The end of the world is coming and the Mane Six must try to stop it
(About to undergo heavy reworking; stay tuned)
Long ago, there existed a great evil. Its greatest desire was to destroy all that ever was. It nearly succeeded, but was sealed away at the last moment. Since that time, it has slowly been regaining power. It is about to escape, and the world as we know it could cease to exist.
Will the Mane Six be able to stop this force before it is too late?
The night was the realm of the Alicorn Luna, a Princess of Equestria, who raised the moon and brought out the stars each evening, and who currently acted as the Guardian of Dreams. It was generally a peaceful time where, depending on the season, crickets chirped or the rain or snow pattered against the outsides of houses. Ponies were grateful to rest each night.
This particular night was not like other nights. It was three o'clock, and not all was well across the land.
In Ponyville, in a large, hollow tree, there was a library. A Unicorn mare named Twilight Sparkle lived here with a very young dragon named Spike. Twilight had a light purple coat and horn, and a mane and tail that were dark indigo except for a bright pink and dark purple streak. Spike had purple scales except for his tummy and prominent head scales, which were white and bright green, respectively. Both were sleeping at this moment, although this was to change shortly.
"Nngh..."
Twilight tossed in her bed.
"Twi-- ngh." Spike sat up in his basket. "Twilight? You OK?"
Twilight groaned in response. Spike interpreted the groan as a "yes" and went back to sleep. This interpretation was, sadly, inaccurate. Twilight was having a nightmare.
She had occasionally had nightmares in the past (particularly if she ate too much sugar before bedtime as a filly), but lately they seemed to be getting both more frequent and more intense. She never quite remembered them the next morning, but they were beginning to affect how much energy she had the next day.
"Nngh... no... Celes-- Lu-- no... my friends... my friends! NO! AAAAUGH!!!"
Spike jumped awake. "Twilight! I thought you said you were OK!"
"What?"
"I asked you just now."
"...Did you?"
Spike face-clawed as the voiced his realization. "You didn't actually wake up, did you?"
"...No?"
"..."
"..."
"I'm going back to sleep, Twilight. I really hope you stop having these nightmares, soon; I'd really like to sleep all the way through the night one of these days. Err... nights."
"So do I, Spike. I'm sorry for waking you."
"Good night."
"Good night, Spike."
Twilight Sparkle was wide awake now. She thought about going back to sleep, but her sides were sore and would not allow her to get comfortable in any position she tried. The clock read three thirty in the morning, so she decided to get up, go downstairs, and study. She had stayed up studying this late before and did not think twice about having the lights on at this unholy hour of the morning.
"Let's see... what have I not read yet? Pirates and Pyromancy? No, I read that a month ago. Bonanza Bananas and a Billion Boisterous Balloons for Botany? Ha, no, I just finished that last week. Why hasn't that been put away yet? Oh, that's right, Pinkie and Fluttershy came by the other day and asked to borrow it. I still can't imagine what those two possibly could have planned together with that. I suppose I'll find out soon. They must have returned it today. Oh, what about Frimzale's Fairy Tales?"
Twilight paused.
"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing." She curled up on a nearby rug and turned to the table of contents. "Let's see... what looks interesting? The Great Canterlot Sugar Shortage? The Sonic Rainboom? ...Why is that in there? It's legendary, but it's been proven possible. Anypony could ask Rainbow Dash." Twilight continued scanning the contents. "The Ancient Pony Sisters? If that's talking about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna--" She turned to the page. "...I guess not." She skimmed the first few pages. "Huh. ...Time to study!"
* * * * * * * * * *
The Carousel Boutique stood near the center of Ponyville. It was a small, well kept fashion shop. Rarity, a Unicorn mare with a white coat and horn and a shiny, royal purple, meticulously styled and maintained mane and tail ran this shop which doubled up as her home. At this moment, she was snoozing in her bed upstairs with a sleeping mask over her eyes. She looked peaceful.
She had not felt such unrest in a long time. Had she not been wearing the sleeping mask, it would have shown.
* * * * * * * * * *
A mansion made of clouds hovered in the sky over Ponyville. Rainbow Dash, a Pegasus mare with a cyan coat and wings and a mane and tail that were streaked the main colors of the rainbow, lived there with her pet tortoise, Tank.
Tank slowly blinked as he watched Rainbow Dash toss, turn, and mutter in her sleep. He would, under normal circumstances, have been asleep at this hour himself, but his owner was making too much noise.
"No... my wings... the sky.. my friends... my head..."
* * * * * * * * * *
The local bakery was known as Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, their two foals, and an Earth Pony mare named Pinkie Pie all lived on the second story. Pinkie had a bright pink coat and a very curly, rose colored mane and tail. She was known for being Ponyville's Premier Party Planner Pony. It was questionable whether other ponies remembered this about her because her parties were always excellent or because they were overwhelmed by her seemingly limitless energy. It could have been a combination of the two.
Anyone who saw her tonight might have thought that this energy carried into her sleep as well. She was in her room bouncing off the walls while sleeping.
Quite literally.
"Friends! Party! Wait! No cake? No friends? No party? No reader? Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh..." She hovered for a moment just before bouncing into the section of wall next to her bed, and a moment later, she dropped directly into her bed and woke up.
"Ow. My head! My sides! Was I bouncing off the walls again in my sleep? That couldn't have possibly been the case because if it were Mr. and Mrs. Cake would have come in by now and woken me up! But what if they didn't hear me? OR... what if they did and just couldn't wake me up? OR WHAT IF the twins tried to wake me up? No, no, no, that couldn't have happened because I sang them a lullaby right before they went to sleep and whenever I sing them a lullaby right before they go to sleep they always sleep during the entire night so they couldn't have woken up because that would just be silly! WAIT! What if the walls tried to wake me up? Especially YOU, wall number four! I'M WATCHING YOU!"
* * * * * * * * * *
Outside of Ponyville stood an ominous forest. On the map, it was called the Everfree Forest. To some animals (and one brave zebra), it was called home. Many of the locals called it just plain dangerous.
Between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville stood a cottage known to the local animals as a safe place and medical center. A Pegasus mare who had a butter-yellow coat and wings and a soft pink mane and tail lived there. Her name was Fluttershy.
Under normal circumstances, Fluttershy might match the volume of a pony speaking in a normal, indoor voice if she were to scream very loudly.
Tonight was not a normal night, and it was a good thing she did not have neighbors that lived close by.
"NO! NO! I TELL YOU, I WON'T LET YOU! THEY'RE MY FRIENDS! YOU-- YOU-- WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP! DON'T--"
She was laying on her couch tummy-down with her front hooves pressed tightly over her forehead as if it hurt. The animals that had stayed the night in the cottage surrounded her and were trying to comfort her. Their efforts were to no avail.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Snnghh... nnfgh... SNORT."
Sweet Apple Acres was a short distance from Ponyville. The Apples, a family comprised of Earth Ponies, lived and worked on this farm, often coming into Ponyville to sell the food they raised.
Applejack was an important mare in this family. She had an orange coat and a blond mane and tail, which she kept tied in ponytails at nearly all times. She could not sleep.
"Agh... so sore. Musta worked harder on the farm today 'n usual. Eesh. These nahtmares Ah keep havin' ain't helpin' either."
* * * * * * * * * *
Ponyville was a short distance from the capital of Equestria, Canterlot. Canterlot Castle was where the Princesses lived and ruled from. Luna had finished with Night Court for the night and was standing on the balcony that connected with her royal chambers. Her horn was glowing.
"The normal nightly magic flow is not always like this... and there is nothing I can do. What is happening? Why can I not control it? Ponies will not have pleasant dreams for a long time if I cannot find the problem soon." Needless to say, she was very concerned. She cared about her subjects and wanted them to be the best they could be.
* * * * * * * * * *
In a dark place, a great evil was beginning to stir.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Let's get down to business.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and finish that line.
Ahem.
Never mind this being my first pony story (even though it is), this is my first story period. I got an idea stuck in my head and could not get it unstuck, so I'm writing it. If I actually CAN write this, that'll be a green light for me to go ahead and attempt putting another (non-pony related) idea that I've had bouncing around in my head (much like Pinkie Pie) for even longer on paper.
That being said, feedback would likely be helpful in... helping... me improve. Be nice, but be honest. If you see errors (grammar, spelling, punctuation, continuity, etc.) tell me. I like reading quality work; I would like to be able to write quality work as well.
I don't have a pre-reader yet. If somepony... err... someone wants to take on this daunting task, let me know. If I really like what you've written, I would probably love to have your help. (Edit: Glassed is the pre-reader, and The Equestrian Gentlecolt is the proofreader. They are awesome and you should go read their stuff.)
If you find yourself inspired by the story (I guess this happens with some people) and decide to create artwork and post it to the interwebs, could you credit this story with the inspiration? If that's OK with you, I mean. Just somewhere on the page you originally post it is fine. OOO! And send me a link! I want to see. =)
(I do not own My Little Pony. Please support the original series.)
* * * * * * * * * *
Sunrise.
The day was the realm of the Alicorn Celestia, a Princess of Equestria, who was beloved by most, mentor to many, truly known by few, and Guardian of Light to all. The day was a time where ponies worked, played, and lived, and when life was brought to the land so the plants could grow and the animals could prosper.
Twilight Sparkle was one of the many ponies over the years who had found a mentor in Princess Celestia. She had studied hard and tried her best on everything that the Princess sent her way. She had loved learning as a filly, and over the years, learning had become something of a habit.
The sunrise this morning found Twilight sprawled out on a cushy rug in the Ponyville library, where she lived. Her head had fallen on top of the book she had been reading when she conked out, and she was snoring lightly.
Spike smiled upon seeing this familiar scene as he came down the stairs. He noticed a piece of parchment and a quill next to Twilight, and walked over to see if she had finished writing it. He skimmed it briefly, and upon seeing Twilight's signature, sent it to Princess Celestia via the usual method.
He took another look at Twilight, looked at the book, grimaced, and went to the kitchen to get some paper towels. "I hope she remembers that special Clean-Up spell," he chuckled.
**********
Green Dragon-Fire swirled into a sphere and coalesced into a scroll in Celestia's study.
"Ah! That must be from Twilight," she smiled. "So early in the morning, though? I hope everything is alright."
She gripped the letter with her magic, levitated it towards herself, and broke the seal.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to do some reading. Have you ever heard of a pony named Frimzale?
Celestia laughed. "Oh, my, I'd nearly forgotten him! He always knew how to make me smile. I wonder which of his works Twilight found."
I found a book in my library called Frimzale's Fairy Tales. I hadn't read it yet, but there were nice pictures and some of the stories looked interesting. I came across one story about the Ancient Pony Sisters. At first, I thought that might be you and Luna (not that either of you is ancient!). I quickly figured out that it wasn't, and became curious. According to the story, there were once two Alicorns. One was named Dawn Twila, and the other one was named Silvia. They lived happily for many years, but then some things happened and both suffered in the end (there was more detail; I'm just summarizing). I really liked the story.
From a distance, Celestia's smile was unreadable. If one got close enough, however, the beginnings of tears might have been visible.
Perhaps you are wondering why I'm writing you about a story. I would have overlooked it since it's in a book of fairy tales, but there are three things bothering me:
1. It ended strangely.
"When the mountain quakes, when the sun turns black,
When it seems as though peace has turned its back,
Beware, for these are the times."
I thought it was just an odd ending to a story, but it began to feel downright ominous when I realized the next two things.
2. The last time I read a supposed "fairy tale" with Alicorns and a prophecy-like ending warning of things to come, the prophecy turned out to be not only true, but critically important.
3. The book I found this story in also told of the legendary Sonic Rainboom. I know first-hoof that this maneuver is possible; I saw Rainbow Dash do it at the Best Young Fliers' Competition that one time. (Now that I think about it, so did you!) If one "fairy tale" in this book is true, others could be true as well. Of course, they might not be true at all and I could just be overreacting.
Am I overreacting?
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
Princess Celestia set the letter down on the desk where she was seated and stared at the wall in front of her for a few moments.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Celestia asked.
"'tis I, 'Tia. Do you have a moment?"
"Ah, Luna! Please, do come in," Celestia said as she opened the door with her magic.
Princess Luna levitated a small stack of books, some paper, some scrolls, and a large blue quill behind her as she entered Princess Celestia's study.
"How was Night Court?" Celestia asked.
"Rather pleasant, actually. One pony came, and she wanted to talk to me about the infrastructure out in some of the more rural areas, specifically, the roads. She apparently does a fair amount of traveling and often runs into problems in the less populated areas of Equestria," Luna explained.
"We've been looking into making some improvement for awhile now... what did you tell her?"
"I said we've been attempting to make improvements and hope to carry them out soon."
"Did anyone else come?" Celestia inquired.
"No, that is why it was pleasant. I was able to end it early. T'is a good thing that I was able to do so, too. I sensed something..." Luna trailed off.
"What is it?"
"I cannot quite place it... but something did not feel right. It was the natural flow of magic last night. It felt different. It was... I do not want to say darker, but I fail to think of something better right now."
"..." To a trained eye, Celestia was beginning to look worried.
"'Tia?"
"Hmm? Sorry, Luna. Go ahead."
"What happened to Twila?"
Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I wish I knew. That night 1,000 years ago was the last time I saw her. It's as if I've felt her presence here and there occasionally, but the feeling never stays, it's weaker every time, and it's always distant, as though not entirely there."
Now Luna was lowering her head. "If I had known... if I could have resisted--"
"Oh Luna, you never truly wanted things to go that way; I know it. I don't blame you."
"I know, but..." The two were silent for a time.
Luna was the one to speak first. "You know how I've been catching up on various things since...?"
"Yes?"
"Well, sometimes, when I try to cross-reference things, I get distracted by something nearby."
Celestia laughed. "Go on."
"I ran into this old spell that Twila taught us long ago if we ever needed to contact her."
Celestia thought. "...It's survived all these years and I never knew about it?"
"You didn't?"
"No. It wouldn't work as is though. She said that spell always called out to her mind; that's how we were able to contact her."
"So?"
Celestia continued. "Mind you, I used to try using it when I thought I had felt her presence or something close to it. That's why I don't think she's still truly here; because it never worked. The magic always came back and slapped me in the face whenever I tried. That's not something Twila would have ever done. I understand that when a summoning spell fails, though, that's what essentially happens. Summoning spells can fail for various reasons, anything from the caster mis-casting to who or what the caster is attempting to summon simply not being available. I don't think the problem was with me; I've cast that spell hundreds of times, at the very least."
"What if we modified the spell to call out to her spirit?"
Celestia froze. "...Can you do that?"
"You mean you can't?" Luna was incredulous.
"You would be more likely to be capable of something like that than I would. Do you think you could?"
Luna thought for a minute. "If I knew I could, I would, but we both know that spell modification has never been my strength."
Celestia sighed.
Luna suddenly had an idea. "...Would Twilight Sparkle be able to do it?"
If punctuation appeared over ponies' heads to show what they were thinking, Celestia would have had many exclamation points over hers. "That's brilliant! She loves little projects like that. We should go to Ponyville! There is nothing important happening as far as ruling is concerned for the next month that I can think of that cannot be handled by other ponies. That should be plenty of time to arrange something."
"Huzzah! Sister?"
"Yes, Lulu?"
