society complete,” Twilight answered, confident in her encyclopedic knowledge.

“The Rainbow ‘Danger’ Dash?”

“Wow, impressive,” Wallflower said. “Well, for a nonhistory major.”

“Only pegasus to pull of the Sonic Rainboom?”

“Really now?” Twilight gave a wry smile, missing the athlete's growing irritation.

Rainbow grunted in annoyance. “What am I, rotten apples over here?” May giggled at her disgruntled expression. Taking pity on the neglected mare, she tapped her on the shoulder.

“They’ll be a few hours,” May said, maneuvering Rainbow Dash away from the bookworms. “I’ve read the cliffs around here are quite spectacular. Could you perhaps show me a good hang gliding spot?” She noticed Rainbow’s wings flap at the mention of a flight related activity. Typical pegasus. “It would be the highlight of my trip to share the sky with such an acclaimed flyer.”

Rainbow’s chest visibly puffed out, each compliment reinflating her ego. “Aww yeah! Now you’re talkin’ my language. I know the perfect place,” she cheered while pumping a hoof in the air.

“Wally, I am going to out with Miss Dash.”

The unicorns didn’t appear to hear her, too busy pulling books off the shelves and arguing over esoteric unicorn history. Mayflower frowned at being ignored, but it slowly morphed into a mischievous smile. It was an expression, had Wallflower been paying attention, would have set off his ‘your big sister is about to embarrass you’ alarm—standard equipment for all younger siblings.

“Oh, and have you told Miss Sparkle about the poster you have of her?”

Twilight blushed at the knowledge that she had fans, causing Rainbow let out a guffaw. “Why?” he mouthed, spinning on his sister, but she and the pegasus had already left.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Well… that is… nice.” She tilted her head at the reddening unicorn.

“It’s nothing risqué, I swear!” he yelled, wanting to curl up and disappear.

After an awkward silence, much to the stallion’s relief, Twilight chose to drop the embarrassing subject. Over tea, the academics continued making small talk. Both enjoyed the mentally stimulating conversation, Twilight especially. She loved her friends, but intellectuals, they were not.

“Encouraging Miss Dash to read must be difficult,” Wallflower commented when the discussion turned to Twilight’s friends.

“Hopefully, I can get her into literature beyond middle school level.” She giggled.

Putting down his coffee, Wall broached the subject of his visit. “Twilight, the reason I’m here is to complete my thesis.”

Twilight’s ears perked at the mention of a research paper. They continued to twitch as she listened to his story. Alicorn history fascinated Twilight; it was one of the most clouded sections of Equestria’s past. Even her position as Princess Celestia’s apprentice hadn’t afforded her any insights. Both princesses deflected any questions posed.

The exchange ran into a hurdle when Wallflower mentioned the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters as his expedition’s target.

“The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place, especially for somepony not familiar with the area,” Twilight said with concern.

“It certainly can’t be that bad. What could possibly be so terrible?”

Twilight inhaled deeply. “Manticores, timberwolves, cockatrices —trust me; being turned to stone isn’t fun.”

“Twilight.”

“I think there’s a dragon still living nearby.”

“Twilight.”

“Oh and not to mention an Ursa Minor, probably an Ursa Major and—

“Twilight!” he yelled.

“Sorry, I tend to get carried away,” she said sheepishly, “but my point still stands.”

“No need to worry, Twilight.” The stallion thumped his chest. “I was in the Celestia Scouts. The great outdoors will not be a problem.”

Twilight suppressed an eye roll. She’d spent two summers in the Celestia Scouts, and the unicorn division was kind of a joke. ‘Camping’ consisted of sleeping overnight in libraries and museums; the closest they came to trees were displays in the natural history wing.

“Besides,” he continued breezily, “I’m sure you noticed my sister’s crossbow. We won’t be without protection.”

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “There is something else.”

What she was about to share was technically restricted, but Wallflower seemed intent on going, leaving her no choice. “The ruins are inside a barrier spell. After the Discord incident, Princess Celestia declared the area off limits. Nopony can enter without an official seal.”

“But I have written permission from the university.”

Twilight shook her head. “You need sanction from one of the princesses or a ranking member of the court.”

“What about you?” Wall asked, eyes flashing with hope. “You’re the Princess’s student. Surely, you have the authority.”

“Technically, I do, but I can’t break a royal edict for this.”

Wallflower chewed his lower lip, buried his self-respect and fell to his knees. “Please, Twilight,” he sniffled. “It’s not just about my paper. It’s… it’s for my father.”

Twilight’s expression softened. “Look, maybe you should start from the beginning.”

Wallflower released a deep sigh. “Just promise me you won’t tell anypony. My sister considers this private.”

Twilight agreed, executing a complex series of hoof movements that left the stallion baffled. He put it to some local custom before launching into his story. Wallflower told her what he had learnt from Mother, the summons, the accident, and the notebook.

