//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Realms Undreamed Of // by Ardashir //------------------------------// Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria… Prologue Princess Twilight Sparkle dove onto the landing platform of the Sun Palace and the group of armored ponies standing there. She barely noticed them. Canterlot spread out beneath her, a city of faience and ivory and gold, with most of the damage done by the usurper’s not brief enough reign already repaired. The assembled ponies, pegasus Royal Day Guards changing watches for the Canterlot air patrols, whinnied and scattered at the sight of the Equestria’s newest princess in such a hurry. “Sorry! Sorry, everypony!” the purple Alicorn Minor raced through their midst, ears pinned and neck outstretched. She panted the words out, and they could smell the sweat from her hurried flight. “In! A hurry! Got to reach! The Princesses!” “Highness!” One of them, an old scarred veteran with a gray coat, called. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He hesitated, and said, “It’s, it’s not Tirek again, is it?” “Huh? No, not him! Much more important!” The words echoed back to them along the passage as Twilight raced down it, vanishing around a turn. The assembled Guardsponies looked after her. “More important than Tirek…?” “Captain,” a lean young one said, a fledgling by the sheen of her armor and the eager gleam in her eyes, “Should we accompany her highness?” “Accompany her?” Captain Long Spear just snorted. “Whatever she’s racing off for, if it’s more important than the monster that almost destroyed Equestria single-handed, it’s got to be something big. “ He took to the air, followed by the new patrol. “Much bigger than us, right now.” The Day Guards took wing, wondering just what sort of disaster might be hovering over their city and homeland this time. # # # Twilight raced through the Sun Palace, her heart hammering. Ponies scattered from her path, their eyes rolling and ears down in shock. Some yelled after her, demanding either apologies or explanations. Others cut right to the chase and ran to hide, on the basis that whatever frightened the Conqueror of Tirek so badly, it was something that wanted no part of. Sweat streaked her sides and she panted for air. Not as much as she once would have, as a unicorn or even when first turned alicorn, but she still lacked the full strength that Celestia and Luna possessed and that she would one day know. But even so, from the moment the message first reached her via Spike and sent her flying out over Ponyville and the countryside, taking just enough time to tell him to warn her friends, she’d pushed herself to the limit. Can it really be true? Twilight warned herself against too much hope, despite what Luna’s message said, and what she hoped for. She barely heard her hooves clattering over the inlaid floor. Can she have really found – him? Galloping through an alicorn-sized portal, she entered the Hall of Windows. Unlike much of the palace this was big enough for her to use her wings, so she did. Ponies pointed and neighed in surprise to see the savior of the realm flying by. Twilight preferred they would have looked at the windows. Even in her rush she glanced at a few as they passed by: Celestia defeating the seven great dragons, her and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon, the latest one of her and her friends against Tirek, and the two that never seemed to get finished, of a human with a silver-strung guitar and then that same human and the Element Bearers, them zapping a Nightstallion while he held off the undead ponies seeking to stop them. Twilight fought down a small shiver as she passed it. She’d fought and beaten far worse than Thorn since then, but she’d never come that close to dying again. She hoped she never did, either. Then past that and dropping to the carpeted floor as she raced into private quarters, set aside for high court officials with no homes or family close enough to dwell with them, the rare ambassador or royal guest, and of course the Princesses themselves. None of the servants here abased themselves. They were too used to seeing the Sun and Moon Incarnate to be impressed by any lesser alicorn. Twilight looked ahead to see two thestrals of the Night Guard, bat-ponies in dark purple and blue barding, set themselves between her and the silver-inlaid ebony door she raced for. “Halt! You may not pass! Her Nightjesty awaits a special guest! Oh, it’s you, Princess Twi – HAY!” The flash of teleportation magic surrounded them and the two Night Guards reappeared several lengths off to the side. Which unfortunately set them right atop another pair of palace servants, a pair of the blond-maned white Earth pony mares who’d attended her at her coronation. Confused whinnies filed the air. “Sorry, sorry!” Twi caught a glimpse of a helmet atop a blond mane, with four sets of confused eyes looking at her. “No time! Very important business! Must see Luna immediately!” She reached out and her magic thrust the heavy doors open, before swinging them shut behind her. The hollow boom seemed muffled, maybe by the thick Saddle Arabian carpet underhoof, worked with designs in their language that praised the moon and beauty of the night sky. Or maybe by the thick dark blue and purple curtains that hung ceiling to floor, somehow shutting out even more of the early afternoon light than they should have, filling the room with darkness. “Princess Luna?” Twilight trotted forward, feeling her hooves sink into the plush carpeting. She could just make out the symbols against the walls, ones used in astronomy for generations to represent the planets and stars. And of course the moon itself. Twi steered for a large desk in the center of the chamber. “Princess Luna? Is, is it true?” Darkness waited around and behind the desk. Slowly two bright blue eyes appeared in it, lit from within, looking at her from behind that desk. Twi slowly became aware of the faint crackling sound, akin to that made by Celestia’s mane. Small sparks of light appeared near those eyes, seeming to drift slowly through some tiny nebula. “Is what true, Twilight Sparkle?” the Alicorn Major of Night spoke again. The sternness in her voice melted into amusement. “It seems true that you have terrified the poor palace staff.” “I’m sorry,” Twilight lowered her head. She took a moment to catch her breath and control herself. Then she looked up and straight into the eyes of she who was once Nightmare Moon to ask her question: “Princess Luna,” she used the most formal High Equestrian speech she knew, “Is it true? Have you found John the Balladeer?”