Kingdom of Heaven and Earth
Chapter 3: Start of a journey
“Did you see that battle, o sister of mine?”
“Yes, I saw that battle, o brother of mine!”
Two voices whispered in the night that was almost ending. The rain clouds had parted a long time ago, and what was left was the empty sky of twinkling stars, awaiting the arrival of the sun. In that cold warmth of the dawn, two small figures ran around the town square of Ponyville, occasionally bumping into each other and giggling like mad.
They looked like nothing more than two fillies, both male and female. The female had an odd-looking coat with triangular patches of multiple colors all over it, and her mane had a similarly odd coloring. Even her eyes were strange, the left being gold in color, and the right being purple. But her brother was not better. His coat was full of circular patches that seemed to have all the possible colors in it, as did his mane. His eye-colors were switched around, what with his right eye being gold, while the left one was purple. These two fillies were strange reflections of each other.
“We must report this to the Princess at once, o brother of mine! Or she’ll say: ‘Off with Arlecchino’s head’!” the female filly piped up and did a cartwheel for no apparent reason.
“Yes, report this to the Princess, we must, o sister of mine! Or she’ll say: ‘Off with Trivelino’s head’!” the male chimed in, and circled around his sister while walking on only his front legs.
These two, Arlecchino and Trivelino, continued their odd ritual of performing acrobatic feats that should have been pretty much impossible for ponies.They threw cartwheels, somersaulted in the air and even walked on just their hind legs. All the while they kept laughing and giggling, like two real fillies. But no filly would have been out in the dark like they were, or would have talked about the subjects they did.
“Looks like Marecedonia is finally on the move, o brother of mine! Their assassin fought with Twilight Sparkle!” Arlecchino faked a gasp.
“Yes, Marecedonia is finally on the move, o sister of mine! Their assassin battled with Twilight Sparkle!” Trivelino parroted and made a cutting motion across his throat.
Suddenly, the sister of the duo halted her movements and pointed towards the hospital that loomed in the distance. A few hours before, a group of ponies had dragged two of their friends there, all while the two fillies had been watching. Now, as she looked at the hospital building, the filly with triangular, colorful patches for a coat smiled excitedly.
“You saw what happened to the Element of Magic did you not, o brother of mine?” Arlecchino giggled. “I wonder how Princess Celestia will react? I’m sure our Princess will laugh her sides sore, o brother of mine!”
“I saw what happened to the Element of Magic, o sister of mine!” Trivelino answered while jumping up and down. “Who knows how Princess Celestia will react. I’m sure our Princess will laugh until her stomach hurts, o sister of mine!”
“Enough dallying!”
This time, both fillies spoke at the same time, pointing at each other with their front leg. Grin spread to their faces like they had been mirrors, and together they did a cartwheel and pointed towards south, into the horizon beyond borders of Equestria.
“We should go, Trivelino!” the sister filly said.
“Then we will go, Arlecchino!” the brother filly answered.
And so, the two strange ponies disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a trail of laughter that echoed in exactly similar way as their speech had. In just a few seconds, the town square was silent again, and there was no sign of the two harlequins that had danced under the moon.
****
It was the continuous, slow-paced beeping sound that eventually woke up Twilight Sparkle. Her eyes, slowly, fluttered open. The first thing they saw was the cold, white ceiling of the hospital room she had been admitted into. For a moment, the only thing she could do was to stare at that ceiling. The sun shone from the outside, and the rays of light were filtered into the room through white curtains, creating a dance of shadows on the floor. Birds sang close-by, perhaps in the tree right next to the window. And further away, Twilight could hear the hustle and bustle of Ponyville itself. However, even those sounds of happiness did not cause any reaction in her. While it seemed that there was nothing wrong with her body per se, just some ache, her mind was in far bigger mess.
She had only the slightest recollection of what had happened in the night before. She remembered her house being attacked by some strange animals and being confronted by a stallion she had never seen before. She even remembered how her friends had come for her rescue. But after that, things became blurry. She knew she had seen something that had made her feel emotions she had never felt before.
“Just… what happened?” Twilight whispered to herself, trying to wrack her brains.
“Yer awake, sugarcube?” a familiar voice suddenly called out for the unicorn. There, on the side of her bed, sat Applejack, with a relieved smile now spreading to her face. “Ya sure took yer time to sleep, didn’t ya? Well, it’s good to see that ya have still kick in ya.”
“Ah, good morning, Applejack. I guess I overslept a little,” Twilight laughed sheepishly. “What time is it?”
