Lunarium

by Tramper

Chapter 11 ~ You Can Change Everything (V2)

As six fillies made their way through the chaos that now painted Canterlot in such a perverse version of life, the clouds in the sky only seemed to grow darker. The heavy weight they carried let itself not be held back any longer. Droplets of water, dyed in sickly browns and greens, began to fall on the heads of the city’s denizens.

First earthquakes and now getting soaked, that seemed fairly harsh to Twilight. But the dry summer was already a thing of the past, cold winds were rising and soon rainclouds would mix more often with the city’s smog. At least that’s how it always went, but Twilight Sparkle wasn’t a filly who could predict the weather.

Of course, she had tried to read about it but the books about weather, air and temperatures had been too complicated to her. Twilight didn't like books she wasn't able to understand. A smart pony understood many things and things a smart pony like her didn’t understand shouldn’t exist in the first place. They made others think that she wasn’t what she thought herself to be, and that was horrible.

So here she was, glad she had a blanket with her and threw it over her head as soon as the rain started. The drops were heavy, weighed down by the chemicals the factories pumped into the air, and a lightly foul stench clung to them. Twilight felt her gag reflex acting up, but she didn’t want it to happen in front of the others. So she kept breathing, slowly and steadily, like she'd learned.

Her five new friends took the change of weather even worse.

Trixie ran over to an alley, taking a garbage can’s top and held it above her head, not wanting her valuable clothing to get hit by the horrible wetness. She cursed all the while. Lyra huddled with the piebald filly, constantly whispering jests into the ears of her ears. Trixie clearly wanted her to stop, grimacing as the distance between her and her fated nemesis closed. Lyra, yet again, portrayed a wondrous ignorance for Trixie's assessment of her.

Maybe Trixie would've pushed her away, were it not for her being too busy getting her robe off the ground. Considering how ragged the edges looked, it didn’t really seem to matter that much to Twilight.

The two grey fillies, Octavia and Derpy walked before Twilight. The earth pony told the other that she shouldn't drink the water, that Hugh and Madame had forbidden it, but Derpy seemed quite stubborn about it.

“I’m thirsty,” she insisted.

“You’ll get a tummy ache when you drink it. It’s bad for you,” Octavia told her sternly.

“But I’m really thirsty,” Derpy whined, stopping and stomping her hoof on the ground.

“We’ll get something when we go back, okay?” Octavia looked at the others. “They have apple juice at home and that’s way better than this icky water.”

Derpy grumbled and wanted to turn away from Octavia, to give her the cold shoulder. Doing this, she stumbled over her own hooves and landed flat on the ground. The thirst was forgotten, and now she was too wet to continue.

“We’ll get to see the castle,” Twilight interrupted them. “I’ve never seen it before,” and we can bring magic back, make papa smile again and make Shining come back with his marefriend.

Derpy looked at her, her golden eyes drifting into different directions. The lower half of her body was drenched in the filth of the street, brown dirt mixing with the grey of her coat and ugly blonde of her mane. As miserable as the fat little thing looked, she gave Twilight a little, honest smile.

“Okay,” she said happily, forgetting her own troubles, her own stubbornness.

The grey pegasus started moving again, and the rest of the group with her.

“Hey, Raindrops,” Trixie suddenly said from behind Twilight, and the unicorn turned to find the black pegasus.

She was hovering between Trixie and Twilight. The rain fell down on her and dripped from her muzzle as she looked forward, her wings flapping inelegantly as they continued onwards. Raindrops was very quiet, Twilight noted. Until this point, she hadn't said a single word, and even as Trixie spoke to her, all she did was turn into her direction.

Was I wrong before? Is she actually a mute?

“Do you want to change places?" Trixie asked, clearly wanting to get away from Lyra.

“I like the rain," Raindrops answered in a calm voice.

So she was just a quiet pony, Twilight could understand that. It would make interactions much easier, because less words needed to be spoken. And she'd always liked the quiet characters in her books, too. They were thoughtful, smart, like Twilight was. Getting to know one would be brilliant.

But she couldn't speak up, no, Twilight felt the water through her makeshift cape, felt the cold to her bone and of course, her body reacted to that. She felt the beating of her heart, the hammers smashing against her chest yet again.

Why now? she wondered, and focused on her breathing. They needed to get to the castle! Then they would bring magic back and the darkness they'd seen in the other world would become a distant dream, banished forever from her thoughts.

With the rain picking up, the chaos grew lighter, or at least it appeared to do so. The world of the fillies grew much quieter and they focused on the path through the alleys and the open streets, where the water ran across the stones and towards the edge of the city, where it would fall in the valley to the east.

Looking forward, upward to where the castle ruins overlooked the mighty capital of the Equestrian Republic, Twilight couldn't help but ponder on why she was even going there.

There were many things she never understood, but ponies had always spoken of one with absolute certainty: Magic did not exist.

