Magicka Primordia

by MidnightConcerto

Chapter 1: A Skip In Time

“Come now Rainbow, you must remember more than that. The Primordia holds all of life and magic itself inside of it, and you're telling me all you can remember is that it was 'sort of green' and 'like a river'?”

Rainbow shook her head, the memories of the experience flashing in and out of her mind faster than she could comprehend. “It's like... I can remember, but I can't. I know it's all there, but it's also just out of reach. I really don't get it.”

Astral gave a sigh, sitting back in his chair. “I can't say I'm surprised, I suppose. Few ponies could possibly stare into the Primordia and stay sane, and fewer still understand what they were being shown. Certainly one like you.”

She struggled against the chains, causing the links to clank together loudly. “Hey, are you calling me dumb?!”

He held up a hoof to calm her. “Not at all, allow me to rephrase. When I say “one like you” I mean a pony that has little knowledge of the magical arts.” He took a sip of the wine in front of him. “No Rainbow, from what I've seen you are anything but dumb. If you were, this would all have been over by now.” He paused for a moment, looking across at her. “Still, it would have been nice to know what to expect when I look into the Primordia, but I suppose I'll just have to be surprised.”

The mare scoffed, her wings ruffling slightly. “What, and you think you're one of those 'special few' who are going to understand it?”

He shook his head. “I assume nothing, other than my mind will be strong enough to not break when I'm dipped in its essence. Besides, I don't have to understand the powers that are within, I merely have to use them.”

“Playing with a power you don't even understand... do you actually read at all? Cuz this cliché has been put to death by now, I think.” The pegasus sat back in her chair, wiggling a bit to get comfortable again.

He chuckled. “Perhaps so, but unlike most of your novels Rainbow I have done my research. I have spent the past decade looking, calculating, and handling every conceivable variable that might arise. I assure you, I am ready for this.” Refilling Dash's cup with water, he looked back up at her. “Now then, your arrival here; it must have been quite a shock, landing in Ponyville without realizing ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.”

She nodded, giving a sigh. “Tell me about it. One moment I'm there with Twilight casting her spell, and the next...”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Twilight? S-Spike? Scoots?”

Cracks and holes in the top of the tree let in enough sun to cast a pale light on the inside, just enough for Rainbow's sharp eyes to see. Other than the shape, the library she was looking at bore very little resemblance to the one she had just recently lost sight of: dust, grime, and webs covered every surface and corner, from floor to ceiling. The shelves that had stood full a moment before were now mostly barren, a few tattered and torn covers barely visible against the rest of the muck. The air felt completely stale, like nothing had shifted it in a very long time.

And most of all, she was utterly alone.

“T-Twilight, if t-this is some kind of prank, it's not funny!” Dash said, her voice slowly regaining its strength and volume. There was no sign of the purple Alicorn, nor were there any signs of Spike or Scootaloo in the main room. With shaky steps, she slowly made her way back towards the basement, stumbling as her hooves moved far slower than they should have. Once she cleared the doorway, she stopped and stared at the room below, jaw agape.

Without the holed roof to spare any light, Dash had to strain her eyes to make out much of the mess: pegasi naturally had some night-vision, which allowed her to see across half of the expanse. All of the tables and complicated machines were completely shattered, torn asunder with pieces left strewn all around the basement floor. Metal edges, still sharp from when they had been destroyed, sat covered in rust alongside a host of different colored wires, some of which still sparked with magical energy. Without any more sources of light to navigate the twisted and dangerous debris, the pegasus slowly backed up the stairs and to the main room.

A quick search of the rest of the tree house revealed the same decay in every room she passed through, though the kitchen had the added “benefit” of stale food in the cabinets to assault her nostrils and gag reflex. Taking a moment to regain herself, she slowly paced around the room.

“What the hay happened?” She asked herself, turning and pacing back the other direction. “I mean, her spell did something 'cause this mess sure wasn't here a second ago. But then where did she go? And Spike, and Scootaloo?” Pausing mid-stride, she looked around the room once more. “This amount of dirt... this takes months or even years to build up. And all that rust downstairs sure didn't happen overnight.” Glancing at the door, she gave a small nod. “Maybe somepony in town can help me figure this out.” Her course decided, she trotted to the front door.