“Hun, ya slept for two whole days. That’s a bit more than ‘overslept’, Ah say,” Applejack chuckled. “Today, though, it’s a bit past noon. Yer just in time for supper.”
As if they had been the magic words, the door to the room opened just as Applejack had finished talking. In barged four ponies and one baby dragon, most of them carrying some sort of snacks with them. Twilight could imagine that her friends took turns in watching over her, as that was the only logical explanation. However, any logic was thrown out of the window when the four ponies saw her sitting there on the bed, awake. They rushed to Twilight’s side, and before the purple unicorn could even prepare for it, she had been caught in the biggest group-hug she had experienced.
“Twilight! You’re awake!” Rainbow Dash shouted cheerfully.
“It was about time you got up, darling.” Rarity’s mouth was in a big smile, but her eyes were watering up.
“Oh thank goodness,” Fluttershy muttered as she buried her snout into Twilight’s mane.
“Yay! This calls for a party! …After Twilight’s fully recovered, that is,” Pinkie Pie cheered and winked at her purple-coated friend.
Laughter filled the room now that the friends were reunited once more. The only one who didn’t join the laughter was Spike, and that was because he was too busy hugging Twilight as tightly as he could. Even the center of the attention herself was getting teary-eyed because of the feelings of her friends that were reaching across to her. It was one thing to know you had friends, but experiences like these made it all that more special.
“A’ight, a’ight, break it up, girls,” Applejack finally said and forced everypony to give some room to the patient. “We don’t want her to suffocate.”
“Thanks girls. I really mean it,” Twilight said with a smile. “Now, could somepony fill me in just what transpired during that night? I have some hazy memories, but that’s it. I can’t even remember what… what…”
Something stung inside of Twilight’s head. An image burned into her memory struggled to surface, like an animal trying to break free from a hunter’s trap. Finally the memory ripped itself away from the clutches of the black void, and threw itself against Twilight’s mind. She saw it. She saw it all. The blood that stained the rain-soaked, muddy ground. The body of a colt that she loved so dearly. The sneering face of the stallion who had been to blame.
“Shining Armor!” Twilight nearly jumped out of the bed, but was stopped by Applejack. “Is he alright? Did he survive!?”
“Hold yer horses, sugarcube. Yer brother’s doin’ fine,” Applejack reassured her. “The doctors said he’ll need a mighty long rest, and he’ll probably be out longer than ya will. But he’ll survive.”
Twilight’s fear and panic subsided in an instant. The raging of her heart calmed down, leaving nothing but a tranquil, clear surface behind. She exhaled and fell back to the bed, allowing her body to finally relax. The worst-case scenario had been avoided. Even though it had been close, her brother had survived.
“So, the only one who suffered any damage was my house, right?” Twilight asked. “Guess that’s pretty good, considering we were attacked by a bloodthirsty water-unicorn.”
“About that,” Rarity said with oddly stiff tone and levitated a mirror from the nearby table. “I think that it is best that you will see this for yourself.”
The mirror was brought right in front of her, so that Twilight could see her face. And what she saw stole all the words from her mouth. It was not her slightly bruised face. It was not the mess that had used to be her mane. It was the broken stump that had been her horn. Her beautiful horn, a mark of her status as a unicorn, the tool which she used to wield her magic. It was gone, all gone.
“My… my horn…” The words that came out of Twilight’s lips were simply a whimper.
“The doctors said that it was the magic of the colt that cut your horn,” Rarity continued. “The damage itself is permanent, but… although they have no skills to do it here in Ponyville, great healer-unicorns of countries like Prance would be able to recreate your horn.”
Twilight barely heard her friend’s words. The shock had yet to wear off. The one thing she had always been proud of, her magical ability and capability, had been snatched away just like that. Or rather, the tool which she used shape her latent powers into something elegant was now gone. What remained was raw power, but there was no finesse to it. She might have had the knowledge, but no way to use it.
“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash apologized. “If we had gotten there sooner…”
The downcast pegasus could not find any words to continue with, and instead opted to hit the floor angrily with her hoof, muttering about what she would do to the mysterious stallion if she got her hooves on him. However, in the gloom, Pinkie Pie was the only one who did not fall into the somber silence. Instead, she rubbed Twilight’s mane and flashed a smile for her.
“Don’t look so down, silly! You didn’t lose anything. Like Rarity said, it can be fixed!” She cheerfully said. “And while you wait, you can think of this as challenge. You can be the first non-horned pony to use magic!”
