You find your world torn apart from underneath you. Would you fight for it? Or would you watch it burn?
When Twilight Sparkle recieves an urgent letter from Princess Celestia, her and her five friends embark an adventure that's anything but fun and relaxing.
Twilight Sparkle, a young purple unicorn, had been inside her library, reading a novel that one of her friends had mentioned upon begging her to read. Although love and romance didn’t tie much with the unicorn, she didn’t stay away from its addictive nature. Time and time again, she would plead herself not to read it, but at others, she was compelled to pick it up and continue where she left off.
Sighing in delight, she continued to read the book as if the day would slowly dissolve into nothingness as night fell. Twilight sometimes even pictured herself as the young mare reaching out into the stars for her desired love. Oh how that day would be… She shook her head at the nonsense, "What am I thinking?" She told herself, "I need to get out more… never thought I’d be telling myself that…"
As Twilight carefully and gently closed her book, she looked up at a small clock that had hung from beside one of her favorite bookcases, the one with the adventure stories, and noticed that it had been a little past midnight. Spike the Dragon was asleep behind her, snoozing gently and at times pawing at the air. Twilight smiled at the baby dragon, what dreams he had were but a mystery. Twilight Sparkle then stood up, stretching and popping almost nearly every bone in her body. Celestia knows how long she was in that position that day. Using her magic, Twilight picked up the baby dragon and slowly started making her way to her room, with Spike floating by. Placing the small baby dragon into the make-shift bed he had crafted himself, she made her way into her own bed, cuddling under her sheets and looking out the window. It was a full moon that night, Twilight’s favorite; maybe… just maybe… she would find the one that had long belonged to her. Her thoughts remained on that subject as she fell into a slow and admiring slumber.
---
Twilight awoke with a shake from a baby dragon. “Twilight!” he said quickly “Twilight!”
“Ohhh…” Twilight said, very much still tired. “Oh, Spike? What is it…? What…” she yawned “What time is it…?”
“Nevermind that!” Spike almost yelled, handing a scroll to Twilight. “It’s from the Princess! It’s urgent!”
Looking at the parchment that Spike held in front of her, the scroll was tied in a gold ribbon, one of more rare ribbons to be used on royal notes. It usually meant something big was going to happen, either a natural disaster (if that were ever to happen in Ponyville) or even banishment. Twilight hesitated in taking the note and slowly opened it. A small black bag came falling from the note. She had pondered about its existence, but then came to the conclusion that the note might have some Intel about the small bag.
“Spike” Twilight said gently, reading the first sentence “It says it’s private, and I don’t mean to be rude… but could you please leave?”
“Oh…” Spike groaned, picking up his makeshift bed and heading down stairs “I guess I won’t know what it’s about, huh?”
Twilight smiled “Sorry Spike, maybe I’ll tell you what it’s about when I fully understand what’s going on…”
Spike smiled and left the small room, downstairs, with his bed in his arms.
Twilight’s gaze returned to the note as she continued to read.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I know it is very late, but I need you to heed my word. Lately, the Royal Guards have been fussing over an important issue which I am very afraid of getting out of hand. I cannot let the citizen of Ponyville or any other city know of what is to come. In the black bag is a key, one of many that are around the world of Equestria, I need you and your friends to help collect all 14 keys and head back to the Ancient Sisters Temple with them. I cannot tell you yet what it’s for, as I fear you may not be ready for the outcome. So instead, I shall leave you with this. Please be careful on your journey, I would really dislike if anything bad had happened to you or your friends.
Stay safe, young Twilight Sparkle; I hope to hear from you once you’ve collected all 14 keys.
Your friend and teacher,
Princess Celestia.
P.S. When you touch the key, you will see a vision, a vision of what is to come if you were to fail. Please do not seem surprised as much as I was when I saw it, and make sure that only you see it. I know it will be hard to keep a secret like this, but I’m begging you to not show anypony else.
Twilight Sparkle gently put the note down and hesitated on picking up the bag. She didn’t want to know what Equestria would look like if she were to fail, but slowly curiosity soon overtook her control and grabbed onto the bag. When she picked it up, a small rock-like tablet fell from the inside of the black bag. It looked like a complicated puzzle piece from where it sat on her bed sheet. Slowly, she reached for the key gently grabbing the edge with her hoof…
And what she saw, she couldn’t bear to see again…
From every corner of her eye, she could see the darkest smoke, fire, blood and gore and dead ponies littered on the ground. She turned and saw three dark figures beating at some of the living ponies as one of the ponies screamed at the top of their lungs. In an instant one of the dark figures twisted one of the pony’s heads, and then it went limp. They were dead within the second.
She turned her head and saw another dark figure, a pony-figure, walking briskly towards her. Its horn glowing bright with magic as it neared closer and closer to her. Its eyes were glowing, and brimming with yellow. The three dark figures to her right had stopped beating on the remained carcasses of ponies and all bowed to the dark unicorn’s presence. The unicorn looked directly at Twilight Sparkle herself. Twilight felt herself go weak as she fainted in her vision, and came back to reality.
Shivering, she huddled onto her covers, as if she had just seen a nightmare. Which… she did! She did see a nightmare! A nightmare that would soon become reality if she didn’t make haste fast! Twilight didn’t want to see that vision become a hurtful reality, she knew she had to do something, and the Princess had given her the order. Twilight had to act fast, she didn’t know how long she had, but she knew she couldn’t just sit there. Quickly, Twilight removed herself from her bed and started to walk quickly downstairs.
Spike sat up from his small bed when Twilight opened the door. “Hey Twilight!” Spike said quickly. “Are you okay…? You look like you’ve seen a ghost…”
Twilight shook her head. “The note… was too much for myself to handle…” she lied.
Remembering that the note was private, Spike sighed. “I still would like to know what it was about…”
And as of right now, it wasn’t going to be over anytime soon…
---
Twilight had packed a few things into a saddlepack before leaving the library. She brought with her a few remedy books (along with Super-naturals and the Novel that Rarity had picked out for her.), The “Key” that Princess Celestia had given to her, which was engraved with the letter “K”, which was odd, and two maps about Equestria, She’d recognized Ponyville right in the middle, and marked suspicious places on both of them that she thought she’d have to check for sure. Twilight gave a small sigh and looked at the small purple dragon, which stood there rather confused and sadden at the same time.
“Do you really have to go so soon…?” Spike said softly and depressed. Twilight sighed and patted Spike on the head.
“You’re a big dragon, Spike…” Twilight said smiling. “I know it’s going to be hard for me to leave again, but I’m sure you can take care of yourself and the library.”
Spike smiled “You can count on me, Twilight! And I’ll make sure that the library will be kept a-okay when you come back!”
Twilight smiled back “I know you will Spike, I believe in you.”
Spike blushed gently at his complement. He nodded off towards her, “Just be careful, okay? I want you to be able to see the library no different than when you left.”
“Oh I know you won’t make any ruckus, we shouldn’t be gone long, I’m estimating about two weeks—“
“Two weeks?!” Spike wondered out loud “Two—Two weeks is a long time!”
“Well, it’s kind of obscure what the Princess meant about our travels…” Twilight Sparkle looked up in front of her; she stood in this exact spot in her vision, this VERY spot. Twilight shook with an incomprehensible fear that crept inside of her, slowly feeding on her like a hungry wolf finding bare meat on the ground for it to gouge on. Twilight slowly gulped and started to head towards Applejack’s.
“Wish me luck, Spike!” she said, hiding the fear in her voice.
“You can count on it, Twilight!” Spike yelled cheerfully. “I know you can do it!”
Twilight looked back at her home, nearly doubting herself that she and her friends could do this…
---
Applejack wasn’t all that busy that day. The orders for the year were done, which means she had two whole months of just relaxing and playing. Applejack didn’t expect visitors that day, as she wasn’t wearing her signature hat.
“Oh! Twilight!” Applejack mustered gently. “Didn’t know you we’re commin’!” the normally calm southern earth pony smiled meekly.
“I’m sorry, Applejack, I didn’t know I was going to visit either.” Twilight admitted calmly, the fear now back in her voice.
“Twi?” Applejack slowly walked up to the purple unicorn. “You alright there, Sugarcube?”
“Yes!” Twilight started quickly. “Well… no…” she finished slowly. “Actually, I’m not sure what I should really be feeling at this point…”
“You sure do sound kin’na scared…” Applejack sighed gently. “Somethin’ the matter? Somepony on yer’ mind’er somethin’?”
"No, nothing like that…” Twilight looked over her shoulder. “I just… had a strange dream… is all…”
“Well, nothin’ like a little day-time outside wouldn’t cheer, right?” Applejack mustered a wide smile, but Twilight couldn’t even look up for a second to recognize it. Applejack placed a hoof on her purple friend’s shoulder “It’ll be alright, Sugarcube…”
Twilight could only hope so. It’s all she could do at the moment.
“So uhh…” Applejack gently pressed a hoof on the ground, breaking the awkward silence with a small “crunch” from the dirt beneath her. “Not to sound rude, but what’re you doin’ here?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Twilight regain herself, “The Princess needs us…”
“Oh, you mean, like us, us, or…”
“Like you, me, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, you know?” Twilight said rather quickly as if trying to avoid the subject.
"Why, is somethin’ wrong?” Applejack tilted her head and reached up for her hat, only to remember she wasn’t wearing it.
Twilight slowly nodded her head remembering the image that plastered in her head of those beasts beating at the living ponies. She sighed deeply and looked right back at Applejack. “It’s rather complicated to say what’s wrong… but I’ll tell you… on the road…”
Applejack hadn’t much to do since she was pretty much done for the year, and even if a quick order did pass by, she was defiantly sure that Big Macintosh would take care of the order for her… She’d just have to say she’s leaving for royal business…
“Well, sure then, Sugarcube, I’d be more than happy to join, ‘specially if’n the Princess needs help!” Applejack smiled warmly. Again, Twilight couldn’t smile, but she was glad that a friend had decided to join her.
---
Applejack went inside the barn and picked up a few things. After she had finished packing, the two ponies soon started to head towards Fluttershy’s cottage. They were afraid to ask the small yellow pegasus to accompany them in such a task that might take weeks and they were going places never before that have never really been charted down on any map. At least any map that Twilight knew of and she knew of a lot of maps.
The cottage was a bit bare and essential when they arrived. Lights were off, but then again it was just morning. Twilight gently knocked on the door and a near-silent “eep” was heard in the background. The door slowly opened widely to Angel Bunny, who had been Fluttershy’s pet rabbit for Celestia-Knows how many years. Angel Bunny’s ears then just fell down to his sides as he motioned both Applejack and Twilight Sparkle to walk in.
Fluttershy looked from behind a small green sofa as she smiled gently and walked up to the two ponies that had just entered her humble abode. “Oh… Twilight, Applejack…” said the yellow pegasus, so softly that they both had to lean in a bit to actually hear their own names. “It’s good to see you this morning…”
“Yeah, sure is a nice mornin’, ain’t it?” Applejack smiled looking out the small window.
“Mhmm…” Twilight said in a rather depressed tone. Either Fluttershy didn’t catch it, or was too afraid to ask anything, but she didn’t notice it right away.
“Twi,” Applejack started, nudging the purple unicorn gently. “Ain’t there somethin’ ya’ wanna ask Fluttershy?”
Twilight nodded her head and she looked up at Fluttershy, who sat in front of them both in curiosity. “We, uh… We need you to come with us… on a journey.”
Fluttershy’s head slowly fell down as she eyed the boards on her floor and pawed at them gently. “O-oh…” she muttered softly. “I mean…so soon…?”
Twilight nodded her head “I know its last minute, it was last minute to the both of us, too.” She looked right at Applejack, who nodded her head in agreement.
“Have… you asked anyone else…?” Fluttershy said, again with both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack needing to lean in to hear her.
“We’re goin’ to, but since you were closer, we decided to ask you first…” Applejack rubbed a hoof on the back of her head. “According to Twilight, we really need all of ya’ll.”
