Shattered Hope

by Rocky The Unicorn


Chapter 1: Three Thousand Years Later

She remembered it perfectly. Every single memory, and every single detail. It rushed over her, tears spilling out like an overflowing bathtub. She remembered Pinkie Pie’s delicious treats, each one so uniquely inspiring. Her snort when she laughed, and her pink bouncy hair, that moved side to side with every laugh.
She remembered Rainbow Dash’s amazing speed, and the trail of rainbow colors she left behind where she flew. The day she did the sonic rainboom was an incredible experience, and the day she joined the Wonderbolts was amazing too.
Rarity’s precise dresses, so fashionable and gorgeous were always such a delight to look at and wear. The display cases in Manehatten were magnificent. As you walked by the shop, all of the glistening wonders awaiting inside drew so many customers inside.
Applejack’s Zap Apple Jam and her apple treats were very memorable. She would always give her honest opinion when needed and looked out for her friends and family. She was a great friend to have.
Fluttershy’s melodic voice that drew in so many animals. Somehow, she was able to show kindness to everypony, even to Discord. She loved animals so much, and it was always so sweet watching her sit outside with them, tending to their every need.
It was incredible watching Starlight Glimmer's growth into becoming her own meticulous mare, stepping into the light. How she eventually grew to be forgiving and willing to learn. Starlight was an amazing pupil, and Twilight was so happy she was able to help her so much.
She could almost still hear their laughter and feel their presence. Pinkie’s snorts and Rarity’s meltdowns. They were faint but present.
She could still see it all. Her friends living their lives, while she couldn’t. She watched them grow old, and she stayed the same. The curse of being an immortal alicorn. You would have thought it was every ponies' dream. Twilight was alone, with no friends. She had Celestia and Luna, but that was it. Cadence had disappeared years ago in a war against Chrysalis, which had destroyed the empire. Even her brother had passed on during the war, which left her heart wrenched. The rest of Twilight's family was long gone and dead. Everypony she knew was gone it seemed. Even the sweet little cutie mark crusaders had moved on. Their determination no longer in this time period. It broke her heart.
The elements perished after the bearers all died off. Everyone was so sad to see them go, but only a few truly felt the agonizing distress she did. One pony in particular almost had worse if not just as much pain. Balance in Equestria was fading, and it was a time for new elements. What these elements were, no pony knew. Twilight knew she couldn't wait around waiting for a new age of harmony. She had to find the elements.
She knew the Tree of Harmony was sprouting new blossoms, which most likely meant new elements. She would have to visit the tree right away.
Twilight decided rather than have a fancy royal carriage take her, that she would fly there herself. her majestic wings sparkled as she soared over the Everfree forest. The castle of the Two Sisters was demolished, and barely anything remained. After 3000 years, it had deteriorated due to the erosion the structure was exposed to.
Twilight sat underneath the Tree of Harmony, it's rays of light glistening against her coat. Beautiful flowers were blooming, each one glistened with golden dust. They sprouted as six gems; orange, white, yellow, coral, green, and one magenta star. Twilight knew she was still the bearer of magic, but new elements had grown. They were in no shape, so she wasn’t quite sure how she would be able to find these ponies. All she knew, was that Equestria would depend on them. It could take a few days, or even years to find these bearers. She needed to get to it, but, maybe it was best for these bearers to seek the elements themselves. Patience was the key to success, and in this case, it was very mandatory for the sake of Equestria.
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The lavender unicorn trotted along the roads of Canterlot. It was the first day of exams to get into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Rocky had one shot to get this right. She wasn't as old or skilled as the other ponies. In fact, she was rather young. She had only gotten her cutie mark a few moons ago. A green star with the silhouettes of a microphone and music note. She was a star. She knew she had a purpose, and she wanted to show the world she could change it, and bring hope and happiness to all of the ponies of Equestria. Her one entrance exam determined her future. If she passed, she could live her dream. If not, she would be cast out and rejected. Her worst fear was rejection, and having those you love to turn against you.
Finally, Rocky arrived at the castle. her exam started in an hour, but she wanted to get there extra early, so that she would have plenty of time, and not be late, in case she got lost. The lavender unicorn accidentally stumbled upon a great hallway. Curious, she thought she would investigate. She did have a lot of extra time.
Rocky marveled at what she saw. All along the walls stood beautiful stain-glass masterpieces. The odd thing was, she only recognized some of the ponies. She saw Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Princess Twilight, but there were other figures too. Ponies she had to hear of but were not commonly mentioned. They had something to do with balance in Equestria, she thought.
"What are you doing in here?" A voice questioned.
Rocky turned around, frightened. There behind her stood
Princess Twilight.
"Sorry, Princess! I got lost on the way to the exam room. Would you kindly point the way?" Rocky casually said.
"They are down in the left wing of the castle."
"Thank you!" Rocky exclaimed, right before trotting off.
Twilight stood there a few moments. She looked up at the stain-glass. A spark glistened in her eye. She felt some sort of magical sense. That unicorn, there was something different about her. Something, special. Twilight knew she was getting closer to solving the problem with lack of harmony but was it possible that the answer had just found her? Twilight knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but that was just it. When the unicorn cantered by, she seemed to give her hope that everything would be ok and that in the end, everything would turn out fine. What was she thinking? She needed to rid this nonsense from her head.