There was a shocked silence between the friends, and, to the surprise of everypony, it was broken by Twilight herself, who started giggling.
“Not a bad idea, Pinkie,” she said and smiled. “Like you said, I can get this fixed. And while I wait, I should try to make the best out of the situation I’m in.”
The friends burst into laughter that seemed to free all of them from the previous anxiety. Sure, Twilight hadn’t yet completely gotten over by the fact that she had lost her horn. However, she understood what Pinkie tried to say. She shouldn’t be sad over something she had no control over. There was still hope, and while there was hope, there was no reason to be depressed. Whatever would come, she would have to stand tall and smile. And that was why, no matter how much it hurt the muscles of her face, she forced her lips into a smile and produced the sound of laughter from inside her.
For the sake of her friends.
“I don’t want to ruin this moment, but Twilight, could I ask you something?” Spike, having wiped away his tears in secret, suddenly spoke up.
“Sure, go ahead, Spike.”
“Well, I’m not sure about you girls, but did the meeting between Shining Armor and that colt… Cleitus the Black, was it? Anyways, did their confrontation seem a bit odd to anypony?” Spike asked with a bit concerned face.
The ponies started thinking back to the moment when Twilight’s older brother had arrived to save them. They all remembered the barrier, how Shining Armor had switched the attention of the stallion to himself, and how the two of them had agreed to finish the fight outside of town. And, one-by-one, the ponies started to realize the same thing. It had not been that obvious during that exact moment, but looking back at it, it was definitely weird.
“Wait a minute,” Dash said. “That colt wasn’t the type to listen to anypony. Then why’d he suddenly agree to Shining Armor’s suggestion?”
“That was indeed weird. He was very barbaric when we first fought with him,” Rarity continued. “But when Twilight’s brother arrived, he started behaving very differently. It was almost respectful, when you think about it. Could it be that your brother knows that brutish stallion from somewhere, Twilight? It would make sense.”
“Yeah. Seems like a bunch of rottin’ apples, if ya look at it now,” Applejack concluded.
“Bingo. The moment Shining Armor appeared, this colt named Cleitus suddenly started acting in a vastly different manner.” Spike nodded. “Well, while Twilight was resting here in the hospital and I was fixing up the library, I came across this book.”
As he talked, the young dragon took out a heavy-looking book with thick leather covers, and laid it to the side of the bed. The ponies gathered curiously around the book, waiting for him to open it. Even Twilight herself was unsure as to what the book held inside of it. She had vague impression of seeing it once or twice, but she had no idea of the contents.
“What is that, Spike?” Fluttershy asked as she peeked over the dragon’s shoulder.
“It’s a photo album. Sorry, Twilight, I guess this was part of your personal stuff, but since the library was a mess, I happened to find it,” Spike explained and opened the album. “These pictures seemed like something collected by Twilight’s parents and then herself when she got a bit older. However, there was one picture that really got my attention.”
“Photo album? I had completely forgotten the thing,” Twilight said. “I was so wrapped up in my studying of the magic of friendship after I arrived to Ponyville, that I never took that album off the shelf.”
Finally, Spike found what he was looking for. He stopped on one page and pointed at a single picture in the upper-right corner with his claw. The ponies leaned closer to see what the picture was about. And to their surprise, it was a picture of Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor, as a younger colt. He was wearing a normal soldier’s armor and equipment, but not the type used by the royal guard. Not only that, but the background looked like some sort of fort with mountains towering in the distance.
But the most surprising thing was the stallion with Shining Armor. In the picture, with his front leg around the other colt’s neck like they had been great friends, stood Cleitus the Black. He looked younger, just like Twilight’s brother, and his grin was devoid of all the malice he had showed when he attacked Ponyville. If she didn’t know any better, Twilight would have probably guessed that it was Shining Armor’s friend in the army. Or perhaps not, since Shining wore an armor that was very different from the one the other stallion wore. The armor resembled the one Cleitus had been wearing on the fateful night.
And under the picture, there was some writing:
To Twilie: Your brother’s making some foreign friends here in Fort Stronghoof!
“Fort Stronghoof?” Dash asked, looking somewhat confused.
“Oh, I know, I know!” Pinkie Pie piped up. “When I was young, our family used to deliver some cornerstones to the new buildings of that fort! It’s at the western edge of Equestria’s border!”
“Really? Looks like we might have a clue, then,” Twilight said and smiled. She was already starting to think of possible scenarios about the picture. “But still, there’s a bigger question: Why did that stallion attack us in the first place?”