"...Why must you insist on calling me that?" Celestia just smiled as a response. Luna sighed and continued. "Is something wrong?" Luna was genuinely curious; Celestia did not generally act on spur of the moment ideas like this.
"..."
"'Tia?" Now Luna was concerned.
"If you can call me 'Tia, I can call you Lulu. It was just something somepony reminded me of recently. I really do want to see Twila again, though."
"Me, too!"
The two sisters hugged each other and trotted off to take care of their remaining duties for the day, and to delegate tasks for the next week.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nopony felt it anywhere, not even a pony in Canterlot, but the mountain Canterlot sat on quivered ever so slightly. Both royal sisters felt the magical tremor that went out, though, and Celestia knew that they needed to contact Dawn-Twila soon for reasons more than simply wanting to see her again.
(To Be Continued)
Author's Notes: Aaaaand... Chapter 1! Just a heads-up, regular updates on this story are not feasible at this time. =( When I get the time and the inspiration (or when the inspiration hits so hard I have to do something with it; that's been known to happen sometimes) I will continue writing.
(I do not own My Little Pony. Please support the original series.)
* * * * * * * * * *
The smell of delicately fried eggs and perfectly golden toast that had been lightly buttered slowly lured Rarity into waking up.
"Mmm, that smells heavenly. I wonder..."
She climbed out of bed and followed her nose right into her bedroom window.
The thing that did not deserve even the name of monster came barreling towards her and hit her with a wall of its dark magic. She was sent flying. She could not see.
Rarity yelled and tore her sleep mask off. She was lying in the middle of the floor in her very safe bedroom on the upper floor of the Carousel Boutique.
"Oh dear, I must have been having another nightmare again. Sleepwalking is a new development, however. It's most unbecoming; I wonder if Twilight has any ideas on what might be causing it? I should pay her a visit! Oh, but I simply MUST bring some of that turquoise for Spike. That should keep the poor dear occupied while I... discuss this with Twilight. I simply can't understand what would be causing this? Nothing disastrous has happened recently... well, aside from Pinkie Pie putting chartreuse, maroon, and peach-colored streamers up for a party all at the same time. But that certainly should NOT be giving me these sorts of nightmares." She paused for a moment and sniffed the air. "That smells heavenly. I wonder if Sweetie Bell has been practicing her cooking again?"
Rarity thought about this briefly before panicking and rushing down to the kitchen as her memory replayed the days leading up to that one Sisterhooves Social. Sweetie Bell's culinary skills had not improved greatly since then.
She burst into the kitchen only to find it in pristine condition.
"Rarity?"
Rarity turned around.
"Oh, Sweetie Bell, there you are! ...Do you smell eggs and toast?"
"No. What's going on?"
"Oh... nothing! Nothing at all!"
Sweetie Bell just stared at her sister. "I'm going back to bed."
"Sleep tight, dearie!" Rarity gave her sister a smile that was slightly too large. Sweetie Bell looked at her for a moment and then turned around and returned to her room.
Rarity sighed. "Well. ...wait a moment. If that delectable smell wasn't coming from down here, where was it coming from?" She returned to her room and found that the smell had being wafting through the window she had left ajar. Disappointed that she would not get to taste something so obviously delightful, she nudged the window back into the closed position and stared at a smudge that had somehow found its way onto the glass.
"That's strange. I thought I cleaned these yesterday?" It was then she realized her face felt like it had bumped into something. She took a closer look at the window and found a scratch exactly where her horn would have hit if her face had made contact with the window. It was then that Rarity realized she had run into the window while sleepwalking.
"...I really must talk to Twilight."
Thoroughly awake now, Rarity began the daily ritual of preparing to be seen in public. Once finished, she went downstairs, ate eggs and toast for breakfast, filled a pair of saddlebags with turquoise for Spike, and began to make her way to the library.
* * * * * * * * * *
Three refined knocks on the door alerted Twilight Sparkle to the presence of a guest. She magically nudged the door open.
"Hello, and welcome to Ponyville Libr- Rarity! Good morning!"
"Hello, Twilight! Do you have a few moments to talk?"
"Certainly. Spike?"
Spike had, upon seeing Rarity, crept closer. If Twilight had not known better, she could have sworn that pink hearts had replaced his normal pupils and irises.
Spike had not yet responded, so Twilight tried again. "Ahem. Spike?"
Still no response. "SPIKE!"
"Huh? What? Oh, hi, Twilight. Didn't see you there. What's up?"
Twilight sighed and face-hoofed. "Did you finish organizing the quills and parchments in the back?"
Spike's head fell. There would not be very much opportunity to gaze upon his crush today, it seemed. "No. I'll just go take care of that, I guess."
Rarity felt sorry for him, but quickly remembered the contents of her saddlebags. "Oh, Spiiiike? Oh, Twilight, I hope you won't mind, but I found that I had a tiny surplus of turquoise, and I simply couldn't help but think of my sweet, little Spikey-wikey..."
Sweet, little Spikey-wikey had proceeded to drool slightly.
"...and I thought, 'Why don't I just give him the surplus?' It isn't 'In' this season anyway, so he would enjoy it the most, probably, and I would then have room for other gems that are all the rage or will be soon. Here you go, Spikey."
She opened her saddlebags, levitated the contents into a nearby empty bowl, and magically nudged the bowl towards Spike, who was, by now, having a significant amount of difficulty not letting the liquid contents of his mouth reach the floor.
"Thanks, Rarity!" He walked out of the room, though whether he had left to organize the quill and parchments, eat the turquoise, or a combination of the two was unknown.
Rarity turned to Twilight and smiled. "I have a small problem that I was hoping you might be able to help me solve."
"Sure, Rarity. Would you like some tea?"
"Oh, that would be simply lovely. Do you have that sweet lemon brew?"
"Yes. Cream or sugar?" asked Twilight from the kitchen.
"Just as is, please."
Twilight brought out the teacups and saucers, tea leaves, tea strainers, and a teapot filled with hot water and began to make the tea.
"How did you heat the water so quickly, Twilight?"
"Oh, it's just a flash heating spell I've been working on lately. I ran across it one day and thought it might be useful. It's pretty easy; first you build up some magic in your horn, then you project a one-way heat transfer amplification field around the object you wish to heat, then you project the built-up magic in your horn onto the field, basically tell it to convert itself from magic energy to heat energy, and the field does the rest if you've set it up right! It'll absorb the heat energy and transfer it to whatever it's surrounding. I've been able to get the amplification efficiency up to 3,000 kilo-Joules transferred for every kilojoule I apply! It's scintillating!"
Rarity blinked twice and took one sip of her tea. "...Delicious."
"So... how can I help you?"
"Ah, yes, well..." Rarity looked around as if to make sure nopony else was listening. "...I've been having nightmares, lately, and for the life of me I simply cannot understand why."
"Really? So I'm not the only one, then."
"Oh, dear, you as well? What have they-"
Rarity's question was cut off as somepony came barreling through one of the library windows at high speed and crashed into the bookshelf on the wall opposite the two Unicorns, yelling all the way.
When the dust had settled, a bright, multi-hued mane unearthed itself from beneath the heap of books. A cyan head followed.
"Hey, guys, what's up?"
Twilight and Rarity looked at each other, and then got up and walked towards Rainbow Dash.
Twilight was the first to speak. Things that sent the library books into complete and utter chaos were so common that she had learned to not panic and simply speed up the efficiency and increase the reliability of her reshelving spell that she had developed after the first few incidents like this. "Are you alright?"
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with her hoof and looked down. "Yeah, just... heh... practicing a new trick. I tried to combine Buccaneer's Blaze with five consecutive Immelmann Turns. Didn't work so well. My head kind of hurts, now."
"Why am I not surprised?" Rarity asked as she rubbed her side. "I really should arrange a special trip to the spa; my sides are telling me that I need a massage."
"My head kinda hurt when I got up this morning, though. I dunno why, but this," she said while pointing to the pile of books that Twilight had already begun to reshelve, "didn't cause it."
Twilight paused in her reshelving efforts. "I don't know if you like tea, Rainbow, but there is some on the table over there if you want it. Rarity, you said your sides were bothering you. Did you just sleep funny last night, or did the pain start around the same time as the nightmares?"
Rarity looked a bit startled. "I... well, now that I think about it, they both began around the same time this last week, but I thought that was simply because I had neglected to get a proper massage. Why ever do you ask, darling?"
Twilight looked thoughtful. "Well, we've both been having nightmares for no apparent reason, and both of our sides hurt, and you just started experiencing this earlier this week?" Rarity nodded in response. "So did I."
Both were silent for a bit. Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Hey, weird. I've been having nightmares for a few nights now, too, but my sides don't hurt. It's my head." The Pegasus looked back and forth between the Unicorns, who were now looking at her oddly. "What?"
Five bangs on the door followed by a creaking sound. "Helloooooooo, everypony!!!"
* * * * * * * * * *
A rooster crowed in the distance.
"Mmph." Applejack rolled out of bed, grabbed her hat, and went downstairs for breakfast.
"Mornin', Mac."
"Eeyup."
Applejack smiled. "Eggs 'n' toast?"
"Eeyup."
Apple Bloom trotted into the kitchen. "Mornin', sis!"
"Good mornin' Apple Bloom! Didjya sleep well last night?"
"You bet. ...Why?"
"Aw, no reason."
Granny Smith hobbled into the kitchen. "Now, Apple Bloom, what did Ah tell you about not washin' yer hooves afore eatin'?"
"But Granny-"
"No 'buts' about it. Git yer tail to that there bathroom and clean yerself up, y'hear?"
Apple Bloom sighed and left. Big Mac and Applejack shared a look. Granny Smith turned towards them and they quickly acted innocent. Applejack did not want Granny to ask her if she had washed her hooves.
Granny fortunately did not think of asking the grown mare such a question and simply sat down at the table. Applejack had always wondered why she needed to go wash her hooves before a meal if she was only going to need to set them on the ground again to get back to the table.
Breakfast was served and the four ponies munched down hungrily.
A few hours later, Applejack had finished with work for the day. She walked back to the house.
Granny Smith was out on the deck in her rocking chair. "Y'done?"
"Yep. Just finished."
"Why don't you go see yer friends fer the rest o' the day?" Big Mac walked up. Granny continued. "Y'been working yerself awful hard, lately; y'should take a break."
"Yer sure?" Applejack asked.
"Eeyup," Big Mac added.
"Alright, then, Ah'll see all y'all later."
"Have fun, dearie!" said Granny.
The walk into Ponyville on a sunny morning like this one was always a pleasant one, whether Applejack was hauling a cart of produce (usually apples) or not.
Fluttershy was also headed into Ponyville.
"Hey, there, 'Shy."
Fluttershy eeped and turned around quickly. "Oh! Good morning, Applejack! You startled me."
"Sorry 'bout that, sugarcube. Where're ya headed?"
"Oh, I'm just returning this book to Twilight. Would you like to come with me? I mean, if you want to..."
"Ah'd love to."
The two mares chatted quietly-- Applejack about the farm, and Fluttershy about the animals. Several minutes passed before they ran into Pinkie Pie.
Or... before Pinkie Pie ran into them. Quite literally.
"HEY GUYS WHAT'S UP???"
Applejack jumped. Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Applejack, who was quickly recovering. "Pinkie... mornin'. Fluttershy here was jus' headin' down t'the library to drop off this here book, an' Ah have the rest o'the day off, so Ah'm goin' with her."
"Can I come? Huh huh huh?"
"Sure thing!" Applejack said. Fluttershy peeked out from behind Applejack and nodded.
They got to the library. Pinkie banged her head into the door five times and it creaked open. "Helloooooooo, everypony!!!"
**********
Twilight was startled by the sudden greeting and dropped all of the books she had been magically gripping. Somehow, there were now more books on the floor than when Rainbow Dash had crashed into the one shelving unit. These sorts of consecutive organizational disasters with seemingly exponential results in severity were another one of those phenomena that she had long ago stopped trying to justify. They just happened, and when they did she simply needed to deal with them.
At least not all of the books were on the floor.
The six friends were quiet until Pinkie Pie spoke up. "So what are we gonna do today? Huh huh huh?"
Twilight smiled as she saw the book Fluttershy had been carrying. "Well, I'm assuming you're here to return that book, Fluttershy." Fluttershy nodded. "So when I finish getting it checked back in, why don't we make a trip to the spa? Rarity mentioned a massage earlier and that sounded like a good idea."
"YES!" Rarity said happily. Most of the others were happy about the idea, as well.
Not everypony was happy about the suggestion, though. "Aww, seriously?" Rainbow Dash groaned.
"You said something about a slight headache earlier, Rainbow. They might have a solution for that."
"...Yeah?"
"Have you ever heard of acupuncture?" Rainbow Dash looked clueless. Twilight proceeded to explain to Rainbow Dash exactly what acupuncture was and what it was supposed to do.
Rainbow's mouth was hanging open when she was finished. "That. Is. Totally. Hardcore! I'm in!"
"Great! Let's go!" Twilight exclaimed. She looked back at the books on the floor. "If my friends and I aren't here, this mess can't get any worse. I'll just take care of it later," she thought.
The girls arrived back at the library in the evening after spending the day out on the town just in time to see the last remaining book on the shelf fall to the floor.
"...so much for my official re-shelving day being yesterday," muttered Twilight. "Suspicion formed: there is a source of chaos magic in this library that I don't know about." She saw Spike sprawled out on the floor asleep surrounded by crumbs of turquoise. He belched contentedly. Rarity grimaced.
"Uhh, Twilight?"
"Yes, Applejack?"
"Wouldja like some help cleanin' up 'round here?"
Twilight turned around and looked at her friends. They looked like they genuinely wanted to help.
"Sure, everypony. Thank you so much! Wow, this should go so much more quickly with all of--"
Three suspiciously regal knocks at the door.
"...who could that be at this hour?"
Twilight magically opened the door to reveal both Princesses waiting to come inside.
"Good evening, Twilight!" said Princess Celestia. "I see you've had a busy day! May we come in?"
The place was a mess and the six mares simply froze as they were.
(To Be Continued...)
Author's Notes: And I thought my room has been bad on occasion... ahem.
Achievement Unlocked: Pre-reader acquired. Special thanks to Glassed!
If anyone else also wants to help with the proof-reading part of editing, let me know! Not that that person couldn't pre-read at all. It kind of comes with the package. ^_^ (EDIT: The Equestrian Gentlecolt is my proofreader now! Kudos and many thanks to you, good sir!)
(I do not own My Little Pony. Please support the original series.)
******
Five full seconds passed in silence before everypony who was not royalty panicked simultaneously.
"Oh my gosh, Princess Celestia, I had no idea you were coming today! I'm usually--"
"My mane! I'm not even properly--"
"I didn't know you two were coming--"
"Shoot, I hope my supervisor doesn't get--"
"The birds! I haven't been able to get a chorus together!"
"Was Ah supposed ta dress all fancy fer this?"
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna simply looked at each other. They had not yet walked through the door and there was already pandemonium.
"--so organized; I don't know what happened!"
"--dressed for the occasion! This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"
"--today! You should have told me so I could plan a party!"
"--on my case for not having the clouds cleared out."
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh--"
"...'cuz I dun't 'av any new fancy dresses..."