Twilight patted his hoof in sympathy. She couldn’t imagine growing up without one of her parents. She felt some guilt for not writing them more often. “I’m so sorry. It must have been difficult for all of you.”

Wallflower accepted the condolence imparted in her touch. “Our lives were actually quite comfortable. The Princess faulted the Royal Guard for flying during a preplanned storm. She ordered our educations paid for, even providing Mother with a generous stipend.

“I’ve never told May, but I’ve always felt a bit of hollowness, never knowing my sire.” His voice cracked as he placed his notes on the table and ran a hoof along the diagram vectoring to the ruins. “This is my one link, so I am asking you, not as scholar, but as a son. Lady Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, help me… please.”

Maybe Applejack or Rainbow Dash could have stood solid against his tale, but hearing the desperation in his voice pulled at Twilight’s heartstrings. She surprised Wallflower with a comforting embrace.

“Alright,” she acquiesced softly, then spoke with all seriousness. “Just promise you won’t make me regret this.”

“Do I have to poke myself in the eye?” he asked, wiping his tears.

---

Rainbow Dash might have found her new best friend. After spending all morning stunt flying near Ponyville Cliffs, May offered to buy lunch. Next to flying and napping, free food topped the list of Dash’s favorite things.

She’d expected the Manhattanite to be stereotypically snobby, but Mayflower was surprisingly laid back. Not to mention, the glider tricks she could pull off were amazing, even to a seasoned flyer like Rainbow Dash, and she wasn’t impressed easily. She had to admit, the earthy pony possessed skills usually reserved for those born with wings.

May had been initially put off by Rainbow’s boastful attitude. In her opinion, a heroine of Equestria should be a bit more modest. Having dealt with another arrogant pegasus recently, it was disappointing. However, as they spoke, May found she and Rainbow Dash had much in common. They loved the beauty and thrill of flight, and shared a drive to excel in their chosen professions, even sharing the same literary tastes in the Daring Do series.

“When you went for that diving corkscrew, I thought for sure you were going hit the trees!” Rainbow said, illustrating the move with her forelegs. “Then woosh, you pull up and just skimmed the branches. You almost looked like a pegasus out there.”

“Thank you… I guess.” Mayflower decided to take it as a compliment.

“You’re welcome. Gotta say, I’ve never met an earth pony who loved flying as much as me,” Rainbow said as she munched some hay fries. “Most like to keep their hooves on the ground. One time I snuck up on my pal Applejack and took her on a little joyride.”

She laughed, remembering the high-pitched screaming. “She was pissed off for a month. ‘Rainbow Dash, yah ever do that again, Ah’ll buck yah so hard your great-great grandkids will feel it!’.” Rainbow’s impersonation of her friend’s trademark drawl would have warranted a whuppin’ from the farmer had she been around.

Mayflower nibbled her salad. The vegetables tasted fresher than in the city. “I’ve met some pegasi who would disagree with you, Rainbow. Many ponies believe we should know our place.”

“Featherbrained tribalists,” Rainbow snorted, waving her hoof dismissively. “You’ve got pegasus blood. The sky is part of who we are. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got wings or not.” She kicked her hooves up, ignoring glares from the wait staff. “My great-grandma was an earth pony. I got my awesome mane and my radical name from her. So I don’t give a flying feather about that mixed blood versus pureblood stuff. Take it from a future Wonderbolt.”

Mayflower whistled. “The Wonderbolts? Impressive, but not surprising given your resume. I assume they’ve sent you an invitation.”

Rainbow leaned closer. “Yup, already started training at Wonderbolt Academy,” she said proudly.

“Wow! So are you going to teach them the Sonic Rainboom?”

“Not really…” Rainbow’s brows creased downward. “I mean it’s mine, right?”

May cocked her head quizzically, rubbing her chin. “I don’t mean to judge, but that sounds a little selfish. Can’t you see all the ways Equestria could benefit?”

The earth pony considered herself a patriot. She envisioned many military applications for the maneuver. To see one of the supposed exemplars of Equestria’s ideals shirk her duty brought back feelings of disappointment. It was unacceptable.

Negotiating contracts had taught May that all ponies had different levers; pull the right ones and they could be steered towards your terms. Though she’d known the pegasus for only a brief time, it became clear the key lay in challenging Dash’s ego.

Mayflower pulled that lever.

“Your intransigence makes me sad, Rainbow.” She sighed melodramatically. “What happens if you’re injured or, Celestia forbid, dead, and Equestria needs the Sonic Rainboom? What if the changelings come back, or the griffin’s attack?

“I can see it now. The skies above Canterlot darkened with Equestria’s enemies. ‘Where’s Rainbow Dash?’ everypony will say. ‘We could surely use a Sonic Rainboom or three. Oh no, she’s dead. Too bad she didn’t care enough to teach it to anypony else. Now we’re all doomed.’” May covered her smile with a sip of water. Rainbow’s agitated wings proved her words were having the intended effect. She angled for the kill.