“It’s a direct order from the Princess.” Twilight said, standing up in a rather formal fashion trying to show decent respect for her teacher. “And by the way she says it, there’s no other way to do this…”
Fluttershy then pawed at the floor boards gently, suddenly finding interest at the wood. She sighed gently and looked behind herself, a crowd of ferrets, rats, mice, birds, lady bugs; you name it, sat there in a corner looking right up at the yellow pegasus. “What… what about the animals…?” She said gently “I mean… who’s going to feed them every day? I-I really thing I should… you know, stay around…here…”
Twilight looked at Fluttershy with pleading eyes. “Please, Fluttershy, I know you don’t want to go, I know how you hate to see your animals leave, and I know how much you hate traveling, but we really need your help…”
Applejack nodded her head. “Why, I bet I c’n get Apple Bloom to take care of the animals! No worries!”
Fluttershy gave it a second thought when she looked back at the animals, They all nodded in agreement that she should go if they really needed her help. Fluttershy took a deep sigh and closed her eyes tightly. “I… I suppose I can go…”
Twilight smiled and hugged her yellow pegasus friend. “I really wish there was another way. I’m sure your animals would be fine under Apple Bloom’s care.”
“Knowin’ that little filly” started Applejack, “She’d be more than happy to take care of’em little critters, what with her Cutie Mark Crusadin’ and all…” Applejack gave with a small hearty laugh.
Fluttershy smiled gently and looked up at Applejack “Thank you…” she said.
Applejack grinned mildly “We better go get somepony else now.”
“Yeah…” Twilight said, back in her sadden mood. “Let’s go”
---
The next to come up was Rarity; her Boutique was as bright and elegant as ever. Something Rarity would be good at, of course. Twilight knocked on the door, and a regal voice from the inside said “Commiiiing~” in a sing-song voice.
When Rarity opened her door, she smiled. “Oh! Girls!” said white unicorn happily “Come in, come in, please!” Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy one-by-one entered the door, with Fluttershy nearly stumbling over the doorstep.
“Oh, do be careful, dear” Rarity said gently. “Are you alright?”
“Oh I’m fine…” Fluttershy said lifting her hoof, “It’s… it’s fine…”
Rarity nuzzled the side of Fluttershy’s head gently. “Well, what can I get you girls today?” Rarity said smiling wider. “I’ve been making some new designs and—“
“We kin’na need yer’ help, Rarity.” Applejack said, gently pawing the floor.
“Hmm? Well I’m sure that’s why you’ve come here in the first place as intended, is it not?” Rarity turned to face them; the three ponies nodded their heads gently. “So what is it?” she said rather rushed.
“We need to go search for something…” Twilight said rather insensibly. “By order of the Princess herself…”
“Another one of these little charades?” Rarity said looking over a cabinet filled will various cloths and yarn. “Tell me, what is it this time? Not another foul dragon, I suppose?”
“Yeah, I’d like to know what it is too.” Fluttershy said gently “Uh... You know… if you don’t mind…”
Applejack nodded her head “We all would like to know…”
Twilight sighed and looked up at the three ponies. “I promise I’ll tell you what this is all about after we’ve gotten the others along with us. It’s going to be a burden to have to repeat myself five times…” She looked around gently blushing “You know, no offence…”
“It’s mighty fine, Sugarcube.” Applejack laughed “It’s not like we’re gettin’ all picky about it…”
Twilight look right back down, afraid of what they would say if she said something early. Would they agree to it then?
“So, Rarity…” Twilight said still looking at the ground. “Do you think you can come with us?”
Rarity looked around her shop and gently preened onto one of the mane-iquens that held some of her dresses. “I don’t know, dear…” she said softly. “I do have a lot of orders to come, and with winter progressively coming, I don’t think I’ll have time for travel…”
“But we really need everyone’s help!” Twilight said hurriedly. “We—It’s dire that we all accompany each other. It HAS to be done!”
Rarity looked at the floor slowly. “It’s just… there’s nobody to take care of Sweetie Belle, and… well… I don’t want to leave her by herself in my store… you know how that’s like, right Applejack?” She smiled widely, hoping to dig into Applejack’s older-sibling nature.
“Well, how about I ask her to help with the animals…?” Fluttershy said softly, hiding behind both Twilight and Applejack. “I’m… I mean… if you’re okay with it…”
The white unicorn looked at the small yellow pegasus and sighed. “Knowing that Sweetie Belle, she’d love to do it, especially for a Cutie Mark… I suppose then I can accompany you… Just… just let me pack some things…” Rarity walked off into another room a little moping.
“Guys…” Applejack stared “Ya’ think somethin’s on Rarity’s mind? She’s never this down-in-the-dumps unless she’s fallin’ head-over-hooves for some stallion.”
“She does seem out of it…” Twilight said in a whisper. “Maybe we should ask her on the road…?”
“I’m sure that’s a great idea…” Fluttershy said, in her normal whispering voice. “I’d dislike seeing anypony sad on our journey…”
---
The four ponies were now heading towards Sugarcube Corner, in hopes to accompany the pink party pony into their small group. When a familiar cyan and rainbow blur had passed their eyes then back right in front of them.
“Hey!” said the cyan pegasus, Rainbow Dash “Why’re ya’ll heading to Sugarcube Corner?” Rainbow Dash ruffled her feathers roughly. “Wait… is… is Pinkie Pie throwing a party without me?!” she grunted and faced Sugarcube Corner “Why that little--!”
“No, Rainbow,” started Applejack “She’s not throwin’ a party.”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash looked all around her “Cuz I could’ve SWORN you were going to a party without me!” she eyed the saddlepacks “How do I know those aren’t party favors? Huh?!”
Twilight sighed gently but found this as a good opportunity to grab the cyan pegasus into their journey. “Rainbow Dash…” She said gently, almost under her breath. “We need you to come with us.”
“For what?” asked the cyan pegasus rather relentlessly, but curious either way.
“We’ve been given the order by Princess Celestia to go on a journey.” Rarity said. “Strangely, we’ve all have to go. Not sure why, but the Princess knows best.”
Rainbow Dash flew up in the air slightly “A journey?” She thought out loud “Well, I’ve been meaning to get away from Scootaloo, I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Oh right, you’re tryin’ to be more friendly t’wards her.” Applejack tilted her head. “How’s that commin’ along?”
“Psh, I thought it’d be easier.” Rainbow Dash admitted reluctantly. “I mean, you and Rarity make it look SO easy! How do you do it?! Seriously…”
The five of them started towards Sugarcube corner once more with Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash continuing their conversation. Fluttershy noticed Twilight Sparkle with her head taking interest in the dirt, something was on her mind, and for that one instant, she had a strong feeling that it wasn’t good. Fluttershy wrapped her wing gently around the purple unicorn when as Twilight looked up at her. Fluttershy gave a very warm smile. “You know…” Fluttershy started. “I remembered when you had so much faith in me when we had to remove that dragon…”
“Yes…” Twilight said gently, smiling back a bit. “I still have faith in all of you.”
“Well…” Fluttershy said gently “We all have faith in you… I’m sure…I’m sure once we get going… it’ll be okay, right…?”
Twilight smile had widened when she remembered reciting those same words to Rainbow Dash before their trip up the mountain to remove the dragon. She hugged the yellow pegasus gently. “Thank you, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy made a small squeak at the hug and giggled. “What else are friends for?”
---
“Oh of COURSE I would love to come!” Started the pink party pony, happily hopping around the 5 ponies once they had reached Sugarcube Corner. “Anything would be fun with my friends! You know, that’s ONLY fun things to do WITH friends! I mean, what other fun things could there be? OH! I KNOW!!! How about every place we visit, we can throw a party INSIDE of it?! It’ll be like an exotic party with strange things and stuff!” Pinkie Pie was pretty much hitting the roof with excitement, or at least the 2nd floor.
“I don’t think that would be such a good idea, darling…” Rarity said, already holding a hoof to her head from an upcoming headache. “It’s more serious than anything worth partying about…”
“Aww!! But it would be so much fun!” exclaimed the pink party pony. “Oh! I’ll go start packing!” Pinkie Pie then giggled almost creepily and hopped upstairs. The five ponies then sighed gently.
“It’s like every time she finishes talking, I need to take a nap…” Rainbow Dash squawked
“Yes, but once she does stop talking, she starts right back up again.” Rarity put her hoof down slowly. “Honestly, are you sure we should bring her? I mean not to sound rude, but I don’t think she’s quite fit for this sort of work…”
“Pinkie Pie’s our friend, either way!” Applejack started “’sides, we need her because Princess Celestia told us to, ain’t that right, Twi?”
Twilight just nodded her head slowly, sighing a bit. “All we can do is hope right now that we can get this over with quickly…”
“Why?” Fluttershy asked softly. “I mean… you know… you don’t have to say now—“
“I’m baaaack~” Pinkie Pie appeared from nowhere in front of the five ponies, whom all jumped back a bit in shock. “Sorry I took so long! What’re you talking about? OH! Is it a game? I love games!”
“It’s not a game, Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow Dash said. “I think Twilight’s gunna tell us something.”
All the ponies had gathered around Twilight Sparkle, their eyes fixated on nothing else but rather at the curiosity that they had held deep within. Twilight started to curl her hair into her hoof gently and gently looked up at them.
“I… saw a vision…” Twilight said in a low-toned voice. “A vision sent to me from the Princess through a… ‘key…’”
“A key?” Rainbow Dash said in a deadpanned voice “How can a key show you a vision?”
Twilight reached into her saddlepack and removed the small tablet with the letter ‘K’ on it. “This is one of the many keys we’re set to find. And through this key, I saw a vision that no pony should ever see! It… it was gruesome, terrifying…” She turned to look at each pony in front of her. “It was something I should’ve never witnessed, something that no pony could even stand to watch. Never in my life have I ever felt fear as much as I am feeling now…”
“Is that whah’ you’re all mopey an’ such?” Applejack asked. “Because of some silly vision?”
“It’s not silly!” Twilight retorted. “Princess Celestia said that this is a vision of the future if we were to fail. That’s why I needed you all, because I know with us six, we cannot fail.”
“Surely you don’t mean that.” Rarity walked up slowly towards Twilight. “We may be your friends, but (I’m afraid to admit…) we all have our own faults…”
“But that’s why I trust you all.” Twilight walked past each one of them. “Because you all learn from your mistakes quickly, and I’m sure the perils we face will be nothing different from what we’ve already been through together!” Twilight started tearing up a bit and smiling. “You’re all special in your own ways, not even I could comprehend. With our combined skills, knowledge and strength, I’m more than positive that we can overcome any obstacle.”
Pinkie Pie cheered “Yeah! We’re all for one, and one for all!”
Rainbow Dash sighed “Not to pester… but… what did you see…? You know, in that vision?”
Twilight’s eyes drooped down. She knew it was against Princess Celestia’s orders, but she had to show them… Slowly, Twilight held out the key in front of them. “Place your hooves on this… and you’ll see…”
Almost reluctantly, each pony slowly grabbed onto the small tablet at the same time…
They saw everything Twilight had seen, everything she had told them was what they all were now viewing as if through another ponies eyes. Burning houses, charred bodies and cracked open skulls of pony folk littered on the ground. Three massive figures beating on the weak and defenseless, and a unicorn pony running up to them, a full gallop, laughing with eyes brimming yellow.
Starting the dreaded path away from Ponyville was no easy task, Twilight Sparkle had already been feeling down and low, and it didn’t help that her five friends would soon, if not already, start feeling the same way she did.
Pinkie Pie kept quiet through whole trek towards Canterlot. Normally the happily buzzing pink maned earth pony was now at a loss for words. Even her mane seemed a bit… flat… flatter than usual at least.
Rainbow Dash, instead of speeding off quickly towards their destination at mach speed, kept at an even pace walking with her friends, her eyes always looking at the sky as if in thought.
Applejack had started looking as glum as Twilight Sparkle did, Fluttershy looked even worse. It was bad enough she had to leave her animal friends, but knowing the path Equestria was leading into, it wasn’t going to be easy for her to let go of her animals if Equestria ended in turmoil.