Putting a hoof on it, she immediately realized that something was off about it. Peering at it closely, she noticed the door looked to be in a much better, newer shape than the rest of the house did. In fact, outside of a few thin layers of dust and some odd scratches all around it, the door itself looked like it was brand new. She idly traced along the patterns of marks, a tingle passing along her hoof as she followed them in loops and arcs. Reaching for the handle, she gave a soft tug: the door refused to move. Getting a better grip, she gave it a rather firm yank, the door popping open with a soft click. A blue flash in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she took a step back to search around for the source. After several moments and nothing coming to her attention, she slipped outside and shut the door behind her.

“Oh buck...” She swore softly.

Even from the little she could see, the town of Ponyville was completely in shambles. Several buildings had collapsed, leaving a scattering of support beams surrounded by the remains of what they once held aloft. Those that still stood were covered in ivy and other forms of vegetation. Stores that had once boasted lines out the door stood dark and silent, not even the familiar smell of sweets at Sugar Cube Corner was still present in the air. Several animals wandered through the streets, paying her little mind as they continued on their way.

Her hooves carried her forward without a thought, slowly pushing her deeper into the town beyond husk and ruin. Here and there she would pause for a moment, getting close to peer through the dirty and broken windows to houses and stores, but each time revealed nothing but emptiness. Her wings flared open partially, a defensive sign in most pegasi when they felt threatened. Every street and building that stood empty put her further on edge as she drew closer to the center of the town.

She rounded the corner, bringing the town hall into view. If there's going to be any clue of what's going on here, I bet it'll be in Mayor Mare's office, she reasoned. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to be looking for, but she figured she would know when she found it. As she began to close the distance, her sharp eyes noticed what looked like a large piece of parchment on the main door to the building. Picking up her pace to a soft trot, she closed the last of the path quickly, determined to know what was going on around here.

While in just as much disarray as the rest of Ponyville, the town hall did seem to have held up slightly better; though, they had reinforced it after a certain grey pegasus had destroyed a large portion of it accidentally. Most of the paint had been stripped away, and several of the beams would need replacing soon, but overall it still looked sturdy enough to not be a danger. Approaching the front door she saw that it was, in fact, a large piece of parchment that sat fixed upon it: nearly in perfect condition by the look of it. Wondering how it could have lasted so long, she leaned in and gave it a sniff, nodding as her nose caught the faint whiff of magic about it. Squinting slightly at the overly elaborate-cursive, she slowly read through the message.

With a rather divisive snort, Rainbow smacked a hoof against the page. “Well thanks, now I have more questions than answers! Stupid paper...” So preoccupied with the decree before her, she failed to hear the rustle in the bushes until it was too late.

Fwoosh

A heavy weight smacked into her from the side, knocking her over and entangling her. She started to struggle against the weighted net she suddenly found herself trapped inside, squirming and wriggling as she attempted to untangle herself and escape. The sound of claws against wood caused her to pause, and she craned her neck around to look at the pair of griffins now standing above her.

“Well well well, didn't actually think we'd find any trespassers today; haven't seen any in months.” One of them, a dark grey chick, said with a chuckle.

“Looks like our lucky day then, I'd say.” The other, a light brown tom, answered.

Dash started to struggle again, the weights at the ends of the net starting to shift. “What's the big idea, huh? Lemme outta here!”

The female shook her head. “You know the rules, pony: any of you that we catch in town get to have a personal chat with the Cap. Now, you gonna behave, or do we have to do this the hard way?”

The male sighed, rolling his eyes. “Did you really have to bring that cliché into this?” Lashing out with his paw, he gave Rainbow a powerful swipe against her head, sending her reeling and seeing stars. “Let's just get her to Talon and pick up our extra rations; I haven't had a decent meal this week with all the trouble over the Forest.” Rainbow felt the net shift, barely registering the ends being tied up tight before she was lifted into the air by the pair.

