Herald of the Night

by Commentaholic

Chapter Two: Explanations and Expectations

Herald of the Night

Chapter Two: Explanations and Expectations

---

"A CATAPULT!?" came a horrified squeak from Twilight.

Princess Luna sighed. "I told you not to panic, Twilight Sparkle. I can expla-"

Twilight, of course, was already in a full-blown breakdown, which had begun shortly after they'd entered the room. In the center of the room, illuminated by pale were-light orbs summoned by Princess Luna, was a large, LARGE catapult constructed of dark wood. High in the wall of the chamber was a hole, with a shaft that ascended into the darkness at an angle which lined up to the catapult's angled trajectory.

The unicorn mare's mind had already calculated the speed at which the catapult would send something up that shaft, allowing for the decreased gravity of the moon and the mass of the object launched - which she was getting a HORRIBLE feeling was just about her size - and she didn't like the results her mind came up with.

All this accompanied by rapid breathing, followed by a deep breath and a high-pitched scream that reverberated around the large chamber.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" came a booming voice that echoed painfully through both the chamber and Twilight's skull, sending the unicorn to the ground clutching her head.

"Wh-What?" Twilight managed to mumble out, her horn still aching down to the roots from the no-doubt-magically-enhanced voice.

"Do you trust me, my little pony?"

A loaded question if Twilight had ever heard one. To say yes would mean consenting to whatever nefarious plans the Princess had that involved Twilight, a catapult and a long shaft with, admittedly smooth but still very capable of friction, walls. To say no would... well.. it was the Princess! She couldn't just say NO. It would undo years of loyal service and hard work to get where she was now.

"Umm... can you ask me that after you tell me what's going on? I thought we were down here to find the gate," Twilight asked before remembering, "Your Highness."

"Did I say the gate was down here?" Luna said, putting a hoof thoughtfully up to her mouth, a contemplative look on her face. "If so, I apologise. The Old Gate is up there, at the end of the tunnel." She pointed at the shaft. "Buried centuries ago by a moonquake. I have spent the last few years boring up through the deep stone and ensuring that it is, indeed, safe to traverse. I have intended to bring forth this mission for years, but upon reaching the gate, I discovered that I was not able to pass through it... Not yet, anyway."

"Not yet, Princess?" Twilight asked, rising to her hooves.

Luna nodded and turned back towards the unicorn, "This is why I have asked you here, Twilight Sparkle. This is why I need you to go forth to Equus. You are familiar with the Elements of Harmony, correct?"

Twilight thought for a moment, "Perhaps not as familiar as I should be..." she said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Then what do you know, young one?" Luna asked, sinking down into a sitting position and regarding the unicorn with a patient expression.

"Well... There's not much written knowledge still around from way back then, but they were used over a thousand years ago against the chaos being Discord, wielded by yourself and Celestia... and..." she was halted by a raised hoof from Luna.

"That is the most you really need to know.The rest, I shall tell you. I just had to make sure you understood the concept of these relics. When we used the Elements to defeat and imprison Discord, locking him into a stony prison, the Elements were lost to myself and Celestia. The power we used drained them of their power, their traits scattered into the world and their shells reduced to stone. But this is not as important as their origins. They were originally stars. Where they came from, we knew not. Their power, so much more ancient than our own and impossible to comprehend. But in the midst of a war with Discord, we didn't question our good fortune when they fell upon Equus." Luna said, with a tone of guilt and regret. "We did not think that they were alive, much less sentient, but now we know better.I rue the day that my Sister and I channeled their souls into a weapon."

Luna faltered, the pained look in her eyes nearly cracking her composure. "However," she continued, "Now we have need of their power once more. Their shells reside, empty as they are, in the midst of the old castle in the middle of a forest named Everfree. At least, that was their last location before I left. Celestia and I kept the old castle there as a memorial of what was sacrificed during the war. If my sister has kept our traditions alive, the Elements' shells remain there still. I need you to find them and use their shells to locate their power, restoring their wandering spirits and..."

Luna faltered, her hooves shuffling on the ground before her. "And as much as I hate to use their awesome power against their will once more, the stars they used to channel can be of use to me, marking a beacon of My Night's power on Equus and bridging the gap to allow me and my ponies through."

Twilight was stunned, "So you're sending me..."

"To help me and our people return home, yes. So long ago, I thought myself capable of sustaining life upon my charge, the Moon. Time has made me wiser." Luna grudgingly remarked. "My magic, while still as strong as ever, cannot hold back the harsh, lifeless environment forever... The perimeter has been decreasing over the past decade, the oxygen levels dropping slowly. " Luna's expression became desperate. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say? What I'm asking you to do?"

The weight of the task hit Twilight like a pile of bricks the size of the moon. She was frozen in place while her mind struggled to parse the enormity of the mission ahead of her. A much more important task than any message, object or blessing that had ever been hers to deliver.

The Princess was asking her. Her, Twilight Sparkle, to help save the entire population of the Lunar Kingdom.

By way of a catapult.

We are so dead. You know that, right? It's a catapult. A bucking catapult.

Twilight quickly hushed that rebellious, self-preserving part of her mind, setting her gaze on the Princess before her.

She coughed and laughed awkwardly. "Umm... Strap me in?

---

Twilight nervously looked over the edge of the cup in which she sat, "Are we sure this is the only way?" she inquired, unable to keep her voice from quavering.

Princess Luna nodded, moving over to the lever which would release the catapult, sending Twilight launching up the shaft and through the portal. "Let's go over this one more time." the Lunar Monarch muttered, as much to reassure herself as Twilight, "I will launch you up through the shaft. You will pass through the portal, and once you are through, you must. NOT. LOSE. FOCUS. Whatever you see, as tempting as I know it to be, you must NOT lose focus on your destination."

Luna placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"While in the realm between Gates,you will see things that will test both the limits of your patience and sanity, until you reach the other side. I will protect you from them as long as I can, but the farther you get from the Moon, the more intense they will become. By the time you reach Equus, you will be under the influence of your magic and your magic alone. This is why focus is important. It will be all I can do to keep you from crashing."

Twilight gulped. "And... what if I crash?"

"You won't. I've planned this carefully, as long as you don't dawdle. We should have plenty of time before sunrise over Equestria, but we must hurry." Luna said, her horn glowing and lighting up the lever in a soft silvery-blue aura. It began to move, easily at first before it strained at the edge of its limits. "Good luck, Twilight Sparkle. If you need to contact me, know that I will be watching over your dreams as often as I can."

The lever slammed down. The catapult whumphed and Twilight became a blurry, streaking blob of lavender fur, horn aglow, absolutely flying up the shaft before, nearly out of sight, came a flash of incredible light that illuminated the entire passage... then nothing more.

Author's Note:

A little longer than the last one, and a lot faster... I guess I just love exposition.

Comments

[Commentaholic]

2074018

*waves magic wand* Done!

[Iron Nebula]

Thank you for the quick update! I pushed you once, so I will be nice and wait mostly patiently for the next update at your soonest convenience.