"WE REQUEST THAT THOU LEND US THY EARS FOR A MOMENT," bellowed Princess Luna.
Silence reigned once again. Spike shifted in his place on the floor.
"...Ahem," Luna cleared her throat. She gave an uncertain look to her sister, who only smiled in return. "...Now that we have thy attention, may we enter?"
Another three seconds passed uncomfortably before Twilight Sparkle found her voice. "...Of course, your Majesties. My apologies, none of us realized--"
Princess Celestia spoke. "It's alright, Twilight; we're here unannounced."
The six friends all looked at each other. Rarity was the first to remember decorum and bow. Everypony else would have followed suit quickly if Luna had not spoken up. "Please, there is no need for formalities tonight; we are here about something important, but it is nothing formal."
Twilight hurriedly levitated more than enough cushions for everyone to the center of the floor. Spike finally woke up. "What's going on?" he asked.
"The Princesses are here," she whispered.
"Oh. OK, I guess I'll just... OH! Your majesties!" He bowed.
Celestia smiled. "No need for the formalities right now, Spike. Were you headed to bed for the night?"
"Yes."
"Go on, then."
"Thanks, Princess." He trudged up the stairs, obviously having eaten quite enough turquoise for one day.
"...So. What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Her five friends looked back at her as if that was not a question that was to be asked of a Princess of Equestria, but Celestia simply laughed. "Actually, Twilight, if you don't mind, I have a small favor to ask of you."
"Anything, Princess!"
"Ever the faithful student," Celestia thought. "I need you to try to modify a spell for me. I suppose Luna or I could have tried, but we thought you might be interested in working with something like this."
"OK. What's the spell?"
Luna's horn glowed briefly and an obviously old piece of parchment appeared in front of Twilight Sparkle. "This is a summoning spell," Luna explained. "It is for a specific pony who we have been trying to contact for some time, now. The spell calls out to her mind, but there appears to be some... interference somewhere. We were wondering if thou might be capable of modifying this spell to call out to her spirit instead."
Twilight's eyes widened significantly. "...Wow. I'll certainly try. I don't know how long this will take, though. How quickly do you need it?"
Celestia's smile shrunk imperceptibly. "Soon would be nice, but don't rush yourself."
Twilight read over the parchment several times. "Uh-huh... uh-huh... hmm... AH! There it is. Pardon me for a moment, Princess."
"Of course."
Her five friends shifted uncomfortably as she trotted to her desk and began to work. An entire minute passed.
Finally, Rarity spoke. "Ahem," she cleared her throat delicately. "Your Majesty?"
"Yes?" asked Celestia.
"Oh, umm... my apologies. I was actually hoping to ask Princess Luna a question."
Luna looked up. "Yes?"
"I was just curious... some ponies say that one of your titles is the Guardian of Dreams. Is this true?"
"Yes."
"That must be fantastic!" Rarity gushed. "Do you ever see what other ponies dream of?"
"Occasionally, we do, but some ponies consider their dreams to be a matter of privacy. We have been trying to respect that."
"Ah." Rarity was slightly disappointed. Of course dreams were private; that's what made them all the more juicy! "Umm... what else does being the Guardian of Dreams mean?"
Luna smiled slightly. "The role changes with the ages. Lately, it has seemed to simply require me to monitor the natural flow of magic at night."
Rarity tilted her head. "Monitor?"
"Yes." She looked over at Twilight, who was using her magic to scribble furiously. "It has not been easy lately." She looked back at Rarity. "Something about the flow has been off. We-- I cannot quite place it, nor can I fix it. It disturbs me. If the flow is far enough out of order, ponies can have unnatural nightmares." She looked back over towards Twilight. "I wish I could prevent that, but it will eventually be beyond me if things do not change soon."
"...How long has this been happening?" Rarity inquired.
"I first noticed it earlier this week," Luna stated. A few moments passed, then Luna suddenly snapped her head back towards Rarity. Her expression was suddenly intense. Rarity, on the other hoof, was looking down at the floor. "Why?" Luna asked.
Rarity shuffled her hooves a bit. "...I... I started having nightmares earlier this week. There was no explanation, and they have only increased in intensity."
Luna's eyes grew wide. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie PIe, and Rainbow Dash had all been listening, so she simply addressed them. "Have any of you experienced anything similar?" All four shifted very uncomfortably. There were enough nods to pass for a yes. "Does anypony know about Twilight's experience?"
"Yes, your majesty. She's been having them, too. I talked with her this morning over tea."
Luna looked unhappy.
"...uhh... yer majesty?" Applejack tried. "Do the nightmares've anything t' do with mah head 'n' sides complainin'?"
This time, Celestia snapped to attention. "Complaining? How do you mean?"
"Well, the last two weeks've been kinda hard out on the farm. We've been workin' more 'n usual, and that might've explained mah sides, but Ah dunno why mah head hurts. I 'aven't run into anything..."
Celestia and Luna looked at each other again, then back at everypony else. "Has anyone else experienced something similar?"
Pinkie Pie unleashed a torrent of words that was typical for her. "Oh! Oh! Earlier this week when I started having those nasty dreams, I woke up the next morning and I had a terrible headache, but I thought that was simply because I hadn't had my coffee yet, and everypony knows what it's like before you have your coffee, particularly when your normal daily coffee is a triple mocha latte with a quintuple shot of espresso and eight sugar cubes with three pumps of cherry-hazelnut creamer. Oh! That reminds me! I still haven't decided if it's Chimy-Cherry or Cherry-Changa! What do you think, Princess? Chimy-Cherry? Or Cherry-Changa? Both are really fun to say; I could keep saying them alllllll day! Anyway, I had an achy-wakey head because I hadn't had my coffee yet and my sides kind of hurt, too, but I thought that was because of all the parties I had to get ready for earlier this week, and I had a lot of parties to get ready for! So many birthdays! Oh! When's your birthday, Princess? I should totally throw a party for you! It would be the best party ever!"
Celestia blinked twice. "...I actually had my birthday recently."
"Aww," Pinkie pouted.
"Ehh... what Ah think what she meant to say, yer majesty, is yes. Yes, she has had similar problems," Applejack tried.
Celestia smiled at her and turned to the Pegasi. "How about you two?"
Fluttershy eeped and hid behind her hair. Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Well... yeah, my dreams haven't been too great, I guess... not that they scared me. I don't get scared. I mean, how totally uncool would that be? ...My head has kind of been hurting, though. What about you, Fluttershy?" She turned towards the yellow Pegasus, who simply nodded. Rainbow Dash turned back towards Celestia. "Yeah... both of us."
"What about your sides?" Celestia inquired. Both Pegasi shook their heads. "Rarity, has it been that your sides have been sore but you haven't had a headache?"
Rarity looked surprised. "Is it really that obvious? I know the massage didn't help as much as I thought it would, but I didn't think this would have affected my posture-"
"It hasn't," Celestia said quickly. "Has Twilight had the same problem?"
"Yes, your majesty." "What could be going on that they aren't telling us?" Rarity wondered.
Celestia looked at Luna. Luna was wearing an expression of concentration. Then she opened her eyes. "It's getting worse, 'Tia. We... I do not know how much time we may have left before--"
"Got it!" Twilight exclaimed happily. "It was just a simple matter of--"
"Cast it! Now!" Luna interrupted.
Twilight was startled, but did as she was told. Her horn began to glow brightly. A field of light began forming in the air. It was dull red and flat at first, but then it became brighter. A golden sun appeared on the left and a brilliant blue crescent moon appeared on the right. A deep green shield appeared in the middle, and it was soon crossed over by two white, flaming swords. Over the swords appeared a gleaming, purple hour glass through which flowed iridescent sand.
Celestia and Luna looked hopeful.
The image flashed three times. Suddenly, many columns of light in every color of the visible spectrum erupted forth from the image and temporarily blinded everypony present.
Celestia was the first to recover. She saw everypony else holding their hooves over their eyes to block out the excessive amounts of light.
Twilight dared to lower a hoof and peek. "...Did it work?" she asked.
"..." Celestia paused. "Luna, do you feel anything different?"
Luna had to think before answering. "It is much weaker than I remember. I would not pick it up if I had not been looking for it."
Everypony was silent for a moment.
"Who..."
This voice was new. Everypony present looked around for the source. The voice had been that of a female, albeit deep, but it sounded weak and pained, as if it had seen and experienced a great number pf terrible things. It might have been a rich, powerful voice in the past, but times had changed.
Dawn sighed. "No. I am not just simply unable to materialize here, I cannot materialize at all. I have not had a physical form for over one thousand years. I would try to conjure some illusion to represent me, which would also function as a personal viewing device so I can see, but I cannot even do that anymore."
Luna looked close to tears. "I'm so sorry... I didn't... I didn't mean to..." she sniffed.
"Luna." Luna cringed.
Dawn continued gently. "I realize how you felt. Yes, dwelling on those feelings did leave you vulnerable. Yes, you should have been more careful before getting yourself into something potentially dangerous. It probably wasn't the best idea to give yourself over to... that being. But she would not have left you with a choice. Had you resisted, she likely would have taken you by force or..."
"Or?"
"Please don't make me say it." Luna's mouth turned into a perfect 'O' shape. "Just know that I refuse to hold it against you. The ends probably don't justify the means, but you may have actually bought us just enough time to come out victorious. What's done is done. In light of what actually did and didn't happen, I would prefer to have you alive and well."
Luna smiled slightly. "Thank you..."
Celestia shifted. "What do we do, though? How long do we have before... it..."
"What has been happening lately?" Dawn asked.
Luna spoke first. "I lost control of the nightly flow of magic that affects ponies earlier this week. I have been unable to regain control."
"I see. Just earlier this week?"
"Yes."
"What of Canterlot mountain?"
Celestia spoke. "There was one tremor earlier this morning. That's all, though."
"Is there anything else? Do you still have control of the sun?" Dawn asked.
Everypony present breathed a sigh of relief, whether they knew what the Princess were referring to or not.
"There were more sighs just now than ponies that have spoken. I believe introductions are in order."
Everypony laughed.
"Before we do, though, there's a question I want to ask you, Celestia."
"Yes?"
"It's about the Elements of Harmony. Do they have current wielders?"
Celestia laughed. "I never truly believed I would see the day I would be one step ahead of you. Luna and I are here with all six of them. We have been this whole time. You were summoned by the wielder of Element of Magic."
"..."
"Dawn?" Celestia prodded.
"The Element of Magic... do you mean The Spark? It's had several titles over the ages..."
"Yes! That's me!" Twilight stated proudly, remembering her studies directly before coming to Ponyville.
"I... hmm. I might not be able to materialize, but I think I may still be able to use my magic to get a better feel for all of you. It might be an odd experience, though, and I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. What you feel exactly depends on you; it's not something I can predict. Do you mind?"
The Element Wielders looked at each other apprehensively. Twilight spoke first. "If the Princesses seem to trust you, I don't see any reason why I should be scared. I'll go first."
"Right then." A soft, red glow appeared over by one of the bookshelves. One by one, the ponies took notice and turned towards it.
"Dawn?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"There's a reddish glow over by one of the bookshelves. Is that you?"
"I would assume so. I have a terrible feel for space right now and have to rely on my magical senses. This is the best visual I can give right now, but at least it's something. Brace yourself, please."
"Huh?"
The misty glow suddenly sped towards Twilight, washed over her for a split second, and flashed once. Twilight whipped her head back and forth trying to figure out what was going on before she realized the mist was simply hovering next to her.
"...That wasn't bad." Twilight said.
"I'm glad to hear that. I understand now why you were able to summon me so easily."
"Huh?"
"...I'll explain later. I have a feeling I will be explaining much later. If you all wield an Element of Harmony, you will be needed soon, and I would prefer that you know exactly what you are in for," Dawn said. "I'm sorry if that sounds ominous. It probably does."
"Quite," said Luna.
Without warning, the glow whipped towards Rainbow Dash, who flapped her wings in panic. She was hovering about five feet beneath the ceiling when Dawn's glow had finished. Rainbow Dash simply sputtered. Twilight noted that the glow had flashed four times.
"You certainly are quick," Dawn mused.
"Heh... yeah... hoo."
"You are a Pegasus?"
"Yeah!"
"I assume when you said you were the fastest pony in all of Equestria, you were referring to flight, then."
"I... well..."
"You never have beat me in the Runnin' o' the Leaves, there, sugarcube."
Dawn's glow flashed again at the sound of Applejack's voice. "I wonder if it does that whenever she learns something," Twilight wondered.
"...Fine. Yes. I was referring to flight," Rainbow Dash muttered.
"From the feel of it, you should be proud of your abilities. You've broken the sound barrier?"
Rainbow's head snapped up. "Yeah! Sonic Rainboom, that's me!"
"I'd like to race you someday if I get the chance."
Rainbow gained a huge smile. "What, you think you could keep up with me? You're on!"
Dawn chuckled. Luna leaned over to Celestia and whispered "Uh-oh. That was her 'I know something you don't know' laugh."
Celestia grinned. "I'd like to watch that race."
The glow froze for a moment, and the Princesses waved. "...Did you just wave?" Dawn asked them. They nodded. "...Well. My magical senses are more intact than I thought they were. Either that, or they're coming back to me. Fascinating. Rainbow Dash." The cyan Pegasus looked at her. "You are also the Element of Loyalty, correct?"
"Yup! No friend left behind!"
There was a moment of quiet. "Hey, Twi'?" Rainbow asked.
"Yes?"
"I thought you said it wasn't so bad. The... whatever she just did."
"It wasn't. It just felt like magic to me. Why?" "This is fascinating!" Twilight thought.
"'Cuz I felt this huge whoosh of air when she did that."
"That's a bad thing?"
"Well... no..." Rainbow Dash stammered. "It was just... uh..."
"Unexpected?" Dawn offered.
"Yeah! Nothing I can't handle, though," she said, crossing her forelegs over her chest.
Twilight smiled. "Dawn?"
"Yes?"
"Aren't there two other things you figured out as well?"
Dawn hesitated. "Now how did you know that?"
"Your glow flashes whenever you become aware of something or somepony you weren't aware of before."
Dawn chuckled. "She wields The Spark and she's good at finding patterns. Excellent combination. Just like..." she trailed off.
"Just like?" Twilight prodded.
Dawn sighed. "An older memory of mine. Yes, there are two other ponies in here that I am now aware of." The glow moved towards Rarity. Rarity backed up a bit, and the glow stopped. It split into two, moved around Rarity in a double helix pattern, and flashed twice before coming back into its typical undefined shifting shape.
Rainbow Dash, who had finally come back down to the floor, gaped. "Aww, that looked cool. How come you did a cool-looking thingy with her but just smacked into me like a cloud?"
"It felt right," stated Dawn.
"It felt like silk," said Rarity. "How did you know I was here? I mean, besides the obvious. What I mean is how did you find me? I don't believe I've spoken since you... arrived?"
"No, your voice is new to me, but you did jab Rainbow Dash above her right wing twice."
Rarity's jaw fell open. "I... my apologies. I tend to value proper decorum, and my dear friend Rainbow Dash," she said as she shot a brief glare at said pony, "was not showing it. I did not know if that was important to you or not and I did not want to offend you."
"I appreciate your consideration. I can also tell you value that by the way you talk." Rarity blushed. "What is your name?"
"Rarity."
"Rarity. You are a Unicorn?"
