Dying Embers

by MrSpartan

Astral Sea

The royal gardens of Canterlot lay deserted except for the animals that always dwelled there. Night had finally fallen with the setting of the sun. Many of the various critters were preparing for a good night’s rest while the nocturnal set were just waking up.

One raven, who went by Benjamin, Ben to his friends, was just getting up. He had slept the day away in his nest due to another nightmare about the terrifying yellow and pink four-legger. Usually the four-leggers were a quiet bunch, but a few seasons ago Benjamin and the others had been beset by the pony they all had subsequently dubbed “Repressed Voice.” Benjamin the Raven ruffled his feathers in agitation. His sleep cycle was utterly thrown off since then and he was constantly cranky from the continuously fitful sleep. At least the garden had remained mostly normal afterwards.

A sudden, bright violet light rendered his eyes temporarily useless. After he opened his eyes and shook his head to clear the spots he was, he looked below. To his surprise the “daylight provider” and six lesser four-leggers had materialized out of thin air. Even more astonishing, and many times more frightening, was that the haunter of his dreams was there too! Ben’s brain decided right about now would be a splendid time to faint. Luckily for the little bird, said fainting would last until day break with a normal sleeping schedule once more. It would probably be the best fear induced sleep he ever had.

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Twilight Sparkle felt her legs wobble and the sweat tangle her fur. Her breathing was audible as her lungs begged for more air. The teleportation had been utterly exhausting, but her friends and fellow Elements of Harmony were there for her like they always were. They crowded around her, making sure she was alright.

“Twilight, are you ok!?” Rainbow Dash.

“Is there anything you need dear?” Rarity.

“Are you hurt? Let me look at you please.” Fluttershy.

“Wow Twi, that was some fast actin’. Maybe ya’ll should lay down fer a minute.”Applejack.

“HOLY GUACAMOLY! Twilight that was soooo supercalafragilisticexpealidocious! I can’t believe how much magic you must have to get us away from that monster all the way to Canterlot WITH a ‘no teleporting cause we’re mean’ thingy trying to stop you!!” Pinkie Pie.

The studious unicorn gently pushed her friends back with a tired smile. “Don’t fret girls. I’m okay. Really. I’m a lot more concerned about Spike and Luna and everypony else.”

Her expression fell significantly as she thought of them. The six looked at the ground in worry at the thought of the others.

“They better not lay a single of those dirty meat paws on anypony or I’ll, I’ll”…Rarity stamped at the grass in frustration.

“We should get back there and show those jerks who’s boss.” RD punctuated her idea by pounding her front hooves together.

“That’s a bad idea RD. The elements didn’t work for diddly squat and not even the equestrian royal forces could stop ‘em.” AJ countered.

RD scowled. “Well what are we supposed to do? Just ask them to go away nicely again?”

Flutters interrupted “W-well actually Rainbow Dash, I was going to suggest that. The human I met was rather nice. We only pretended to fight so she wouldn’t get in trouble.”

The others went a little wide eyed after hearing that, except Pinkie Pie.

“You know Gua, the human I met, wasn’t so bad either. He’s just really loyal I think. Like you Dashy! He just wants a good home and to be happy like everypony else. I could tell he’s nice deep down.” Pinkie Pie added.

Twilight tapped her head in thought. “This provides a new perspective on them but it doesn’t change that, as a group, they won’t listen to us. Plus, they’re still so violent; not to mention they all still see us as an enemy.”

“And that creepy feller Illitheous sure ain’t helpin’ none. He just keeps eggin’ ‘em on.” spoke Applejack.

Rarity nodded. “I have to agree with Applejack on that. I wonder what in the world could drive him to actually hate somepony so much. It must have been absolutely dreadful, though he’s still clearly a brute.”

“I bet he’s just a jerk who thinks he’s better then us.” Dash thought out loud.

“Maybe, but he seems like he genuinely cares about the other humans following him. Maybe we’re all just looking at this the wrong way.” Fluttershy offered.

RD gave her a half lidded stare that said, Are you serious?

“Or not, that’s ok too.” the canary yellow pegasus whispered with a sheepish smile.

Twilight realized then that Celestia hadn’t said a word the entire conversation. “Princess, what should we do?”

The other mares all looked to Celestia as Twi said that. Celestia was as still as one of the statues on the royal trotting path. Her sharp mind was working overtime to process the full repercussions of what had just occurred. She had failed to reason and find peace with the humans. They had captured all of Ponyville, the near entirety of her defenders and worst of all her little sister Luna. She hadn’t been able to overpower the humans with superior numbers, magical advantage or even the Elements. Ponies were (and still would) suffering and it was her fault. Her responsibility. It was the Changeling incident all over again.