Last but not least, Rarity had been sighing as much as Twilight did earlier. Unable to fully hold her weight on the current situation, Rarity’s mind now pondered on Ponyville and Sweetie Belle begging to Celestia that if they should fail, that she would keep Ponyville and Sweetie Belle out of danger.
The long slow pacing towards Canterlot was quiet. No pony would speak a word to the other; unable to relieve their mind off of the horrid image they were just introduced to. Twilight started to look stronger than the rest of her friends, but that was probably because she had time to readjust to the current situation. Twilight then suddenly stopped to look at her friends.
“What gives, Twilight?” asked a somber Rainbow Dash. “Why are we stopping?”
“I just wanted to talk about what you just saw…” Twilight spoke. Suddenly everypony looked either away or down at the ground. Twilight groaned “I know it’s not going to be easy after what you’ve seen, but…”
“But what?” Applejack retorted. “It ain’t right for somethin’ like that to happen! Only makes it worse if we start talkin’ about it right away…”
“I’ll have to agree with Applejack there, dear.” Rarity commented. “We have yet to fully grasp what we just saw… It… It was too much for us to handle…”
“I know it was!” Twilight renounced. “By Celestia I know it was… and—and she had asked me not to show anypony else—“
“Then WHY did you?!” yelled Rainbow Dash “We could’ve been fine and dandy not knowing!”
“Because you asked! You ALL asked!”
Everypony suddenly became quiet. Silent sobbing was heard from Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie had started comforting her, hugging and holding her close. Twilight Sparkle slowly sat down and looked at her friends. “I’m… I’m sorry, I know you weren’t ready and… and I should’ve warned you, but what else could I do? I couldn’t just ask you to come on this mission without you knowing. That wouldn’t have seemed right! I believed it was only fair that we all saw it. I’m sure I’ll be scolded for it later but…” Unable to finish her sentence, the young purple unicorn looked down at the ground. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.
Applejack walked up to Twilight Sparkle and placed a hoof on her. “C’mon Sugarcube… Don’t cry. It’s only gunna’ make it worse fer’ the rest of us.”
Twilight couldn’t hold it back, she let out a long sob and started crying aswell. Applejack just held her close as Twilight cried, looking a bit embarrassed.”Twi” Applejack said softly, Twilight slowly stopped crying and started sniffling. “Twilight, we’re not gunna stop this mission wit’ya just cuz of some silly vision. Heck, we can’t just leave you alone even If we wanted to! We’re best friends, the six of us, and we wouldn’t abandon you, none of us would!”
Twilight Sparkle smiled softly and hugged her. “Thank you…”
“Don’t go thankin’ me just yet.” said the orange earth pony. “We got a long road ahead of us. And at this rate, we won’t even make it to Canterlot by nightfall…”
Twilight cleared her throat and nodded her head “You’re right… Thank you, all of you.”
Everypony smiled and nodded, greatly brightening up the mood. Applejack smiled aswell. Happy that her friend was now eager and better to get going, but secretly happy to herself that she wouldn’t have to talk about that vision…
At that moment, she wanted to cry as well.
---
Arriving at Canterlot was more troublesome that anypony would’ve thought. Not only was it already sundown and everypony was already tired, but the small amount of food they had was completely gone.
“Ya’ think that would’ve lasted us a TON longer than it did…” Rainbow Dash laughed. “I honestly believed that would’ve held us for the rest of the way!”
“I wouldn’t worry about the food.” Applejack started. “I’m sure we’ll bump into towns and such on our way practically around Equestria. They’ll have food, right?”
“Well yes.” It was Twilight’s turn to talk. “But you have to think how long it would take us to get each key. It could be like a small cave to a dungeon, you never know.”
“Then we’ll pack in stock and eat in restaurants or somethin’ while we’re in town. Seems smart in my sense!”
“That sounds keen for now.” Twilight nodded. “I’m going to go meet with the Princess and talk about this whole situation and where we should and shouldn’t be heading. You can all make your way to the Library. I’m sure if I recall correctly there are separate rooms there.”
“Do you still OWN that library?” Pinkie Pie asked with her squeaking voice.
Twilight just laughed. “I didn’t really own that Library, I just happened to… always be there.” The recollection of memories soon flooded her head before Ponyville and her friends when she would constantly be studying and worrying over nothing. Good times. “Heh… well anyway. We should set up sort of a base there so we can read on about the places we will be heading towards.”
Without much reconsideration, the ponies had nodded in agreement and went their separate ways. Rarity led the way towards the Canterlot Library. Other than Twilight Sparkle, Rarity seemed to have some basic knowledge about and around Canterlot.
Once at the Library, the room was full of papers and books spewed across the floor. Rarity just looked in horror. “Normally I’m the one making the organized chaos, but I never thought it would apply this chaotically…”
“Organized what now?” Rainbow Dash asked. The white unicorn just shrugged her off.
“It wouldn’t hurt to tidy up the place, now would it?”
“Now hold up.” Applejack walked forward. “If this is somepony else’s work, we shouldn’t mess with it. They might’ve done this purposefully and if we throw somethin’ outta place, it’ll cause’em all sorts of trouble. Wouldn’t it?”
Rarity seemed to know EXACTLY what her orange earth pony friend was talking about. But that raised two new questions for the five. Where would they stay now, and who caused this mess?
As if an answer to a prayer, the front door burst open to a red maned yellow stallion unicorn pony holding way too many books. The stallion then dropped every book he was holding and noticed the five mares infront of him.
“Uh… HI!” said the unknown yellow unicorn. “Uhm… are you lost?”
“Not as lost as we thought…” Rarity frowned slightly. “Who might you be?”
“Oh, I’m Ethal, Ethal Co, but you can just call me Hets…”the yellow stallion chuckled slightly.
“Hets?” Rainbow Dash remarked “Hets doesn’t exactly tie in with ‘Ethal’”
Hets just shrugged and laughed, “I’ve been called Hets for I don’t know how long. But that doesn’t matter. What matters to me right now is what you guys are doing in my Library?”
“Your Library?” Pinkie Pie said “I thought this Library belonged to Twilight?”
Rainbow Dash face-hoofed “Pinkie, Twilight just told us she didn’t own the Library…”
“Twi-who?” asked Hets, who started picking up the books he had dropped. “I’m not sure who you’re talking about. I’ve been running this Library for a little over a few months now. Princess Celestia allowed me to live here and study under the name ‘Current Owner’”
“She must’ve given someone else the space in the library…” Applejack said under her breath. “I mean, who else would run it?”
“You have a point…” Rarity replied in the same under the breathe tone. “But that still doesn’t answer where WE’RE going to stay…”
“So what’re you gunna do? Seduce a way out of him?”
Rarity smiled, Immediately Applejack looked in awe. “You wouldn’t…”
“Would I?” Still smiling, Rarity slowly walked up to the stallion unicorn “You know, Hets…” she said cooly and smoothly as possible “You have a nice mane there…” she said examining his figure “and such broad muscles…”
Hets blinked at the sudden connection and had a blush brighter than a stop light. “Uh, well you know, a Stallion has to look his best, right?” He nervously chuckled.
“You know…” Rarity started again. “My friends and I have been looking for a place to stay…” She motioned to the four mares”and we heard that there are a few rooms in the library…”
“Y-Yeah, there’s a couple of bedrooms here…” Hets pointed a hoof over at a few doors behind a giant hourglass. “There’s… really nothing in them…”
“What’s say you let my friends and I stay here for… awhile?” Rarity smiled “I’m sure we won’t be a bother to you at all.”
“Well…” Hets set the books down on a table, looked around, then at the four watching mares, then back at Rarity. “What’s… in it for me?”
Rarity rolled her eyes and kissed Hets on the cheek, practically melting him in place “Alright, Alright! You can stay!” he exclaimed.
Rarity smiled and galloped her way back towards the sitting mares. Applejack just shook her head. “You toy with Stallion’s hearts…”
“Oh dear Applejack” Rarity grinned “What fun is there if you can’t play with some stallions’ hearts every now and then?”
The orange earth pony sighed. “Let’s just start unpacking…”
---
Night came quickly, and after a bit of cleaning up, the Canterlot Library looked a bit more organized than it was when the five mares had first arrived. Fluttershy looked outside the large window inside the Library that overcastted much of Canterlot.
“Nice, ain’t it?” Applejack came from one of the rooms they were staying at. Startled, Fluttershy quickly turned around to face her. “Oh, Sorry there, Sugarcube. Ya’know how I am.”
“It’s alright…” Fluttershy practically whispered. Applejack smiled and looked out the window with her.
“I’ve never been one for sight seein’, but Canterlot’s really got that givin’ feel to it.” Applejack attempted to start a conversation with the butter yellow pegasus.
Fluttershy smiled and nodded softly, and continued to look at the bright night-life that Canterlot gave. “I wonder if Twilight’s alright…”
Applejack nodded “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s with the Princess afterall, ain’t she? She shouldn’t be any sort of trouble we would have to worry about.” She looked at Fluttershy who still seemed doubtful and gently patted her back. “Now we ain’t got nothin’a worry about. I promise you she’s safe. She’s can take care’a herself.”
Fluttershy smiled and attempted to say something. When she opened her mouth, Pinkie Pie came bursting through the front door bouncing up and down with a massive cake, she even blew a party whistle.
“Argh, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack yelled “What’s the sudden surprise for?”
“For our new friend Hets, of course!” Pinkie Pie’s smile practically filled the room. “I thought it would’ve been nice for us to throw him a party because he let us stay in the library! I’ve never lived in a library, I bet there’s SO MUCH you can learn just by LIVING in one! Like some sort of Book Ninja! And instead of shurikens, you throw PAPER shurikens!”
“Pinkie, what’re you yammerin’ on about now?” Applejack laughed “You’re a crazy pony, ya’know that?”
Pinkie Pie just continued smiling and placed the enormous double layered cake on a coffee table that somehow managed to support the weight of the cake. The legs of the table literally bent from the weight of the cake itself and it seemed at any moment the cake would break the table. “I just thought I’d be nice” Pinkie Pie smiled again.
“I’m sure he’ll love it…” Fluttershy said softly. Tilting her head at the giant cake and table.
“Where is he anyway? and Rarity and Rainbow Dash? and has Twilight returned?” Pinkie Pie bounced from her spot.
“Ahh, well Rainbow Dash went out to do a bit of flyin’…” Applejack fixed her hat. “Ya’ can’t keep that pony still, if she was a cow, she’d extract butter immediately, ah’ swear…” she laughed.
“Hets said something about meeting the Princess for an… urgent matter?” Fluttershy placed a hoof on her chin in curiousness.
“Rarity started complainin’ about her ‘beauty sleep’. An’ if she didn’t get it, she’d go bananas on us about it the next day.” Applejack frowned “…So we just left’er alone…”
“And Twilight?” Pinkie Pie asked once more, already digging into the cake.
“She must be still with the Princess… at least I hope she is…” Fluttershy turned her head towards the window and stared again. “I… I mean I know she is…I think…”
Applejack just whimsily smiled at the butter yellow pegasus. “She’s goin’ ta’ be okay, Fluttershy. I promise.”
“Well then! Who’s gunna help me finish this cake!” Pinkie Pie had face-planted herself into the cake and started eating. The table finally broke causing the cake to make a massive “thud” on the ground. Pinkie Pie continued eating it without consent. “It ain’t gunna finish itself with just me here!”
---
“…And that’s all…?” Twilight Sparkle had been with Princess Celestia for most of the time she had been inside Canterlot. The map she now held was completely charted with lines, dots and “X”’s. “These are the places to where we must go?”
“Yes, Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia smiled “I’m sure you’re readily up for the task?”
Twilight nodded her head examining the map carefully. This map marked all around Equestria, Even on Cloudsdale. How would that work? “This is really… complex…” Twilight then gently put the map in her saddle pack “But I promise you. I will not let you down.”
