The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

by Bundle of Funyuns

Chapter 1: End of an Era

It was a time of celebration for not only Ponyville, but also for most of Equestria; After the recent victory over Queen Chrysalis, and the return and saving of the Crystal Empire, Ponyville had become a popular vacationing spot. Many ponies wished to meet the 6 mares that had risen beyond celebrity status, and were now regarded as saviors of all of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle had been stopped several times for autographs to fillies and their parents on the way back to the library, to the point where she was forced to disguise herself to make it home in time for Spike's dinner. I need to ask the mayor to put a sign up somewhere.. "Please don't bother the poor Elements of Harmony bearers, they have normal lives like the rest of us!". Twilight had nearly broken into a gallop to make it home, when something caught her eye. Something in the sky had drawn the attention of both her, and several other ponies. It appeared to be the moon, slowly moving toward the Sun. Before long, the sun was covered by the celestial twin's visage. That's strange.. I didn't think there was a Solar Eclipse scheduled for another few years. Not long after, the moon returned to it's former place behind the horizon. Ponies began to panic, some whispering nervously, and others downright screaming in terror. Most of the ponies today had yet to see a Solar Eclipse, and one so sudden would be seen as a bad omen.

Twilight continued on her way home, finally reaching the library after a few short minutes. Inside, she found Spike making dinner for two tall Alicorns. "Princess Celestia, I-I'm so so sorry! If I'd known you were coming, I would've been home sooner! I would've made dinner, I would've-" The Alicorn ruler raised a hoof, both to calm her student and to cease her nervous rant. "Twilight, it's perfectly fine. Spike was here to keep me company.. He really is your number one assistant." She rose from the table, and approached her student. "But.. I did not stop by for a mere visit. I must ask that you come to Canterlot with me. Immediately." She seemed stern, almost desperate. Maybe even a hint of fright in her eyes. Upon a closer look, Twilight noticed her eternal mentor looked slightly unhealthy. Her normally pearl-white coat was slightly faded, and her wings seemed to be missing a few feathers. Twilight wanted to cry. The sight frightened her, it made her angry, she wanted to know who had done this to her beloved mentor.

Without haste, Twilight packed quickly and lightly, and was off to Canterlot with the two princesses and Spike. When they arrived, they were greeted with several security checks, and more guards than at the Royal Wedding a few months prior. Twilight was doing a perfect job of keeping her composure, though the princess knew her student all too well. She could feel her rage quelling inside of the young unicorn, the poor mare wanting to stop and demand answers. After almost an hour of security checks, they reached the inside of the castle. Travelling to her private chambers, Celestia nodded to Luna, who left the three alone. "I guess I'd better wait outside, huh?" Spike knew that the two would likely be discussing something of utmost importance, and that he would hear it later. Much to his surprise, Celestia shook her head. "You deserve to hear this just as much as Twilight." Twilight watched her mentor wearily travel to her bed, and the unicorn was at the princess' side in an instant. "Princess.. What's going on, who did this to you?!" Celestia sighed once, and said something nopony could have imagined, foreseen, or known that she was going to say.

"Twilight.. I am dying."

Princess Celestia pulled Twilight into a hug, knowing the shock would be near unbearable for her faithful student. "No one is responsible for what is happening to me. Nothing lasts forever, not even an Alicorn. All things must end.. Even me." Celestia felt tears dribble onto her shoulder, as she herself let a tear fall to her frozen student's spine. Twilight was speechless, for the first time in her life she could not speak. Her eyes were frozen, lifelessly clinging to the wall of the room as tears flowed endlessly from the shattered mare's eyes. "But you must know.. While I myself will end, the Sun will reincarnate me with it's magic.. I will be reborn, a new alicorn. She will not know you, she will not know Luna, or Spike, or your friends, or anyone.. That is why I am entrusting you with the most valuable treasure.. You must care for her, you must teach her to be a ruler" Celestia held Twilight close, but pulled her from the hug to look her in the eyes. "And until she is ready, YOU must be the one to raise the sun."

Twilight nearly fainted. In the span of two short minutes, she simultaneously learned that her beloved mentor was dying, that she would be reincarnated as an Alicorn foal, and that Twilight Sparkle, an ordinary unicorn, must use her magic for who-knows-how-long to raise the Sun, and raise Celestia to rule Equestria once again. "H-how... How long do we have..?" Celestia nearly sobbed. "We have one week.. And in that time, you and your friends will stay here in the castle, and we will do whatever you want before I must pass away. It is truly the least I can do for the most amazing Unicorn I have ever known." The kind words helped ease the young mare's broken heart, knowing that she could do anything she wanted for an entire week with Princess Celestia, the Alicorn who she saw as nothing short of a second mother. "Th-thank you Princess Celestia.. I promise, I'll take care of your new incarnation, and I'll do my best to care for both you and the Sun." Twilight could not hold back the tears of unfathomable agony, her entire world having just been shattered around her.