No, it was even worse. This time it wasn’t that she felt like she couldn’t stop it, but with the hope that Twilight and her friends would come through. This time they had tried everything at their disposal and had still lost. She couldn’t banish them with the elements and she couldn’t…slay their leader. Not that she wanted to resort to that, but even with Illitheous forcing her hoof nothing had an effect. She was truly starting to feel helpless.

Princess?

Yes, she was a princess. One that had let down everypony she-

“Princess.”

Twilight’s voice snapped her out of it. “Huh! Oh, uh, ahem, yes Twilight Sparkle?”

The six ponies next to her were all staring, their eyes glistened with moisture and uncertainty.

“What should we do?” Twilight repeated.

The princess of the sun’s mouth clenched tight. Her eyes moved this way and that. “I’m afraid I only have one more idea.” She paused before continuing, “There’s no guarantee it will do any us good though.”

“Please princess, we have to try. It could be our only hope.” Celestia’s student urged.

Princess Celestia looked at her subjects, no, subjects was inaccurate, her FRIENDS. The look of determination on their faces said it all. Celestia smiled, “All right then. Follow me back to my old study. There are two things I must collect first.”

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They entered through the incorporeal wall into the old study in that forgotten part of the castle. They didn’t look around this time. Celestia moved quickly to the side solely dominated by a vast amount of books and tomes. The princess scanned the titles- Necromancy for the Illiterate, Necronomicon: EVIL Incarnate, Netra Crystals and the Danger They Pose, etc.

“Ah, here it is” spoke Celestia. She blew the thick lair of dust off it. “Never Ending Secrets from the Age of Gods by Dala Tyrn of Sharn” Then she immediately started flipping through the pages with her magic. Still levitating the ancient book she turned toward the others while finding the part she needed. After finishing one last paragraph she looked up from the tome to a metal box that sat on the floor nearby. “Just one more thing.” Her eyes closed and her ivory horn light up a soft yellow as she concentrated on the complex spell that would unlock the container. Several clicks were heard. It slowly opened and filled the room with sheer, radiant luminosity.

In the unremarkable tin box was a diamond that shined a thousand times more than the largest forest fire. Rarity zoomed closer in an instant. Her blue orbs glittering in wonder almost as much as the gem.

“My STARS! That has got to be the most beautiful diamond in all of Equestria! Where did you find it Princess?” Rarity gushed.

“It’s an old family heirloom.” Celestia answered.

“That there gemstone has got to be worth more bits than if you sold Canterlot Castle.” Applejack stated.

“Actually it’s worth a lot more then that.” Celestia corrected.

“It doesn’t look like an ordinary diamond either, Your Majesty. Plus it’s awfully, uh, bright.” Twilight Sparkle noticed.

“Very perceptive Twilight. This isn’t a common jewel. It’s actually an astral diamond. They can only be found in a higher realm of reality called the astral sea. It is home to the Elder God as well as the resting place of the Lonely Summit. You’ll be traveling to one of the many islands there to find a mysterious artifact called the Adamant of Order.”

“What’s the Lonely Summit, Your Majesty?” Fluttershy asked innocently.

“It’s an unfathomably tall white and green mountain floating in the expanse of the astral sea that is supposed to house the souls of all just living beings after they depart from our realm. Almost none know what lies beyond the gates at the top except the Elder God and it will never speak of it.” Celestia refocused her attention so as not to get too far off topic. “Anyway this diamond will act as a furnace in order to power the spell that you’ll be using.”

Rarity gasped, “Your not going to just burn up such a beautiful family heirloom, are you?”

“Rarity, will ya’ll just focus on what’s practical?” AJ fumed.

“Applejack is correct Rarity. An old family bauble is a very small price to pay if it can help stop this chaos. Now please set down your necklaces.” Celestia requested.

“Don’t forget the big crown thingy.” Pinkie Pie piped in.

Princess Celestia smiled at the colorful description of the Element of Magic. “Well, yes and your ‘Big Crown Thingy’ my student.”

The six best friends set down their Elements on one of the study tables next to a brassy anvil with the words Mordin carved on its side. As the main six did so, the Princess moved to the center of the room closer to the doorway and telekinetically shoved the tables and artifacts aside. She allowed just enough room for all of them to be in a circle with breathing room left over. She gently lowered the radiant diamond onto the floor’s center. She then bowed her head and tapped the floor with her horn. White lines of light danced and tangled in the air before settling on the floor imbuing a magic rune into the stone. It resembled a circle-filled pentagram of sorts. At each point of the six headed star were more circles. The Princess asked that the heroines stand on them while she cast the needed mix of spells.