Princess Celestia nodded happily “I know you won’t Twilight Sparkle, that’s entrusted you with this task. But now it’s getting late, and I would believe you would like some rest before your journey.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded and bowed. Then started making her way out, “You can count on me, Prince—Oof!” Twilight Sparkle bumped into a yellow unicorn.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking.” said the unicorn.
“I wasn’t looking either… It’s my fault.” Twilight quickly regained sight and looked at the Unicorn.
“Ethal Co? Is there something wrong?”asked Princess Celestia.
“Oh right” the yellow unicorn bowed to Princess Celestia. “Uh, well some mares came by into the library and they had asked if they could stay there for awhile. I already agreed they could, but I really need your permission for it.” He smiled sheepishly.
“Oh, I see your friends are here too, Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia looked at the purple unicorn. “Yes Ethal, the Library can be free of Twilight Sparkle and her friends use for now. I’m sure they would need it for their task.”
“Oh, so YOU’RE that mare they were mentioning to me earlier.” Said the unicorn, he then extended a hoof towards Twilight. “My name’s Ethal Co, I’m guessing you’re going to be another roommate in the library then, eh?” he smiled widely
Twilight looked at Ethal then at Princess Celestia then back at Ethal. “I’m… a bit confused at the moment… more than I’d like to be.”
Almost hurt, the unicorn stallion let down his hoof. “It’s alright. I’m just as confused as you are. What with the whole pony invasion going on at the library.”
“Not to mention tired…” Twilight sheepishly smiled at the unicorn stallion. “It’s been a long day for the six of us.” Twilight turned and bowed to Princess Celestia once more. “I shall be on my way then, Princess Celestia.”
Princess Celestia nodded “I wish you luck, my faithful student.” With that, the princess receded into her chambers, leaving the two young unicorns by themselves. Twilight Sparkle started making her way towards the exit. Ethal Co slowly followed.
“So Ethal—“ Twilight started.
“Oh, You can call me Hets.” The unicorn stallion said. “All of my friends call me Hets.”
Twilight smiled. “Alright then, Hets” she giggled gently at the inconsistency of his nickname. “So you live at the library?”
“Yup!” Hets smiled. “It’s real nice and quiet living there, but it gets lonesome. As much as I like reading, I hate being alone.”
Twilight continued walking eventually outside of Canterlot Castle, and towards the Library. “I use to live there… awhile back when I first became the princess’ student…”
“She did call you her ‘faithful student’.”Hets recalled. “That would mean you studied under her?”
Twilight nodded her head. “For a good 15 years. Heck, I’m still studying under her.”
“Wow.” The unicorn stallion admired. “I bet there was a lot of vigorous training to be done there.”
The purple mare’s mind quickly went to the loving and care that Princess Celestia had administered to her. If Twilight knew any better, Princess Celestia might have well been her mother. She quickly shook her head at the thought, her mother was with her father living happily together, she was sure.
“So how do you think of my friends?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “not really the kind of bunch you’d see on a day to day basis, now would you?”
“I agree” Hets nodded, climbing “They say first impressions make everything. I think you’re real lucky to find a bunch like them.”
Suddenly Twilight started remembering what Applejack had told her this afternoon. That just because of some vision they had saw, none of them would ever abandon her. Twilight’s mind then raced thinking of the vision, remembering it clearly in her head. That unicorn pony… who were they? The face was so darkened and so hidden that she could hardly remember what it looked like.
“Ms. Sparkle?” Hets waved a hoof infront of Twilight, reawakening her senses to reality. “Are you alright? You look like a train just smacked right into you”
The purple mare shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “Oh… Yeah, I was just… recalling memories.” She lied, smiling meekly to the unicorn stallion.
Hets tilted his head gently then smiled. “I’d bet! This is probably just one big’ole nostalgia trip for you, ain’t it?”
Twilight laughed, but inside she was unable to control the fear that crept inside of her.
---
“Oh look look look!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed from the window. “Here comes Hets! And he’s with Twilight! Ooh! We can surprise them both in one go!”
“Jus’ not so loud, Pinkie Pie.” Applejack moved Pinkie Pie out of the way. “We don’t wanna go wakin’ Rarity’n Fluttershy.”
“They were really really tired after all!” the pink party pony smiled. “Fluttershy went out like a light! Hehe.”
“We all are. Pinkie” Applejack deadpanned “We all are…”
There were a quick few hoofsteps outside and then the door slowly opening. Pinkie Pie popped from behind the Hourglass and jumped right infront of both Hets and Twilight. “SURPRISE YOU TWO!” She practically yelled, knocking back both unicorns. “Oh Hets! Thank you for letting us stay! I got you a cake but…” Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at a broken table with the remains of some cake crumbs. “I already ate MOST of it.” She giggled
Hets looked at the broken table somewhat wide-eyed. “Uh heh! No problem.” He smiled then got back up, along with Twilight who just placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder.
“Pinkie! You know I hate it when you do that…” Twilight muttered.
“Oh I’m sorry Twilight, I’m just so grateful that we’re here! It’s like a home away from home! Well technically for you it’s a home away from home that use to be your home! Homeception! HA! Well anyway, What did the Princess tell you? Some important stuff I bet! I wanna know! I’m sure we all wanna know! But I wanna know too! I bet it’ll be fun, and I love fun things!”
Applejack quickly placed a hoof over Pinkie Pie’s mouth, shuddering from hearing anymore. Pinkie Pie seemed to continue talking as if not even noticing Applejack. “Pinkie” started the orange earth pony. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait until tomorrow for this?”
Pinkie Pie looked at Applejack and quickly nodded. Then said something too muffled to even hear. The pink party pony then removed Applejack’s hoof from her mouth and hopped her way towards their room. “G’night everypony!” she smiled then closed the door.
The orange earth pony removed her hat and started massaging her head. “One of these days, that pony’s gunna give me a migraine…”
“So is everpony here?” Twilight asked Applejack, looking through some of the bookshelves.
“Oh… I don’t think Rainbow Dash’s here.” Applejack sheepishly smiled. “But I’m sure she’s just asleep on some cloud or other.
The purple unicorn looked at Applejack but nodded. She knew Rainbow Dash wasn’t one for getting settled in one place right away. She was sure Rainbow Dash would eventually come back. One night alone wouldn’t kill her.
Hets slowly made his way to another bed room on the upper floor. “Well girls, I’m going to bed as well. If ya’ll start rummaging through books, please put them back where they are.” He grinned. “Night!”
“Night.” Applejack called after. Twilight was already dug into a book. Hets then closed the door to his room.
“That… use to be my room…” Twilight started.
“Oh Twi, I know how ya’ must feel, reentering somethin’ you havn’t been at fera’while then slowly startin’ to miss what you had…” Applejack patted Twilight’s back.
Twilight sighed then continued reading the book she had.
“Ya’ not tired?” the orange pony asked.
“I am, but this book will be useful. Atleast that’s what the Princess said.”
“I ain’t one to bug, but ya’ should really get some sleep…”
The purple unicorn looked at Applejack who stared back with a worried look. Twilight closed the book and placed it in her saddlepack. “Alright… but… I think I’m going to sleep out here…”
“Fine.” Applejack smiled “Just get sleep, alright?”
“You know it!” Twilight smiled and hugged Applejack. The orange pony then retreated to their room leaving the purple pony by herself.
Twilight always loved how this room at night gave such a nice and vibrant glow from the moon. It gave her goose bumps and memories once more. But everything just seemed wrong. What should’ve seemed like something nice and interesting turned into a nightmare quickly. If what Princess Celestia said to her was true, there shouldn’t be anything scaring her. So why did she feel this uncontrollable fear? Why was she so scared at nothing? She dropped her saddlebags and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the novel that Rarity had picked out for her.
“…Maybe… this’ll get my mind off things…” Twilight picked up her book and opened the page where she had last left off, laying down on the couch and slowly drifting off to sleep.
---
Rainbow Dash loved feeling the wind on her face. It gave her meaning to life and everything she ever wanted. It seemed that when it came to flying, nothing else mattered to her. She longed for it like a bee to the sweet nectar of flowers. The cyan Pegasus came to a halt and rested on a lone cloud in the sky that overlooked Canterlot. She normally wasn’t a pony for being so awe-struck, but the night-life of Canterlot made her smile.
“So cool!” She said to herself “But whoa, It’s real late. I didn’t realize how long I’ve been flying!” Rainbow Dash nestled up on the cloud and yawned. “I’m sure they won’t mind me… leaving for one night… they know that I hate new places…”
But slowly fear started to envelope her. Where did it come from? Rainbow Dash quickly stood up and looked all around where she stood. “Who’s there?” She called into the night. There was no pony around obviously, and Rainbow Dash doubted that there would be any reason anypony would be up at this hour. Rainbow Dash slowly sat back down and started getting comfortable. Once she closed her eyes, the unknown fear appeared once again.
“Wah!” Rainbow Dash got up and quickly sped off toward another cloud. Much further away from Canterlot, but close enough to still see it. She then pestered around looking and waiting for somepony or something to appear. After about ten minutes. Rainbow Dash once again rested herself upon the cloud.
But the fear attacked right into Rainbow Dash’s mind.
“It’ll go away, Rainbow Dash…” she told to herself “It’ll go away… Don’t think about it and it’ll go away... It’s all in your head! It’s all in your head!”
Something in the middle of the night etched Ethal Co out of his almost cloud-like bed. Stretching only made matters worse when he popped nearly every bone in his body. He HATED the sound of bones popping or snapping. He shivered at the thought of losing a hoof or dislocating his elbow. Ethal quickly shook the thought from his mind and looked at a nearby alarm clock. It was only 4 AM.
Ethal yawned heavily “Oh c’mon, body…” he said to himself. “Don’t wake me so early…” Ethal still seemed pretty out of it. He slowly trotted towards a desk with an open book and a lamp on it. He quickly closed the book. “I’m never going to finish it anyway…” he said to himself once more. “Too much work to do…”
Standing in the middle of his room, he looked out the lone window in the room. Strange enough it was the only window in the Library that looked away from Canterlot and into the far distance of trees and flatland. Ethal smiled, He always seemed interested in nature and its awkward state of being. Although he was afraid of traveling, again the fear of losing a body part seemed to haunt Ethal’s mind alone, but something always urged him to attempt to walk out of Canterlot for the day and spend the night under the stars.
He could never do it.
No matter how much of he dreamed and wished for it to be true, he just couldn’t do it. Ethal felt trapped because of this. He didn’t WANT to feel trapped, it was just how he felt about everything lately. Now that six mares just SUDDENLY appeared into his home, he didn’t want to look or feel weak around them. He wanted to appear tough or strong, or anything other than feeble.
“Someday, I’ll traverse the world…” he said to himself, crawling back into his bed. “Someday, I’ll make it happen…”
Ethal felt his mind continue to stir about the wonders of the outside world as he drifted back to sleep.
---
Twilight Sparkle couldn’t exactly remember what happened. At first she thought she was in Ponyville, with the giant’s moon like glow still expressing itself in her room. Until she remembered that her and her five friends were in Canterlot. Twilight Sparkle got off of the comfortable position in her couch—No wait… it wasn’t HER couch anymore…
Twilight sighed softly and sat upright. The book she had was closed on the ground with the bookmark somehow still intact. She figured she might’ve still been out of it as the room in front of her started to sway side to side. Twilight relaxed much more on the couch. She hadn’t sat on it since… well since she moved. She did leave rather early and rushed to Ponyville that fateful day after all, It was only natural she’d have this feeling of comfort and longing after awhile.
Rather than lay back down, the young purple mare looked outside noticing the moon’s still vibrant glow. “If I was asleep, I wasn’t asleep long…” Twilight said to herself, stretching and yawning from her spot on the couch. Using magic, she picked up her book, laid it in front of her and stared at it. Her mind set asunder to the thoughts of two worries she faced, primarily the set goal that Celestia had entrusted her with. Everything in her willpower begged her to pull out the map from her saddlepack, but she wanted to share it with the girls before she got ahead of everypony else.