"Yes."
"You also wield the Element of Generosity?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything else you would have me know about you? You said my magic felt like silk; that's a new one."
"...I'm a fashion designer?"
"She's quite good. She made us all dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala!" said Twilight. Rarity blushed more deeply.
"Twilight... did you just say 'the Grand Galloping Gala?'" asked Dawn.
"Yes, why?"
"Celestia, you kept that awful tradition up all these years?"
Everypony turned towards Celestia. "I..." she sighed. "It had become so ingrained in the minds of the nobles as something that must happen that I nearly had to."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," said Dawn. Celestia smiled. "Still... those dresses were probably fabulous."
"They were!" said Twilight. "She's still one question behind the flashes..."
The glowing mist suddenly arched up and rained down on Applejack. "Whoa, nelly!" The glow flashed twice.
"OK, she's discovered Applejack and probably figured out her Element; that would catch her up. What about Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? They haven't said anything yet, although Pinkie looks like she's about to." Indeed, Pinkie was squirming fiercely.
"Ah," said Dawn. "You are an Earth Pony."
"Yes, ma'am," said Applejack. "Mah name's Applejack."
"Applejack. You wield the Element of Honesty, correct?"
"Eyup."
"What else should I know about you?"
"...Apples. I live 'n' work on a farm that grows mainly apples. I love mah apples. In case yer wonderin' yer magic or whatever kinda reminded me o' some smells on the farm that always remind me that Ah'm home."
"I see."
Pinkie could not take the anticipation anymore. "Pick me next! Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!"
Dawn's glow flashed once. Twilight noticed that although it had started out dimly, its brightness had increased. One still had to look carefully, but it was getting easier. "I wish I could study this more!" she thought.
The glow moved towards Pinkie Pie rapidly and stopped immediately before reaching her. The bright pink pony was jumping in place. Suddenly, the glow exploded horizontally towards her. The explosion had the appearance of confetti.
"WOOO-HHOOOO, that was fun! Do it again, do it again!" Pinkie was still hopping in place.
"I..." Dawn sounded slightly winded. Her glow had flashed three times. "Are you always this energetic?"
Everypony except Fluttershy laughed. "It looks like she's nervous about 'meeting' Dawn," Twilight thought. Fluttershy appeared to be trying to stay as quiet and still as possible where she had curled up on her cushion.
"Yupperroonie!" said Pinkie Pie.
"This is calm for her," Rainbow Dash deadpanned.
"Abnormally calm," added Twilight.
"Wow," said Dawn. "That is quite the achievement. What is your name?"
"I'm Pinkie Pie!"
"Pinkie Pie. You wield the Element of Laughter, there is no doubt about that."
"Well, duh, I'm the one who throws all the parties around here, silly!" Rarity face-hoofed at this; Celestia and Luna smiled.
"You are also an Earth Pony. ...Yes?"
"Yuppers!"
Dawn paused for a moment. Everypony looked over towards Fluttershy, who had her hooves over her head and was trembling slightly. "There's somepony I'm missing; I'm sure of it..." A moment passed. "...Kindness."
Fluttershy eeped and the glow flashed once.
"..." Dawn was quiet for a moment. Her glow went towards Fluttershy slowly until it was just before her. It was about one minute before Fluttershy became brave enough to take a peek. She saw the glow hovering in front of her gently. Everypony waited for either to make a move.
To everypony's surprise, Fluttershy spoke first. "My... my name is... Fluttershy..." She had spoken with less and less volume as she continued.
"It's nice to meet you, Fluttershy," Dawn said quietly. "Are you ready?"
"I... yes..."
The mist gently expanded and slowly traveled through Fluttershy's mane. It hung off to her left when it had finished.
"That was... nice," said Fluttershy. "She's good," thought Twilight. The glow had shimmered twice.
"Alright, so by process of elimination, I already knew you wielded the Element of Kindness. You are a Pegasus?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything else I should know?" "Why is she asking? She's one flash behind again!"
"I... I'm good with animals," Fluttershy offered.
"..." Dawn had paused again. "Is she being so careful because it's Fluttershy, or is there something else?" Twilight had so many questions...
"There is something else I picked up that I have not seen in a very long time. Are you... how to put this? Has an animal ever been stubborn with you, and you found you were able to get it to do what you needed it to just by looking at it in a certain matter?"
Rarity gasped. "Do you mean... The Stare?"
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Dawn asked. Fluttershy nodded. "And you are good at this?" Fluttershy nodded. "Well. That's a valuable skill." Fluttershy smiled. "Is there anyone I missed?" Dawn asked.
"Well, Spike, my number-one assistant is upstairs. He's a bit tired at the moment, though," explained Twilight.
"He's a dragon," said Applejack.
"A dragon?" Dawn said quickly. Celestia and Luna looked at each other quickly. They still remembered that one incident back from when they were fillies, and they--
"Oh, he's just a baby," cooed Fluttershy.
"Ah..." Dawn sounded relieved. "Can he still breathe fire?"
Celestia spoke up again. "Ahh... yes. Yes, he can. Generally, it's magical fire that is capable of transmitting mail, but I believe it can act as regular fire as well." Twilight, remembering times when Spike had sneezed on books, nodded.
"That may be good. If you Element Wielders need to go on the big adventure--" Rainbow Dash perked at this. "--that I think you will, somepony going to a certain location will need to take Spike along, especially if that somepony does not have a horn. The fire will be needed."
"Wait a minute." Everypony turned to Twilight. "So what you're saying is that somepony is going to have a need for things to be--"
Her horn flashed and a pair of sunglasses appeared on her face. "Those look familiar," thought Rainbow Dash.
"--about 20% hotter?"
"AWWWWWWWWWW YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Pinkie Pie yelled.
Something finally clicked in Rainbow Dash's mind. "Hey!" she said. "Those are my shades!"
Twilight Sparkle briefly stood on her hind legs and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Deal with it," she said, barely able to keep a straight face.
"You mad, Dashie?" asked Pinkie. She was bouncing all around Twilight. Rainbow Dash sped towards Twilight, stopped, and hovered directly in front of her. "Nice one. You're still an egghead, though. Can I have my shades back?" Twilight magically lifted the shades off of her face and floated them over to Rainbow Dash, who put them on top of her head. "How did you get these? I've been looking for them everywhere!"
"You left them here the other day. I figured you'd get them before now. I just teleported them directly on to my face."
"Twilight Sparkle." Everypony turned towards Celestia. "Have you been studying the internet?"
Three full seconds of silence passed. Twilight looked left, then right, and, seeing everypony looking at her, faced Celestia, and let out a sheepish squee.
Everypony laughed.
"'Tia, I have always appreciated a good meme myself."
"I know, so have I."
"Wait a minute." Everyone turned towards Twilight. "How do you know that that's from the Internet, Princess Celestia? And Princess Luna! How do you know what a meme is?"
Nopony else alive besides the ponies in that library could have honestly claimed to hear the two Princesses squee, much less squee sheepishly at the same time.
(several minutes later when everyone managed to calm down a bit...)
"Hooey..." said Applejack, still laughing. "That was funny."
"Umm... could we perhaps start talking about what we originally going to? Oh, that is, umm... if none of you mind. It was just a tangent, that's all," Fluttershy said before eeping.
"Indeed. I, for one, think that certain sections of the internet are most strange," said Rarity. "Dawn?"
"Yes, Rarity."
"Did you have any other questions?"
"Not unless I missed meeting someone here."
"Hoo." Twilight turned towards her pet Owl, Owlowiscious.
"Hoo?" he said again.
"Is that... is that an owl?" Dawn asked.
"Yes!" said Twilight. "This is my pet owl, Owlowiscious."
"Hoo?"
"You," said Twilight.
"Hoo?" Twilight just smiled.
Dawn's mist went towards the owl. "He's. So. Cute..."
"...She can magically sense cuteness? I have GOT to ask her some questions, someday!"
"I've always loved owls. Most of them sound so peaceful. This one particularly." The mist came back over and settled on an empty cushion. "So, the introductions are complete, yes?" asked Dawn.
"Yes, I believe that's everyone," said Twilight.
"If that is so, I have a question. Celestia. Luna. I think I know the answer, but why exactly did you have me summoned?"
"Well..." Luna began. Both were shifting uncomfortably. "I've never seen them like this before. It must be serious!" thought Twilight.
"Um... well, the signs... and we didn't know what to do..." Celestia tried.
"And I barely returned and already I've lost control of what I was supposed to guard..." said Luna.
"And when we got to talking to the Element Wielders, they seemed to be experiencing symptoms of Ascendancy..." said Luna.
Everypony who was not an Alicorn looked at each other with a panicked expression on their faces.
"And we hadn't seen you in so long... we-- I never found out what happened to you..." Luna grimaced.
"And we... we just..." Celestia's voice was cracking.
"Shh. It's OK. I'm here now." Celestia and Luna looked up. "At least, I am in spirit."
"But..." Luna was close to tears. "I... you..."
"Ah, so you sense the difference, then?" Luna nodded. "I understand. How much of my past did I reveal to you two?"
"As little as possible," said Celestia, who was wiping a tear from her eye with a hoof shod in gold. "You never wanted to talk about it. You always said that we should focus on the present and the better days ahead."
"So I did. You... said something about Ascendancy. How many times have they wielded the Elements?"
"At least twice now," said Celestia. "Once against Nightmare Moon, and once against Discord."
Dawn's mist froze. "You six... faced Discord head-on... and lived to tell the tale?" They all nodded. "Well, no wonder. I'm surprised the symptoms haven't started before now. They were probably just triggered earlier this week."
Celestia and Luna were looking towards Dawn intently, while the six good friends suddenly took a collective interest in the floor.
"Everypony, if you are willing to stay and hear my tale, please make yourselves comfortable. This could take some time."
"So it begins," thought Dawn.
(To Be Continued...)
Author's Notes: Hellooooooooo, everybody! I got on a roll today, apparently. This may have to last for awhile, though. Big stuff is happening this week. Namely, college homework. =P Ah well. We shall see, yes we shall...
Extra special thanks to Glassed, my epic pre-reader. (If anyone else wants to try their hoof -- err... hand at this as well, let me know! EDIT: The Equestrian Gentlecolt is the proofreader, and he is good! Quality, ahoy!)
(I do not own My Little Pony. Please support the original series. It is, after all, awesome.)
(Also, some inspiration for certain details was acquired from other stories. Inspiration for the horn blade mentioned came from "It's a Dangerous Business, Going out your Door" (which you should read if you haven't. It's good). Inspiration for wing blades also came from someplace else, possibly several. That being said, if you see something in here (anywhere in the story!) that belongs to you and you want written credit for it, please let me know.)
*********
Everypony found a cushion and sat, waiting.
"...Really? Everypony wants to hear this?" Dawn was a bit surprised.
"Why wouldn't we, sugarcube?" asked Applejack.
"Most of this isn't even in the history books," Dawn explained. Twilight nearly salivated at the thought of that. "The majority of what I'm about to tell you precedes even the Princesses here. Ponies aren't generally interested in ancient history, from my experience." Celestia and Luna gave each other small, knowing grins. "Finally, I get to hear her story! She never told us, and I always wondered," Luna thought.
"Wait! Wait! How long ago is this?" asked Pinkie Pie.
If mists could grimace, Dawn's mist did just that. "My story begins before the world as we know it came to be." Pinkie's jaw dropped all the way to the floor. "...Yes, Pinkie. I'm ancient."
Twilight's mind was racing with the possibilities of new knowledge. "Wait! Before you begin, could I get my note taking equipment?"
"Why ever would you want to take notes on something like this, Twilight?"
"Knowledge! Learning! Think of the possibilities!"
"I hate to point out the obvious, here, but..."
"I know, you were there," said Twilight, "but I wasn't! And I like ancient history! Oh, I'm so excited! I'll be right back!"
"Celestia?" Dawn asked.
"Yes?"
"Is she always like this?"
"It's one of the many reasons I've enjoyed have her as my personal student." Dawn smiled at this.
Twilight came back with a heap of note taking materials and the makings for tea. "I thought we might like this while listening."
"...Hey, look at that, I can smell. Sort of. That smells delicious. I wish I could have some..." said Dawn.
"Do you like tea?" asked Twilight.
"Yes, but more for the connotation than the flavor, although I do like the flavor. Tea time was always a calm part of the day for me. Over the years, it became a sort of... sacred ritual, if you will."
"Is everypony settled?" asked Luna. This was answered by nods all around. "I must hear this story."
"Very well," said Dawn. "There are two things I must mention first, though."
Luna face-hoofed.
"First of all, I would like to explain a little bit about Alicorns. I realize that many ponies currently use the word 'Princess' to refer to a pony with both wings and a horn, but, in the course of history, not all Princesses have had both, and not all who have had both were Princesses. Sometimes, they weren't even royalty. At other times, there were some who were royalty that could not be called a Princess. You cannot call a royal stallion a Princess. It is not done." Celestia chuckled. "Some would use the term 'Alicorn' to refer to ponies having both wings and a horn. Others argue that ponies shouldn't be called 'Alicorn' unless it can be proven that the genetics of the pony in question contain elements of all three types of ponies: Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Pony. Still others argue that the term 'Alicorn' refers strictly to a pony's horn. I will be using the second definition, although technically it doesn't matter at this point in time whether I use the second or first. A horn, however, is a horn. I will not be calling a horn an Alicorn."
Dawn continued. "Furthermore, it is an extremely rare pony that is born having traits of all three pony types. For your information, Celestia was born a Pegasus and Luna was born a Unicorn. Celestia's horn and Luna's wings grew in quickly, though, so they might not remember. Do two remember that at all?" Both shook their heads.
"The second thing. Please feel free to ask for clarification at any point if something is unclear."
Twilight noticed the mist had begun to take a vague shape of a pony. The image was still quite fuzzy, but Dawn's magic seemed to be returning.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Long ago," Dawn began, "there were two great Alicorns, one was a stallion named Dae, the other was a mare named Naite. Dae guided the sun throughout the sky. When the sun was not in the sky, Naite made sure the moon and stars were visible to give guidance and light. They ruled the world with love and kindness. The two had been married for ages and were loved by all: Pony, Griffon, Dragon, Zebra, creatures great and small. Or so the ancient rhyme went.
"The world was beautiful and prosperous. Famines and droughts were almost unheard of. The plains were grassy, the forests lush, the snowy regions crisp, the tropical regions dense with gorgeous vegetation and exotic creatures, and even the deserts teemed with life. Perhaps I am looking at this through the rosy lenses of nostalgia, and life was by no means perfect, but when I remember the days I lived in that world, I remember paradise.
Dawn continued. "One day, there was a great celebration, for Naite had born foals. There was feasting across the lands and fireworks throughout the nations, and it was all to herald the birth of the royal twin daughters.
"It was the arrival of new life from two so beloved that was so special, not the fact that the foals were twins (though some would have argued differently). Although not always the case, Alicorns have a high tendency of coming in pairs. As you all must be aware by this point, Alicorns, though Pony through and through, are unique. We have longer lifespans and greater strength. Sometimes, this greater strength manifests itself in strange ways. Sibling Alicorns' powers tend to be somewhat opposite of each other, though this does not mean they do not ever cooperate. Opposites may initially appear to compete, but often cooperate in complex ways. It is my opinion that this is the Universe's way of attempting balance, although I have no idea why the Universe itself would want to attempt such a thing.