“You're telling me, Feather. If he cuts our food any further, we won't be eating at all.” They flew for a moment in silence. “And you better not let him catch you mentioning him without rank, or you'll be lucky if your food is all he takes from you.” The buildings passed lazily below them; through her stupor Dash thought she saw a flash of blue and silver, but she couldn't bring herself to focus on whatever it might have been.

Feather adjusted his half of the net, causing Dash to end up facing skyward. “Yeah, well he ain't here Glide, so I'm sure it'll be peachy.”

Still a bit disoriented, the captive pegasus wasn't quite sure how long they had flown for before they started to descend. When she felt grass against her back again, she started glancing around to catch her surroundings: if Daring Do had taught her anything, it was to always know where escape was. She could still see Ponyville in the distance, so they clearly hadn't gone too far. Turning and squirming, she gasped as she saw they had landed at the edge of Fluttershy's house. It actually looked like it had seen recent use judging by the smoldering fire nearby, which would explain why it appeared to be in much better shape than most of the town.

“Hey, watch it!” She yelled as they started dragging the net along the ground. She started to struggle again, but the net was far too tight now to escape.

“Oh hush, you ponies are so whiny.” Feather grumbled, pulling her over to the lone tree that adorned her yard. “If you think being dragged is bad, just wait until the Captain deals with you.” Once against the tree, the tom pulled out a long length of rope and tied pegasus and net firmly to the tree. Turning around, he called out to his companion. “How much longer we got?”

Glide looked up at the sky, her beak moving quietly for a moment as she scanned. “An hour, I'd say, before our relief shows up. Then we just drag her back to the main camp and get our perks.” With a quick beat of her wings she launched herself into the tree, sitting on one of the higher branches. “Until then, we keep a lookout as usual. We'll also have to tell bossman that the ward is going to need replacing on that library.”

The tom scoffed, leaning against the other side of the tree and out of Dash's vision. “She's the first thing we've seen all month, I ain't worried about any others showing up. But keep a lookout if you want, I'm gonna catch some shuteye.” Some indistinct grumbling came from above, and Rainbow was sure it was a complaint against her companion's habits. Soon enough, a light snoring was coming from the other side of the tree. With nothing better to do, the captive pegasus squirmed her way around until she was facing up at the female griffon, hoping to get a few answers.

“So, what the heck happened to the town? I remember it being a lot more... not broken.”

Glancing down, she cocked an eye at her. “Pony, this town's been like this for... three years now. When those crazy rebels started using it to hijack the train and supplies, we shut the place down and kicked them all out; any that didn't leave got tossed in jail.”

“Okay, but why? I can't imagine Celestia and Luna upsetting enough ponies to cause an actual rebellion; that kinda stuff only happens in books, or like a really really long time ago.”

With a bewildered look, the chick landed next to the net. “What do you mean, Celestia and Luna? They've been gone for nearly seven years now.”

Her mind fizzled at that, and she took several long moments to recollect herself. “What do you mean 'gone'? Like, left Equestria gone? Or...” Her voice trailed off, unable to voice the implications.

“Gone like, gone gone. I don't know how he did it, but Astral... banished them or something, I guess? He's never mentioned specifics, and none of us are crazy enough to ask.” Studying the mare for a moment, she squatted next to her. “Girl, what's your deal? Everyone from pony to minotaur knows what happened. You're either a very special kind of oblivious, or you've got a real interesting story to tell.”

Rainbow looked around, taking everything around her: so much the same, and yet all of it foreign and strange. With a quiet sigh, she looked back at her captor. “Let's just pretend I've missed out on a lot, and start at the beginning. Just who the heck is this 'Lord Astral'?”

With a snort, she turned and sat by the pegasus, leaning against the tree. “He runs this show now. Like I said, I'm not sure how he got rid of the Princesses, but they certainly aren't around anymore. Never really met the stallion, mostly just seen him in passing, but he's gotta be one heck of a unicorn to pull that off. He's up in Canterlot, same castle your two pony Princesses used to rule from. Couldn't tell you much about him, but he's got a rather griffin-sense of running things.”