What they said varied, but most believed the stories, even around the Princess of Love to be exaggerations. Alicorns had never been as powerful as they were made out to be, because to be a god, one needed to be supernatural, and the supernatural was not a possible thing. Changelings didn't replace naughty children at night and dragons had never ruled the skies.

In fact, until Cadance showed up, most books already referred to the princesses as complete make-believe and even now most things surrounding them, such as their involvement with the movement of the moon and sun, or the almost utopian way with which they had ruled over equestria, all those were considered legends, stories of a golden age that had never truly existed.

But Twilight liked the stories better than reality. She liked to think of fields and castles, of princesses and the Elements of Harmony defeating the forces of Discord. A part of her had already accepted them as just the stories they were, at least until, well. ...

Whatever they'd find at the castle, she wanted it to change the world. The Wise Goat just had to be right, there just had to be a way to make her family whole again.

This single voice that had appeared in her head somehow had given her the strength to believe in those foalish dreams. All she'd wanted to do as she’d set out with Trixie was to see Canterlot at least once. Now, with the cold, reeking rain and the shattering beats of her heart, she wanted to reach something new.

However, it wasn't just the words he'd spoken that made her move towards what had once been the center of their country. She had felt the strength when they had faced that thing, Magia, she had felt the magic running through every fiber of her being. Her memory told her that she had felt as strong as never before and that there were no logical possibilities for the feats she'd accomplished there.

Twilight knew that.

Ponies didn't believe in magic because nopony had ever seen magic, not even Cadance had used spells, only words of conviction and a warm, open-minded warmth. But Twilight had seen it first hand. She knew that the bone that many called a reminder of the unicorns' worthlessness was actually the instrument that allowed her to weave the strings of magic into the cloth of spells.

There was magic, but it had left this world. Sure, just the thought of how she felt after surging with might made her tremble. For a moment, she wanted to stop, her heart accelerated even more. If there was something that kept her going now, then it was the fact that how she felt didn’t matter.

If they found the Lunarium, if they brought back magic, she might never feel sick again, now that she thought about it. That would be nice.

The princesses, harmony and the golden age, all those weren't stories either, or legends, they were facts, and they could be brought back. And Mama, too, Twilight thought, because that was the only way to make her family perfect again.

She remembered Shining Armor, her papa and the pictures she had seen of mama. Twilight Sparkle wondered if the world would change for the better, if she'd really see her mama outside the dreams? Surely she would, even if, right now, it still only sounded like a dream. Maybe Shining would come back, her papa would stop drinking and they all would–

What would they do?

Twilight didn't quite know how to answer her own question. Even when she thought about it. She had never felt stupid in her life, since she knew the answers to many questions. She knew what goats were and she knew all the letters of the alphabet. She could count as far as there were words for numbers and she could do math, too. Twilight knew about trains and the structure of the military, she knew several plants and she knew that she would soon leave this world behind.

But what would she do when mama was back? Even if it was really just a "hypothatical" – she congratulated herself on getting the word right – question, she still wondered about the answer.

What would they do when mama was back? Maybe Shining would finally play with her. He'd ruffle her mane and call her the best little sister, his best friend forever and ever.

Maybe papa would be able to find a proper job and everypony would acknowledge him as the nice pony he was, not just his marefriends.

Maybe mama would work while he stayed home and he'd read her stories and played soldier with Shining.

That'd be wonderful, Twilight thought with a growing smile on her face. The rain dripped down from her muzzle too, and she accidentally got some in her mouth and swallowed it down. It tasted sour and left a slight burning sensation in her throat. Really, really, wonderful.

Just the thought of it: Mama, Papa, Shining. There would be hall with a green floor and a checkered wall, three ponies writing on their papers and amidst it all a purple egg with darker dots.

All the pain, all the fear, they would all culminate in her dreams becoming reality and everypony praising her, because she'd been a smart filly, a brave filly.

Maybe she could even stop reading then. She would be strong; strong enough to go outside, strong enough to visit different towns, strong enough to make friends and she would never ever collapse again. She'd be a healthy little filly and she would be able to do magic, too.

Surely she didn't need to be a smart filly then, instead she could just be a normal filly. Well, a normal, magical filly.

She had read stories about normal fillies. She had read about cookie jars, bedtime stories and playing hide-and-seek on the corners of the street. It filled her with glee, the thought that she would be able to do all those things. Maybe she could even eat like a normal pony, then. She wouldn't be skinny anymore.

All that excitement made itself felt, as the stinging in her chest caused her to finally stop in her tracks. Twilight didn't want to worry anypony, so she immediately continued, her breaths agitated but steady.

It hurt, it really did, and a part of her wanted to cry out for Nurse Redheart, wanted to go back to the hospital and go back to sleep. But she didn't want to stop now, she wanted to do this. If the voice was real, if all the things she had seen were real, this was the right way to go. This way she could do something. Twilight Sparkle, the brave little adventurer. She had read such stories, too.