"For the longest time, every Royal Couple's powers had been that of Sun and Moon, Day and Night, Light and Shadow, and had been so with their children and their children's children. This time, though, this was not the case.
"The older of the two sisters, the first one out of the womb, was a soft red in color, with eyes of intense crimson and mane and tail the shifting colors of the day sky, the night sky, the dawn, and the dusk. The younger sister had a lush coat of a rich green, with eyes that silently spoke of the oceans and mane and tail the colors of river, stream, and earth. What was strange about these newborns was they that had come into the world fully Ascended.
"Dae and Naite determined before long what their fillies' areas of strength were. The green filly was good with plants and animals. Nature. She always knew instinctively where the best places to plant seeds were. She could tame Ursa Majors with her voice. Harvests for a hundred miles around her would be made more plentiful simply by her brief presence. She never had trouble finding water or food, even in an ostensibly rough and uninhabited place. The red filly seemed to have a strong connection with the passage of time. She often surprised her parents by knowing (and reminding them) when they needed to move the sun or the moon. She could affect the speed at which things happened (often giving her a greater advantage in Hide-and-Seek). Her exact appearance would even change depending on the time of day. The Royal Couple soon declared the power coupling of their girls to be Sky and Earth, Flow and Nature, Time and Life. They named the green filly, the younger one, Silvia, in accordance with her connection to Nature and Life. The red filly they named Dawn Twila, in accordance with her connection to Time and its passage, which ponies often mark by the sun and moon in the sky."
*********
"Hold it," said Rainbow Dash. "Your name is Dawn Twila. Was that you?"
"Yes," said Dawn.
"Wait! So... wait, you can manipulate time?"
"Yes." "At least... I could at one point. I doubt I could now," thought Dawn.
Rainbow's mouth hung open for a full second. "That. Is. So. Awesome!"
Dawn nearly had a form at this point. She was regaining regular sight and hearing (regular for an apparition, at least) and her expression was visible. Rainbow's reaction elicited a small smile from Dawn, although her eyes were pained. The Princesses remembered that face very well. Thinking back, they realized, no matter what the rest of her face might be doing, the pain had never truly left her eyes. "Not that we ever thought to look for it," thought Celestia. "I wish I had, now. Maybe we'll find out?"
"I have a question," stated Twilight Sparkle.
"Yes?"
"I've heard the terms 'Ascendance,' 'Ascendancy,' and 'Ascended' a few times now. What's their significance?"
"Ah!" exclaimed Dawn. "Ascendancy is a very old expression that, in contexts like this, simply refers to the event where a pony becomes an Alicorn. I've never been terribly fond of the term; it makes us sound like we're above everyone else. We're not. I may have been absurdly powerful at one point--" Celestia and Luna looked at each other and smiled. Dawn had always been fond of referring to herself sarcastically if she had to refer to herself at all in casual conversations, and the tone she had just used was a very familiar one. "--but I'm still Equine. I'm not perfect. I can still get hurt, make mistakes, and do things I regret. I believe a more recent term is 'Alicornification,' but I personally think that term sounds ridiculous. Seriously, just try saying it several times in a row sometime."
"Why is it that the ones most recognized for their ability always try to downplay how obviously fabulous they are?" Rarity muttered.
"Uh... Rarity?"
"Yes, Applejack?"
"They don't. Not always. Not all of 'em."
"Why, whatever do you mean?"
"Well, Ah don't know about yerself, but Ah still remember that Blueblood jerk back from the Gala."
"...Ah," Rarity said. She looked like she was about to say something else, but she was interrupted due to Dawn chuckling. "Whatever is so funny?"
"Oh, well... most of the Blueblood clan had a tendency to think highly of themselves back in my day. I guess some things don't change."
"Sadly," muttered Rarity. "My night was ruined and he got cake all over my dress."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," said Dawn.
"OH! OH! I want to say something!" Pinkie piped up.
"Go ahead," Dawn said.
"So, you're like, a Princess and all? 'Cuz your name is Dawn Twila, and the red filly you described in your story was Dawn Twila, and Dawn Twila was one of the Royal Couple's daughters and the Royal Couple was royal and all, and Dawn Twila was you, and you're Dawn Twila, so that means you're royalty and all and OMIGOSHTHATMEANSYOU'REAPRINCESS!"
Dawn's apparition was half-formed. She blinked twice. "...I was then, yes."
"What happened?" asked Fluttershy.
"That's coming. Are there any more questions?"
"Actually--" said Twilight. Everypony groaned, sighed, or face-hoofed depending on what they were most likely to do. "Hey! She said this stuff isn't in the history books, and I'm curious, and it should be left for posterity," she defended herself. "Um..."
"Yes?"
"You're, um... I..."
"Go on."
Twilight seemed to be struggling for the words. "...You're becoming more visible?"
"Ah. Good sign. Probably," Dawn thought. "I think being around you all has sped up my... recovery? It's not a great description, but it's the best term I can come up with right now. As long as you're taking notes--" Twilight magically readied her quill. "--I'm no longer having to rely solely on my magic for basic sensory perceptions." Twilight grinned at her particular vocabulary usage. "I can simulate ocular and aural stimuli based on what is happening in the immediate vicinity and translate them accordingly. It is also becoming easier to project and maintain a visual representation of myself to ease interaction with other beings."
Twilight was a very happy pony.
"OK, now what does that mean in non-egghead?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow!" Rarity exclaimed.
"What'd I do now?"
"SHE IS A PRINCESS. That is not. How you speak. To a Princess!"
"She also doesn't care about the formalities right now."
"It's true," Dawn mused. Twilight relaxed visibly. "Ah... she was trying to be careful. Even though she really doesn't have to be..."
"Ah, well... fine," Rarity muttered.
"Simply put, Rainbow, it's getting easier to hold a form of sorts that you can see. I think I've gotten my face sorted out, anyway."
"You're doing better than that," said Celestia. "Your head and forelegs are pretty much the way I remember them, even if the details are a bit fuzzy. It's getting easier to make out your horn, and I think we'll be able to see your wings soon. Your hair's a bit messy though."
"It always was messy. I never could do anything with it." said Dawn.
"No, no," Celestia laughed. "I mean I can't make out any specific colors very well. I can see something there, but it's teasing me."
Dawn held up a translucent, slightly blurry hoof and inspected it. "This is encouraging. I wonder... hmm. Fascinating. Where was I?"
"Time and Life?" offered Luna.
"Ah, yes." Dawn began again. "Our particular power pairing was Time and Life. It wasn't a common combination, but it was welcomed with open forelegs all the same."
* * * * * * * * * *
"We were frequently given opportunities to use what seemed to be our special talents. Although Silvia got her Cutie Mark pretty quickly, I didn't get mine. It didn't matter very much back then; we weren't in the position of high ruler, and one almost always wore clothing when one went out in public. It still bothered me, though. How was I supposed to know my purpose in life if I never got my Cutie Mark?
"My friends never cared whether or not I had a Cutie Mark, for which I was grateful. I had six very close friends. All of them were Alicorns (we were a little more common back then), but none of them were royalty. There were times I was envious of them for that. I remember them well.
"One was named Gusty Orchards. He always told you what he thought if you were to ask, although he tried to be as nice as possible about it if it wasn't particularly complimentary. His coat and eyes were bright orange and his mane and tail were a deep red.
"Another was named River Trickle. She nearly always had a kind word to say. Her coat was a soft pink and she had a mane and tail of gold. Those who looked into her blue eyes always said they were calming. Except for when she was angry. One did not want to look into her eyes when she was angry. Fortunately, this was not a frequent occurrence.
"A third was named Frosty Pie." Pinkie Pie perked at hearing that somepony else that long ago shared part of her name. "She always knew how to make others smile, even if they were having the worst possible day. She had a deep rose colored coat and eyes, and a mane and a tail of bright turquoise.
"A fourth was named Aero Mach. He was bold and outspoken, but he would never let anyone down if he could help it. Sometimes, he caught me by surprise with how much he cheered me on. He did that for everyone, though, and it always made me smile. I remember him going to extreme lengths just to make somepony feel important sometimes, and if one was in trouble he would risk life and limb. He was respected by all. His coat was an almost violent yellow, his eyes were bright red, and his hair had vivid blue strips. Needless to say, he was distinct.
"A fifth was named Lava Gem. Her coat was the color of a perfectly finished amethyst in bright light. She had a pure white mane and tail and silver eyes. If she found anyone in need, she would stop at nothing to make sure that need was met. She always knew how to style her hair perfectly, too. Before my hair went ethereal I was always envious. She tried to teach me her techniques, which I always thought was undeniable proof that she cared about even the little things.
"Finally..." Dawn paused.
"Finally, there was Evening Flame. I remember the first day I met him, when he moved to the capital. His coat was a sapphire blue, his eyes were a deep, intelligent emerald green, and his mane and tail were the rich red of a fire ruby. He was a focused stallion, there was no question about that. I remember when he met the other five. They already knew each other, but somehow Evening brought them all closer. He united them; he tended to have that effect on others. He kind of became their leader, after a short amount of time. With him, they all went on adventures and misadventures, and would come back with the best stories. I remember...
"I remember how much I loved him..."
The library was silent. Dawn continued.
"I remember our wedding day. That day was perfect. My parents, my sister, my friends, and him. Him. He meant so much to me... together, we had one daughter. A Unicorn. We named her Midnight Skies. She was a little purple filly with bright pink and silver hair, and big lavender eyes. The way she always bounced around asking questions about everything was always so adorable, though my guess is that she probably exhausted the palace staff on more than one occasion. I never heard any complaints, though.
"I had it all."
*********
"You... had a family of your own? Why did we never know about them?" asked Luna.
"I'll get to that," Dawn said with a small sigh. She, or her apparition, looked towards the floor and tapped a hoof against it as if she were thinking about something. "These ponies actually are important for you ladies to know of," she told Twilight and her friends. "They happen to be your ancestors."
Twilight Sparkle's eyes got huge. "Wait! Each one of us is descended from one of them?"
"Yes," Dawn explained. "If my guesses are correct from what I could gather when I got to know you just now, Applejack is descended from Gusty Orchards, Fluttershy from River Trickle, Pinkie Pie from Frosty Pie, Rainbow Dash from Aero Mach, Rarity from Lava Gem, and you, Twilight, from Evening Flame, and, by extension, Midnight Skies as well."
"But... wait, you two were married."
"Yes," Dawn said. She and Twilight looked at each other for a moment. "Ah, you must be asking for confirmation if you're related to me, as well." Twilight nodded. "Yes. Yes, you and I are related."
Rarity squealed. "Twilight! You're related to a Princess!!!"
Twilight sputtered a bit. "Wait, so that means you're my great, great, great... how many greats?"
"I have no idea," said Dawn. "And if you're thinking if addressing me as your x-number-of-greats grandma, stop. Dawn is fine." Twilight blushed.
"Now, hold on a moment," Applejack finally managed. "Mah some-odd-number-of-greats grandpappy was... one o' you Alicorns?"
"Yes."
"Woah."
"The same goes for the rest of you."
The expressions on the faces of The Six had varying degrees of "woah" in them.
* * * * * * * * * *
"If my life had never changed, I would not have complained. But it was not to be. Remember the ancient rhyme I told you about? It was only mostly true. Not all loved the way things were, and unrest was growing.
"I remember the first time I came across the unrest. I was in the marketplace picking up my favorite Honey Lemon tea when I overheard two ponies off to my right arguing. One was saying something about how things needed to change. He was saying that the ponies in power were simply waiting until everyone had been lulled into complacency, and then they would swoop down and make everyone's lives miserable. Exactly what he meant, I am uncertain. Perhaps he thought some freedoms would disappear or that some disaster would happen and he'd have to deal with it without help. (In retrospect, perhaps even he didn't fully understand what he meant.) The other was trying to convince the one that the ponies in power were kind and considerate, and cared for their subjects. He was saying how such an idea held no water, and asked why the first thought such a thing. The first darkly said he wasn't the only one. Apparently there was an entire group that thought this and was plotting to overthrow my parents before they tried anything.
"As if they would have tried anything. The two continued, but I got my tea and teleported back to the palace immediately. I don't think they knew who I was; whenever I went out in public by myself on non-official business, I always disguised myself. If I was shopping, I went as a Unicorn. They would not have suspected a green Unicorn of being Princess Dawn Twila.
"This was the first time I ever remember being seriously worried about anything besides my Cutie Mark and grades in school. I asked my father about it. He hadn't heard anything about a plot to overthrow the throne, but said he would look into it. Then he asked me to sit down. He wanted to talk to me for a moment. He told me about a time, long ago, when he was young and his father had to leave the palace for two weeks to strengthen the seal on a great evil. He called it The Oblivion. He did not know how all that was had come to be, but the Oblivion hated it. It hated it all and its only desire was to destroy everything that ever existed. To wipe it all out. As long as it remained sealed, it could not bring the harm it wanted to.
"While it itself had been successfully sealed, however, its essence could not be contained, and thus roamed free. And it was cunning. Cutthroat. Subtle. It could manipulate a situation without leaving a trace of having done so. Any being with free will can make their own choices, for the good, for the bad, for anything. But they can be influenced before they choose what they will do, and they often do not realize it. Occasionally, this is for the best; those that do realize it sometimes try to remove all influences of anything from their lives, and often become paranoid at best, not knowing what to believe. The Essence of the Oblivion, however, frequently took advantage of the lack of awareness most of us had. It would suggest things in such a subtle manner that the being under siege would often think those suggestions to be products of their own thoughts.
"Father said that the Essence of the Oblivion had been getting stronger lately. Perhaps it was attempting to scare our subjects. We all know what mass fear can drive large groups to. Most of the time they scatter in all directions, and their biggest impact is the screaming heard from a distance. But sometimes? Sometimes they calm down. They collect themselves. They plan. They plan to eradicate whatever is making them afraid, whether they have all the facts or not. If they finish planning and nothing stops them, they act. And if they act without having all of the facts, the results can be disastrous.
"Father said I probably shouldn't be worried. It might not be the influence of the Essence of the Oblivion. It was likely just another young radical set on changing the world with no idea what he or she was truly doing.
"I wish he could have been right about that..." Dawn looked towards the floor.
"I remember the day the first fight broke out. It happened about two cities away from the castle. At this time, I was already married. My friends all had their own families and were living in various places in Equestria. I was holding court when Silvia, my sister, teleported in. She was shaking and bruised. Her white dress was torn and stained and she was crying. Needless to say, court was adjourned immediately. She told me everything that had happened. It had started as a verbal spat and soon escalated into an all-out melee. ...Not everyone survived."
Dawn paused. "...And it was only the beginning."
She continued. "Soon, things like this began happening every month. Then weekly. Then daily. No one truly understood when or why it all started. My theory is that the Essence of the Oblivion decided to use doubt and fear to spread unrest, but what do I know?
"Soon, there was dissent between those with differences. Ponies, Griffons, Dragons, and Zebras had all lived in harmony together. Now, everyone was suspicious of everyone else. It was not uncommon for anyone to carry a weapon at all times, even in their sleep. If any group suspected an individual of anything, ancestors help the individual. Many Zebras banded together and moved to the desert lands. Most Griffons took to the higher mountain ranges with harsh terrain. Dragons would be around one day and simply be gone the next.