Rainbow gave a small chuckle. “Tough but fair, huh? Rule with an iron claw, but offer a paw of friendship to those who have your back.”

With a clack of her beak, Glide gave Rainbow a small but playful shove. “Griffon friend, huh? Gotta say, I don't think I've ever met one of you ponies that could actually put up with us.”

With a laugh, Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, she was the one who couldn't put up with me.” Her face fell. “But she and I parted ways a while ago, Gilda and I. We had a fight and... well, you know how stubborn griffons are.”

“Yeah, that we are.” They were quiet for a moment, both simply staring out at the Everfree Forest. “So you don't know Astral, or about the town, or the Princesses... just who the heck are you?”

“Name's Rainbow Dash, not that it...”

The griffon bolted up, roughly pulling the pegasus up to look at her. “Your pulling my wing, right? You can't be the Rainbow Dash.” With an incredulous look, the mare simply gestured to her multicolored mane and tail. Staring her down for a moment, the griffon shook her head. “No, there's no way... that pony disappeared nearly a decade ago. Even Astral and all his magic can't figure out what happened to her.”

“Wait wait wait, back up a second.” Rainbow halted, spinning her fore-hooves around in a backpedal motion. “What do you mean a decade?”

Dropping her back to the ground, Glide sat down once more. “Like I said, that pony disappeared almost ten years ago; something about a spell gone wrong? I've never heard anything but whispers and rumors about it.”

Dash looked down at the ground. “Spell gone wrong? Sure Twi casted one of her weird magic spells, but that was barely half an hour ago! And it was only for ten... seconds...” Her voice trailed off as she thought about it, her mind trying to come to terms with what she was being told.

“Twi?” The griffon questioned. “Do you mean Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yeah, you know her?”

She let out a soft whistle, shaking her head. “Look, you're either pulling my wing, or a serious batch of crazy. Whatever the deal is, you are definitely way over my head to sort out. Cap will figure it out, and for your sake I hope you give it to him straight: I've seen him break a lot of ponies in my time here.”

“How long have you been here?” Dash asked. “Griffons don't usually have a standing army, so... mercenary?”

Wink. “Dead on. They couldn't keep enough of the Royal Guard to keep things running smoothly after he took power, so Astral dropped a bunch of the Canterlot Treasure on us griffons. Captain Talon is his right-hoof and runs us all, but a lot of our groups still have some independence; we get told where to be, but it's up to us how to run the show from there. Our little band runs watch on Ponyville, though really it's this section of the Everfree we're here for.”

Rainbow looked off at the Forest, still as intimidating as ever. “Still a lot of monster trouble?”

Head shake. “Nah, that's where most of those rebels have taken refuge. Place is too dense and wild for us to go in and dig them out, believe me we tried, so we just keep our eyes on it for when they come slinking out. It's usually pretty dull, but that just means easy pay for us.” They lapsed into silence again, the only sound the gentle snore of the male griffon behind them.

“Why are you telling me all this? Isn't it a bad idea for your captive to know so much?”

Glide gave a shrug. “None of this is a big secret... most ponies, rebel or not, know where the particular clans are stationed. And it's pretty obvious who's in charge of everything now.” She glanced over. “Besides, you clearly aren't a rebel, so I'm honestly not sure what to make of you.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know I'm not one of those rebels just trying to get some information from you?”

Getting up, the griffon started to stretch herself out a bit. “Cuz the questions you're asking are far too simple to be of any use, and every rebel we've captured so far has been much more... vulgar, about us.” She gave a wry chuckle. “Though you'd at think they'd eventually come up with an insult more original than 'feather-brain'. Seriously, the last stallion we caught...”

She was interrupted by a large, powerful roar echoing out of the Everfree, loud enough to wake the sleeping male behind them. Springing around the tree, he stood up straight and peered outward. “What was that? Sounded huge.” As the roar echoed again, Rainbow's ear perked up, recognizing the sound.

“Uh, we should go.” She said. “Cuz, if I remember that sound right, iiiiiit's an Ursa, and it's definitely angry.”

Feather scoffed. “Please, there hasn't been an Ursa seen around here in ages. The odds of that happening...”