Spike stood near them, shocked, tears welling in his eyes. Were it not for Celestia, Twilight may not have calmed herself the day he was hatched. He would've most likely been killed as an infant were a guard to have seen him. Twilight was his mother, and Celestia his grandmother, they were his family. Spike was so young, he didn't know what to think, what to do. Twilight gradually pulled from her mentor and approached him, and hugged the baby dragon tightly. Soon, the three were tightly embracing each other, comforting one another in a warm hug. After a necessarily long hug, the three exited the chambers and went to search for Princess Luna.

Luna was sitting alone in her chambers when the three arrived, tears still fresh in their eyes. Celestia approached her sister and embraced her tight, before finally taking a seat on the bed at her side. "Luna has been at my side ever since you saved her from the evil of Nightmare Moon. She will be taking my place on the throne until I am once again ready. She will aid you with anything you need, both while you are here in the Castle when I myself am resting, and when you take my place raising the sun." Celestia rose from the bed and lowered her head. "I cannot forgive myself for forcing this upon you, upon Luna, upon your friends and all of Equestria.. But I find comfort knowing that you, the most suitable for such a position, will accept my burden. I would choose no one else, and no one else is more capable."

-

Over the next week, Celestia and Twilight grew closer than they had in years. Celestia shared stories of her long life, and Twilight showed her how she had excelled in magical prowess, and stories that she hadn't written letters about. Twilight became more acquainted with Philomena, the princess' pet Phoenix, and Spike introduced the princess and her bird to Peewee, his own Phoenix. The two quickly got along great, and it seemed that they would be close friends. Twilight's friends took three days to prepare and arrive at the castle, but Celestia was easily understanding. They were forced to leave behind their friends and families, their duties, and their pets. It was only natural that they needed time, even if Princess Celestia herself were dying. Twilight did not want to think about what would soon happen, and instead had prepared a schedule for the next four days. Celestia was still well enough to travel, and would be able to do so for approximately three of the four days.

Celestia was never able to travel throughout Equestria often, so many of the famous and beautiful sights across the great nation. On the first day, they visited the Rainbow Factory of Cloudsdale. Celestia watched in awe as the factory created beautiful rainbows, which were vibrantly spread all across Equestria. Pinkie Pie warned Celestia not to taste the rainbows, naturally.

On the second day, Twilight planned a trip to the badlands, to show Celestia that even in the most barren of places in Equestria, life survives and flourishes, and beauty can be found. Travelling with a horde of royal guards, Celestia and her six subjects came across a small, beautiful bush, hosting a variety of small animals and insects. Celestia smiled at one of the creatures, as it seemed to be staring behind her. It shielded itself, just as one of the guards nearly struck the princess with his spear. Twilight swiftly blasted the tortuous guard with a powerful beam of magic, tackling him to the ground and practically screaming in his face. "What is wrong with you, you nearly killed Princess Celestia!" Twilight Sparkle, normally one of the most composed unicorns, was about ready to kill a stallion in cold blood. Before she could react, the stallion, having suddenly transformed into a changeling, swiftly bucked the mare from it's body. Soon enough, several more changelings revealed themselves amongst the crowd of guards. A battle began, with the changelings outnumbering both the real guards and the six bearers of harmony. Twilight stuck close to Celestia, easily defending her from the weak changelings. Were anyone to approach, even a friend, she would fire a warning shot from her horn, followed by a powerful blast of enraged magic had they not stepped away. Applejack's applebucking skills came in handy, convincing several guards to let her buck them at changeling enemies faster than the monsters could react. Fluttershy was surprisingly useful in the battle, having become equally angered as Twilight at the threat of her princess being harmed. Rainbow Dash's and Rarity's wings and horn worked in perfect unison as Rainbow sped through the crowd, collecting changelings, and returning them to Rarity to stun. Even Pinkie Pie, who never leaves home without her Party Cannon, was easily blasting Changelings silly.