“Oh well.” She shrugged. “Not every pony can teach others. You can’t be the best at everything.”

Rainbow Dash immediately leapt onto the table, spilling her unfinished hay fries. “Oh yeah? Watch me!” she retorted, eyes narrowing into a glare, puffing out her chest. “I may not know what intrans-whatever means, but nopony tells The Dash she doesn’t love Equestria! I’m loyalty person-person…”

“Personified?”

“Right, that word. Give me anypony with wings and three days. I’ll hav’em doing Sonic Rainbooms all over town, no problem!”

Spotting an orange filly flying down the street on a scooter, the fired up flyer called her over, “Scootaloo, get over here!”

“What do you need, Rainbow Dash?” asked the little pegasus, magenta eyes shining with idol worship.

“Squirt, remember when I told you I’d teach you everything I know? Well, it starts today.” Rainbow hovered back and forth in front of her protégée, sounding like a drill sergeant. “This mare is questioning my awesome teaching skills. We’re going to prove her wrong!”

Scootaloo practically vibrated with excitement. “You’re gonna teach me to fly, Rainbow Dash?”

“Fly? That’s easy, squirt. No, you’re gonna learn. The. Sonic. Rainboom.”

Her hero’s pronouncement sent the filly buzzing into the air. She only made it a few feet before crashing onto the table, flipping over the salad bowl.

Mayflower took a napkin to an errant bit of lettuce stuck to her face.

“That’s the spirit, Scoots! Now drop and give me twenty!” Rainbow ordered.

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Scootaloo jumped to the ground and started rapidly snapping off push-ups.

“See.” Rainbow gave May a smug look. “By this time next month, she’ll be me… ‘cept a bit smaller.”

Scoot popped back up, panting a little.

“Take five, Scoots.” Rainbow pushed a water-filled glass to the grateful trainee. “Keep working hard, and you’ll join me in the Wonderbolts in no time.”

“Really? The Wonderbolts? Me? ...But I still don’t have my cutie mark.” Scootaloo’s ears drooped. The Wonderbolts don’t take blank flanks.

“I was about your age when I got my cutie mark,” Mayflower said, rubbing the filly’s back. “Would you like to hear about it?” The filly’s ears perked back up and she turned in rapt attention. The Crusaders were always after cutie mark stories. “Oddly enough, the Wonderbolts helped get my cutie mark.” Rainbow Dash leaned in, eager to hear more about her idols.

The lilac mare reclined, reminiscing. “The Wonderbolts had a show in Manehattan one summer. My favorite flyer, Thunder Cracker, was going to perform.”

Rainbow had memorized the entire Wonderbolt Compendium. She recalled Thunder Cracker being a beefy tan stallion with red hair and a lightning bolt splitting a boulder adorning his flank.

“It was my birthday; it started as the best day ever. Mother even purchased backstage passes. And there he was, Thunder Cracker, in the flesh. His wings were even more impressive in person. My posters didn’t do him justice.”

“Sounds like somepony had a little filly crush?” Rainbow snickered.

Mayflower’s pink coat did a poor job hiding her blush. “Yes… I owned everything with his likeness.”

“Oh, like Rainbow does with Soarin!” chirped Scootaloo innocently. Rainbow spit out her water.

May continued, “I asked him for an autograph, saying the same thing every filly says, ‘When I grow up I want to be a Wonderbolt, just like you.’”

“And he told you to work hard and your dreams will come true, right?” Scootaloo parroted her mentor’s earlier encouragement.

“No, he laughed in my face, saying, ‘You’re either an earthworm or an eagle.’ Mayflower grimaced at the hurtful memory. “He made it clear I was firmly in the former category and when earth ponies grew wings, he would take up farming. He pretty much crushed me.”

Rainbow Dash slamed the table, ears flat against her skull. “Wow, that is totally uncool.” One of her heroes spitting on a little kid’s dreams really pissed her off. “I would’ve bucked that guy in the face!”

“Yes… well, Mother didn’t find it amusing. I’d never seen somepony kicked in the privates before or heard such a high pitched squeal.”

“Jerk deserved it,” said Rainbow with some satisfaction. If she’d been there, he would’ve gotten much worse than a kick to the privates.

“We did get a written apology and free tickets for the rest of the season.”

Scoolatoo raised a brow in confusion. “So how did getting laughed at get you a cutie mark? Diamond Tiara laughs at my friends all the time, and nothing happens.”

“I’m getting to that,” May continued. “I was pretty depressed. That’s when Mother suggested hang gliding. Her talent was sensing wind currents and using them effectively. She said I had as much a right to the sky as any pegasus, so she taught me everything I know about flight.”

She sighed wistfully. “She was so proud when I built my first gilder. After our maiden flight my cutie mark appeared.

“For my Cutecenera she gave me these.” May turned her goggles over to Scootaloo. “They’re her lucky weather work goggles. A bit outdated, but I never leave home without them.”