"There was fighting among Ponykind as well. Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies began having difficulty cooperating. They weren't fighting each other yet, but trusting each other was essentially unheard of at this point.
"Mother and Father were doing everything they could to keep the peace, but they couldn't stop anyone from preparing for war. And prepare for war they did.
"I remember that day..."
*********
Celestia and Luna looked at each other. They had seen war in their lifetime, and they both agreed that peace was better. But Dawn had been there for those wars they were caught up in, and she had always been strong for them and supportive of them, even when it looked like there was no hope. How terrible of a war was this that she had kept knowledge of it from the both of them even after all that they had both seen?
* * * * * * * * * *
"I was standing on the balcony outside my chambers watching that morning's sunrise when the horizon began to move. I used my magic to focus on what was happening, and I saw armies in all directions. The Dragon armies were coming from the north, the Zebra armies from the southwest, and the Griffon armies from the southeast. Fires began appearing in areas where cities were supposed to be. Through my magic, I heard cries... for help, for mercy... that went unheeded. An alarm went off somewhere in the city, and the Pony armies that had somehow amassed assembled.
"Father and Mother came together and sent up a magical flare to try to talk to everyone, maybe reach an agreement, but it was too late. Zebras, Griffons, and Dragons all declared themselves independent of the rule of King Dae and Queen Naite. Each group declared war on all the other groups. Left with no choice but to defend those still under them, Mother and Father prepared to defend Ponykind. Silvia and I did the same. Surely the Guardians of Light, Dreams, Life, and Time could do something?"
Dawn laughed bitterly.
"What we value can control us. How do you think a Guardian of Life would feel when her best attempts to keep Death under control were not good enough? How might constant failure no matter what was tried affect anyone? I did the best I could to tell her she was still valuable, worth something. That these wars weren't her fault. But with destruction all around and the palace staff unable to keep the stench of blood out of the castle halls, she never believed me. I can't say that I blamed her, but even she could not have stopped everyone from doing what they were going to do. She... she said she needed more power. Something that would allow her to end all the fighting.
"She became obsessed with the idea.
"She... my sister... my sister whom I loved and cherished... in trying to stop the great evil that had broken out, she succumbed to it.
"Oh, Silvia..."
*********
Dawn's apparition was fully formed by this time: horn, wings, mane, tail, everything down to the very armor she had been wearing that one fateful night over 1,000 years ago. The white chain mail saddle she wore was quite elegant; it covered her entire torso and extended past it like a short dress. Her shoes were taller and more elaborate than even the ones Princess Celestia normally wore, and appeared to have been composed of what looked like blue diamonds. Extremely sharp iridescent wing blades both protected and weaponized her feathers. She also wore some head protection made of the same stuff her shoes were; it extended a sort way down her neck in the back, and in the front came up over her head and between her eyes. There were holes for her ears to fit through, however it encased her horn in a very sharp, pointed blade. Celestia and Luna remembered their own similar horn blades which had, like Dawn's, been specially designed for spell casting in the heat of a battle. The visible fur of her coat was a brilliant red like that of the sky in the morning or evening. Her mane and tail had reds, oranges, pinks, blues, purples, and white and black mixing together in ever changing ways. They waved in an ethereal breeze like Celestia's or Luna's, and appeared to crackle with something similar to electricity occasionally. Her wings also had a narrow, red aura about them.
Twilight concluded that apparitions were apparently incapable of shedding tears, even if they wanted to.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Silvia became the big threat. When one is corrupted by The Oblivion, his or her best traits become twisted in the worst way possible. Silvia had wanted to end the fighting. There cannot be fighting if there is no one left to fight.
"The death counts increased exponentially. Day after day, hundreds-- if not thousands-- of reports of beings who had been slain came pouring in from everywhere. Father went off to battle a now corrupted Silvia, and Mother stayed back at the castle to encourage ponies still under her protection and to keep things running as smoothly as possible. My husband and friends banded together to go off adventuring and to do whatever they could. I acted as a sort of wild card; sometimes I was at the castle, sometimes I was leading armies with Father, sometimes I was leading armies on my own, and sometimes I went on missions with my friends, who were known as an elite group by this point. I had mastered quite a few spells in my youth, and occasionally tried something slightly different with them, leading to discoveries. I also discovered that I had an uncanny talent for armor, weapons, and fighting in general. Such a discovery did not please me, but I used it to our advantage all the same.
"After awhile, it finally looked like we might have some hope. It was not to be. You see, Silvia, before she was corrupted, not only had the ability to support life, she could also cause it. I remember several times where she had created a new flower and wanted me to taste-test it... She didn't lose this ability after being corrupted, but her entire being, her thoughts, her desires, had been twisted and warped. We soon began seeing creatures such as manticores, Changelings, and Windigoes. It was frightening. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...
* * * * * * * * * *
"Note to self:" thought Twilight. "Although apparitions apparently are unable to cry, they can shiver and shake from strong emotion."
* * * * * * * * * *
"The Oblivion wanted to destroy everything. Silvia had the ability to create life. Residual Chaos magic was unavoidable.
"Chaos magic is not bad in and of itself; it's merely another type of magic. Magic, here in Equestria, is neither good nor bad. It's what one does with it that is good or bad. If a pony uses Chaos magic, he or she is simply using Chaos magic. I digress.
"The creation of a life wrought from the surrounding chaos and filled with the desire to obliterate all was devastating. I believe you are familiar with him. He is a Draconequus. His name is Discord."
*********
Celestia and Luna gaped. "You... did you see that... beast come into being?" asked Celestia.
"Unfortunately, yes. I wish I hadn't... those images will be burned into my memory for the remainder of my time," said Dawn.
"Wait... are we talking about the same Discord?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Because the Discord we fought was pretty lame..."
"What do you mean, Dashie? He made me a Grumpy McGrumperson!" said Pinkie.
"I couldn't tell the gosh-darned truth ta save mah life!" said Applejack.
"I was mean to everypony..." muttered Fluttershy.
"He made me fall in love with a rock!" whined Rarity (and yes, it was much closer to whining than complaining).
"And I lost hope! And you!" Twilight said, pointing a hoof at Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, yeah, I mean AFTER we got all un-Discorded and stuff. Y'know... he didn't even run. I mean, seriously, right?"
Dawn drew a breath. "Apparitions breathe and shake but don't cry and can't drink tea. Fascinating!" thought Twilight. "How long had Discord been at large?"
"Less than a day, I think," answered Celestia.
"That would explain it. Chaos magic isn't the easiest to control, and in theory, if one is imprisoned in stone, he, she, or it would need to get their magic back afterwards. Chaotic types of magic take longer to reacquire than ordered types of magic. He was still warming up. You six have my deepest thanks for doing what you did," said Dawn. She rose and bowed to them. They were still trying to understand how to feel about that gesture when she settled back on her cushion. "...Luna?" she asked.
"Yes?" answered Luna.
"Are you alright? I know how much you wanted to hear this, but--"
"No, no, please go on. We're too far along to stop now." "As much as I'm beginning to hate my curiosity for making her relive all this... no wonder she never said anything about her past."
"Very well." So Dawn continued.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Silvia, now called Annihila, and Discord went to the mountain where The Oblivion had been sealed away. Together, they destroyed the seal and unleashed that ancient sealed evil into the world. And the world began to break. Cracks appeared in places that had once been solid. Lakes frothed for no discernible reason. Mountains spewed forth lava. Uncontrollable storms swept across the lands with high frequency. Cracks turned into chasms. Frothing became flooding. Storms swept up the lava, becoming devastating firestorms. The magic in everything turned violent and dangerous.
"We all tried so hard and it still wasn't enough. I remember the day when I went out with my father up Everfree Mountain (I realize that's a forest now, but it was the world's tallest mountain back then). We two with our forces met those three with their forces. We fought. Our forces managed to chase Discord and The Oblivion away, but I believe they were allowed to. My father and I were left facing Annihila. I tried to do something, anything, when she made her first attack, but Father wouldn't let me. He put himself between Annihila and me... and Annihila Stared. He... he shook... and fell to the ground...
"I remember screaming the whole time. My Dad...
"He died that day. He died slowly and painfully. When he began slumping, I knew what I needed to do. I charged. I had my head lowered...
"My sister vanished when my horn impacted her side. I don't know where she went, but she was gone, for the moment.
"I ran over to where Dad was laying on his side. He was struggling to breathe. I wasn't going to let him go without saying good-bye. I got to his side and told him I loved him one last time. He looked at me, and I know he heard me, but his eyes closed before he responded. They never opened again. His body disintegrated and went up into the sky after several moments... I assume that's what Alicorns do when we go.
"I was the only one left on the mountain, which began to tremble. I needed to tell Mom what had happened, so I flew directly to the castle. I found Mother in her study. Judging from her expression, I suppose I must have looked terrible. She asked me what had happened out there. I had to tell her... she would have to take over the sun and all... and grieve.
"But what I didn't know was that she was with foal, and quite far along at that. Sometimes, news like that can send a mother to be into shock. She... she went into labor within minutes. I rushed her to her bedroom. She was screaming and crying, as was I. I could not get help... all the nurses were out helping any wounded they could find. The two foals were delivered safely, which was surprising. But Mom...
"Mom didn't make it. I brought her the news which eventually killed her. ...I didn't even get to say good-bye..."
Dawn shuddered before continuing. "...Mom and Dad were the ones who handled and maintained the moon and stars and the sun, respectively. Without anyone to manage them, they began to break as well. The moon crumbled, the stars fell from the sky, and the sun began to go out. It was the end. There were few of us left... but we weren't going without a final fight. I sealed the two babies my mother had just had in a pocket dimension in suspended animation... I didn't know how soon I would be able to take care of them, and newborns are needy. I knew they would be safe there no matter what happened.
"I had to quickly create another pocket dimension for the rest of our subjects. Or, well, my subjects, I suppose, since I was technically the only ruling Alicorn left at this point. I needed to talk with my daughter quickly. My husband and friends were all there when I told her that if I we didn't come out of this alive or if she ended up in a strange area with the rest of our subjects and we weren't anywhere nearby, she needed to take up the mantle of the leader. That was the last time I ever saw her.
"With our subjects and my newborn sisters safe, I froze time. I had to at that point, otherwise the world really would have fallen apart. The sun was black, the sky was starless, there was fire all around the horizon, the plains were smoking from meteor impacts, the ground was hot from lava spewing forth in various places, the oceans and rivers were gone, and if one positioned themselves correctly, he or she could see all the way to the center of the earth.
"I had my husband and five friends with me. I would have been perfectly fine with them staying with everyone else, especially since they all had families, but they insisted on coming with me to fight The Three. I was glad they came with me at the time, because that made it seven on three instead of me on three.
"We ten were the only ones left in the world at that point. Everyone else had either been sealed away or killed. And we fought. We fought long and we fought hard. They were... too much for us. I knew a team spell that might be able to help, so we activated it. All of them... my closest friends... and me. It was actually working! We had focused everything on them... but they fought just a little too hard for us. I knew we couldn't just defeat them... we all did at that point. I had to briefly break out of the spell and use my time abilities to send Discord away. I didn't know where I'd sent him, I just knew that he wasn't there anymore. I came back in focused back on Annihila and The Oblivion. Together, we began to pull the world back together and seal them away. We almost did it, but at the very last moment, The Oblivion reached out and struck my friends as a final move of spite. They all fell.
"We may have defeated the villains, but we didn't do it in time... My friends had been dealt mortal blows. Evening Flame had taken the brunt of it. I...
"I remember that I was holding him in my forelegs when he died... And then I was the only one left. I had lost everything that had previously mattered to me. My parents, my sister, my friends, my family... all gone."
*********
It was so quiet in the library that one could have heard a pin drop on carpet.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dawn continued. "I wasn't about to let their sacrifice be for nothing. With everything I had left, I focused on the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and Time itself. And it all began again. I essentially restarted Time. I sent what remained of the stars back up to the sky. Dust from the moon was everywhere but where it should have been. I compacted it into a sphere and shoved it back up to where it needed to be. I located what had been the sun. I shoved an absurd amount of energy into reigniting it. And I did it all at the same time.
"I noticed a flash of light on either side of me. I had finally gotten my Cutie Mark... but I didn't care about that anymore. What I cared about just then was the six pieces of regalia my friends had been wearing. They were all glowing... apparently, when my friends went, they'd infused what they were wearing with their magic. My husband's looked different than the rest, and he'd left a special message with it. The message said to use these to keep peace and harmony in the new world.
"...Then, with the sun on one horizon and the moon on the other, I wept..."
*********
She appeared to be weeping now, too. "Correction: apparitions can cry, though maybe not with real tears," thought Twilight.
* * * * * * * * * *
After regaining her breath, Dawn continued. "I was broken that day and I never fully recovered. My soul had literally shattered, but there were other ponies who needed my attentions. I had to keep going. I knew that my sealed subjects would land somewhere safe... when I undid the barrier to the pocket dimension they were in, about one in five landed where I was. I don't know where the rest landed. I only know that my daughter, Midnight Skies, landed with them.
"I brought back my two baby sisters. They were crying and needed attention. Those of us who were capable of magic erected tents to stay in. I had nothing left after the battle... I was very grateful to the unicorn who erected the tent that could hold my sisters and myself. I tried to get some soft dirt, since that was the only thing available there, and form it into a makeshift bed for the foals. I could get them cleaned up later. They went to sleep and I just lay there near them.
"Grass started growing in after a few days of focused effort from various ponies, and soon we had food. I did everything I could to feed my new sisters...
"After a few days, my magic started coming back. A week after the battle, I was able to manage the sun, moon, and stars. I knew it wasn't a job meant for one pony alone, but I was the only one who could manage at that point.
"About a month after the battle, ponies began to rebuild. Soon, we had a small town. They had chosen me as their leader soon after noticing my Cutie Mark--"
*********
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "Yes?" Dawn asked.
"What is your Cutie Mark?" she asked
"Twilight, I assume there was a light show when you summoned me?" questioned Dawn.
"Yes," said Twilight. "Was... was that your Cutie Mark?"
"It should have been. That's what always showed up before."
Rainbow Dash whistled. "No wonder they selected you as their leader."
"What happened next?" asked Luna.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I suppose it could be called a castle, but it was actually just a really large house that my sisters and I ended up moving into. I led my little ponies and protected them from danger, and they helped me raise my sisters. I remember the first night that was actually peaceful... the older one was fast asleep in her bed, and the younger one looked like she was about to climb out and go exploring.
"I picked her up, set her on my back, and went outside. She appeared to be entranced by the moon. It was full and bright that night, so I guess I was getting the hang of this business of managing the skies. I wasn't doing it the way mom and dad always had; my magic didn't naturally cover those areas. I had to use Chronomancy. Still, I was learning about some of the nuances and nopony actually said anything about something being out of place, so I must have been doing alright. Anyway, the little blue Alicorn I had on my back really liked the moon. I prodded her magic a little bit and discovered it was very similar to Mom's, as were aspects of her appearance (coloration can be significant in an Alicorn). She would probably grow up and be able to handle the moon and stars. I remembered that the ancient word for moon was Lunos, and thought about how to make a name out of that for a girl according to ancient tradition. I settled on Luna. It was pretty and fitting, I thought. As she batted at my hair, I told her someday the night sky would be hers. She giggled at me. I don't know if she understood me or not at the time, but I smiled either way.