“Didn’t you hear what he said?” Spike asked. “He said something about ‘Removing the Elements of Harmony from Equestria.’ Maybe he wanted to be sure that you girls couldn’t stop any plans he had. Or his boss has. He really doesn’t seem like leader material.”
Fluttershy went a bit paler when she heard what the baby dragon said. Slowly, she shifted herself so that she was hiding behind Applejack’s back. Maybe she didn’t even realize it herself, as she continued to talk like normal, even though nopony could see her.
“D-does that mean… he will be coming back…?” Fluttershy asked and swallowed audibly.
“Don’t ya worry, hun. Princess herself stationed guards here in Ponyville to prevent this from happenin’ again,” Applejack said with a reassuring smile. “We’ll be safe and sound.”
“Thank goodness.” Fluttershy sighed and allowed herself to relax a bit.
“Speaking of the Princess,” Twilight interrupted the others. “Did she send any letters to me while I was out cold? Considering what happened, I’d think she’d be concerned about my well-being.”
Spike nodded, but there was a bit troubled look on the baby dragon’s face. It was an expression between a frown and doubt, indicating that whatever it had been that the Princess had sent him, it hadn’t been exactly what he was expecting. He was not disappointed, but something close to it.
“Yes. Princess Celestia did send a letter, but it was pretty much just an order to stay put and do nothing till you had recovered,” Spike explained. “She’ll probably contact us again once you’re admitted out of the hospital.”
“Do nothing? How horrible!” Pinkie Pie gasped. “Aren’t we even allowed to have fun!?”
Twilight gave a dry laugh and smiled at Pinkie.
“I think that much is allowed, Pinkie,” she said. “But in any case, looks like we won’t get any wiser until I get out of the hospital. We’ll just have to find ways to pass time till then.”
There was small rustle from the other side of Twilight’s bed, and as everypony turned around to look, Rainbow Dash had produced something big and box-shaped from under the bed. It was decorated with bright colors, and the front displayed a picture of a certain adventurous pony jumping across a chasm to escape some monsters of a jungle. The title above it read: “Daring Do and the Hunt for the Star of the Jungle”.
“Weeeell…” Rainbow Dash said with a sheepish expression. “Anypony up for a board game?”
****
A week after the incident with Cleitus the Black, Twilight Sparkle was finally admitted out of the hospital. Having healed in a rapid rate, she no longer experienced any kinds of pains from the wounds left by the stallion. Although her horn was still just a short stump, everything else in her had returned to normal. And her life seemed to follow the same pattern. As she stepped out of the Ponyville hospital, she saw that the destruction caused by the fateful night had completely disappeared. Gone were the scars in the ground or the destruction of certain buildings. It had been replaced by sunshine and return of the normal days, where nothing life-threatening happened.
“I told everypony to come to our place,” Spike explained as she walked side-by-side with Twilight. “Since I sent Princess Celestia a letter that you had been released from the hospital, I’m pretty sure she’ll be contacting us, and that we all want to be there when she does.”
“Good thinking, Spike,” Twilight said and smiled. “Hopefully the Princess has found some information about the attacker. Since my brother is still out cold, we have no way of asking him. Who knows, maybe she even knows how to put a stop to this.”
While the two of them continued to think about different possibilities of how Princess Celestia could solve the mystery of the attacker, they slowly made their way to the Golden Oaks Library. The streets were as normal and peaceful as ever, and the ponies who passed them by greeted the two with smiles and hearty hello’s. Twilight answered to them likewise, glad to see that even those who she rarely associated with were happy to see her up and about. Even her cut horn did not draw any attention. Everypony seemed very understanding of the subject.
The sun that hung above the few stray clouds that dotted the sky seemed to be also in a good mood. The warmth of the summer pampered the ponies of the town, as well as the sweet breeze in the wind. Twilight, whose mind was on the mysterious attacker, found that wind oddly reminding her of foreign lands. The breeze seemed to carry a smell of a journey, fragrance of far-away places that remained to be seen. She let the wind caress her mane and turned her gaze upon the horizon. Although there were lands where people like Cleitus came from, she knew there had to be countries as peaceful and beautiful as Equestria, full of amazing and incredible sights. One day, when she would have finished her studies, Twilight wanted to visit those countries.
“Twilight? Sorry to stop your daydreaming, but we’re here,” Spike said amusedly and tapped his friend on the back. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked ahead of her.
The library had clearly suffered some damage in the fight. The window that had been broken had been covered with planks, and the door to the library itself seemed rather new compared to the age of the building itself. However, Twilight didn’t mind. It was still the same home she had gotten used to, and she would never want to live anywhere else.