“That’s pretty rad,” the orange filly said. Maybe flying was Apple Bloom’s or Sweetie Belle’s special talent. Plans to attach her friends to kites started to form.

“I still remember the feeling of that first flight, the wind blowing over my coat and the liberation of no longer being tethered to the ground.”

“Right here, sister.” Rainbow hoof bumped May in agreement. “Flying is the greatest thing in the world.”

“It’s something all ponies should experience.” Mayflower unrolled a schematic onto the table. “And I am close to making that a reality.”

It was a wireframe model of a pony with its hooves outstretched. On its back was a pair of artificial wings with underslung turbines. Control rods ran the length of the pony’s limbs, and a bridle covered in small switches fit in its mouth.

May chuckled as both pegasi’s mouths gaped open.

“That’s so cool,” they cried in unison.

“It still needs a name,” Mayflower said. “Something poetic.”

“Icarus,” chirped Scootaloo earning a surprised look from Rainbow Dash. “What? I like to read too, you know!” she said defensively. “It’s the story of an earth pony whose father builds a set of wings to escape the minotaurs. It was pretty cool.”

“I like it, Scootaloo.” Mayflower mussed the filly’s magenta mane in appreciation. “A bit cliche, but it’s definitely poetic.” She wrote on the blueprint, making the name official, giving Scootaloo credit much to the filly’s delight.

“Now, Icarus isn’t quite ready.” As May expected the winged ponies let out an ‘aww’ of disappointment. Pegasi were typically impatient and always in a hurry. “I’m almost there. I just need funding to develop a power supply.”

“I gotta have the first one, Mayflower,” Rainbow Dash begged. She imagined the speeds possible with the device augmenting her already impressive wing power.

May’s eyes glittered like quicksilver. Rainbow recognized the look. It was the same flame of ambition she saw in the mirror every morning. This mare took her work very seriously and was willing to do whatever it took to realize her awesome idea, and she wanted to share it with everypony. It made Rainbow feel slightly ashamed, not that she would ever admit it.

What’s the point of doing something great if you kept it to for yourself? Besides, even if everypony could do a Sonic Rainboom, she would always be remembered as the first.

“I’ll make you a deal, Rainbow Dash. If you successfully teach one pegasus the Sonic Rainboom, the first Icarus off the line is yours.”

The inventor ordered a round of grape juice for the three of them. “Who knows? One day the Sonic Rainboom will be a button press away.” She raised her glass in toast. “To the future.”

“To the future!” the pegasi echoed.

---

Wallflower checked the map. The route Twilight had charted yesterday was more circuitous than the path her friends had taken on their fateful quest to retrieve the Elements. While longer, it avoided all the hazards the six had encountered. Coupled with travelling during daylight, the siblings made excellent time.

Rising out of a clearing, The Castle of the Two Sisters appeared to be a maze of broken stonework and overgrown vines. The march of nature was stymied by a dome of energy protecting the ruins in a glowing white.

Bearing a parchment with Twilight’s signature and cutie mark allowed the travelers to pass through the barrier. Both giggled at the tickling sensation as the energy passed along their coats.

Navigating around piles of rubble, Wallflower tried to imagine what the castle looked like in its prime. Many books contained artist renderings of what might have been, but being here, walking through a piece of history, the illustrations didn’t do the site justice.

Entering the grand hall through a broken portcullis, the historian was struck by the large amount of visible damage.

They passed several broken windows, which had most likely been filled with stained glass at some time. Blast craters marred the marble floors. The pair found themselves detouring through destroyed side rooms as collapsed ceilings turned the once majestic fortress into a labyrinthine maze of blocked passages.

Father’s notes stated whatever he was after was located near the castle’s library. Despite the clear objective, Wall found himself beset by questions. Certainly, there had been past expeditions; why hadn’t anypony found anything? What had Father found that everypony else had missed?

The further they progressed, the chillier and darker it got. The ceiling here was intact, blocking out the sunlight. Wallflower summoned a collection of wisps. The little flames did a poor job of relieving his growing sense of claustrophobia.

In unsaid agreement, the duo picked up the pace, hoof steps echoing along the soulless hallways and stairwells.

They came to rest in a featureless antechamber. No bookcases, no rolls of parchment, not a bit of evidence anypony had ever visited. The room was completely barren.

Wallflower flipped through his notes, agitation clear on his face. “This can’t be correct.”

“This was a fine choice for a vacation, Wally,” Mayflower quipped, trying to break the tension. In truth the lack of light and open air was starting to get to her. She ran a hoof along the surface of one wall, clearing a path through the thick layer of grime. “Dusty.” She tsked. “I’ll certainly have to scold the management on their poor cleaning staff.”

Wall could tell the room hadn’t been looted, being far too clean. A scrying spell revealed nothing; no cloaking field, not even a hidden passage—what self-respecting castle didn’t have a secret passage or two? “There should be something here,” he growled. Father’s notes were quite clear; had he made a mistake? No, impossible. He was just overlooking something. Something important. Something burning?