"I took her back inside and set her in her bed. She looked pretty happy. I looked over at my other little sister, who was still curled up tightly. I knew about tradition and power pairings, so logically she would be the one handling the sun someday. I prodded her magic and was able to confirm this... it was really similar to Dad's, though maybe not quite as fierce. She was still a kid, though, so no problem there. I needed to name her... Solaris came to mind, but that was a male name, and this was a girl. I had to think about this one carefully... and eventually settled on Celestia. Some of the ancient word-roots made sense for this.
"Well," I thought, "I've been through the role of mom before... let's see if I can play it with my sisters... but I should make it very clear that I'm not their mom. I don't want them knowing about the past unless it's absolutely necessary though! They shouldn't have to think about those things..." I looked out the window; it was almost time for sunrise. "Let's just see how this goes, shall we? They need to be loved and taught. I think I can do that. I've got to try, at any rate."
*********
Celestia and Luna were gaping. "And yes, I'm talking about you two," Dawn told them.
"We're sisters? And you never told us?" Celestia asked.
"Like I said... you didn't need to know about what had just transpired. If you remembered it, so be it. If you didn't, better to keep you from being scarred. As with everypony else."
"What'd they look like when they were little???" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, they were the cutest little things!" said Dawn. Celestia silently face-hoofed and Luna groaned. "Celestia's coat was white with a hint of pink and her hair was a really soft pink... kind of like yours, Fluttershy." Fluttershy eeped at the mention of her name. Upon realizing what Dawn had just said, she blushed a bit. "Luna's coat was a dark blue and her hair was somewhere in between blue and purple, depending on what the lighting was like. You two," she said, turning to the Princesses, "were so curious about everything. I'm not sure what I would have done without you... I know you didn't really have a choice in the matter, but I'm still glad you were there." The two smiled. "Although... that doesn't mean you never got into mischief where I had to make some minor sacrifices to clean up after you two. I still remember that one incident when you were fillies. I've always missed that teacup..."
"What incident?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Ah!" Dawn laughed. "...maybe another time." One could almost feel the relief radiating from the Princesses. "It's a long story."
"Oh, I'm certain we have time to--"
Celestia cut Rarity off apologetically. "Actually, Dawn I don't think you'd finished telling the story?" she hinted like a sledgehammer.
"Everypony, for now you should just know that Alicorn foals are capable of epic mischief. You two--" she said to the Princesses, "--remember the major parts from here on out, I'm sure. Feel free to jump in if you wish." And Dawn continued.
**********
"Over time, we managed to rebuild. Beasts would roam the plains at night, so we eventually moved the establishment up the nearby mountain. We called the land we lived in Equestria, and the city we lived in Canterlot. Ponies just liked those names, I guess. I still had the regalia left by my friends... and since my friends had infused the trinkets with their magic before going, they had some interesting properties. The message had said to use them for peace and harmony. Each one's magic hinted at a sort of value that was strong in the pony that had worn it, and after some thorough examination, I decided that they should be called the Elements of Harmony, and that they would be called Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, and The Spark, or Unity. I understand you six call it the Element of Magic. This is technically accurate... sometimes, it takes a bit of magic to spark a friendship and bring ponies together.
"As we rebuilt over the next 3,000 years or so, we started seeing beings who were not ponies reenter. When I'd constructed the pocket dimension, I'd attempted to grab everyone still alive, not just ponies. After seeing what had happened, some of those who had originally left our protection begged to come back under it. I was a little concerned about everyone's ability to respect each other's differences without starting a war, but I didn't want to turn them away, either. What I finally decided on with the help of some trusted advisers was to make them have their own tribes or kingdoms but still be under the protection of the Equine crown if they wanted to be. Though... not all of them did... there was a war with the Griffons at one point. Anyway, they'd help us and we'd help them. This resulted in those who were not ponies having their own kings or queens or chiefs or whatever titles they gave to their leaders with me being the High Empress. Me, an empress! I'd never considered such a thing in my youth, and the very idea is still somewhat amusing. I'd always been a Princess... I figured that my sisters should probably have the title of Princess, now, so they did.
"I needed Element Wielders, but there was nopony who could do it at the time... So I trained Celestia and Luna to wield two each, and I took on the remaining two."
Celestia cut in. "I always had Generosity and Kindness."
"I got Honesty and Laughter," said Luna.
"I took on Loyalty and the Spark. It amazed me that that worked out so perfectly," mused Dawn. "Over time, I also took on students. Some of them became quite famous. Have you ever heard of Star Swirl the Bearded?" There were five nods and one very excited nod. "He was one of my students, although I'll tell you right now he didn't always have a beard. There was a time when he was just Star Swirl. A while after he grew a beard, some of our Pegasi warned of an approaching Ice Age. At least, that's what they called it. I'd never heard of such a thing. Apparently, someplace in the world was gaining a chilly climate for no discernible reason that we could find. But there were ponies there. I talked to Starswirl about it and he volunteered to go do some field research. Just because I pulled the world back together once upon a time didn't mean I knew everything about it. I located the source of the cold and teleported him there. He was there for quite a few years... then suddenly the ice came here. The land was still largely uninhabited, so when six ponies from the cold lands arrived, they didn't find anyone around. What happened next was where the Hearth's Warming Eve story comes from, I understand. There were many ponies who came from those lands; far more than were already under my protection. It was the perfect time for Celestia and Luna to really get out there and be Princesses."
"Those were some fun times," said Celestia. Luna didn't quite look like she agreed.
"Indeed," continued Dawn. "For a little while. ...But only for a little while." She paused for a moment. "It was all fine until he returned. Do you remember what I said about what I did to Discord during that final battle in the war? About sending him away? I didn't know where I'd sent him. It turned out that I'd sent him a little over 3,000 years into the future. Celestia and Luna were managing their respective skies by then, and I was taking care of a lot of background business. It was a peaceful day as far as I was concerned. Suddenly, it was a peaceful night. Five minutes later, it was a peaceful day. I looked out the window, and suddenly my sisters came crashing into my study screaming about how they couldn't do what they were supposed to. I scanned the area with my magic... and sure enough, Discord had returned. Although, I suppose he technically hadn't returned so much as we caught up with him. Relativity and all. It's a..." she tried to explain when she saw some confused expressions. "It's a Chronomancy thing. When all that happened, though, he was at full strength, as he had been during the war. And he was nasty."
Luna shuddered. "We had to work very hard in order to protect our subjects, and we didn't do a perfect job."
"We couldn't do a perfect job," Celestia added. "We did the best we could, though."
"All things considered, I think you two did admirably. Do you want to tell this part?" Dawn asked.
"Well... for about 1,000 years, we were all living in hiding..." Celestia began.
"And fear," added Luna. "Discord was brutal and those were some of the darkest times I remember. And I know what dark times are; I have caused some. Now that I understand that he originated from a being who essentially wanted to destroy everything, I know why. He was always going on about how wonderful chaos was. Chaos this, chaos that. But all he really wanted to do was destroy things. To make us all suffer."
"He enjoyed it, too. I think that more than qualifies him as being evil," said Celestia. "I suppose it makes sense now that he thought he was the original ruler of Equestria. When he came into existence, he was in power. After the... time jump?" she asked Dawn, who nodded. "After the time jump, he was still in power. We only defeated him by sneaking up on him while he was laughing at a village he'd just burned. We took the opportunity to hit him with the Elements."
"We hit him hard," added Luna. "He deserved it, as far as we are concerned." Celestia and Dawn nodded in agreement. "We were unable to eradicate the monster, though. He was only turned to stone. Dawn thought it would be a good idea to set him in the Canterlot gardens, though I cannot remember why, exactly."
"Chaos magic can be a bit unpredictable," Dawn understated. "I didn't know if he would be able to escape or not, and if he was right there, all one of us would have to do is look out the window and see whether or not the statue was still intact."
"That was brilliant, by the way," said Celestia. "Things would have gotten..."
"Ugly?" offered Dawn.
"Very. Things would have gotten very ugly very quickly had I not noticed the statue was missing from the garden that day."
*********
"Now, hang on a minute," said Applejack. "Ah thought he was bad because he caused chaos?"
Dawn tried to explain. "I believe I said before that chaos in and of itself is neither good nor evil. It just is. It's what you do with it that's good or evil. Your actions, your decisions. I'm pretty sure I'm not a bad pony and I use Chaos magic sometimes." "...At least, I hope I'm not a bad pony. I want to do the right thing... but with some of the things I've needed to do in the past... I wonder sometimes," she thought to herself.
"You... use Chaos magic?!" Twilight Sparkle was shocked.
"Only sometimes. It's useful for certain things, although it's harder to control."
Twilight had to think about that piece of information for a minute.
"I think we're almost finished with the story... shall we continue?" Dawn asked. Twilight and her friends all looked up and paid attention.
**********
"The next thousand years were spent rebuilding. Again. I feel like we did a lot of that..." said Dawn.
"Looking back, I suppose I understand why ponies did not like the night like I thought they should," began Luna. "There were more monsters after Discord, and they all came out at night. They were... not friendly to ponies. Also, ponies associated the dark of the night with a lot of the dark times they had gone through. Furthermore, they worked very hard during the day. Rebuilding was not easy. They needed their rest. At the time, though, I could not see that. I could only see that what I tried to give them once every 24 hours was not being appreciated as much as what my sister, Celestia, gave them. Since I so closely identified with what I gave them, I felt like I was not appreciated."
"I could see it in her face, too," said Dawn. "I wished I could have encouraged her more, but what I could say wasn't working. At the time, I was simply their guardian. Sometimes, encouragement from someone who you already know loves you can't compare to encouragement from someone you want to hear it from and know you probably never will." Luna nodded in agreement.
"I became very bitter over time," she said. "I... I started hearing voices. Inside of my head. I could not get them out, and I eventually began listening to them. I think most of it was me starting to give in to the idea that I would never be loved by anypony besides my sister, or, well... sisters, as I know now. I was starting to believe it, and tell it to myself. But... when I look back, there was something else, too, I think."
"You bet there was. The Essence of the Oblivion was getting out again," said Dawn. "And unlike my father, I had no idea how to stop it. You were the most powerful target who was vulnerable, so of course it went for you. I just wish I'd seen it earlier."
"And I didn't notice like I should have," added Celestia.
"One night... it just became too much. I... it told me to give in, and I did. I suddenly had the power to keep the night over Equestria indefinitely. It... it felt good. Surely they would appreciate me now. Surely they would appreciate what I gave them if they just looked. Instead, they cowered. I... I almost stopped myself, but I found myself unable. I knew it was wrong and I kept doing it anyway."
"This is when I found myself wishing I had told them a little more about the past," said Dawn. "Not so much that they heard the bloody details, but enough to recognize the threat. I had to put a plan into action, and fast. It drained me..."
"We found ourselves out on the plains," said Celestia. "I had tried meeting her in our very own castle in the Everfree Woods, but the flora and fauna were suddenly hostile. Dawn, why was that? I've always wondered. Do you know?"
"Ah... yes. The Essence of the Oblivion took the form of Annihila. Annihila is the one who you gave in to, Luna. Annihila... was the original Nightmare, if you would like to look at it that way. She had life-related magic, so she could do that to the woods. It makes perfect sense, now that I think about it." Celestia's expression looked like it should have included a light-bulb over her head. "Anyway, the plains."
"Yes. Dawn and I found ourselves out on the plains standing against... Nightmare Moon." She cringed. Luna motioned for her to go on, so she did. "I... Dawn told me to take the Elements and use them if I had to. She said she needed to set the backup plan into motion. I had no idea what you meant, Dawn, and I still don't. But I did it anyway. We fought for a long time..."
"I was sincerely fighting by that point. I had no desire to stop," said Luna.
"What had happened with my sister had burned into my memory, and I didn't want the same happening with Luna. I didn't know how much she'd been affected, but I knew there was still time until she was completely consumed. I figured Celestia would have to hit her with the Elements, and since it was only her using them, Luna would not be healed. I would have taken three, but one of us would have had to use Laughter. I had never quite recovered my ability to laugh... and Celestia didn't quite have that ability at the moment, either. It was most effective, therefore, for her to use all the Elements by herself. I set up the magic field... and aligned my very being accordingly. When Celestia hit Nightmare Moon with the Elements, I was able to catch Nightmare Moon in the field. I had forgotten my weakness, though. All those years ago, when my soul had shattered, caught up with me that very moment, and I lost my physical form. The field still worked and transported Nightmare Moon to the moon so Luna could recover and her dark side could weaken some. I discovered that I could take each piece of my soul and lock some of the Essence away, and I used a time-lock, which is the most powerful lock I could come up with on short notice. If something is time-locked, it exists at a single moment in time, and only that moment. The piece that had gone with what could not be extracted from Luna split in half. Half of it came back to Equestria, and that's the part that my consciousness had stayed with. Everything's been... a bit hazy, though. I'm not clear on very many details since that night; it's as if I've been trapped somewhere where time doesn't exist. I don't even know if I'm getting these final details right. How long has it been?"
"About 1,000 years," said Celestia.
"What happened when I came back?" asked Luna.
"I'm not sure. I probably got that other piece of me back, but I don't remember the details," explained Dawn.
*********
"And that," and Dawn looked directly at Pinkie Pie, "is how Equestria was made. Now you know."
Pinkie's jaw dropped to the floor in response.
"Ladies. The story is not yet over. This is where you come in," said Dawn.
(To Be Continued...)
Author's Notes: Here, have some head canon. Long chapter is long.
On this day of this month of this year, this Tuna of Gratitude is presented to Glassed for being awesome. Everybody go read his stuff!
And very special thanks to The Equestrian Gentlecolt! He is an awesome proofreader! Go read his stuff! (And thank you for the gold fish, sir. That was hilarious!)
And as for the rest of you... thank you to all of you that are actually reading this story. I honestly didn't think it would get this far. I'm glad I was wrong!
...Comments??? *prepares to Rarity* Pleeeeeeeeeeeease??? vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
(I do not own My Little Pony. Please support the original series.)
*********
"...Where we come in?" asked Applejack. "What'll we be doin'?"
"Well... that depends on you," started Dawn. "If I'm judging correctly from what I've been told," she said, snatching a quick glance at the Princesses, "it also depends on a wide variety of other factors as well. The magic that has been influencing dreams has been... how has it been, Luna? I remember you saying you were unable to assert control earlier this week; have you tried anything tonight?"
"It has been... difficult. It has... eluded my influences and it felt as though it was occasionally laced with evil intent."
"Anything else?" asked Dawn.
"Not yet. But I am certain there will be something soon."
"And Canterlot mountain hasn't done anything remarkable yet... and you still have control of the sun, Celestia..."
"Is short term memory loss part of not having a physical form, Dawn?" asked Celestia with a grin.
Dawn gave her a flat look. "Hilarious. I think I've thought out loud quite a bit before. I would have thought you would have remembered... Is long term memory loss part of having a physical form, Teacup?"
"...teacup?" asked Twilight.