As Spike opened the door and headed in, Twilight looked around the main library to see how badly the room had suffered. She saw some rather painful-looking empty spaces in the shelves where there had previously been books, but that was to be expected. When three barrow hounds, the Cù Sìths, rampaged in somepony’s library, there was no way their books would not get damaged. Nevertheless, the place itself had been already fixed, to the point that it almost seemed like nothing had happened in there.
However, Twilight’s gaze was quickly drawn from the bookshelves to the five ponies who now greeted her with enthusiasm. Everypony was there, just as Spike had promised. The unicorn smiled and nodded at them, thanking them silently for coming.
“Twi’, good to see ya. We’ve been waitin’ for you,” Applejack said and took her eyes of the book she had been reading. “Ah guess this means that the Princess hasn’t sent any letters yet?”
“Yeah. We’re still waiting for the reply,” Twilight replied. “But it could be any minute now.”
“Wow! Looking good, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced up and down. “Did’ya get your horn styled while in the hospital?”
Twilight chuckled and looked up at her own horn. The sharp edges of the stump that had remained had been pretty dangerous, so she had asked the doctors to file it evenly, so that it would not create a potential hazardous situation. Not to mention the fact that it would had probably ripped her pillow to shreds.
“You know, Twilight,” Rarity spoke up, looking at the horn with analytical eyes. “I could create a perfect hat to conceal that bump. It would reduce the attention it is bound to capture.”
“Oh, it’s alright, Rarity. Thanks, though,” Twilight responded. “I don’t care if ponies look at it or not. Until I get it fixed, it’s going to be a part of me whether I like it or not. So I should not try to hide it like it was some sort of shameful thing.”
“That’s right,” Fluttershy agreed with her, smiling gently. “I personally think Twilight looks just as beautiful as she did before.”
“Plus it makes it look like you’ve been in a dangerous battle and survived as the winner!” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Which is, well, technically true. Only you didn’t actually win the battle, but who cares? It looks awesome!”
“Thanks girls, really,” Twilight chuckled and gave a grateful look to her friends. “Hearing you all say that really makes me feel better. I don’t care about the appearance much, but still it’s nice to-“
The purple unicorn’s words were cut off by Spike, who was having a hacking cough. It sounded almost like he was about to throw up a hairball. Everypony looked at him with concern, as he kept gagging and wheezing, with ever-increasing pace. His stomach started bulging in and out, and for a moment the ponies thought of rushing him back to the hospital. However, the whole situation was solved when Spike’s cough erupted into a colossal burp that shook the whole room. Bright green flames shot towards the roof, nearly burning the feathers of Owlowiscious who had been sleeping in the shadows up until then.
“…I hate package deliveries…” Spike moaned after the burp was over, and fell to the floor, looking rather exhausted.
And indeed, instead of a letter, what was transported by Spike’s magical breath was a large package with a note attached on top of it. There was the royal seal of Equestria on the package, meaning that it was from Princess Celestia herself. While Rarity tried to help Spike, Twilight snatched note from the package with her mouth, and placed it on the table for everypony to read.
“What does it say?” Pinkie asked, clearly curious.
“Wait a minute, I’ll read it aloud,” Twilight answered, cleared her throat, and started repeating what was written in the letter from the Princess.
“- To my faithful student Twilight Sparkle
I have heard what has transpired in Ponyville, and I am deeply regretful that I was not able to stop such an attack against you. Had I been more careful, such a close situation would have never occurred. However, what has happened cannot be undone, and we must do our utmost best to work with what we have.
By now, I am sure that you are curious for the reasons why this stallion called Cleitus the Black attacked you. While I am not completely certain of the situation myself, I will explain to you what I can.
Not long ago, I received a letter carried by a soldier that explained that he was a messenger of the kingdom of Marecedonia. Although I had believed Marecedonia to have fallen to ruins long ago, it seemed like this soldier was not lying. While I do not wish to repeat the exact contents of the letter I got, the message was clear: Marecedonia was on the brink of war. If certain parties would get their wills through, the army of Marecedonia would march right into Equestria to take it over. However, not all factions within the Senate of Marecedonia wish for this, and that is why they deemed appropriate to inform me of the events.
It also seems that these ponies that desire war are concerned about the Elements of Harmony. They want to dispose them in order to weaken our defenses, which would usher Marecedonia into a war even faster. Therefore, an assassin such as Cleitus the Black was sent after you. Had he crippled our defenses, the members of Senate of Marecedonia, who desire for war, could have used that as an excuse to go to war. After all, fighting a weak country is more desirable than a strong country.