Her other thoughts relied on the book that faced her. Twilight wasn’t one for romance, but the idea of having a boyfriend crossed her mind more than twice. The seemingly endless time that they could share together was undeniably… relaxing… at least in her mind. Countless hours of them either enjoying each other’s presence or reading together a book that they both had found interesting. Her idea of the perfect stallion was pretty bland; anything she liked is what he should like. If they were to try anything new, they’d do it together.
Twilight shook her head, “What am I thinking?” she talked to herself yet again. “There’s no such thing as a ‘Perfect Soul mate’…” she sighed in realization. Eagerly, she opened her book to where the bookmark had been, hungrily awaiting to continue where she had left off.
There were no words written on the page.
“What?” Twilight exclaimed. She flipped through all the pages in the book, not a letter was found on ANY page. For that matter, the book cover seemed to slowly degenerate from the book. Twilight quickly threw the book away from, yet as she looked around the room seemed to dissolve into a black void. Scared for her life, Twilight stood up, motionless and still as darkness stalked her.
There was silence, not a peep could be heard. Twilight couldn’t even hear her own heavy breathing. She couldn’t see two hooves in front of her. She couldn’t even feel the cold clutches of the dark void that had surrounded her. All seemed at not, and Twilight believed in the worst possible outcomes.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” A booming voice overheard. Twilight yelped and ran into an unknown direction. Whoever yelled her name sounded close, and her ears rang from the blistering scream of her name. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE, I KNOW YOU’RE THERE!”
The disembodied voice seemed to be getting closer. Twilight halted then bolted to the other direction of where she was heading, figuring that if the voice was getting louder, she must be getting closer towards whoever was talking. “COME OUT TWILIGHT SPARKLE. I JUST WANT… TO PLAY!” The voice seemed even louder. Twilight came to a sudden stop feeling surrounded once more. There was a mind-piercing scream that seemed too close for comfort. Twilight fell over and huddled her hooves over her head.
“Go away!” she yelled into the darkness. “Just please, go away!”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE! GO AWAY, GO AWAY” the voice echoed. “GO AWAY, GO AWAY, GO AWAY, GO AWAY!”
---
“Twilight Sparkle! Wake up! Yer’ havin’ a fib-dream!” Applejack violently shook the purple mare awake. Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs at the five ponies before her, who screamed back in shock. The purple mare quickly took a glance at her surroundings then back to the orange earth pony staring back at her. “Twilight! Are you okay?” The purple unicorn jumped up at Applejack and hugged her tight. “Applejack! I… I just had—“Twilight started tearing up at her words, choking on them and heavily breathing.
“It’s okay, Twi! It was jus’a dream.” Applejack hugged as well, patting Twilight’s back as lightly as possible. “You were kickin’ ‘n screamin’ so suddenly, we jus’ came runnin’ to you…”
The purple unicorn looked out the window; the moon was in its same position as it was in her nightmare. “What… what time is it…?”
“It’s almost five in the morning…” Ethal Co said softly, attempting to not startle to purple mare. “If you wanna be exact, it’s 4:57…”
Twilight figured that she had fallen back asleep for about ten minutes right before Applejack had awoken her… or that she was still physically asleep when she mentally awoke in her dream. Either way, Twilight came to the quick realization that she was still tired, but she dared not lay back down, afraid that dream would come to her again.
Rarity nuzzled the purple unicorn gently. “Think you’ll still be alright, darling?” The white unicorn smiled.
Twilight gently nodded her head, which was still buried in the orange earth pony’s shoulder. “Ah’ know you’re probably not gunna wanna hear this, sugarcube.” Applejack started. “But you… should really get some’ore sleep…” the orange earth pony felt Twilight shiver and shake. “Ya’ should come sleep with us. We’ll be here for ya’, remember when I said that?” Twilight Sparkle slowly nodded. “The truth applies here, we’re all still here for ya’, and I promise nothin’ bad’s gunna happen to you, or to any of us.” Applejack looked right at Fluttershy. The butter yellow Pegasus gently nodded her head in agreement.
There was a long silence; the only thing to be heard was Twilight’s occasional sniffle. “Twi…” Applejack gently removed Twilight from her shoulder. “C’mon now… let’s go back to sleep…” With that, Twilight and Applejack both made their way towards their room, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity soon followed afterwards.
“G’night again, feel better, Twilight Sparkle.” Ethal called out to the girls.
“G’night Ethal.” Applejack said waving then closing the door, leaving Ethal by himself once more. The unicorn stallion sighed and looked out the much larger window compared to the one in his room. It overlooked Canterlot with an amazing view. He could only wish it had some sort of balcony attachment.
Ethal looked at the floor, noticing a saddlepack with Twilight’s cutie mark, a map and a book. The saddlepack was wide open with a few contents spilled out of it. The map seemed to be one of them; the book looked more open, faced down on the ground as if someone had been reading it rather than it being tossed out of the bag.
Being the gentlecolt he was, He picked up the book and closed it, picked up the map, and most of the fallen contents, replacing them inside of the saddlepack.
But something just compelled him to check the contents of the saddlepack… As if something commanded him to do so.
Ethal rummaged through the pack quickly and thoroughly, and removed a small black bag that held something rather heavy for something so small. He looked around to make sure nopony was looking and opened the bag. Turning the bag over, dropping a small tablet with the letter “K” imprinted on it that stared up at him.
Ethal could’ve sworn he’d seen something like it before; it looked so familiar, so hauntingly familiar…
“Ugh…” Ethal hit his head in thought, “C’mon, think, think!” but to no avail did his brain help him recall the familiar tablet. Ethal shook his head and beyond his final whim, picked up the tablet and examined it much closer. Its texture was so… rough… for a stone that looked fairly smooth at least.
Ethal’s vision suddenly started to swirl the room around him and fake him out, causing him to flinch and drop the stone which landed in a soft “thud” on the ground. Ethal held his head and looked back around. His vision returned and his gaze met with the stone. Picking up the tablet again, the weird spinning in his head returned, making the yellow stallion drop it once more. “For a rock…” he said to the stone, as if it could hear him. “You have some powerful dark energy…”
“…Perhaps I can somehow hone it…” ---
Morning seemed like it would never come for Rainbow Dash, who had pulled an all-nighter sitting perched up on the cloud she was. She hadn’t fallen asleep all night due to the horrors she faced attempting to. Rainbow Dash stood up strong, but quickly fell back down due to fatigue and tiredness.
“C’mon…” the cyan pegasus told herself “You gotta… you gotta get back to your friends, Rainbow Dash… you gotta get to them.” Rainbow Dash figured when she was with her friends, she could get some sleep, or at least have somepony to talk to WHILE going to sleep.
Rainbow Dash got up once more and focused her weight on her front legs, flapping her wings which were eagerly ready to fly. With the suns smile nearly midway past the mountain tops, Equestria was much easier to see, especially on such a cloudless day like today. She could clearly see Canterlot and the Library, despite how far she had gotten away from it attempting to get away from whatever followed her. “Heh, whoever that creep was, I’ll be sure to make’em pay for keeping ME up!”
With that, Rainbow Dash readied herself and jumped up, flapping her wings and making her way towards Canterlot. Yet something felt wrong. Slowly she felt herself tire and slow down. Rainbow Dash quickly landed on a nearby cloud and rested her already worn wings.
“Whoa, what just happened?” Rainbow Dash pondered out loud, examining her wings. They looked fine, not a scratch or ruffle on them. “I’m probably just tired…” she said. “When I get to Canterlot, I’m going straight to sleep. Nopony can stop me.” Once again, Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and flew off, only for a short distance until she had to rest onto another cloud once more.
The cyan pegasus took a deep annoyed sigh. “C’mon wings!” she boasted “You never done this to me before! Don’t start now!” Rainbow Dash hoped her little pep-talk got to her wings, because immediately she jumped up and continued flying again. Once again her wings couldn’t bear flapping anymore, but she pushed on in attempts to see the vision of sleeping to her reality.
“C’mon wings!” She commanded “Don’t fail me now! We’re almost there!” The cyan pegasus once again gave a pep-talk to her wings, but her wings wanted to do anything but fly. As if they had a minds of their own, Rainbow Dash’s wings stopped and pulled onto her sides while mid flight. Sending the Rainbow maned pegasus falling a great height, and hitting the ground with an earth-shaking thud.
Rainbow Dash moaned and attempted to get up, but fell right back down, passing out unconscious.
---
“Where on Equestria IS that pegasus?” Rarity said displeased in the main room in the Library. “Didn’t somepony say Rainbow Dash would have been here FIRST thing in the morning?”
“Uh… Rainbow Dash usually likes to fly around in the morning…” said the shy butter yellow pegasus. “If anything, she’s doing just that…”
“I’d understand that, if she would have given us a fair warning…” Rarity groaned. “Honestly…”
Twilight shook her head. “We don’t have time for this… I’ll just show you the entire map now, we can fill her in on the details later.”
“I’ll do it!” The pink party pony said cheerfully. “She says everything I say gets stuck in her head… until she forgets! But I’ll tell her not to forget it this time!”
“Right…” Twilight said, either sarcastically or unenthusiastically. She pulled out the unopened rolled up map from her saddlepack and placed it on the table. Slowly opening the paper to reveal numerous lines, marks, dots, and areas not even the map charted. Every marking, name, number and dashed line practically filled the map.
Applejack quickly scanned through the map and started sweating a bit at all the separate places they’d have to travel. “How—“
“We have to travel through all of THIS?!” Rarity exclaimed.
Twilight shook her head. “Princess Celestia just marked areas that have had the closest signature of… ‘power’ from the tablets.”
“Power?” Applejack questioned. “You mean like that weird vision we saw with that one ya’ showed us?” “Something like it…” The purple unicorn started. “I hadn’t noticed it before, and I’m surprised Rarity hadn’t either. But that tablet can give off some strange vibe off like… like…”
“Like a putrid odor?” Rarity commented.
“…Yeah, something like it. It seems it affects magical beings, especially unicorns and their horns.”
“So what’s it feel like?” the orange earth pony asked curiously. “Maybe it could help if ya’ll know what it feels like?”
Twilight shook her head again. “The Princess said that each tablet gives off a unique feeling, and it’s different for every unicorn. In fact, sometimes it can go unnoticed. Especially to unicorns who haven’t truly mastered their magic sensory.” “So… you’n Rarity’ll be able to feel it?”
“Well yes, it’ll affect us mainly because we can use magic.” Twilight said, looking at Fluttershy. “But SOME pegasus can feel it as well, in their wings. Hopefully Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy can pinpoint if they can feel it.”
Fluttershy flinched when the purple unicorn looked at her. “I, uh… I’ll try…”
Twilight smiled. “That’s all I’m asking…”
“But uh…” the butter yellow pegasus pondered. “What… should I be feeling for…?”
“I’m not sure…” Twilight said with a shrug. “I guess if your wings start acting a bit sporadic or tired. Just let us know if anything like that happens.”
Fluttershy just nodded gently. “I’ll do my best…”
“So, many of these places we can rule out?” Applejack dusted off her hat a bit. “I mean, not that I’m not one for walkin’ long miles, I jus’ don’t wanna be wastin’ time goin’a places that might not be right afterall.”
“Well!” Twilight smiled, rummaging through her saddlepack. “If we almost being able to sense the energy of the tablets doesn’t convince you much, I can happily say that these tablets work like magnets!”
“What’dya mean?”
“As in, they pull each other close like a magnet would, if we can use the one we currently have… as a… huh… as a reference.” Twilight stopped looking in the left side of the saddle pack and started looking through the right. “To, uh… find the others… Where is it…?”
“Where’s what?” Rarity asked.
“The bag with the tablet!” Twilight said rushed. “It’s not in here! I… where did it…?”
“What? The tablet is missing?”
“Yes! I…” Twilight turned the saddlepack over, removing the contents of the bag onto the ground. Quills, ink and paper, the second uncharted map, ribbons of various colors, her variety of remedy books and the novel she was reading, a large assortment of small knickknacks including two metal balls and a random amount of multicolored rocks littered the ground.