Mayflower’s yelp of surprise brought Wall out of his reverie. Her left saddlebag shined a blinding white. She felt the heat searing her coat and struggled to unstrap herself. She heaved, sending her bags and Alula flying in opposite directions.

The bags burst into flames before they hit the ground, leaving only ash and a single glowing feather.

Both ponies watched in silent awe as the white light it produced swept the area in a three hundred sixty degree arc, leaving behind tables, chairs, bookshelves, and the stink of ozone. A hidden library being brought back into existence for the first time in a thousand years.

Wallflower licked his lips at the cornucopia of lost texts. Only Mayflower’s hiss of pain kept him from diving right in. Quickly moving to his sister’s side, Wallflower looked over her injuries.

“It’s only a light scorch,” he assured, pouring a canteen of water over the burnt area. Mayflower sighed in relief at the cool sensation. “I’ve read of turn key cloaking spells before, but I never expected to encounter one. Full materialization from a dimensional subplane is very rare and needs a powerful caster to pull off.”

Mayflower didn’t speak while her brother explained the spellcraft. Her understanding of magic didn’t extend beyond crystals sometimes needed to power equipment.

He wrapped a bandage around her barrel and eased his saddle bags over her to hold them in place. Only after ensuring Mayflower was all right did the he pick up the now inert feather and inspect the aftermath of its effects. The books were ancient. With a cursory glance, Wallflower recognized several lost works dating back centuries.

“Wally, come here and have a look at this.”

Wallflower turned to see his sister inspecting a jagged hole in the back wall, exposing stairs hewn from the stone, leading downwards into the darkness.

The thrill of discovering another hidden level left the historian slightly giddy. He worked to suppress it. No need to get sloppy now; there were procedures to follow.

Abandoning his eyes in favor of hornsight, Wallflower saw the damage was beyond physical, bleeding into the astral plane. His horn tingled, practically tasting the magical residue left behind. It felt very old, close in age to the warding around the library. In sharp contrast to the warm, inviting glow left by the feather, the energy around the edges of the hole felt cold, repellent, dark. Even faded, the traces of battle magic were still potent.

Normally, uncovering a hidden cache of old texts would be enough to warrant turning around, but the lure of finding more was too tantalizing; Wall found himself following his sister down the narrow stairway.

Wallflower gasped. Illuminated by the flickering blue light of enchanted torches stood rows upon rows of sarcophagi. They had stumbled upon a crypt.

A forgotten library and the last resting place for who knew how many figures of Equestrian antiquity. Individually, either was worth its weight in gold to any historian. The bas-relief images around the perimeter of the chamber, however, outclassed them both.

Picking his jaw up from the floor, the historian drank in the details.

By the art style he placed the work as created during Equestria’s medieval period, likely pre-classical by his estimation. The stone was faded and chipped in places but still in very good condition. Vibrant colors of white, gold, and midnight blue were prominent, and figures were carved cleanly, leaving no doubt whom was being depicted. Broken into several panels, each depicted a part of a heroic fable. Flowing script in Old Equestrian wrapped around each section of the story.

“Surgere Caelestium Regiarum,” he read out loud.

The first panel depicted two groups of three ponies surrounding a fourth in some sort of ritual. Each of the tribes were represented. The focus of each group was a different mare; the first group’s being a pink maned white unicorn and the second a pegasus coated in dark blue. Painted whorls of multicolored energy flowed from the participants into the mares.

“Alicorn Ascendancy,” he whispered under his breath. The holy grail of the Equestrian history. Take that, Platinum Plus!

In the second panel, the newly born alicorns did battle with a mismatched serpentine creature. Six gems orbited the sisters, obviously the Elements of Harmony.

The final frame showed victory and dominated the rear wall. Princess Celestia, reared back, stood equidistant between panels depicting each of the tribes, signifying her divine right to rule all ponykind.

Unpacking his camera, Wallflower danced a little victory jig as he spun about snapping pictures.

He telekinesed a guide to Old Equestrian and a roll of parchment. Wall was quite proud of his refinements to the translation spell; it was one of the few areas of magic in which he excelled. He merely needed to run a hoof over whatever text he wanted deciphered while touching corresponding reference material, and the quill would automatically produce a version in modern Equestrian.

While her brother was lost in translation, the engineer noted the series of load bearing columns running the length of the tomb. She wiped the dirt away from a couple of the brass plates at the base of each coffin. The names and word sacrificium were the only parts she understood, the rest written in an dialect unfamiliar to her.

This is turning into a regular Daring Do adventure, except without the death traps and slavering monsters.

Mayflower’s ears swiveled towards a low chittering sound. “Did you hear that?” she called out.

“Rats probably,” Wallflower postulated with a shrug. He didn’t hear anything. “May, you have to see this,” Wall called over, horn casting his face and parchment in shadow. He wanted her to share in the euphoria of their discovery. He waited for Mayflower to trot over before reading aloud.