Within just a few short minutes, the Changeling assassins were dispatched, and rounded up so that they wouldn't be a threat. Twilight took no time in beginning to interrogate one of the changelings. "Why have you returned, why was Celestia targeted?!" The changeling grimaced wickedly. "If we could not eliminate your princess, we were told to give you a message.." It leaned in uncomfortable close to the mare's face. "The Horsemen Cometh." Twilight was in no mood for riddles, and returned to Celestia's side. The princess looked grim, even more so without being near death. "We need to leave Twilight.. We need to get back to the castle."

-

The moment they arrived back in Canterlot, Celestia took her six subjects to the throne room. Placing her horn in the lock on the door to the elements, she watched as a massive door opened, though she was not there for the gems. Entering the door, the six ponies followed, as they trotted down a massive hallway. Inside was a spacious room, with a familiar statue; The seemingly-lifeless husk of Discord, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Around the room of his new prison were several ancient-looking walls, possibly taken from archaeological digsites. They depicted suffering ponies, and four ominous, frightening figures floating above them. "These ancient hieroglyphics tell the story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. it is said by the ancient prophecy that when Twilight fell upon the five sparkling stars, that four figures, representing negative powers in the perfect, utmost unholy Harmony, would unite their powers, and destroy the world. This prophecy was made nearly a thousand years ago.. And it was said that it would come true in a thousand years."

The six ponies continued to listen carefully. "Twilight.. I knew that this day would come. It was proven in your Cutie Mark. I kept it from you because I thought, or perhaps merely hoped, that the day would never come. But the signs have been coming true all around us." Celestia began to cast a spell, and Nightmare Moon appeared before them. "My sister's jealousy of me allowed Discord to corrupt her, and he chose her as the general for an army that he would use to destroy Equestria. Nightmare Moon was once the Horsemare of War." The vision of Nightmare Moon lept toward the group and transformed into King Sombra. "King Sombra was also corrupted by Discord. He was once a friend, but his mind became so terribly warped that he enslaved his people to create tools and other resources for an army. He became the Horseman of Conquest." King Sombra shifted into a dark purple haze, which shifted to a sickly green, becoming Queen Chrysalis. "Chrysalis was once a beautiful Alicorn.. But she was wicked. Obsessed with her own beauty. I watched as she attempted to corrupt a poor stallion and turn him from his mare. I banished her to the badlands, where Nightmare Moon found her, and cursed her. She became the Horsemare of Famine, for she and her new kind were cursed to suffer eternal hunger, to feed off of the love of ponies." Celestia stopped casting her spell, and turned to the statue of Discord. "Discord is the Horseman of Death. He corrupts and kills and ruins lives, because it is all he knows. And he will be the ultimate form of death if we do not stop him."

-

For the final day that Celestia would be able to travel, Twilight gave Celestia the option to choose where to go. Thinking long and hard, the Alicorn Princess, who's mane had faded to a gray color and barely could be recognizable as the Princess of the Sun, chose to travel to a foal orphanage. When they arrived, one of the ponies was frightened at first to see the ghastly sight of the Princess, but was convinced to allow her and the guards to enter. Celestia was able to enjoy the company of the many fillies and colts, telling them that she was merely sick, but would soon be feeling much better. They told her their hopes and dreams, and she told them stories of the many years of her life. Before they left, they noticed a young filly on her bed. Celestia did not remember the filly from when the other little ponies had come over to meet her. Slowly approaching the little filly, she asked in her soothing, sweet voice, "My little pony, why did you not come over to meet me? You look sad.." The filly was afraid to speak, seeing one of her bullies from across the room staring in her face. Celestia noticed this, and smiled to her. "If she is causing you trouble, why do you not tell someone?" The filly nearly broke down into tears, tiny droplets of moisture forming in her eyes. "They said they'll say they didn't do anything, and I'll get in trouble.." Celestia drew a hoof to the tiny filly's chin, lifting her head to look into her eyes. "You can't let a bully control your fear for them. You can tell someone, it will be alright." She smiled sweetly to the little filly. "Follow me little one, let's go talk to one of the caretakers." Celestia led the little filly to an older pony mare named Sweet Tooth , and told her about the poor filly's bully. Sweet Tooth was happy to help, and before Celestia left the orphanage, she gave the filly, Courage Heart, a very special gift; The Princess' own tiara. "Keep this, my little pony. You will be a strong leader, and you will never let anyone push you around. Never give up Courage Heart, you're destined for great things." With that, the six ponies and their leader left the orphanage.

Author's Note:

Prepare your tissue boxes, the next chapter will make it rain tears of pure agoonyyyyyyyy!

Comments

[Bundle of Funyuns]

It's a WIP, meaning there are still things to come. And Romance doesn't necessarily mean sex c: