It was an early morning in Equestria, the sun rose barely an hour ago, and yet the purple Alicorn princess was hard at work organizing her library. Sunlight glistened through the library window reflecting off the crystal surfaces causing a cascading effect of colors. The Alicorn levitated hundreds of books organizing them into their proper shelf. A faint purple glow filled the room as the last remaining books were neatly filed away until their next use.
“Well Spike that should do it, that’s all 46,326,117 books in our collection,” I said gliding back down to the floor. The purple dragon puffed in agitation.
“I don’t see why we constantly have to redo the library. They don’t won’t be out of order if you put them back where they belong you know...” the purple dragon sighed.
I giggled and said, “Take the rest of the day off. I’m meeting up with Zecora later anyways.”
“With pleasure!” The purple dragon ran off as fast as he could out of the library. He’s running as if Rarity was waiting at the front door.
Walking through the massive double doors a crowd of ponies with cameras were waiting outside. A heard of ponies flashing cameras in my face and asking me endless questions. I don’t have time for this... I teleported to the center of town. I saw Pinkie Pie advertising the Cake’s goodies in her usual Pinkie Pie fashion.
“Our cakes or super-duper ultra-tasty, so combine down to Sugar Cube corner and get yours!” Pinkie screamed in her usual hyper-upbeat attitude. “Hi, Twilight!!” She yelled waving her hooves. I waved back.
“Good morning Pinkie,” I approached her.
Before I could ask how her day was she shoved a cupcake into my mouth. “Tell me how’s it taste?”
That was a mishmash of different flavors, I detected hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, way too much sugar, and was that... hot sauce? I spit out the cupcake using my hooves to wipe off my tongue.
“Pinkie!” I yelled. She was rolling on the floor laughing.
“Got you!” She giggled.
I sighed, “It’s good to see you Pinkie but I’m off to Zecora’s, I can’t be late."
I trotted off into the direction of the Everfree Forrest. I passed by Carousel Boutique, the pastel-colored building was adorned with warm summer colors for tonight's Summer Sun Celebration. I could see Rarity through the window hard at work. She was creating a new line of dresses for her autumn collection. I remember Spike telling me something about it. Rarity also was looking into the development of sportswear for the Running of the Leaves. I saw Spike standing close beside her. He had several of her sewing needles sticking out of his back. Even if he has thick scales, that has to hurt somewhat...
Walking past the boutique was Rainbow Dash's cloud house. She was away on Wonderbolt duties till Thursday. The Wonderbolts were Canterlot right now getting ready for their special performance for Celestia. She has been getting busier and busier these days but we all have over the past nine years. To be honest next year's Summer Sun Celebration will be the last under the diarchy and serving as my ascension to the throne.
I continued to walk and saw the edge of Sweet Apple Acre's. This part of the farm wasn't to be in season for another few months. Apples had their hands full with the Zap Apple harvest as it is, tending this evergrowing farm might be getting to Applejack. Maybe I'll convince her to hire more help.
I turned down the road towards the forest along the outermost edge of the south orchard. On the other side lay Fluttershy's cottage, her house lay as a landmarked warning that beyond lay the fearsome forest filled with dangerous creatures and housed the Castle of the Two Sisters. I always wondered why there were two castles if the capital city was Canterlot. Fluttershy was outside tending to her birds. She took notice and flew down to me as I approached the forest.
"Good morning Twilight," Fluttershy said softly.
"Good morning to you too Fluttershy," I smiled. My horn glowed and I picked a few feathers out of her mane that was entangled within it.
"Thank you, are you heading to Zecora's?"
"Yes, a few weeks back I wrote her a letter to see if she could make another potion to view the past. I am very intrigued to see what caused Luna to turn into Nightmare Moon."
"Oh I see, please be careful. Ever since the vine incident, the forest has been unusually aggressive. Timberwolves have been wandering closer to the forest edge."
"I'll be careful, I promise," I continued into the forest. Fluttershy stopped right at the edge. I turned and waved and proceeded to go deeper into the forest. I know better than to let my guard down in this place. A cockatrice already bested me once, I wasn't about to let it happen again.
The deeper I went the thicker the brush and vegetation became. There used to be a pretty easy path to Zecora's hut but it's been overgrown for quite some time. My horn began to glimmer with a soft purple glow and a small beam of light shot from the tip of the horn burning a small path through the brush. Destruction magic can be dangerous if not wielded in proper concentration. The rest of my walk was relatively uneventful. Few small animals but nothing major. Not like the Ursa Minor that Trixie unleased on the town.
I came upon a tree dressed up in tribal masks and potions, the holes in the tree served as windows and light poured out. The tree layer was so thick it felt as if it were night. The sign above the door read Zecora. I knocked on the door.
"Come in if you please, take a seat and I will soon attend to your needs," I opened the front door to see Zecora churning pink liquid in her pot. "Well if it isn't my friend Twilight Sparkle, I hope the trip did prove any great debacle."
"Good morning Zecora, no the trip was of relative ease. How have you been?"
"I have been quite well but this forest continues to swell."
"I didn't see any monsters on the way in luckily, they may only come out at night."
"Yes, that was also my guess. But my herbs and spices keep getting shredded to dice's. Alas, I know why you are here, you seek a potion to make your mind clear."
"Yes, that time travel potion you gave me that one time. When you sent me back 1000 years to view Celestia and Luna's fight."
"I have come up with a new brew, something that can bring you unrivaled knowledge to teach better than any college. For you see, it diverts the sea. As time ebbs and flows many decisions remain unknown. So the clock is rewound and time wounds healed, but a new story is bound to be found. This means you will be seen. Drink the potion it will bring you back, to a time in Equestria on a new track," Zecora poured the liquid from her cauldron into a clear jar. She shook it and it turned from a soft pink to white. “Be careful, you may have done this before you may find horrors that lay in store.”
I looked at the white liquid. Zecora looked at me with a smile. “Thank you Zecora, I don’t know how long I’ll be under so is it ok if I remain here?”
“Do not worry about any bump, for I will protect your purple rump,” I blushed a little at her response. I levitated the jar with my magic and drank from it. The potion was bitter and made me almost want to puke it up. After a few moments, I felt my conscious mind begin to separate as my physical body went unconscious. Further and further did the view of Zecora’s hut flee from my field of vision. Until it all went dark.
Chapter 1: Perception is Not Always Reality
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I awoke in my bed, the sounds of loud music could be heard blasting through the library. I stood up and rubbed my eyes. My head felt fuzzy, I couldn’t really think straight. It felt as if I was still in Canterlot doing shots for Minuette’s birthday and had woken up the morning after if with the nasties hangover that ever plagued ponykind. I checked the clock on the wall. The Summer Sun Celebration starts in an hour. I better make it to city hall to make sure everything goes according to plan. I ran down the stairs to find a massive party led but a bouncy pink earth pony.
“Twilight come dance with me!” I looked over to the pink mare waving her hoof for me to come over. Instead, I went to the punch bowl. Unlike earlier I made sure my straw wasn’t deep in the hot sauce like last time. “Come on Twilight, it’s the Summer Sun Celebration and you first day in Ponyville! You have to enjoy the party!” The pink made screamed over the music.
I paused for a minute trying to remember her name. “Pinkie Pie right? We don’t have time to party Celestia will be at city hall in less than an hour to raise the sun, we need to get going,” I said pushing, my way past her.
Pinkie Pie took a deep breath. One so deep it seemed physically impossible for a pony to hold that much oxygen, “Everypony to the town hall, Celestia is about to raise the sun,”. The crowd of ponies moved in an almost stampede-like manner carrying my assistant with them. I followed behind the massive crowd to the even more crowded town hall. I ascended the stairs where the guards let me through the roped-off portion and sat across the elevated stage Celestia was soon to appear on. After a few minutes of waiting the lights dimmed.
Then the mayor of the town took the stage, “Ladies and gentlecolts, welcome to the 1000 Summer Sun Celebration held here in Ponyville, I’m so glad so many of you were able to make it out tonight. Without further ado, please welcome your princess, the guardian of Ponykind Princess Celestia!” Birds began to hum and whistle as an animal orchestra opened up with a sweet melody. The curtains were drawn back to reveal a tall black Alicorn with a light blue ethereal mane filled with sparkling stars.
The crowd gasps and murmurs filled the room.
“That’s not the princess,” a pony called out.
“What has she done with Celestia?” Another said aloud.
“Guards, arrest her, she has kidnapped our princess,” the mayor shouted.
“Foolish ponies, have you forgotten your second princess?” The Alicorn said, her horn glowed a deep blue and the guards froze, gripping them with her magic she slowly set them on the floor.
“You’re Nightmare Moon!” I said in shock.
“I am Princess Luna, Archduchess of the Manehatten, Fillydelphia and Baltimore realms and 2nd Princess of Equestria. In this form I am known as Nightmare Moon,” she said menacingly, bearing her fangs to the crowd. “And first President of the Grand Equestria Republic.”
I panicked looking at her from the crowd. I see Celestia’s protege is among us. Please head to the castle in the Everfree I will be waiting there, we have much to discuss,” A gust of air surrounded Nightmare Moon turning her into a cloud of smoke escaping out an open window.
I immediately ran back to the library, pushing my way through the crowd I finally broke free of the building. Five ponies trailed behind me. Once back at the library, my horn began to glow, books began to magically remove themselves from the shelves and fly towards me. Several books were encyclopedias. I began to look for anything about the Grand Equestria Republic. I then changed my search to Nightmare Moon. Each encyclopedia said the same thing about the mythical mare, she was the embodiment of calamity in Equestria. She rose against Celestia in order to bring an eternal night. I picked up my head out from the book I was reading. Five ponies stood before me.
“I’m going to confront Nightmare Moon,” I said, I packed my saddlebags placing a few books in the pouches.
“Not without us yer not!” An orange pony in a cowboy hat stood in front of the group.
“Applejack, it’s going to be dangerous, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
“Darling, we all knew the risks when we came here,” a beautiful white pony with a curled purple mane stood next to Applejack.
“Rarity's right,” the pink pony giggled, “We can take her! With a few of these and a bit of these!” She began to shadow box with her hooves.
“Pinkie, maybe we could ask her to live peacefully and go away,” a voice came from the back.
“I say we punch her in her stupid face,” the rainbow pony shot up into the air and hovered over the group.
That’s a bit crude, Rainbow Dash,” I snickered. “We should head out we need to save the princess,” I opened the front door and we headed off in the direction of the Everfree forest.
After a harrowing journey through the forest we arrived at the castle, the place was in shambles. The ceiling was caving in in certain sections. Old tapestries were either covered in dust or layer in tatters. We split up to search the castle. I entered the main hall. Approaching the end of the main hall lay two shimmering gold thrones. I approached the throne a touched it. A sun adorned the left chair and a moon on the right.
“Beautiful isn’t it.” A tall dark blue pony emerged from the shadows, her mane sparkled and shimmering, waving like mist in a breeze with a long horn extending from her head. I jumped back losing my balance and fell down the steps to the throne. I clenched my eyes shut bracing myself for the fall. I noticed I wasn’t falling. I opened my eyes to find myself being levitated back to the blue pony. From this angle, I saw she also had a set of wings. “Please don’t be scared. I do not wish to harm you.”
“Are you Nightmare Moon?”
“Yes and no,” the pony walked up and took a seat beneath the moon crest. “I am Princess Luna this is my true form, Nightmare Moon is my battle form.”
“Battle form?” Transformation magic should strain the user not increase its power.
The armor my sister and I wear has been enchanted. It amplifies our magical ability as we funnel magic into it. My sister has a similar form. Her’s is called Daybreaker.”
“Is it true you wanted to bring on an eternal night?”
“No, while it is true that I rebelled against my sister it was not as selfish as bringing an eternal night. After a millennia of life and centuries of ruling over the ponies, I sought change. Countless pony rebellions rose against our rule and called for self-governance. Over 1000 years ago we established the House of Nobility, before my banishment there was a call for a more democratic system. The ponies wished to keep us as their rulers but the majority of power was held with the ponies. She agreed but soon the system became corrupted. The first Prime Minister passed a law preventing common ponies from running in election.”
“I’ve never heard about any governance system like this outside of ancient Equestria. But what caused Celestia to banish you?”
“After several corrupt officials, one was able to rig the system where she remained in power for 30 years. She created a massive military and began to invade our neighbors. Equestria conquered several smaller nations extending to the Changelings where she was stopped cold. She failed to conquer the Changelings twice she called off the invasion and the treasury buckled from the war. The nobility began to tax their provinces to pay off the war. Once the ponies ran out of money they began to revolt. Then the army was sent to disband the protesters and eventually it led to a massacre.”
“You mean the massacre of Mareton?”
“Yes, if you know of it, what is history telling about?”
“Who are you,” Fluttershy approached the throne.
“I am Princess Luna, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Fluttershy, you’re mane is beautiful,” Fluttershy approached the princess.
“Thank you, Mrs. Fluttershy.”
“What are you two talking about.”
“Why Luna was banished and that what we know about Nightmare Moon is completely false.”
“Is there any proof? Equestria has a long history and Celestia isn’t known to lie.”
“My journal is in my room. We could go retrieve it, follow me please,” Luna turned and walked down a hallway flanking her chair and we followed close behind her.
We passed ruined paintings and furniture, in some areas the stained glass had been broken by vandals. We turned through more winding rooms before ascending a massive spiral staircase. After a while, my legs began to hurt. I felt wobbly. It’s just like the time I... My head began to hurt, it felt like my eyes were going to explode. I can’t remember what I was trying to say...
“Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’m fine, just a slight headache.”
At the top of the stairs, there was a door, it was shimmering a dark blue and red.
“I see my seal held for all these years,” Luna’s horn began to glow and the glow faded away. She opened the door. The furniture was very archaic but was in good condition the room was covered in dust. Luna walked to her bed and lifted the mattress and levitated a small book to us. I received it with my magic and opened the book. I flipped through the pages and found a page titled ‘Rebellion in Manehatten.’ I read through the journal. Several of the dates went back about 1000 years. I read a page labeled ‘Celestia Takes Action.’
It’s been nine months since I was elected as the leader of the G.E.R.A, we are holding out in the Everfree Forrest using the trees for cover. Celestia unleashed a dragon on the tribes in the south. Ahuizotol is holding out but we are stretched too thin to send troops, I am back in our old castle. The forest hasn’t touched it at all, the Tree of Harmony is probably preventing the forest from encroaching on it. We do our best to forage for food and water but the forest is inhospitable to ponykind. Several ponies already are suffering from poison joke and are in dire need of medical attention. One of the plant's pranks was so bad it mangled one of the legs of the pony. We are almost out of the food provisions we brought with us. I tried to get a letter back to congress but something is interfering with Onyx's dragon fire. They keep being sent back. Did Manehatten get wiped out? Even if it did I have a responsibility to the 30,000 under my command. Celestia was last spotted in the north a few hours ago aboard her flagship Harmony. We have no naval power to repel her navy other than the shore batteries. The Griffon Republic has been trying to find a new way to send supplies since the navy put up their blockade. While it is frustrating that our lines are being divided what irks me more is the Elements of Harmony. I am only capable of activating four of them while my sister can use all six. With that in mind, I'm better off hiding them away where they cannot be used at all. I may just destroy the tree and be rid of them.
The next page was blank. I looked up at Luna she was sitting on her bed staring at us.
"That was my last entry before my banishment. Celestia attacked the castle before I could finish writing. The massive holes in the ceiling are not due to age but to my sister breaking blowing open the roof. From there I jumped out the window back to the throne room to find all the sick and wounded ponies slaughtered at my sister's hands. "She told me they had to die or else the ponies won't learn. I welled up with rage becoming the strongest I've ever been as Nightmare Moon. She constantly fled from my attacks only briefly to give off short bursts of energy. Eventually, we ended up in the storeroom of the elements. Our whole fight I wondered why she didn't turn into Daybreaker but when we landed in there it was all too clear. Once she activated them, I couldn't escape. She trapped me and the next thing I knew I was on the moon. And now here we are."
"I don't know what to make of this," Fluttershy sat down. "I always assumed she was a loving rule incapable of hurting ponykind."
"The Therestrials as well as most of my former provinces still have a loyal following to myself and the republics' practices. Celestia will never let me live here in peace. When I escaped I emerged here where I was banished and Celestia was here waiting."
"Wait, did you kill her?" I asked.
"No I teleported her back to Canterlot, deep within the caverns below the castle. It won't hold her for long, I'm sure she will be back to take my head. I could never kill my sister..." Luna looked down at the floor. I sat down, the moral weight of everything she knew versus everything she was just told came crashing down around her.
Was Equestria always like this? Was I blind to the politics because I was so focused in my studies. I didn't see the fate of Equestria hanging on the edge of a knife? "I don't know what to make of this," my head hurt, there was so much I didn't understand so much I still didn't know. How much of Equestria's history has been censored?
"I'm sure if Celestia censored myself from history I'm sure many of my allies were villianized as well," Luna dug through a drawer near the edge of her bed. She pulled out a picture of herself holding a musket, with several other ponies, griffons, zebras, yaks, what looks to be a figure that looked very similar to a statue in the castle garden. The last figure was a large beast who was several feet taller than the others. He had three monkey like hands, two on his front legs and one attached to the end of his tail. He looked like the monster from Daring Do...
"Princess Luna, is this figure the same Ahuizotl from the a journal?" I asked.
"Yes he is, why?" She quizzed.
"He might still be alive, an author known as A.K. Yearling rights adventure books and he has made several appearance in the series. Although the series is fiction I haven't seen any written depictions or tapestries of Ahuizotl physical features until her book. Their likenesses are almost identical."
"Thats odd," Fluttershy pointed at the picture. "Name is the same as his species. I read up on mythical animals long ago and it said he was native to the southern jungles in ancient Equestria and died out thousands of years ago," Fluttershy interjected. "Sorry, that was rude of me..."
"Fluttershy you gave us a clue on where to find him. The Daring Do books have only been around for three years. It is very possible the author met with this creature.
"Also this other creature here," Fluttershy pointed a hoof at the picture, "The tall lizard like one is a Draconiquis. Also an ancient Equestria species. They were very common thousands of years ago but their numbers declined and they are almost impossible to track down. Last recorded sighting was about 800 years ago,"
"That is Discord. Very few of his species actual helped us. He was their ambassador. He was very silly at the best of times and chaotic at the worst. He had a very rare breed of magic known to bend reality in small areas."
"Only thing mentioning the name Discord was when you and Celestia used the elements to turn him to stone," I pulled out the ancient Equestria history book from my saddlebag.
"That one isn't entirely false. Although we did turn him to stone with the elements that was a few hundred years prior to the rebellion. I woke him up from the garden to request his aid."
"I guess this book doesn't reference an exact date."
"Girls do you hear that?" Fluttershy walked towards the door. The sound of hoofsteps echoed through the tower. We hid on opposite sides of the door waiting for the intruders to enter the room. Once in Luna and I tackled one to the ground while the other was handled by Fluttershy.
"What the hay!" the voice of a southern mare yelled out. Next thing I know a rope grabbed my horn dragging me onto the floor. "Twilight?"
"Applejack?"
"You know these ponies?" Luna asked.
"Ugh this dirt is all over me, its going to take weeks to get the dirt and grime out of my mane," the white pony whos chest was turned slightly gray with dust and dirt stood up. She blew the hair out of her face and she scowled at me. "Well I never," she pouted.
"Sorry girls," I apologized.
"It's my fault, I thought you were monsters," Fluttershy quivered.
"It ain't yer fault. I hogtied Rarity before I realized it was actually her. I thought it was one of those illusions we saw in the forest," Applejack picked up her hat dusting it off before returning it to her head. "And who are you again?"
"This is Princess Luna, Princess Celestia's sister," I said pointing at Luna, she waved at Applejack.
"Pleasure to make your equaintence."
"Ok, then. What happened to Nightmare Moon?"
"Long story. We'll have to save it for another time. Princess Celestia will be coming soon to burn down the castle," I said. "We need to find the others and leave now," I began to levitate different books and pictures at random in the room into my saddlebags.
"That stuff is most personal Mrs. Sparkle," Luna grimanced.
"We don't know what is or isn't important any book, photo, really anything that links us to the past will help us understand," Luna frowned at my words but didn't object. Once I finished packing we hastly descended the tower.
"There is somewhere we must go first. We must retrieve the Elements of Harmony. They must have chosen new bearers, I feel their presence," Luna turned down another long hallway. Entering the room a massive statue with five stone balls extended on from it with a sixth star shaped stone adorned the top. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were circling the statue.
"There's something wrong, I feel a massive amount of energery welling up in the room, Pinkie! Rainbow, get away from i-" A massive light emerged from the statue. Myself and my five companions were lifted into the air. I felt magic surge within me. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room. Luna stepped back with her mouth open.
"The elements chose all six of you as individual bearers," Luna examined me. "The element you choose represents magic."
The rest of the girls stood up, a bit dazed but examined their new necklaces. I saw them mumbling and chatting amongst themselves. The gems in the middle of the gold necklaces looked exactly like their cutie marks.
"Have the elements done this before?" I asked Luna.
"No, the six were divided between myself and Celestia," Luna walked up to Fluttershy, "You represent kindness."
"Oh, I see, well that makes sense," Fluttershy quietly said.
"You, pink pony, that blue element is laughter."
"Does that make me the queen of laughter? No, no, no, president! No wait, doctor professor president of laughter!" Pinkie Pie began to laugh hysterically.
"I see what it chose you. Applejack you represent honesty."
"Well I'm not rightly sure what that means but ok," Applejack said picking up her hat with her mouth.
"Rarity that is generosity and the rainbow one has loyalty."
"Aw, yeah!" Rainbow Dash screamed.
"Such a gorgeous gemstone, I've never seen one shimmer like this. It must be at least 200 carats!" Rarity exclaimed. She began to giggle.
"Something is coming!" I yelled. I summoned all my magic and erected a shield around us. Fire engulfed the shield and I felt the heat radiate inside. I felt like I was boiling. I held my magic as long as I could before Princess Luna added her magic.
"Run for the door, I'll be right behind you!" Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon before lowering the shield and firing a massive blue beam tearing the room apart.
"Let's go!" Rainbow Dash yelled grabbing Fluttershy by the waist. We ran through narrow corridors back to the front entrance of the castle. Royal guards rushed the front door, rifles, and spears in hoof. Nightmare Moon fell through the roof above us, crashing into the gold throne.
Princess Celestia entered the room, her head slightly raised and wings fully extended, her face was not one of benevolence I knew. This was an entirely different Celestia.
"Twilight quick, use the elements to banish Nightmare Moon! She attacked me when I came to banish her myself but the elements didn't heed my call," Celestia approached me. I took a step back.
"Did you launch that fireball? The one that engulfed part of the palace?" I still felt winded from the shield and even then I couldn't do it alone.
"I did, but that was before I knew anypony was inside besides Nightmare Moon."
"Are you so ashamed you refuse to call me your sister?" Luna said, spitting blood from her mouth.
"You are not my sister... You are an abomination! You corrupted my sister and forced her to lead a rebellion against me."
"Rebellion," I questioned.
"Twilight now is not the time for a lesson. I promise I'll explain everything but right now you need to defeat Nightmare Moon!"
"You really did censor history," my voice began to break. Tears welled up in my eyes, "Everything Luna said was true. Wasn't it!?" I felt my magic surge, "You let all those ponies get murdered, you eliminated the Draconiquis race, you allowed corrupted aristocracy to do your job and killed ponies just because they asked you to."
"Twilight I promise I will explain everyth-" Celestia was cut off.
"No! Have I been serving evil this whole time? 1000 years ago the ponies called for democracy and you and your government brought them down with an iron fist."
"She lies Twilight, she engulfed my sister. Poisoned her mind, that republic drove their ponies into slave labor to keep up their war production and in my sister's provinces no less. I had to make them an example, I had no choice."
"There is always a choice sister. The ponies wanted self-governance. They wanted a system that wouldn't crush them under nobility. Sister, you never took the time to see the mass poverty your nobles put the ponies through. Not once did you take any of my suggestions to heart," Luna stood up and approached me. "Twilight I do not ask for you to swear fielty to me. I want you to run as far away from here as you can. I'll teleport you and your friends away."
"Wait, I still have more questions," I said, feeling tears roll down my cheek.
"You must go, I will send you all to the corners of Equestria, find your friends and bring peace to Equestria even if that means killing both of us."
"You corrupted my disciple, put countless ponies in danger, and undermine my sovereignty. Luna I swear I will defeat you and this time I will kill you," Celestia was engulfed in flames. Her features were adorned with gold armor. Her multicolor mane and tail turned to a raging inferno. Her head was adorned with a helmet with a red gem at the center flanked by phoenix feathers.
"You will try!" Luna's horn glow.
"No wait," I ran towards my friends "I promise I will find you, all of you. I'm so sorry."
"Twilight take this," Applejack threw towards me and I caught it with my magic. I held it in my hoof looking at it.
I looked back up to find myself in a massive desert surrounded by shifting sands. I was now alone...