Seeing this is the situation, there is only one thing that I can do at this point. I am issuing a new mission to you, Twilight Sparkle: As my greatest and most faithful student, you are to lead the ponies who represent the Elements of Harmony into Marecedonia to try to negotiate a peace with the leaders there. As long as you remain here in Equestria, the enemy will try to look for you, leading to dangers like what you have already experienced. But if you stay on the move, the enemy will have a hard time finding you.
In addition, if you negotiate with the senators, your opinions will surely sway their minds. The authority you all have as the Elements of Harmony is a great one, and although some of the senators seem to be clearly divided into two sides, most are still undecided. It is these senators that you must convince that a war is not an outcome either country will want.
The package that arrived with this letter is meant to help you on your journeys. It contains treasures from the royal treasure room of Canterlot, which are sure to be helpful during your travels. Treat these gifts with respect and value them, but never forget your own power as the Elements of Harmony.
Please keep me updated as your journey progresses. Even though you are travelling around the world and racing against time, it does not mean you should forget studying the magic of friendship. Foreign lands and unknown cities may hide teachings about friendship you would have never learned without travelling there. Thus, never forget the importance of friendship, no matter how far away the hope might sometimes seem to be.
After all, the friends you once make will last for a lifetime.
Best of luck
- Princess Celestia
P.S. I have also added something to the package for thee to utilize as thou see fit.
- Princess Luna.”
There was a strange silence that filled the room after Twilight had finished reading. Everypony seemed to be completely caught off-guard by the order of Princess Celestia, and the daunting task ahead of them. Travelling to Marecedonia? No other pony but Twilight had even heard of it, and even she knew it only because she had memorized the whole book of “Obscure Unicorn History”. Their journey would be through lands they had never been to before, and it would take a long, long time. Yet, the fate of Equestria was in their hooves. If they failed, the whole country could be plunged into war. And that was something nopony wanted to see.
“Well, if the Princess finds me worthy of sendin’ an’ to talk some sense into those Marecedonians, Ah’ll do it!” Applejack proclaimed and put on her hat as a mark of determination. Rainbow Dash grinned at her.
“Don’t even think about leaving me behind. We’ll get to see the world! How cool is that?”
“While I have certain doubts about the mission itself, there is no way I would not accompany you,” Rarity agreed. “We’ve defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord and the Queen of Changelings already. I do not see why we would not be able to talk some sense into hot-headed politicians, too. Right, Fluttershy?”
“…Yes. I’m sure it’ll be scary, and reaching Marecedonia will be hard… but we’d be doing it for peace. Not just for ourselves, but for two countries as well. I’ll… Of course I’ll come with you,” Fluttershy said. And though her voice might have wavered, her eyes showed that her heart did not.
“Yeah. This is an important mission from the Princess herself. If you’re going, I’m going, too,” Spike said while puffing his chest proudly. “I won’t be left behind this time!”
“And think of all the fun we can have while travelling to Marecedonia!” Pinkie Pie added. “And when we succeed, we can throw a party for both Equestria and Marecedonia! Invite everypony to one big celebration of peace!”
The mere thought of a party spanning two countries seemed to put the pink pony’s mind into a dizzying spin. While others may have giggled at her enthusiasm, they knew that she was right. As Princess Celestia had said, while their goal was to prevent the war, they would also be learning about the magic of friendship while travelling. It would not be just a quest for peace, it would also be a test for the six ponies themselves.
“Alright. If everypony is so determined to go, then I have no doubts either!” Twilight announced. “With my friends by my side, I have no fear of failing, even if the task ahead is difficult. So, what do you girls say we take a look at what the Princess sent to us?”
This suggestion was met with overwhelming agreement.
Using his claws, Spike quickly opened the rather large package. The brown, toughened paper flew everywhere, and while the other ponies curiously peered at the contents, Twilight Sparkle took yet another letter that had been left inside the box. As she started reading it, she quickly realized that it was yet again from the Princess, this time explaining what the items inside the package were. Seeing that her friends were already examining the contents, Twilight quickly began reading aloud, so that they could see who was meant to get what treasure for help.
“To the honest and true Applejack, I give the Chain Bridle of Beastmaster Roaming Plains. Once used by the mighty earth pony to tame even the wildest beasts of the wilderness, it will now serve you to help your friends,” Twilight repeated what the letter said. “It is the greatest of tools when it comes to subduing hostile creatures. The more removed the beast is from civilized nature of us ponies, and the closer it is to being a mindless animal, the tighter the hold of the Chain Bridle. Just beware. Just like you, the chain is honest.”
