//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Shackles and Friendship // by Zaibatsu //------------------------------// Shackles and Friendship Prologue Dear Princess Celestia, As you have requested, I have focused all my efforts in determining the cause behind this...bleeding of magic. Unfortunately, as time goes on it has become increasingly difficult for me to remain efficient, the simple task of holding up a book with magic quickly becomes exhausting. Other unicorns like Rarity have also started to feel similar effects. Going about daily life has become quite difficult for her. She, along with many others, have grown increasingly fearful. The same could be said about other ponies. Rainbow Dash and other pegasi are finding it more difficult to control and manipulate the weather. The number of rogue weather clouds in the last week alone nearly doubled the past two months. But most of all they’re just as frightened as everypony else. Rainbow Dash told me that flying tires her out much more quickly with each passing day while she takes longer to recover. So far the mayor’s efforts have been successful in quelling the panic. She has also recommended that Cloudsdale be lowered closer to the ground as a safety measure, in the event that the whole place breaks apart. If this magical bleed is not stopped soon, I fear that is exactly what will happen. At first I believed the earth ponies were the least affected, but unfortunately I was wrong. The Apple family has informed me that they’ve become weaker all around. They are now unable to maintain the whole farm by themselves, though Applejack certainly gave it her all. Finally the final proof comes from Pinky Pie, earlier today I caught sight of her trotting. Trotting! No skipping, no singing, no hopping. Just, trotting. I fear that earth ponies are slowly losing their natural vitality and endurance. What will happen if this phenomenon start to affect their affinity in flora? If it does, how is our food storage? What will happen to us unicorns who rely solely on magic? Magic makes us special! Imagine the chaos if we lose control of the weather and- I apologize Your Highness, I did not mean to lose focus. Fortunately, despite the many problems and distractions, I have been made some progress in uncovering something. By comparing how each city and town have been affected, I hoped to find some differences or irregularity that could point to an origin, and I did. If my calculations are correct, Ponyville is losing much more magic than any other place this phenomenon have affected. Which strongly suggests that we are closest to the cause. Alongside the mayor, I've coordinated search teams around town and beyond but to no avail. They found nothing that had any connection let alone explain why we’re losing magic. So I went back to the data, hoping that I might have missed something. With Spike’s help (actually it was he who noticed it first, as he is now bragging), I noticed the phenomenon radiates outwards, like a ripple when you throw a rock into a pond. With this new understanding, Spike and I have managed to calculate what I believe to be an origin point. The Everfree Forest. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and myself are preparing to travel there as soon as possible. The origin is deeper than any of us have ever travelled, but should still be reachable in a day or two. Although I planned on bringing Spike in order to keep Your Highness update in our progress, I believe he is still too young for the journey. Which is why I will use a beacon spell, the same one you taught me, in order for you to locate and teleport once we’ve reached our destination. Hopefully we will find the reason behind this. Based on my calculations, the rate at which magic is bleeding grows with each passing day. We are quickly running out of time. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle P.S - I had to right this report several times as Spike kept burning them when he tried to send it. He’s losing magic as well. All the more reason to leave him behind.