A large, constellation-filled blue bear came tearing out of the woods.

“... are apparently rather good.” With a quick flap of his wings, the griffon took to the air.

“Oi, where are you going? We have her to take!” Glide called up at him.

The tom turned, shaking his head. “Leave her, I'm not about to risk a tangle with an Ursa just for some stupid pony. We can come back if there's anything left.” With that, he darted off. Glancing between her retreating companion and Rainbow, the chick took to the air.

“Hey! Hey, you can't just leave me!” Dash cried out, struggling.

She paused and turned. “It's an Ursa, they usually only chase after moving targets. If you shut up and lay still, it's not going to notice you. Those monsters never come near this cottage anyway, it's why we keep watch from here.” With a powerful flap she shot off, quickly overtaking her partner as they flew off.

Rainbow continued to struggle against the net as the Ursa drew closer, letting loose another loud roar in her direction. “Buckbuckbuckbuck!” She swore, desperately wiggling and shifting. “How the hay does Daring ever break out of these things?” The bear now at the edge of the property, the pegasus froze solid and tried to control her breathing. She said if I stayed still, I'd be okay... oh please Celestia tell me she was right. The giant creature froze as it stepped onto the lawn, not even moving its head as it stared right at the bundled mare.

Then it shimmered, disappearing into midair.

“I suppose my illusions have improved since you last saw me, Rainbow Dash. They're even more great and powerful than before!” Flipping over, Rainbow looked up at the unicorn now sitting beside her.

“T-Trixie!?” She said incredulously.

With a chuckle, her horn began to glow a soft blue as it began to free Dash from the net, artfully untangling the weights from around each other and slipping it off from around one of her forelegs. “I'm glad you haven't forgotten my name, even after all these years. Truly, my name lives in infamy.”

“Infamy is right...” She grumbled, shaking herself loose of the net. “Look, I'd ask what you're doing here, but to be honest you're the most normal thing I've seen so far, and that really is something.” Standing up, she gave Trixie a solid look up and down.

It was definitely the same unicorn that had embarrassed her and her friends, there was no doubt about it; but she was a far cry from the petite thing from when Rainbow had last seen her. She looked much more fit, the lean look giving her the appearance more akin to explorer than scholar. Her mane had been cut fairly short, giving her a rather tomboyish look that Dash had to, grudgingly, admit looked rather good for her. Glancing along her body, the pegasus noted the number of small scars that littered her sides and back, wincing as her eyes passed over one or two particularly nasty looking ones. Despite everything, the blue unicorn still had that cocky grin on her muzzle, radiating her usual aura of confidence and swagger.

“Much as I would love to stay and play catch-up with you, Rainbow Dash, those griffons won't be gone for very long: the Skybreakers are rather intelligent, for mercenaries at least.” Turning around, she motioned to the forest. “I'd suggest coming along with me, there's a lot of questions we're going to have for you.”

“Yeah, I've got like a million questions too!” Dash declared. “And who is 'we'? Even you didn't refer to yourself that way before.”

Trixie chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, I'm a far cry from how I was when we last met, Rainbow. But seriously, we should go. My illusions may be the best now, but they're still just illusions.” Setting off at a brisk trot, the unicorn headed for the Everfree, pegasus in tow behind her. As they crossed into the woods, Trixie turned to shoot her a glance. “So, do tell where you've been hiding all this time. Ponies have been trying to find you practically forever.”

She shrugged, ducking under a rather low branch. “I didn't go anywhere! At least, I don't think I did. All I remember is Twilight casting her spell, and now everything is all freaky and different. The griffon was talking about Celestia being gone, and some guy named Astral...”

Trixie stopped, turning around. “Wait, the last thing you remember is Twilight casting her time spell, and then you were here?” A nod, making Trixie furrow her brow. “Rainbow... she casted that spell nearly a decade ago.”

The pegasus shook her head. “No way, she said it was going to be ten seconds. Seconds, not years.”

The unicorn gave a small chuckle, turning back and continuing to lead the way. “Yes, because Sparkle's spells always go off as intended.” She quipped.