During the final days of Discord, we, the last leaders of the Equestria, authorized a desperate experiment.

To those who would judge us harshly. Understand, our land was in turmoil. The Spirit of Disharmony and Chaos ran rampant, working his foul magic unopposed, and the Celestial Council of unicorns lacked the power to successfully harness the Elements of Harmony.

They determined avatars were needed to defeat the fiend.

With the aid of Clover the Clever, a ritual was enacted. Members of each tribe sacrificed their essence to imbue volunteers with power beyond that of any single individual. Two mares survived, the process linking their magic with the sun and the moon. Thus those, who later would be known as the Royal Pony Sisters, were created.

“Certainly disproves my theory,” interrupted Mayflower.

“And that is…?”

“Aliens.”

“Really? Aliens? You’re serious?” Wall asked in disbelief.

“Creatures of immense power, from beyond, come to rule us. It’s a fitting description of the princesses,” explained Mayflower.

Refusing to be drawn any further into a conversation about extraterrestrials, Wall continued reading.

Aliens, preposterous.

With Discord’s imprisonment, peace was restored. Or so we thought.

The first alicorn rechristened herself Celestia after the now defunct Celestial Council. She refused to relinquish her power, dooming those ponies who feed her magic to death.

Declaring herself and her younger sister Princesses of the Realm, Celestia ordered dissolution of the Stable Parliament, equivocating democracy to chaos, naming our government dysfunctional and the prime catalyst in Discord’s summoning. Freedom and self-government were to make way for absolute order.

The unicorn nobility allied with the Princess—unsurprising, given Princess Platinum’s original opposition to a republic during the founding. The Diarchy was easily established.

The majority of the population is cowed. All who resisted have been exiled, eliminated or forced into hiding.

The Royal Guard are destroying all records pertaining to the Sisters’ ascension. The truth must not die with our generation. Celestia may be immortal, but we will not let her cover up history.

In hidden locations around the world, we have secreted copies of the Constitution and accounts of what really occurred. If you are reading this, do your duty. Expose the truth.

May Equestria be free again.

-Chancellor Custard Tart

-General Nimbus

-Archmage Crystal Abstract

The rest was a transcription of the old Constitution.

“Wally.” Mayflower cleaned off the inscriptions of a few more caskets. The word sacrificium appeared repeatedly. “These ponies... they’re all the ones who died creating the princesses, aren’t they?”

“Most likely,” he confirmed with a nod, taking a brush to another plaque.

She recoiled in disgust. This was exactly why she preferred machines to magic. Machines were logical and reliable. With magic, there was always a price, in this case blood sacrifice.

Her brother didn’t notice her reaction, busy as he was transcribing faded scraps of parchment. The use of sacrifices in the creation of alicorns had been postulated before, and here lay hard evidence.

His colleagues were going to be so jealous. A world of possibilities opened up. Forget just a Masters. This discovery would catapult him to the highest echelons of academia—maybe a stint on the lecture circuit, eventually a PhD and a teaching position.

Rereading the second half of the translation, Wallflower scoffed, dismissing it out of hoof. Although the translation was quick and dirty—skipping much of the flowery language favored during the period—the authors’ biases were obvious. Cast down from positions of power, they sought to paint the Princess in the worst light possible. Even so, any museum would pay a fortune to display their words.

Besides, one artifact wasn’t enough to overturn centuries of accepted history. The idea of Princess Celestia banishing or killing her political opponents was laughable. Ponydom loved her unconditionally; opposition didn’t exist. Heck, imagining her doing anything more ‘evil’ beyond eating an extra slice of cake was impossible.

Hopefully, the library upstairs contained more information. He sat down and scratched his chin thoughtfully, watching his sister peer at a damaged sepulcher. Now he could take Mayflower on a proper vacation, perhaps the Baahamas. Wallflower tilted his head back. He could picture it now: lounging on the beach, diploma in one hoof, a daiquiri in the other, mares clad in tight swimsuits as far as the eye could see, a monster dropping from the ceiling.

Surprised by Wall’s yell, Mayflower spun around just as the Scorpio dropped in front of them.

Both ponies stared at the creature. Like the Ursa Minor, the Scorpio was a constellation beast, obscenely huge with a stinger as large as a pony’s leg. Its six beady eyes focused on its petrified prey, sensing an easy meal.

May was the first to say anything. “That’s a big rat.” She bolted for the stairway, and looked over her shoulder to see her brother frozen in fear as the giant scorpion made ready to skewer him.

“Wally!” she shouted. “By Celestia’s mane, move!”

Wallflower wanted to move. By Luna’s twin moons he wanted to move quite badly, but overwhelming terror had turned his limbs to ice. His eyes ran the length of the beast, widening at the creature’s stinger. Dripping green venom, the wicked point looked long enough to easily impale him. At that moment, he really regretted not taking basic arcane defense as an elective. Even a small fireball would be nice.