---

Not only did the rain not stop, but the wind picked up too, howling in the distance as they moved onward. A bolt of lightning shot through the sky and the following roar of thunder caused Raindrops too yelp and huddle up with Trixie and Lyra. Trixie expressed her discomfort at how she was now sandwiched between the two with a groan.

Twilight loved the sound of thunder, because she was a brave filly, a mature filly.

Yes, the weather didn't dim Twilight's mood one bit. As a matter of fact, the rain actually made her feel a bit happier, even if it was cold and started to burn in her eyes. The sound of the water falling on the ground was calming, even if she stood in the middle of it, and the sensation it left as it touched her kept her from stopping.

The voice had told her that she almost died back at Hugh Jelly and Madame Hooves' house. The next time she might go to sleep, that could well be her last time. So she didn't want to stop, didn't want to sleep or be weak. She could change this world, she could bring everything back.

The group around her walked on, but no one really walked with her. Twilight noticed how they were all looking around. They had passed the quiet part of the town for a livelier one already, and they all felt the distance to their home. None of them probably understood why they needed to go to the castle, but it didn't matter, as long as they reached it. They could bring magic back.

As optimistic as she was about it, it wasn't a shared sentiment, and it was the quiet Raindrops, who'd been silently walking beside them all until this point, who spoke up.

“I haven't seen daddy and mommy.“

Raindrops had to be a bit younger than Twilight, she only now really noticed. The black filly walked in a slightly hunched way, as if she was scared of everything around her.

“Don't worry, they're busy with the other adults. While they fix the damage we'll make sure that there won't be anymore earthquakes!“ Twilight said, the optimism practically seeping out of her.

“How?“

“Well,“ she paused. "We're going to find the Lunarium.“

“The. ..." Raindrops started but didn't continue.

Twilight thought that she needed to explain, but that was when she realized that she had no idea what the Lunarium was and what they actually needed to do there. The Wise Goat hadn't explained, and all she knew was that they needed to take a dive.

But as Raindrops said the next words, it was Twilight's turn to be surprised. “The Lunarium? You mean the burial ground of magic?"

“Huh? You know it?“ Twilight asked, then progressing to slam a mental hoof against her head. Now Raindrop probably thought she was stupid.

“It’s a story I … I heard somepony tell a filly," Raindrops said, stuttering at every turn.

Whether it was the cold or the fear, Twilight couldn’t tell, but this was good. What made her wonder was how Raindrops knew about it, but before she could ask, somepony else spoke up already.

“I've never heard that story,“ confided Octavia, “could you tell us about it?“

“It's ... It's where the princesses supposedly left plans for the resurrection of harmony. M– The pony always said that it was far beneath the earth, close to the world’s heart, but nopony ever found it,“ Raindrops told them, nervously shifting her weight around as she became the center of attention. “At least, that's what I can remember. When the ... The other mare told me the story it was way more detailed and I really liked Tendertwig, she was the gardener at Canterlot during the princesses' time. I’m sorry.“

“Well, that's certainly not much ... But, I guess it does help a bit, at least now we know somepony buried magic somewhere,” Octavia said and she looked to Twilight, "How do you suppose can we get there, though?“

“We need to go to the old plaza in the gardens and,“ Twilight thought for a moment then concluded she didn't know, “the rest you'll see when you get there.“

It wasn't much, but she didn't want to appear completely useless. She hoped that everything would become clear when they reached the gardens. There was very little she could do otherwise. The rain felt heavy on her, and it really, really reeked. Twilight hoped it would stop soon.

You will most certainly see the rest, and it'll be glorious. On that note: Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.

The voice went through her head, carried by the winds of the coming storm, the rising cold winds. It was carried through the growing darkness of the city's shadows and came from somewhere far away, maybe the lowest low or the highest of heights. Either way, it was a place Twilight hoped to never see, because even smart fillies couldn't not be afraid of everything.

One tip though, as I don't know what will happen before you make it to the end of this journey. Don't put all your faith in me, but rather believe in yourself. You are an Element of Harmony, I know it. You can change everything, Twilight Sparkle, and you are the pony who will change everything.

Comments

[Solanaceae]

SOOOOO MANY UPDATES LOL

[swyrl]

less words

*fewer

[Crescent_Blues]

Maybe it's Grogar. Just guessing. I don't think Discord would twist things just because he's bitter. He needs magic too, and I don't think he would like being only, even if their were ponies to mess with. He would be alone again, and I don't think even Discord wants that.

[the7Saviors]

6000939
I'm starting to think the same thing. Twilight is worrying me though. She's being way too optomistic. Like, heartbreakingly optomistic...

[The Cynical One]

Where is the difference between blind optimism and pleasant realism? Taking into account your own maturity is one! There's a distinct dramatic irony in the development readers get viewing this story. Id wager a younger me wouldn't pick up more subtle clues and see unparalleled whimsy and heroics in Twilight but now... i feel sad. To more tears, ever onwards!