Hopping over a fallen log, she shook her head. “Look, it doesn't matter. Can you just explain what's going on? And why everything is so different? Even if I was gone ten years, what could have possibly happened?”

The unicorn paused at the sound of a snapping twig and a low growl, crouching low to the ground with Dash doing the same. Putting a hoof to her lips she whispered “Look, a lot happened, and I promise that we'll explain everything we can to you. But you have to be quiet from here: we may live in the Everfree now, but not even all of our efforts can control the forest and the creatures that live inside. Keep your head down, and let's get to camp in one piece.” Biting back a retort, the mare simply nodded. The two ponies crouched slightly and continued forward, moving as quietly as they could deeper into the trees.

Despite several trips into the Everfree, Rainbow had never really found any noticeable landmarks to lead her anywhere. Sure there was the old castle, and Zecora had her hut, but everything else was just trees and more trees. How Trixie knew where they were going, she had no idea; but without a better idea, or anypony more familiar to her around, Dash figured it was in her best interest to follow. They hopped logs, skirted some rather nasty-looking purple plants that appeared to have ensnared a hapless timberwolf, and carefully hopped over a ravine with a rather angry cragadile smashing away at a boulder. A deep, throaty howl from some distance away caused Rainbow to shiver: whatever had made it sounded much larger than even the Ursa Minor.

About an hour had passed, by Rainbow's reckoning, before Trixie finally stood up straight again. “We're nearly at the camp now, we should be safe the rest of the way.”

“Finally!” Dash exclaimed, giving a little hop over the next fallen tree. “Can I finally get some answers now?”

Trixie thought for a moment, before giving a nod. “I'll give you the short version while we finish the trek; I know our commander is going to be most ecstatic to see you again, and I'd hate to take away from her embellished story telling.”

The pegasus let out a snort. “Embellished story telling, huh? Didn't realize you'd let another pony muscle in on your turf.” She gave the unicorn a playful nudge with her shoulder.

With a soft chuckle, Trixie nudged back. “Like I said, I'm a very different pony than we last met; though I do admit to being jealous she took my spot. I am still a showmare at heart, after all.” With a deep breath, she skirted around a thorn bush and began. “So, the important things.”

“After you disappeared, Twilight grew frantic trying to find a way to bring you back. She didn't know what she had done, but obviously you were gone so something had gone amiss. Astral showed up in Ponyville around that time, and she took a liking to him: he was intelligent, well-read, and most importantly, was more than eager to help her research the magic she had been toying with. At some point during their work, Celestia called upon them and asked them to stop toying with the Primordia, saying they didn't understand the power they were playing with. Desperate to get you back, and with some prodding from Astral, they continued their work in secret. I was never privy to their research, but I know that Astral found a way to use it to deal with the other Princesses.”

“Deal with like...” Rainbow made a slicing motion along her neck.

The unicorn shrugged. “No pony really knows what went on in that throne room, or what happened between Astral and your other five friends shortly after. All we know is that they all disappeared, and he's been running the show ever since. He uses the treasury to continue funding his research, and to pay the griffons to keep things under control. Most ponies don't seem to mind his rule, as he hasn't exactly changed much. But those of us that know what he's digging into have been trying to put a stop to him for years now.”

Rainbow saw a clearing up ahead, not too far off. “So, what is he after? What's this Astral want?”

“Power.” Trixie said simply. “He's planning on finding a way to harness the Primordia and all the raw magic inside for himself. He claims he's only going to use it 'to keep us all safe' and 'only for what needs to be done', but obviously it's just a power grab. Thus far he has, obviously, been rather unsuccessful. But our informants tell us he's starting to get close to a breakthrough, so we're rather worried.” As they made it to the clearing, the unicorn gave a wave of her hoof and exclaimed:

“Welcome to Camp Crusader.”