A loud bang reverberated around the chamber when Mayflower opened the party popper. The noise unfroze her brother and he willed his legs towards her.

The Scorpio screeched and turned towards Mayflower. The unexpected bang appeared to make it angry. The monster charged, violently smashing aside columns with its oversized claws.

Mayflower rolled behind a fallen column. She prayed the clouds of dust from the pillar’s collapse obscured the creature’s vision for the few moments it took to prep Alula.

The Scorpio emerged through the haze just as she shouldered the weapon. Her first bolt glanced off a claw. The second struck one of the creature’s eyes with a wet squelch. A keen of primal outrage loosed from the Scorpio’s churning maw.

The monster relentlessly advanced. Mayflower backed away, firing shot after shot. One landed in its mandibles, and she could only stare as the razor-sharp appendages chewed up the arrow. Maybe it was time to develop some better ammunition. She cursed after the final bolt pinged off its star covered hide. All her reloads had gone up in flames along with the saddlebags. She ducked a claw swipe, resulting in a nearby sarcophagus being crushed to dust.

She rolled behind another casket, narrowly avoiding a falling boulder the size of her head.

“The area is losing structural integrity,” Mayflower shouted over the noise. “It’s going to collapse!”

Wallflower knew it was a bad sign when his sister fell back on jargon. “Get to the stairs,” he yelled back.

Mayflower rolled out of cover, galloping towards her brother, the Scorpio nipping at her tail—whose shortness was the only thing keeping it out of range as debris rained down.

Both ponies scrambled up the stairs, slipping on the uneven steps, certain the monster couldn’t follow. Wallflower heaved a sigh of relief, doubling over on the library's floor with Mayflower just as out of breath. After a moment they both burst out laughing, the absurdity of surviving bleeding into their giggles.

Their laughter petered out as purple smoke coalesced, blocking the exit.

“Bucking magical creatures,” was the extent of Mayflower’s curse before the Scorpio leapt.

Mayflower’s buck sent her brother crashing into some bookshelves before she was pinned down. She squealed as the stinger pierced her abdomen.

“Mayflower!” Wallflower cried, clambering out of the mess of books.

Her vision dimmed as venom pumped through her bloodstream. “Wally…” she rasped, “…run.”

Wallflower charged, slamming into the creature. He yelled out, bucking the Scorpio’s armor. A casual pincer-swipe sent him tumbling, the back of his head impacting on floor with an audible crack. He spat, tasting iron. Ponyfeathers, I think I’m bleeding internally. The sharp edge of the creature’s claw had left an open gash on the side of his barrel. He lay still, blood staining the white marble.

The Scorpio clicked its mandibles and drooled as it prepared to feed on the two tasty morsels.

Hmm… how disappointing. I was hoping for a certain purple unicorn, but I guess you’ll do.

“Who’s there?” Wall cracked open an eye but didn’t see anypony. It took him a minute to realize time seemed stopped. The blood loss must be causing me to hallucinate.

Oh, this is no hallucination, my friend. This is quite real, said the voice inside his mind, speaking in the oily manner of a used wagon salespony. And you, my friend, appear to be in need of some assistance.

Wall grabbed his head; it ached fiercely. He blinked away the few tears of pain. “I just need to save Mayflower.”

Mocking laughter echoed in his skull. Of course you do. You’re her loving wittle brother after all. Let’s play a game. It’s called ‘Save your sister from a terrible death.’ Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

“Why should I trust you?”

You shouldn’t, Tulip. The wisest choice would be to accept both your fates and be done with it, but the question stands. Do you want to play?

“I don’t have much of a choice. And my name is Wallflower.”

Are you sure? I quite like Daffodil, or how about Buttercup; so many good choices, but I can tell you’re getting impatient. The voice gave a cough. So here’s the bargain: you and your lovely sister help me out with a teeny, tiny little favor and I gift you with the power to save her. It’s a steal and only available for a limited time. Free shipping.

“What’s the favor?”

Now, now, that is a surprise, the voice tutted. But tick-tock, what’s it going to be, boyo? Yes or no?

Wallflower glanced at the stricken form of his sister. He had a fairly good idea of the voice’s owner. One didn’t forget that laugh, not when you’re sliding down soap covered pavement towards a boiling lake of chocolate in Manehattan Central Park. A Faustian bargain, but in the end there was really only one answer.

“Yes.”

Wallflower’s body snapped taut as an amulet of gold with a fat orange gem formed out of thin air. He could barely make out a dancing snakelike figure trapped within the stone before it fell around his neck.

Esoteric power filled his horn with a sickly orange light. The surge of power was like nothing he had ever experienced. The magic tasted salty, spicy, sweet, hot, cold and all sensations in between. It felt beautiful. It felt terrible. It spoke of no control, complete freedom. Chaos.

The power of creation. Everything and nothing at the same time. Paradox. No wonder you’re mad.

Hey, I take great offense to that remark. I prefer to be called eccentric.