The item in question was a beautiful golden chain, with two heavy weights that looked like hooks at each end. As soon as Applejack picked it up, it turned into the length of the lasso she usually used. In other words, the length she was most comfortable with. She tested it a few times, letting the chain fly from her mouth like a striking snake. As soon as it was gliding in the air, the chain’s end twirled up and mimicked the end of a lasso. It latched onto a book on the shelf, and when Applejack yanked the chain, it brought the book to her in a blink of an eye. Seemingly satisfied, looked at the golden chain with appreciation in her eyes, and nodded.
“Well, color me pleased as punch!” Applejack said. “With this, Ah’ll be able to tame even the wildest manticore.”
“To the generous and fair Rarity,” Twilight continued, “I bestow the Arrow Amulet once wielded by the great unicorn archer, Mystic Star. It is a three-piece amulet that binds itself to the unique magic of the wielder. Powered by your magic, it shall take the form of a bow, the weapon of elegance. Only those who have mastered their inner harmony can hope to master this artifact.”
As Twilight spoke, Rarity put on the said Arrow Amulet and concentrated her telekinesis on the three pieces that made up the amulet. They were purple in color, with lines of white running through them in a beautiful manner. Alone, it looked just very fragile accessory, but when it was exposed to the white unicorn’s magic, it underwent a radical change. The smaller pieces on the each side of the centerpiece flew further away and from them, a curve of magical energy shot to the centerpiece. Then the two pieces connected themselves via a thin thread of energy, blue like the magic that was holding it together. In just a few seconds, the amulet had turned into a bow held together by the power flowing from Rarity.
“Then, let’s give this a try,” Rarity said with a smile and concentrated harder.
Immediately, a form of an arrow appeared onto the string of the bow. It shifted and squirmed, trying to become solid enough to be shot. Slowly, Rarity was able to give a definite shape to the arrow, which she then pulled back along with the string. The arrow of blue energy was aimed straight to the other end of the room. Rarity evened her breathing pace and calmed herself down, before readying the bow for the release.
“Here goes.”
With those words, Rarity let go of the string. The arrow was launched with an amazing speed straight to the back wall, nearly hitting Spike in the process. It whizzed through the air in a deadly manner, before lodging itself into the wooden surface just like a real arrow. Seeing that she had managed to control her own gift in some manner, Rarity giggled in excitement.
“Watch out a bit next time,” Spike groaned as he looked at the arrow. “I don’t think Princess Celestia gave it to you so that you could give heart attacks to your friends.”
“Oh, I am so sorry, Spike-wikey. It was rather hard to aim, and I certainly did not mean to hit you,” Rarity apologized and petted Spike’s head. Needless to say, she was rather quickly forgiven by the young dragon.
Meanwhile, others continued to go through the items that were in the package.
“To the loyal and trustworthy Rainbow Dash, I shall grant the Wing Armor of Commander Hurricane. A set of equipment that will surely serve somepony like her well,” Twilight read. “Forged within the ancient capital of pegasi, from metals long forgotten by ponies of Equestria, it is a protective armor unlike any other. While the powers of the armor might protect you from harm, however, beware. What this armor grants you in speed, you shall loose in finesse. It is up to you to master the use of this armor, just like Commander Hurricane did in the past.”
While Twilight had been going on about the gift and what Celestia had explained about it, Dash had already put on the said armor. Now the shiny steel surface covered her chest and extended all the way to the tips of her wings. It was shaped to be both sleek and protective, with the wing-part being shaped perfectly for wings of a pegasus, while the chest area had been given a light but aerodynamic protection. The armor was decorated with metal that seemed like combination between bronze and gold, something which nopony in the group had seen before. But the blue pegasus wasn’t interested in that. She was interested in the fact that she had been given a rather impressive looking piece of equipment.
“Best. Gift. Ever!”
Rainbow Dash could barely contain her excitement.
“Just look at how cool this is! This armor’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash nearly shouted in excitement. “I can already feel that I’m faster! With this thing, I’ll be able to pull off a Sonic Rainboom like it was nothing!”
“Well, it’s good that you like your gift,” Twilight said, cutting off Dash’s admiration of the armor. “Just don’t start testing it inside my house.”
“C’mon, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash begged her friend. “I won’t be hurt if I use this, it protects me when I charge.”