Dash gave a soft whistle as she looked over the clearing. Despite its relatively small size, there were nearly three score tents and small huts built inside of it. They were all rather plain, but many were adorned with one or two small trinkets and markings, probably to show who stayed there. Her ears flicked as she caught the ripple of a stream, probably from the far side of the camp judging by the sound of it. Even with the lack of space, all sorts of creatures were milling about in the pathways between structures: mostly ponies, but she spotted a few griffons, even a minotaur or two among their numbers. A few small campfires littered the area, cooking pots steaming happily above their heat.

As the pair walked through the camp, all conversation stopped and eyes turned to stare as they passed by. Whispers began to abound, and while she didn't catch more than a few fleeting words of each, she knew it was about them. Glancing around, she saw a few ponies she actually recognized here and there, mostly with their jaws hanging open as they made eye contact with her. As they neared the center of camp, and a particularly large tent, the pegasus caught sight of a certain zebra hanging outside.

“It turns out the omens were correct! Rainbow Dash, our paths once again intersect!”

With a chuckle, Rainbow flicked her mane back over her shoulder. “Hey there Zecora, good to see a friendly face.” She said, earning a grumbled “Thanks...” from the unicorn beside her.

The zebra was definitely very much the same as she ever was, from mane down to tail. She bore a few scars of her own, though none seemed nearly as bad as Trixie's did. With a sad smile, Zecora shook her two-toned mane. “While I wish it were pleasing, seeing you here is rather uneasing. For now that you have come back you will cause a commotion, and I fear Astral's plans may finally be put in motion.” Looking back up, the Zebra gave a gentle wave. “But fret not for the events that have yet to run, for the spirits may be wrong and their future undone.”

Dash tilted her head. “Say what?”

Trixie gave a quiet sigh. “Zecora has been using her zebra magic to try and foretell the future, which we all know is impossible to do. But she's been under the illusion that the 'return of a pony from decade before' would be what Astral needs to finish cracking open the Primordia. Of course, it's all just speculation.”

“Do not, the spirits, underestimate. For once you realize the truth it may be too late.” The zebra warned.

“Yes, and last month you told me I would break my leg chasing after a chicken, which is ridiculous as Trixie... I mean, I would never stoop to chasing after a chicken.”

“And it is very well that you do not.” Zecora said with a smile. “For it is not often that the bones I cast are wrong in their lot.” Her gaze returned to the pegasus. “All the same, it is nice to see you again Rainbow my dear, you are certainly a ray of hope among all this fear. Come inside and take a seat, I know a pony that you will be happy to meet.”

Rainbow gave the zebra a hug, which was returned a bit uncomfortably. “Well now I know how you stayed safe in the forest... nopony knows this place like Zecora!”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, she's been a huge help in keeping the forest at bay, though it's also been less... temperamental, since we took refuge in here from Astral.” Nodding towards the tent, her horn lit up as she moved the flap. “Now, I think it's time you met the pony in charge.” The three figures moved inside, away from the slowly growing crowd that had gathered around them.

Rainbow traced her eyes around the interior, soaking in the details. A large table consumed most of the open space, covered in a map of Ponyville, the Everfree, and Canterlot itself, along with the lands in-between. Various flags of blue, black, and red littered the surface, with a rhyme and reason that Dash couldn't figure out. Several other rolled pieces of parchments sat around the table as well, some appearing to be maps and others covered top to bottom in scrawls of ink. The back portion of the tent was covered off, some faint grumblings coming from behind it. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but even straining her ears she couldn't quite place it.

“Stupid crossbow, I've already oiled you today, quit being such a jerk.” A soft twang, followed by a curse, sounded out. “And now I need a new string...”

Trixie cleared her throat politely. “We've brought a guest, ma'am. I think you'll be eager to see her.” Some faint clanking came from behind the cover, and another curse. Rainbow continued to look at the back as she leaned over.

“So who'd you get in charge? Spitfire? Shining Armor?” She inquired.

“That voice...” Another muffled curse, and what sounded like a chair falling over, before the curtain was thrust aside. “R-Rainbow?” She asked cautiously.

Her head tilted in confusion for a moment, her mind failing to catch gear as she took in the pony now before her. Her eyes slowly widened as the mare clicked into place, one piece at a time: pegasus, purple eyes, orange coat, purple mane....

“S-Scootaloo!?”