Twilight eyed the rocks questionably then searched through the mess which she had created. The Black Bag holding the tablet was missing. “It’s not here!”
Twilight Sparkle rummaged through the items over and over again. Everypony stood still, unable to speak, unable to think, unable to understand what is, or what just happened.
As if an answer to all of their questions, Ethal Co busted open through the library door with a saddle pack and a large amount of books, to which he dropped. “Aw c’mon…” Ethal groaned “I always do that…”
“Ethal!” Twilight Sparkle practically tackled the yellow stallion down.
“Ah!” Ethal yelled startled “Uh… Hello to you too, Twilight Sparkle—“
“Have you seen a small black bag with a rock inside of it?”
Ethal flinched. “Yeah, I have actually.” The yellow stallion gently pushed Twilight Sparkle up and reached inside of his saddlepack, removing the stone itself and holding it out to Twilight.
Twilight jumped back and the other ponies looked at him shocked. Ethal stood their confused. “Is… something wrong?” he asked, examining the rock as if there was something on it that shouldn’t be there.
“Wh-where’s the bag that was with it?” Twilight asked softly.
“I dunno, maybe the rock fell out of it or something…”
“Why do you have it in the first place?!” Applejack exclaimed at the yellow unicorn.
“Oh!” Ethal smiled. “Well I know I’ve seen this thing before somewhere, that’s where these books I just grabbed came from.” Ethal placed the rock on the ground and rummaged through the fallen books. “Uh… let’s see… ah!” He pulled out a moderate sized red book with a picture of a tablet on the front. There was no title to speak of, but the stone on the book looked exactly like the one on the floor. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken the rock without permission, and I’m truly sorry for that, but something pulled me into taking it, like… some sort of unknown force. Again, I’m really sorry…”
Twilight still looked at him in shock. “When you grabbed the stone… did… anything seem… different?”
Ethal picked up the stone again and examined it once more. “…Well, I did feel a bit dizzy when I held it. It doesn’t bother me as much anymore.”
“So you didn’t see anything? Not like a vision or… or…”
“No, I didn’t see anything, was I suppose to?” Ethal said, handing the stone back to the purple mare.
“Maybe it’s best if you didn’t…” Twilight said, reluctantly removing the stone from his palm and holding onto it. There was a long awkward silence afterwards with Ethal picking up the books he had dropped. “So!” Twilight started “This book you got… with the tablet…”
“Oh, right. I dunno, I just grabbed a bunch of books in relation with weird stones and I found that one.” Ethal rubbed the back of his head. “Don’t ask why I was outside… Just like reading outside on a bench.”
Twilight immediately smiled at him, she recalled the same feeling of reading under the warm summer sun. The purple mare caught herself, “What was it about?”
“The book was about how six ponies gathered 14 tablets in order to create a peaceful world from the tyrannies of darkness…” Ethal placed the stacked books he had dropped to the side and grabbed the book with the tablet on it. “Uhh… it said that darkness and chaos would fall asunder to those who hadn’t completed their quest, and threatened the world with eternal damnation…”
Rarity slowly walked up to Twilight Sparkle. “Did… did they complete their quest…?”
Ethal looked at the floor. “They were unable to complete their task at hand. They had all died before reaching the final tablet…”
It was as if time stopped, everyponies eyes became dilated and diminished. Fluttershy held onto Pinkie Pie, who held back in a similar fashion. Twilight looked straight at the floor.
“They… died…?” Applejack asked so softly, it was almost mistaken as Fluttershy talking.
“Well… yeah…” Ethal said slowly, afraid he just said something he wasn’t supposed to. “What’s… going on…?” he asked curiously.
“…We’ll… tell you some other time…” Twilight kept staring at the ground. “C’mon girls…”The purple mare started her way outside.
“Wait a sec!” Applejack started. “What about Rainbow Dash?”
“Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t know either…” ---
Rainbow Dash awoke, the moon and stars filled the dark blue sky when she stood up.
“Oh man…” the cyan pegasus held onto her head, feeling erratically dizzy. “Ohhh… my head…” she stood still for a couple of minutes to regain her composure, unsure of where she was or what she was doing. Words echoed inside of her heads ‘C’mon Rainbow Dash!’ they said. ‘Get back to your friends!’
Rainbow Dash managed to look up and eye Canterlot, which wasn’t as far away as she last remembered. Staggering, the cyan pegasus made her way towards the castle walls. Her mind set was a bungled mess of thoughts and questions. Where was she? Was she still near Canterlot? Had she finished the quest with her friends? Confusion overtook her mind while her body ached from falling several stories. How she managed to survive was way beyond her. “Rainbow Dash! Over here!” called out a familiar voice. “Rainbow Daaaash!”
The confused pegasus looked towards her left to see a pink earth pony waving at her. “Rainbow Dash! Where’ve you been?”
“Oh, Pinkie Pie? Is that you?”
“Well of COURSE it’s me, silly!” Pinkie Pie grabbed onto Rainbow Dash’s left hoof and pulled her into following “C’mon! C’mon! We’re late!”
“Late for what?” Rainbow’s voice cracked.
“We’re late for the party I’m throwing! It would be weird if I was late for the party, heck, I’m THROWING it!”
Wait… a party… already?”
“Yeah! We finished the quest for Princess Celestia! Don’t you remember?”
Rainbow Dash scratched her head with a hoof. “I don’t… actually, I don’t recall ever going on the quest.”
“Well you were asleep most of the time; it was as if you weren’t really there!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “But we couldn’t have done it without you, Dashie!”
The pink pony pulled the cyan pegasus all the way towards Sugarcube Corner from what had seemed to be right outside of Canterlot. Either they moved really fast, or the moon didn’t want to leave its position. Pinkie Pie opened the door to reveal all of their friends already eating cake and playing with party favors. Pinkie Pie soon joined them inside. “Guys! I found Dashie! She was still near Canterlot, can you believe that?”
“She really must’ve taken a shine to that pegasus that helped us earlier.” Rarity mocked. “My, wasn’t he a handsome fellow, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure she could handle any more confusing as her mind began to spin; it was as if the world itself looked different. “Eh… yeaaaah… suuuure.” Rainbow Dash agreed slowly. “So what’s going on?”
“We’re done, darling!” Rarity squeaked happily. “Oh yes, that quest wasn’t as vile as I thought it would be, we were done in no time!”
“Tch, without the help of SOMEPONY.” Applejack said from her spot. “Rainbow Dash, if ya’ll were gunna sleep ALL DAY, you could’ve atleast told us ‘fore we started!”
“Now hold on a minute!” Rainbow Dash backed herself up. “I fell from a cloud STRAIGHT into the ground, I couldn’t move even if I tried. I guess I passed out, but that doesn’t mean you have to blame me for taking a crash landing straight to the face!”
“Rainbow Dash! Look!” Pinkie Pie squealed. “Look! Look! You’re coltfriend is here!”
“Coltfriend--?” Already confused from everything up till this point, Rainbow Dash could’ve sworn she was single before she went on the quest. And if she was asleep all day, she shouldn’t even have one, who were they talking about? Rainbow Dash caught a glimpse of a Dark blue and violet maned pegasus.
Then all went black for her.
---
“Will she be okay?” an unrecognizable female voice awoke Rainbow Dash. The cyan pegasus was being dragged and couldn’t open her eyes, or she was blind folded, one or the other.
“The Master did say she didn’t want her dead, but I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Said a male voice, also unrecognizable
“Master would have our heads if she was, wouldn’t she?”
“You’d bet… When the Master’s eyes glow that brightly, you wouldn’t want to face her.”
“Oh C’mon, Rainbow Dash, I know you have a strong willpower. Please stay alive!”
Twilight Sparkle and her five friends had quickly stocked up on food and made their way outside of Canterlot. Ethal Co had followed them up to the point of the gate and stopped himself. “Uh…” he said coolly.
“What is it, Hets?” Twilight asked. “Do you want to come with us?”
Ethal looked down and away at the ground. “I… I don’t know…”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t want you to come with us without knowing what we’re doing.” Twilight Sparkle placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Maybe you should just stay back…”
“But—“
“Maybe someday… if we live… We’ll come back and tell you.”
Ethal gently removed Twilight’s hoof from his shoulder. “Don’t say that! You can do it! I just know you can.” Ethal once again looked at the ground “Do you… really have to do this?”
The purple mare smiled at the yellow stallion and hugged him tight making him blush.
Ethal hugged back just as tight. “You’re brave Twilight Sparkle, you and your friends are doing what I couldn’t do in a million years…”
“Just wish us luck, alright?” Twilight smiled sheepishly at the yellow stallion, making the already flushed unicorn blush even brighter.
“You know it…” Ethal smiled, waving as Twilight Sparkle and her friends slowly started making their way further and further away from Canterlot.
Ethal sat there and stared in the general direction Twilight and her friends went until they became small dots in the horizon. Ethal was still holding onto the book with the tablet on it, staring at it with mixed emotions of rage and sadness. He didn’t want his new friends to be killed, especially not on something like THIS. Yet, what could he do? Ethal was a low-down nobody who couldn’t keep enough self-motivation to walk ten hooves away from Canterlot. If he couldn’t save himself, what makes him think he’ll save his new friends?
Ethal kept sitting at that spot even after the dots of his friends became nothing. His long thinking had kept him there for an extra five minutes or so wondering of the possible outcomes of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Ethal wasn’t very optimistic himself, he’d rather try making others optimistic so he could count on them for helping him in his time of need. Yet he thought of how nice it might’ve been if they didn’t have to go on this quest. Rarity would probably make the Library a lot tidier than usual. Pinkie Pie would totally throw countless of parties with more giant sized cakes. Applejack… more than likely wouldn’t like living in a library, she was more of an outside pony. Ethal hadn’t really known Rainbow Dash other than what her friends talked about, so she was iffy to judge her just yet. Fluttershy was so startled and afraid that it made her and Ethal practically twins, but at least Fluttershy could leave her house from Ponyville all the way to Canterlot.
Lastly, Ethal’s now unoccupied mind resided on Twilight Sparkle. She was a librarian much like he was, and loved reading as much as he did. If anything, Ethal adored Twilight’s attention and communication that he had with her than with any other pony beforehand. It was an odd bond he couldn’t put into words. Either it was just too confusing, or he couldn’t find the right word for it.
“Twilight Sparkle.” He said to the wind blowing gently in his face, making his mane sway back a bit. “Please come back safe…”
---
On the road, there was various amounts of giggling and laughing from the group.
“C’mon guys!” Twilight blushed from the front. “It’s nothing like that…”
“Aw sugarcube! It’s written ALL OVER YOUR FACE!” Applejack laughed. “Ya’ll like that little bookworm, don’tchya?”
It was nice to hear some laughter within the ranks after what Ethal had told them all. Twilight just kept the fire going, for better or worse, she couldn’t tell, she just loved seeing them all smile. “I dunno…” she said shyly. “I’m real grateful for what he’s done for us…”
“Despite taking the rock…” Rarity interrupted. “Wasn’t very gentlecolt like of him STEALING things.”
“Can we… try not bring up the tablet right now?” Fluttershy pleaded from the back. “I mean…--“
“I agree with Fluttershy…” Twilight said. “I’m enjoying the moments we’re having now.”
“Yeah” Applejack nodded. “Les’ jus’ stick with other things fer’ now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come ta’ it.”
Twilight remained in front looking forward ahead of the still rising sun. Without Rainbow Dash caused Twilight to wonder if she just went home. ‘Element of Loyalty my right flank…’ she thought to herself. She still didn’t doubt what Applejack told her about them never leaving their side. Maybe Rainbow Dash was going to get something useful? Or worse… maybe she passed out somewhere… The thoughts soon started to worry her when her mind suddenly became free of thought and focused on a certain yellow stallion.
“Ethal?” her mind had seemed to start playing with her, but she allowed it in curiosity.
“Twilight?” the imaginary Ethal said. “What’s going on?”