The air shimmered in that old dusty study. The runes on the floor then started to glow brighter. “Good luck to all of you.” Celestia stated.

Twi and her friends were squinting now as she replied, “Don’t worry Princess Celestia. We’ll make you proud!”

Twilight thought she could see a tear falling down her mentor’s cheek, but that must’ve been the ever brightening light playing tricks with her vision.

“You already have,” was what it sounded like the Princess said. She couldn’t be sure since right then her attention was gathered by the twisting and stretching she felt as the magic carried out its intended purpose.

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Twilight Sparkle awoke.

Wait, I don’t remember falling asleep. Guess it’s a side effect of the spell.

It was then that Twilight Sparkle’s brain registered that she was looking into a black void of a sky instead of the back of her eyelids. It was as dark and dreary as one of those emo ponies that she had read about in the Ponyville School newspaper once. She sat up and found herself on a bleached white sandy beach. It looked normal enough except for two things. One was that, despite no moonlight or stars to light up the beach, the sand was almost as bright as it would be in the daylight. The second curiosity was much more obvious. There were no waves crashing against the shore. The liquid was as still and undisturbed as that alfalfa that once found its way onto Pinkie Pie’s dinner plate.

Twilight moved closer to the shore to better determine the strange calmness of the endless ocean before her. What she beheld made her slap herself to confirm this wasn’t a dream.

*Smack*

“Ouch!” Ok, definitely NOT a dream.

In front of her was, indeed, a sea of stars. Not in a metaphoric sense but an actual, honest to goodness sea filled with the twinkling things as they seemed to float in place within the liquid. Not only that, but quasars, nebulas and all other manner of celestial bodies floated within. The purple unicorn decided a quick poke wouldn’t do any harm. It would be a poke for science! She cautiously sunk her hoof in. She felt the warm temperature of the liquid. It was thicker then water as well, like gelatin. The heavenly bodies remained just out of her reach to the frequent star gazer’s disappointment. The mare forced herself to cease her gawking. She called for her friends, who weren’t in sight. After a second or two she heard them calling back.

“Twiliiiiight!” they yelled.

“Giiirrrls!” she screamed in return.

Applejack’s head popped over a sand dune. It swiveled to the side as she hollered, “Found ‘er!” The orange earth pony slid down the dune as Rainbow flew within view next. Following were Rarity, Fluttershy and a bouncing Pinkie Pie.

AJ was the first to speak. “Gee-Wiz Twi that spell sure packs a wallop don’t it?”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed. “I don’t think we’re on the same planet. As far as I can tell, we might not be in our own plane of existence either!”

Fluttershy looked worried. “You don’t think we’re s-stranded here do you? I mean, it’s very beautiful, but I couldn’t stay here and leave Ponyville in danger.”

The studious mare waved a hoof nonchalantly. “Don’t be afraid Fluttershy. Princess Celestia wouldn’t send us here without a way back.”

“Your right. I’m shouldn’t doubt her.” The quiet pony said as she smiled meekly.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the view though. I’d be hard pressed to think of a more beautiful view then this sea of stars.” Rarity commented.

“I know right? I sure wish I had a way to make my parties look this pretty. Too bad I don’t have a camera for this.” Pinkie Pie agreed.

Rainbow Dash glanced at it before turning her head back to the group and saying “Yeah it’s really pretty and all but we don’t have time to admire the view. We have a country to save from a certain hot head, remember?

“Right. We need to find out where exactly we need to go.” Twilight said confidently.

On top of one of the larger sand dunes Pinkie Pie called back to her friends. “Hey Twi, I think I have an answer for you. Come have a looksie.”

The five ponies trotted up to Pinkies position. They found her squinting intensely and leaning forward. She looked like she might tip over at any minet. The others in the party followed her gaze to the distance where from here looked to be some form of cave sticking out of the sand.

“Well I guess that answers that, seeing as how that’s the only visible land mark as far as I can see.” Commented Twilight Sparkle.

“Weeee! Let’s go!” Pinkie shouted abruptly while striking what she considered a heroic pose on her hind legs with one hoof outstretched in the air.

The cave loomed ominously in the distance.

Comments

[Demirari]

Hope they die, in this story, no hard feelings.