Wallflower turned towards the Scorpio, still frozen mid-strike. It looked so insignificant now. Fearing it felt so absurd.

Now, what to do about our clawed friend? Hmm… I have it. What’s your favorite breakfast?

The instant waffles entered Wallflower’s mind there sounded a distinct snap. Where once stood a fearsome Scorpio now sat a plate of toasty waffles, overflowing with strawberries, covered in whipped cream, and dripping with maple syrup. It looked scrumptious.

Giving in to a sudden wave of malice, the possessed unicorn greedily consumed the creature turned breakfast. He let loose a great belch, the vulgarity of which sent him into a fit of unhinged giggles.

Thirsty, how about a drink? He guzzled the newly arrived glass of orange juice, before casually tossing the empty glass over his shoulder.

As entertaining as watching you summon an entire continental breakfast is, let’s not lose focus, the voice lightly scolded. Sister dying, remember?

The word ‘sister’ seemed to penetrate the haze of Wallflower’s power trip. Ugh... What am I doing? Mayflower! Have to save Mayflower!

He concentrated on a simple first aid spell. The magic slipped his grasp; it didn’t want to be controlled or take commands. It was like giving orders to a three-year old, except the three-year-old could turn trees into spaghetti. It made his horn ache.

Stop trying so hard. Just picture your desire.

A transparent cocoon enveloped May’s prone body. Wallflower watched in wonder as her wound knit itself closed. Poison flowed from her pores into a greenish puddle nearby. When the glow faded, even her burns were gone, leaving her lilac coat pristine.

As suddenly as it arrived, the magic left. The unicorn collapsed in a fit of retching. A wave of greasy nausea overtook him, and he vomited a stream of black bile. The vile substance left a tarlike aftertaste.

His body contorted as needles of pain lanced all over. “What did you do to me?” he heaved, the acid burned his throat.

Chaos magic. Never really meant to be wielded by mortals, ponies especially. I may have neglected to mention that.

“You bastard,” Wallflower wheezed.

Welcome to the game, Wally. We are going to have so much fun together.

Discord’s laughter echoed in Wall’s ears as he blacked out.
—

Author's Note:

Editors credit and thanks to: notMurphy and Georg
Special thanks to my bro for grammar corrections

Comments

[Arkenai]

Oh, wow. That beginning was amazing. You've come in strong and you've maintained it. I will definitely be following this.

The way you've introduced the characters is wonderful, and they feel as though they have depth. Whilst I haven't exactly read everything on fimfiction, the plot comes off as original as well.

I'm hooked. +1.

[notMurphy]

strawberry-basil frosting,

... is it weird that I'd like to see what this tastes like?

[Aridifolia]

Gotta love ultimatums.

My gears are turning about just how much Celestia could be covering up. I fear that she may have more to do with their father's disppearance than they're gonna like. I also wonder how you'll cover Luna's descent into Nightmare if you do.

Loving the lore you're building.

[meme-asaurus]

“My great-grandma was an earth pony. I got my awesome mane and my radical name from her.”

images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110612214409/gyropedia/images/5/52/RainbowDashAlwaysDressesInStyle.jpg

ARRGGGH!!! TERRIBLE G3 FALSHBACKS!!! MY BRAIN, IT STINGS!!!!!!!!

[djthomp]

Ooooo, everything about this chapter was fantastic, from the library and meeting Twilight to the cafe and Rainbow to the ruins. Very nice work on the dark Alicorn history, though it does seem fairly suspicious that Celestia would give them the feather if it could eventually reveal the truth about her and her sister. I suspect she is playing a game of her own.

[Rated Ponystar]

I really like this story. The OC's are really believable characters and the fact that they are now dragged into the game of chaos and order is quite believable as well. I like the idea of getting to know more about how Celestia and Luna became alicorns and I want to know if this is actually going to lead to Celestia being a tyrant or not. A lot of good themes you have up in the air and the fact that these two have to take on Twilight and Dash is only going to make it more interesting.

Looking forward to more in the future.

[Starlight Nova]

"trust me; being turned to stone isn’t fun."
Discord: You got that right.

[StormyVenture]

Poor ponies, I take it this is why access to the castle is restricted. Twilight Sparkle, you really should know better!

I have to wonder what he might do with that information. I'm guessing the information is at least partly true, and might be part of why Celestia did/should've felt bad about what happened with Luna. Especially since, going with this information, something not entirely dissimilar had happened with her. Revealing it though won't really help Equestria much. I wonder what really happened to Vellum... Something tells me that receiving a feather back from her was either purely coincidental (she could never have imagined the present situation occurring) or entirely too planned.

P.S.
It really irritates me that every story with some ancient ruin in that has stood for a long, long time must automatically suffer some calamitous destruction upon discovery of it.

[EquestrianGallade]

Dayum, I never usually like OC's. Like, ever. But I really like Mayflower and Wallflower. For once some main character OCs that are more than love interests for the Mane Six.