“Ethal.. Hets, I’ve been thinking…” Twilight said
“…About what…?” The imaginary Ethal Twilight had made up had somehow fit Ethal’s personality perfectly, despite them only knowing each other for about three or four days.
Even in Twilight’s mind, she found it hard to make her mind speak out. Twilight felt her face actually burn up slowly from blushing. “I… I…”
Ethal walked up to the purple mare and placed both hooves on her shoulders. “Twilight…”
“Twilight? Twiiiiliiiiiiiiiight!” Pinkie Pie nudged the blushing mare back to her senses. Quickly realizing she was day dreaming and hiding her face under her hair.
“Oh, Hi Pinkie Pie.” Twilight said embarrassed.
Pinkie Pie giggled. “You’re goin’ crazy, Twilight! Maybe we should rest soon? I’ll throw a rest party! Woohooo!”
“Ah think the point’a restin’ is to actually, ya’know, rest, Pinkie Pie?” Applejack laughed.
Everypony started laughing as well, Twilight was also laughing, but with her mind still on her thoughts on Ethal.
‘What am I going to do…?’
---
“Good, she’s finally awake…” Rainbow Dash stirred a bit slowly opening her eyes and quickly shutting them. It was too bright.
“Oh thank goodness!” a female voice said. “Hey Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?”
The cyan mare moaned. “Ugh… what happened… where am I? And why do I feel like I drank out of Big Macintosh’s hidden cider stash again…?”
“You fell nearly 10 stories. You tell me.” The male voice said.
Rainbow Dash got up, gently rubbed her eyes with her hooves and opened them to two pegasus ponies. “What the hay… who’re you?” the cyan mare jumped back flinging her wings open, a sudden sharp pain sprang within her wings and they quickly retracted to the sides of her body. “Ow! Seriously, what the he—“
“Easy there.” The smaller female pegasus said. She was pretty small, if Rainbow didn’t know better, the pegasus could’ve been just entering her teen years. Her mane a soft blue and was matted and curled towards the ends, her coat was a light grey color. “Your fall kind’a… broke your wings…”
Rainbow Dash felt sick to her stomach, her wings broken AGAIN? At least last time it was only one, but now it’s both of them? She attempted to reopen them once more, only to wince and the sharp pain that they gave out. It felt as if a blade had cut right through them. “This bites! Seriously!” The annoyed mare said, looking around. “Where the hay am I anyway? Who’re you two?”
“I’m sure you have plenty of questions for us…” the male pegasus said. He looked strikingly familiar to the cyan mare. For a stallion with a dark blue and a deep purple mane, she could’ve sworn she knew him. Maybe they went to school together? Not like Rainbow Dash remembered her school years…
“Can I at least get a name or two? And how do you know mine?” Rainbow Dash asked. She normally would’ve speed off away from the two, but with a set of broken wings, she’d reconsidered her choices. She didn’t even know where she was anyway.
“I don’t—“
“Sure!” the spunky light-grey pegasus said happily. “My name’s Cloud Whisper! But you can just call me Cloey.” She smiled brightly, almost beaming. Instantly the cyan mare thought of a certain pink pony.
“And what about you?” Rainbow Dash looked at the dark blue stallion. “Unless your parents didn’t name you.”
Sighing, the pegasus stallion sat down from his spot. “My name’s Midnight Sonata—“
“I call’em Middy!”
“C-Cloey!”
“Middy?!” Rainbow Dash laughed “Oh man, that is PRICELESS!”
Midnight eyed the ground, blushing from embarrassment
“Oh don’t worry about it, Middy!” Cloud Whisper teased the pegasus stallion. “Master calls you Middy too!”
“Master?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head slightly. “Oh right, what do you guys want from me anyway? I kind of remember being dragged. Honestly, I didn’t like it.” Rainbow Dash was rather calm for herself, it even surprised her.
“Cloey…” Midnight said rather annoyed at Cloud Whisper, Rainbow Dash figured she said too much out loud.
“Meet me? How does she even know me?” the cyan mare asked once more. Today must’ve been a new record on how many times she’s been confused.
Midnight shrugged “She just asked us to find you and meet you. We knew you and your friends were heading to Canterlot—“
“How do you know that?!” Now Rainbow Dash was on the defense.
“Calm down, we know you’re looking for the tablets.”
Rainbow Dash slowly calmed down, remembering the vision all too clearly. “So what, are you going to help me?”
“You could say that!” Cloud smiled. “We’re more like… third wheels…”
“Third wheels, huh? Well whatever, I’d guess we need all the help we can get.”
“But first, you have to meet our Master!” Cloud smiled brightly.
“Why is it so important that I meet her?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “If anything, I have to find my friends first and let them know I’m still alive.”
“What, they think you’re dead?”
“I’ve been gone for almost a whole day away from them, It’d only make sense they’d think I fled the scene.”
“It’s not like it matters now.” Midnight said. “We’re FAR from Canterlot.”
“What?!” a surprised Rainbow Dash said. “How far?!”
“A few miles…”
“A FEW MILES?! Ugh, this is so… so…” Rainbow Dash held her head with her hooves frustrated. “And this is both of your faults! I wouldn’t even be here if I didn’t sleep on that cloud!”
“So then how is it OUR fault, if YOU made a mistake?” Midnight Sonata smirked at the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash snarled at him.
“You pretentious little son of a—“
“Wait a minute you two!” Cloud Whisper ran in-between both Rainbow Dash and Midnight Sonata. “Middy! It IS our fault for taking her. After all, we DID kidnap her!”
Midnight looked shocked at the light-grey pegasus and closed his mouth, unable to think of anything to say.
“Ha!” Rainbow Dash smiled.
“But Rainbow Dash!” Cloud started. “You won’t receive any help if you decide to leave right now, would you?”
“What makes ya’ think I need ANYPONIES help?” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest and smiled proudly, giving off a bit of swagger, which Midnight didn’t receive too well at.
“Gee, I don’t know!” the dark blue pegasus teased. “It’s not like you had five of your friends JOIN you! Oh Celestia no!” Midnight smirked once more at Rainbow Dash.
The cyan pegasus charged at the pegasus stallion, knocking Cloud Whisper out of the way. Each of them butted heads and glaring one another in the eyes. “You think you’re so tough, huh kid?!” Rainbow Dash shouted defiantly. “I ‘ought’a show ya’ what happens to ponies who try to mess with me!”
“Heh, I’d love to see you try!” Midnight Sonata taunted. “I bet you couldn’t even buck fruit from a tree!”
“I’ll have you know I’ve bucked PLENTY of fruit, and not just the edible kind!” Rainbow Dash smiled at the dark blue stallion.
“Not the edible kind?” Midnight backed off a bit. “What fruit isan’t edible?”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, “For a MALE Stallion, you’re not too smart with your terms, are ya’?”
Midnight Sonata sat and pondered for awhile, scratching his chin with a hoof. “What other fruit is the—“ the stallions eyes quickly dilated with realization at what the mare in front of him meant. “O-Oh…”
The cyan mare chuckled. “But whatever… It’s not like I’m going anywhere with these broken things…” she motioned to her wings then shrugged. “Just take me to your leader or whatever…”
Cloud Whisper clapped her hooves happily. “Yay! Let’s go! These woods are freakin’ me out and it’s already getting dark!”
Midnight just sighed. He was actually hoping for a fight.
---
Twilight Sparkle was looking at her map closely; they had made it to one of the shrines. Upon closer examination, they realized that this shrine was the closest towards Canterlot. Neither Fluttershy, Rarity of herself felt any different, yet the tablet pulled closer and closer towards this area. This HAD to be the right place for one of the rocks.
With night already setting, the girls had already started setting up camp in front of the entrance to what seemed to lead into a dungeon, most likely the entrance to the shrine. Already three tents were set up. One pretty basic, which Applejack and Twilight agreed to share. One a bit overly pruned and crafted, which Rarity agreed on using alone. And one with balloons attached, which Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy decided to use for the night.
“This’ll be so much fun! It’ll be like camping!” Pinkie Pie smiled her largest smiled possible already bouncing in happiness and joy. “Actually, it IS like camping! Oh this is SO AWESOME! I only wish Dashie was here!”
“Celestia knows where that pony went.” Applejack started, already setting up a small campfire in-between the three tents. “She could be back’n Ponyville all we know! That lazy good’fer nothin’!”
“I just hope she’s okay…” Fluttershy whispered. “I’d like to know that she’s safe in Ponyville rather than her being lost or hurt somewhere else…”
“Yeah, I know…” Applejack muttered gently. “Still, she could’a at the VERY least told us something.”
“I’m sure she’s fine!” Pinkie Pie smiled. “Dashie’s too fast for anypony to keep up anyway! I bet she’s in Canterlot right now trying to find us! Hmm…” the party pony thought, “Maybe we should set up signal flares?”
“Signal flares?” Twilight tilted her head at the pink pony. “I doubt we’ll need to do so…”
“Still wouldn’t hurt!” Pinkie Pie smiled. “Besides, they make good makeshift fireworks!”
“Makeshift fireworks?! Wha?!” Twilight just held her head with a hoof. “Pinkie Pie, you’re so random sometimes!”
“Yup!” the pink pony smiled happily. Twilight smiled as well, happy that everything was once again at a cheerful mood. No more dark and mysterious thoughts filled the mind of the five ponies at camp. Slowly the moons vibrant glow and the stars everlasting light filled the velvet blue night sky, and with this all being under the deep green leaves of the trees, it felt very scenic to the normally unadventurous unicorn.
“—Poor guy didn’t know what hit’em!” While Twilight was busy enjoying her scenery, the other ponies were laughing with Applejack, who had apparently told a story of some sort. “Apple Bloom’s got spunk, but she’s so crazy sometimes! Apple Bloom’s a little hassle, but ah’ couldn’t live without’er.”
“I know exactly what you mean. “ Rarity smiled. “Sweetie Belle’s such a little darling, but she can be so… reckless… as it t’were. Yet I couldn’t live without having her, she brings joy into my days.” The white unicorn looked up at the brilliant sky overhead. “I just hope she’s doing alright…”
“Ah’m sure they’re safe with them three, they never leave each other’s sides for nothin’!” Applejack grinned. “Ya’ll can be sure they’re doin’ dandy.”
“Hopefully they won’t venture into the Everfree Forest again…” Fluttershy whispered.
“I’m sure if they do, Zecora’ll be like ‘Hello, little filles! What’re you doing?’” Pinkie Pie mocked. “’Can’t you see that I’m busy brewing?’”
Once more, all the ponies laughed, even Twilight cracked a grin. It just felt so right for the purple mare. Her mind seemed free and of little thought. It wondered and dreamed of a peaceful world again, back in Ponyville with Spike and her friends. Even maybe with Ethal and—
Twilight shook her head. Ethal slowly took over her mind once more, and she did little to fight against her mind freely thinking. Ethal had been the main subject it seemed ever since she left Canterlot. It was right after she hugged him, she felt… something… she couldn’t tell what then, but now she knew. She knew all too well that these mixed feelings of missing and longing again crept into her mind.
The purple mare shook her head once more, reached into her saddle bag and picked out the book she was currently reading. ‘Maybe this’ll get my mind off of hi—Oh what?’ Upon closer inspection, Twilight noticed that the bookmark was no longer intact with the book itself. ‘It must’ve fallen out…’ she thought to herself. ‘Shoot…’
When Twilight opened the book in attempts to remember her page, the felt-like black bag fell out of the book with a note tapped onto it. Twilight blinked at it suddenly, she didn’t expect that, and she even thinks that the bag was in the page that was lost. ‘How convenient…’ she smiled and reached for the bag and the piece of paper held onto it. Twilight smiled brightly, it was from Ethal:
“Twilight Sparkle,
I’m not very good with goodbye letters, so bare with me a bit. Heh, uh… I hope you come back safely… that’s to say you and your friends! Yeah, not just you. I mean you too but! Ugh, I dunno. I just want you and your friends to come back in one piece, safe and sound… Also, uh, thank you for the library. According to your friends, it use to belong to you, but you say it didn’t, but I digress. I love the many selections of books and stuff to read. It helps keep my mind off of the real world. So that’s why I’m thanking you! Cuz you kept it so well organized and up-to-date and I like it a lot! Actually I love it a lot more but you know!