Celestia was attempting to glare at Dawn, but failing due to a need to smile. Luna was simply laughing. "'Twas an old nickname Dawn had for our dear sister," the Night Princess answered when she caught her breath. When she was younger, Celestia's coloring was similar to that of Dawn's favorite teacup. I think we had kept her up particularly late one night--"
"Kept Dawn up?" asked Applejack.
"Yes. In the morning she would almost always have a cup of tea using her favorite teacup--"
"I had to re-enchant that thing against damage so many times before I figured out how to make it indestructible," muttered Dawn.
"--and Celestia, being the morning pony she is--"
"It sort of comes with raising the sun," said Celestia.
"--bounced in and greeted Dawn. We have always thought that Dawn was simply looking at the colors and not any other identifying characteristics. It would explain why she called Celestia 'Teacup.'" Luna was met with six blank stares. "...Well, it was funny at the time, at least."
"The nickname certainly stuck," Celestia muttered.
"I think part of that was because you were still a filly. A cute, bouncy, energetic filly with a white coat and bright pink hair, and those colors were on my teacup. My favorite teacup that I lost several years later. Thank you so much for that. I'm just glad I could recover Luna's blanket, although I've never been able to figure out why, when I got it back, it came with another one just like it."
Celestia cleared her throat and Luna tried not to look guilty. "I've always wondered why you liked that teacup above all the others," Celestia ventured.
"It was my mom's," Dawn answered. The room got very quiet. "I liked it so much when I was little that Mom just gave it to me. I kept swiping it anyway... it probably saved her some time that she would have spent looking for it otherwise." She looked at her sisters. "It probably ended up in some other dimension. I'm sure it's somewhere in the multiverse. Where was I? Ah! I was thinking out loud about how much time we have left until Theoretical Doomsday. Right, Teacup?" Dawn said with a grin.
"...Yes. Yes, we were. Do you know?" she asked.
"No," Dawn answered. "Well... not with any close precision, anyway. This is something that we'll have to play by ear. That... prophecy, I guess it's become, may not even be accurate. The main entrance to where The Oblivion lies in wait for a chance to escape is somewhere beneath Canterlot Mountain. The mountain will probably shake quite a bit when it escapes. I'm guessing on the sun turning black part... it happened before, so I would think it could happen again. I don't know if it will. The peace turning its back bit is about the magic that influences ponies' dreams at night turning... inhospitable. You have nothing to worry about if you can't get it back under control, Luna. That would not be your fault," Dawn made sure to clarify. "I don't think we'll have a time-crunch problem, but we should still get moving. That is... if you ladies are willing to do this."
Twilight and her friends were quiet for a moment. "Aside from the fact that we don't know what we'll be doing, who will if we don't?" Twilight asked.
"Probably no one," said Dawn. "We need the Element Wielders for this."
"So if we don't, no one will, and Equestria would be doomed, right?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other. Some fear showed on their faces. "Yes," answered Dawn.
"Count me in, then. Somepony's gotta do what needs to be done," said Rainbow.
"Me too," said Twilight. "We've saved Equestria twice now, we can do it again as long as we stick together. Right girls?"
"Absolutely! I will not have some... some thing terrorizing my friends, family, home, and life!" exclaimed Rarity.
"Yeah! If there was no Equestria, I wouldn't be able to throw parties! And if I couldn't throw parties..." Pinkie froze. "Looks like we'll have to teach Mr. Meanie McMeanerson a lesson!"
"Shoot, if all y'all're gonna be doin' this, Ah may as well, too," Applejack said with a small smirk. "Count me in, Yer Majesties."
Fluttershy's eyes were wide as she nodded.
"It won't be easy. I don't suppose that would deter you six, though, would it?" asked Dawn. She received various forms of 'no' from the group of friends. "Good. Over... the course of history... wow, that feels weird to say. Over the course of history, I've been making preparations for this. Unfortunately, they were sensitive and had to be spread out. You six will have to get to them somehow. I hope some of you like big adventures; this is sure to be one." Rainbow Dash had to stifle a squee of joy. "This should probably happen in several stages. Also, you will need training. If my estimates from what I've learned of you are correct, you will all become Alicorns soon." The room was quiet. "I'm sorry if that upsets you. Judging by your faces, you all seem worried."
"...Wouldn't we have to go live in Canterlot? I'd never get into the Wonderbolts then," said Rainbow Dash.
"Ah! I think I understand now. I will make sure to explain if needed, but for now just know that if you wished your lives to be like they've been up to this point in time, they could be. If you did it right, you wouldn't even have to worry about being called a princess if you didn't want to be. You would be seen as the normal pony you've always been." Six relieved sighs confirmed that this had been the right thing to say.
"Umm..." Luna rubbed one of her forelegs with her opposite forehoof.
"Yes?" asked Dawn.
"Will we not play a part in this? We are responsible for the lives of our subjects in times such as these." said Luna.
"And we're not fillies anymore," added Celestia.
"Don't you two have to take care of business at the castle? You know... running the country?" asked Dawn.
"We recognized the signs of what may be coming earlier today and arranged to be out for the rest of the week. I think we can use that to make other, longer-lasting arrangements which will allow us to help," offered Celestia. "And we'd really like to help."
"Then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't," said Dawn. "Actually... that helps matters tremendously, now that I think about it. The Wielders are going to be split up multiple times. If at least one of you could go with a group when there are groups, that would be good. Do you know how long those arrangements will take to make?"
Celestia answered first. "I'll begin my work tomorrow... I'm sure I will have to hold a surprise Day Court for all this. Luna?"
"We will begin when we return to the palace."
"Wonderful. While you two are doing that, you six should get some early training. Just in case," Dawn added when she saw some worried expressions. "I doubt you'll need to know what I can teach right now early in your adventure. But it's good to be prepared."
"Dawn?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"Couldn't you just... well, take us all back in time if we run out of time?"
Dawn paused for a moment. "...No. For two reasons. First of all, we don't know how much time we have, and if we run out we will be caught by surprise. I can't do much if we're not properly prepared. Second of all... as I'm sure you've noticed, I can't do everything I used to. I can sense and simulate right now. That's about it. Even that is taking effort."
"Simu-what now?" asked Applejack.
"Simulate. When you look at me right now, what you actually see is a simulation spell. Specifically, a simulation of what I might look like or what I might be doing. I doubt it's perfect, but it's apparently working."
Twilight 'ooh'ed. "Can you teach me how to do that sometime?" she asked.
Dawn smiled. "We'll see. There's something else I need to teach all of you first, though."
"Before you do," said Celestia, "what exactly are we fighting in all this?"
"Ah! Excellent question. I don't know," said Dawn. Celestia face-hoofed. "Sorry. I really don't, though. I only have a vague idea of what The Oblivion really is. It hates everything that ever was and wants to destroy it all, but it never clearly physically manifested. We'll probably deal with it at some point. We may have to deal with Annihila." Dawn paused momentarily. "If the Elements saved Luna... could I get Silvia back? ...I shouldn't get my hopes up. For all I know, she's gone." "There is a chance Discord will break free, but I have no idea if he will or not."
"What would the worst-case scenario be?" asked Luna.
"All three of them at once. There's no way we'd survive that," said Dawn. "Discord alone could take us down at full power, and he is the weakest of the three, in my opinion. I don't think it's a likely scenario, though. If anything, assuming Discord does break free, which he might not, it will probably be somewhere around the halfway point in all this. We may still have to take on Annihila and The Oblivion at the same time. If not, it will likely be in close succession. Both have their good and bad sides," she mused. "Any other questions?"
To everypony's surprise, Fluttershy spoke up. "Umm... will the nine of us be the only ones doing anything?"
"Hmm," said Dawn. "I suppose that depends on you. Allies, if you can find them, would probably increase our chances of success."
"Pardon me, but what are our chances of success?" asked Rarity.
"Slim," said Dawn. Everyone cringed. "We've got to try, though. You've all beaten the odds before; I can picture you doing so again."
"Ain't there anything else we kin do to increase the odds of... uhh... winnin'?" asked Applejack.
"Not tonight... I think I've talked at you enough for now. Tomorrow, though, perhaps we can begin some basic training. You two--" Dawn began talking to the Princesses, "--should probably see about getting some practice swords from the castle. I'm assuming you have some sort of armory there." Celestia nodded. "Do you also keep the Elements there?"
"Yes, they're locked away in a vault."
"You might want to get them. I'm sure they will help the Wielders."
"Wait a minute," said Twilight. "Are we going to have to wear the Elements for long periods of time? Necklaces I could see, but mine took the form of a tiara... and if I need to move quickly, I don't want it falling off. Not that I've had that much trouble before..."
"A tiara? Really?" asked Dawn. "The spark is currently shaped like a tiara. ...Fascinating. Are you the spoken or unspoken leader of your group?" Twilight shook her head no, and the other five shook their heads yes. "...I see," said Dawn. "Either way, I'm sure Celestia or Luna could teach you how to keep a tiara secured on your head wherever you may find yourself. I could probably tell you myself, but it's one of those things that's more easily understood through demonstration."
"I suspect you won't have a problem, Twilight," said Celestia. "It's the Element of Magic, after all; there's no reason it can't magically stay on your head no matter what happens," she explained with a smile.
"Wait. We get to use swords?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"I would recommend learning how to, yes," said Dawn.
"That. Is. So. Awesome!" Rainbow nearly squeaked.
"Another question. Does anypony here have any prior experience with any form of martial arts?" asked Dawn. One hoof shot up and nearly took the rest of the pony with it, one hoof rose gracefully, and one hoof was raised tentatively.
The three non-Alicorn ponies who had not raised their hooves stared at those who had. Twilight spoke first. "...Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy?" They nodded. "How did I never know this?"
"You never asked me, silly!" said Pinkie Pie.
"I normally try to avoid resorting to such... uncouth tactics."
"I... um... eep!" said Fluttershy.
Dawn smiled a little. "Alright, Pinkie, what exactly do you have experience in?"
"Ninjutsu!"
"So... you're good with at least basic offensive and defensive maneuvers, some stealth, and, at least theoretically, some weaponry?"
"Yeppers!"
"Wait," objected Rainbow Dash. "How can you possibly be a ninja when you're the loudest pony I know?" she asked. "That makes no sense!"
"Oh, but Rainbow Dash, that's what she wants you to think," said Fluttershy. "How does-- eep! Umm... well, you know how sometimes she just appears out of nowhere?"
"Well, yeah, but... oh..."
"And... maybe... those pranks she likes to pull with you are practice?"
"Aww... Pinkie, why didn't you share the awesome? When did you learn all that, anyway?"
"I grew up on a rock farm, Dashie. There wasn't that much else to do," Pinkie explained.
"...Wait. Is the Pinkie sense part of this?" asked Twilight. "I know I said I'd just accept it, but that doesn't mean an explanation will never come up!"
"No, that just happens," said Pinkie.
"Rats," thought Twilight. "Just curious," she said. Pinkie smiled in response.
"I was trained in Karate," said Rarity. "I also know a little bit about wielding a sword, but it has been awhile. Not that I have any complaints."
"How did you wield the sword? Do you remember?" asked Dawn.
"With my mouth. It was not... pleasant," said Rarity with a shudder.
"You held it in your mouth and you're a Unicorn... I take it you were young?"
"Yes. I had not gotten my Cutie Mark yet," said Rarity.
"When you get a sword, if you do not already have one, I suggest using your magic to wield it. It will both give you a slight edge and not leave a bad taste in your mouth," said Dawn. Rarity seemed relieved at this. "Fluttershy, I believe you also raised your hoof. What area was your training in?" Fluttershy mumbled something in response. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," said Dawn.
"Mixed Martial Arts," said Fluttershy. "I have a black belt."
Three seconds of silence passed before Rainbow Dash muttered something about needing to work harder to keep her title of 'Most Awesomest Pony in Ponyville.'
"Twilight, you're good with magic. Would you consider this a skill you could add to the mix?" asked Dawn. Twilight nodded in response. "Rainbow Dash, Applejack, do you have anything you'd like to mention? Aside from a Sonic Rainboom? Which... actually, if you can do that on cue, that's something you can mention."
"I did it at Twi's brother's wedding recently, so yeah, I can do it when I want to. And I can fly... and... uhh..."
"She blew up mah barn, once," said Applejack.
"On purpose?!" asked Dawn.
"Ah needed her to. Fastest way t' tear it down so we could all build a new one."
"So... a demolition expert, then?" Dawn asked Rainbow Dash warily.
"It came with the training for my job. I'm a weather pony." said Rainbow Dash. "So... yeah."
"Applejack?"
"...Ah buck trees all day long back on th' farm. Does that count?"
"You can kick hard, yes?"
"Eyup."
"Alright, so at this moment we have the Light Guardian; the Dream Guardian; three martial artists: a mage; a weather, aerial stunt, and demolition expert; and a hard hitter. That's... not bad, actually," Dawn thought aloud. "And it helps that you all get along with each other. At least, I assume you generally do. We can work with this. I should probably let you all get some rest now," Dawn said. Her form flickered a bit.
"Are you alright, Dawn?" asked Celestia.
"All things considered?" Dawn asked. "It's just taking significant effort to stay materialized, that's all."
"So... we can't add the Guardian of Time to our list of assets, then," said Luna.
"I'm on your side, but I can't help you as much as I might like to, thanks to my current condition," said Dawn. "If we keep talking like this, we won't be able to add energy to the list, either..."
"Right, I get it," said Twilight. "If anypony wants to spend the night here, you're welcome to do so. We could hit Sugarcube Corner for breakfast in the morning. Not literally, of course," she said while shooting a look towards Pinkie.
Luna said her goodbyes for the evening and went back to Canterlot to take care of things. Everypony worked together to convince Celestia to take the couch; they could sleep on the floor or somewhere else. Rainbow had dragged clouds in for Fluttershy and herself. Pinkie Pie snuggled up with some cushions under the tea table, and Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight went upstairs like they had done during Twilight's first sleepover. Everypony said their goodnights and dimmed the lights. Twilight waited until everypony else was asleep before she lit her horn.
"If I could just remember how to--"
"Twilight, you don't need to summon me when I'm still here," said Dawn. "I suggest you don't, actually."
Twilight had to work very hard not to jump out of her bed and hit the ceiling. "Sorry," said Dawn. "That's why I was trying to remain visible down there. Is there something you wanted to ask me?"
"Well... you said our chances of success are slim. What do you mean exactly?"
Dawn sighed. She didn't materialize completely, but she did project the red mist that she had managed earlier so she could give Twilight something to look at. "Even I don't know. All I know is that I was trying to be optimistic for once. In the end, it will all depend on you and your friends. I think you can do it, but I suspect you'll meet many challenges along the way, some of which may push you to your limits, if not past. You will need to help each other and build each other up. The stronger your friendship, the more likely we'll all survive."
"So... Equestria depends on our friendship, then," Twilight stated.
"Replace 'Equestria' with 'the world' and that's what it basically comes to, yes."
Twilight stared into space for a minute. "Dawn?"
"Yes?"
"You'll be here in the morning, right?"
"Absolutely. And Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"Just take things as they come. Believe in your friends, and in yourself. OK?"
Twilight nodded and snuggled under the covers.
* * * * * * * * * *
In Canterlot, Luna was fleeing an army of darkness.
(To Be Continued...)
Author's Notes: Now (slowly) transitioning from exposition to action. Fasten your seatbelts.