Also, this book you’re reading? I’ve read it already, not going to spoil anything, but just to let you know that I loved it to bits. I’m sure you will to.
Come back safe… I don’t want to lose new friends after just making them…
Ethal “Hets” Co”
Twilight smiled at the scrawl that Ethal wrote for her. Yet now she was certain he was stuck in her mind for the moment.
“Twilight Sparkle…” her mind wondered again to what seemed like a vast emptiness. Only two things existed in this state of her mind: The yellow unicorn stallion known as Ethal Co. and the purple unicorn mare known as Twilight Sparkle.
“Y-Yes, Ethal?” Twilight hesitated looking up at the imaginary Ethal Co.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” Pinkie Pie awoke Twilight from her senses again. “HELLOOOO?!”
Twilight jumped at the booming voice and fell back a bit. “Agh! Pinkie Pie!”
“Whoops! I’m sorry Twilight!” Pinkie Pie and the rest of the ponies laughed. “You just looked so empty minded! You’re face even turned as red as a beat! What’s on your mind?”
“Ah’ bet she’s thinkin’ about that unicorn from Canterlot!” Applejack smirked.
“I-I was not!” Twilight stood up, defending herself. “I was… I was uh…” the purple mare looked around in desperation and quickly picked up her book. “I was reading! Yeah… reading!”
“Now Applejack,” Rarity started. “It’s not polite to make fun of dear Twilight here just because she found herself an interesting coltfriend—“
“He’s—He’s not my coltfriend!” Twilight once again defended herself. “He’s just a friend, our friend!”
“Yeah girls! C’mon!” Pinkie Pie bounced happily. “Hets’ a nice pony! What makes you think he doesn’t have a marefriend of his own?”
Twilight’s eyes shrunk a bit at the thought of Ethal already having a pony in his life. She shook her head violently. ‘What are you thinking, Twilight? C’mon, get him out of your head! You’re better than this!’
“Uhm…” Fluttershy interrupted. “Girls… not to be rude, but… I’m getting quite tired…”
“Yes, I think we should all get some sleep…” Rarity nodded. “You know how I am about sleeping! I could only wish we brought a proper bed and sheets. I never liked sleeping on the ground! What if dirt or mud or BUGS get in my mane?!”
“Calm yer horn, Rarity.” The orange earth pony sighed. “These tents’r built like steel! If rain nor hail to break through it, I doubt some insects’ll burst through.”
“Hmph… Well I’ll take you at your word, Applejack.” With that, Rarity retreated into her tent. “Goodnight everypony, pleasant dreams!”
“Night Rarity.”Applejack slowly dimmed the fire, enough to still see. “That’ll kick back up if we don’t hit the hay soon.” She said. “C’mon girls, let’s call it a night.”
“Okie-doki-loki!” Pinkie Pie bounced into her and Fluttershy’s tent. Fluttershy followed. “G’night everypony!” Pinkie Pie said from the tent.
“Night Pinkie, Night Fluttershy!” Applejack said receding into her and Twilight’s tent. “Ya’ll commin’, Twi?”
Twilight sighed and picked up her belongings, replaced a new bookmark into her book where the page sat at and gently went into her tent. Despite how small the tent looked, it felt pretty roomy inside. On one side, Applejack’s hat had hung itself on a support beam in the middle of the tent and Applejack herself laid on the left side of the tent. Twilight gently laid on the other half of the tent and laid next to Applejack, far enough so it wouldn’t see so awkward.
“Say, Twi?” Applejack whispered softly.
“Yes, Applejack?” Twilight whispered back in the same manner.
“I’m sorry about earlier… I was jus’ teasin’…”
“Oh, no, don’t worry about it, it’s alright.”
“Honest?”
Twilight was silent for a moment then sighed gently. “Honest.”
“So… “The curious earth pony mumbled. “Mind if I ask what you were thinkin’ about?”
Twilght felt her face blush again at the thought of Ethal smiling at her filled her mind once more. “I… uh… I can’t seem to remember!”
Twilight heard Applejack chuckle. “Dun’ worry, Sugarcube, I won’t tell no pony…”
Unable to deny anything any longer, Twilight Sparkle sighed. “…Thanks, Applejack…”
“What’re friends for?”
---
Ethal returned to the library with books at hoof, dropping them all over the floor as soon as he entered the study room. He sighed at the fallen books, but couldn’t be bothered to pick them up at the moment. Ethal rushed over towards the sofa with a red book on it, the same book that foretold of six brave ponies who traveled the world to find 14 tablets.
The yellow stallion reread and reread the story atleast four times already in hopes to find something different each one. Yet the story remained the same, six ponies started a quest, slowly one dies off, then another, then another, and before they could reach the final tablet, they last two become nothing, and widespread chaos overcomes Equestria. “Now that I think about it” Ethal said to himself. “This sounds a lot like another story…”
Without much of a second thought, Ethal flipped to page 216.Flowing Wind, a pegasus and the main protagonist, was talking to an earth pony named Rouge, who seemed to always hide himself from the world.
---
“Why is it that you travel?” Flowing Wind was a fairly persistant pony, what with asking all sorts of questions that begged to differ among her and her five companions. Yet they got separated during a thunderstorm, now Flowing Wind and Rouge were heading towards the closest town they could find. “I’m sure you have a reason.”
“Why do you need to know?” Rouge was too dark and broading for anyone to comprehend, yet Flowing Wind passed right through it. “Is it information you need to know to live?”
“Oh c’mon Rouge, It’s nice to lighten up once and awhile!” Flowing Wind poked at him. “I’d just like to know where you’re from and why you want to find these seals. What would you gain from it?”
“I’m not gaining anything.” He said in a scruffy voice. “Not like anyone understand what I say anyway.” Rouge sat down, his dirty and matted robe was already cut and torn from previous adventures was now even mud soaked in the rain they were currently in.
“Nobody understands you because you don’t give them a chance to understand!”
“Why should I give THEM a chance to understand me?”
“You gave me a chance…”
“Huh…?” Rouge sat there dumbfounded.
“I’m not saying you have to trust everypony…” Flying Wind started, leaning against a tree a bit to escape the falling rain. “But that doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself from ponies. You obviously gave me the chance to understand you because here you are! Sitting infront of me, talking to me, giving me the chance to maybe know you a little better…”
Rouge was quiet, his mane slowly falling towards his face, rather than spiked up due to the rain. “It’s not that… I don’t want to be away from other ponies, I’m… I’m just—“
“Too shy?” Flowing Wind smiled ‘You should never be shy, if you’re willing, go out there and become what you’ve always wanted to be!’
“…But—“
“No buts! If Equestria had any ‘buts’ in it, we probably wouldn’t even exist. If you want to make something of yourself, you do it! You don’t sit and ponder on the future. You can’t get anywhere if you don’t try…”
---
That was always Ethal’s favorite part. It stuck to him forever as soon as he read it. He’d reread it and reread it over and over until his mind had it firmly implanted in his head. “You can’t get anywhere if you don’t try…” Ethal said smiling, closing his eyes and day dreaming a bit. Then sudden realization hit the stallion unicorn. He was in the same position Rouge was. Ethal never tried at anything and always let life throw in his own path, never did he attempt to pave one of his own.
This made Ethal somewhat mad at himself. Because he never did anything in his life, he got cooped up and stored for later use. Quickly, Ethal got up and looked outside the massive window that showcased Canterlot’s night life. The Moon was a full one tonight.
“Once in a Blue Moon.” Ethal said to himself before picking up the book and walking outside, over the fallen books he hadn’t attempted to pick up. He ran down the flight of stairs and in front of the still-open gates of Canterlot, the same gates that Twilight and her friends had left at. His mind wondered on small memories that had happened that day.
‘Honestly, I wouldn’t want you to come without knowing what we’re doing…’ Ethal remembered Twilight telling him that. After rereading the book more than enough times, he was certain he knew what they were doing, and the troubles ahead of themselves.
‘Someday, I’ll traverse the world! Someday I’ll make it happen!” Ethal told himself that either yesterday morning or two nights ago, he shrugged. “Same thing really…”
‘Maybe it’s best if you didn’t…’ Twilight told him that when he grabbed onto the stone, a vision? What was she talking about?
‘You can’t get anywhere if you don’t try.’ That wasn’t really a memory to Ethal, but his mind couldn’t handle the thought of not bringing it up. It was a source of inspiration to the normally city stallion. He always wanted to travel, but he never did anything about it. Well now he was going to do something about it. No longer scared of the world, tired or sleepy despite being the modest of night, he made a dash towards the open road, not looking back at Canterlot at a full gallop.
“I’m not going to lose them that fast…!” Ethal said to himself against the high-speeding winds that stung his face. “Hold on Twilight Sparkle! I’m coming!”
---
“Here we are!” Cloud Whisper smiled as Midnight Sonata, Rainbow Dash, and herself were in front of a large opening that seemed to lead into the darkness. Not that it helped that it was already dark out, but it was handy that Midnight happened to have a Lantern.
“Go on, we’ll be right behind you.” Midnight handed Rainbow Dash the Lantern. She slowly took her odds at looking down the hole. It seemed to engulf nothing but the lonesome darkness. Even with a Lantern, she’d figured it’d be too hard to see.
“Alright! Alright… uh…” Rainbow Dash slowly descended into the hole, and her theory was correct, the light seemed to disappear as soon as the caves abyssal state closed onto the three ponies. “So…” Rainbow Dash didn’t want to show she was freaking out; she attempted to start a conversation. “How’d you two meet up?”
“Oh! I’m glad you asked!” Cloud Whisper started
“Cloey, you don’t have to tell her…” Midnight interrupted.
“It’s only fair! It’s only right that we tell her SOME things rather than tell her nothing at all!”
Midnight groaned “Fine, whatever…”
“Midnight and I met from our Master! Our Master has a weird way of placing ponies in the same situation. Much like how we are here with you!” Cloud smiled, it was too hard to tell under the now very low light of the lantern.
“Any back-story?” Rainbow Dash asked gently. “I mean, I know you know my back-story.”
“Oh! Right! Okay uh, I’m from Cloudsdale, but my mom and I moved to Manehatten as soon as we could. Cloudsdale was… a bit too harsh for mom…”
“And you, tough guy?” Rainbow asked Midnight. “I’ve been waiting to hear a story from you.”
“Hmph, You’ll get one out of my cold dead ho—“
“Middy…” Cloud said with a soft voice. “Pleaaaaaaaaaaase?”
Midnight looked at the light-grey pegasus then back down at the ground. “Uh… fine…” the dark blue stallion sat down. “It’s kind of a long story...”
“Hmm?” Rainbow Dash turned around and sat. “I’ve got time…” although the darkness started creeping Rainbow Dash out, reminded her of her visions earlier the other night.
“I’m actually not sure where to start…”
“Start at a turning point!” Cloud joyously said. “Like when something big happened in your life!”
“Uh…well how about this…” Midnight stood up. “I’ll tell you both after we meet the Master…”
“But—“
“Just trust me, okay?” Midnight said calmly. “I don’t want to wait her any longer.”
“Fine…” Cloud said disappointed.
Rainbow Dash stood up. “Is that a promise?”
“I promise…” Midnight calmly sighed. “I’m not one to break promises…”
Rainbow Dash looked at Cloud Whisper, who looked back. “He’s not…”
Already, the three ponies started making their way darker into the cove, which was much longer than Rainbow Dash expected. At the end, there were two glowing orbs that slowly grew bigger and bigger in size, but Rainbow Dash couldn’t tell what they were.
“What’s that over there?” the curious cyan mare asked. Both Cloud Whisper and Midnight went ahead to catch a glimpse of what Rainbow Dash saw.
“That’s odd…” Midnight and Cloud whisper said in unison.