“I know. However, while you won’t be hurt, my house will be. And it was just fixed,” Twilight said. With a sigh, she turned back to the letter, and resumed reading it.
“To the kind and caring Fluttershy, I shall bestow the Veiling Shroud of a pony named Maiden Heart, the greatest healer in Equestria’s history,” Twilight continued. “This shroud is an artifact that was long passed down from mother to a daughter, until the family-line of Maiden Heart eventually disappeared. It was then that it was given to me for safe keeping. And now I grant it to you, Fluttershy. Use the powers of this shroud to heal the wounds of those who you care for. Unfortunately, this shroud only works with wounds of flesh, and thus, it cannot be used to heal the horn of Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight had to admit that for a moment, faint hope had started to rise in her chest. She had a miraculous artifact of healing so close to her, yet the said shroud could not heal her horn. The worst part was that it did not even surprise her. After all, the shattering of her horn was not a normal wound. It was something so complex that she would have to find help from another country if she wanted it fixed. Shaking her head, Twilight started reading again.
“I must also warn you,” Twilight read. “Never utilize this shroud in anger against any enemy you might face. When consumed by your hostility, the shroud will turn into a stealer of life. Instead of healing the one it wraps around, it will start draining the health of their body, which is a terrible crime against life. So beware, or you could inflict such a fate upon another creature.”
Fluttershy stared at the shroud that lay on the floor. It was a long piece of cloth that shone with the peaceful color of spring’s green. Although the thing looked so fragile that it would be destroyed with a single touch of a hoof, it had a presence that made clear that it was a very powerful artifact.
Having braced herself, the yellow pegasus slipped her head into the shroud and raised her head. The cloth was now wrapped around her neck like a scarf, in a way that definitely fit the subdued image of Fluttershy. She gazed at the shroud gently, her eyes showing that she was not worried about the warnings that Princess Celestia had included in the letter.
“I would never use something as wonderful as this to hurt somepony,” Fluttershy said. “If it is something I can use to help my friends, of course I’ll accept it.”
It was clear that the Veiling Shroud had found a carrier who was worthy of it.
“Ooh! Ooh! Which one of these is mine?” Pinkie Pie jumped up and down, unable to take the excitement anymore. “Is it this one? Or is it this one?”
“I think yours is the bag of multiple colors,” Twilight looked at the letter and finally nodded. “Yeah, let’s see now. Here it is: To the cheerful and energetic Pinkie Pie, I shall leave the Trick Bag of the infamous prankster pony called Topsy Turvy. This bag is a wondrous artifact indeed. It seems that its aim is to aid its owner, but it does not do it the most common way. Whatever that comes out of the bag should help the owner in some way, but it is not always clear as to how the item should be of help. One could say that there is no end to the strangeness this artifacts sows around it. Please use it with great care.”
While Twilight talked about the bag, Pinkie Pie had already dug into it. The bag itself did not seem all that special. The only thing strange about it was how it was mismatch of multiple colors that were placed in a way that was anything but harmonious. In fact, the rather uncouth appearance of the bag had made the other ponies stay away from it until now. Especially Rarity, who had given it a rather hostile glare.
But Pinkie did not care about any of that. She was already going through the bag, trying to get something to fall from its depths. And after few shakes, that something did come out. Everypony took a curious, closer look to see what the bag had granted to the pink pony. However, much to everypony’s disappointment, the item turned out to be nothing more than a long metal stick with a hook on the other end.
“And what good might that do? Ah don’t see any use to a stick like that,” Applejack said and the other ponies nodded in agreement.
However, Pinkie Pie did not seem disappointed. To the contrary, she happily snatched the stick with her mouth and swung it towards the pile of books and saddlebags that lay near the table. With skillful use of the strange stick, Pinkie managed to pry open one of the saddlebags, namely Applejack’s. Another swing from the stick, and soon an apple from the saddlebag flew through the air, which she caught easily with her teeth, after she had let go of the stick.
“Yummy!” Pinkie said and smiled widely. “I was starting to get hungry already!”
An awkward silence filled the room. Twilight Sparkle hurried to remedy the situation by continuing to read the letter. She also took the final item that was left in the package. It was an old-looking book with enough size to be used as a blunt weapon.
“And to you, my greatest and most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, I have a very special gift,” the purple unicorn read. “It is the Magical Tome of Star Swirl the Bearded, one that he used on his many adventures in the times long forgotten. Inside this tome, you shall find numerous spells recorded by Star Swirl the Bearded himself, along with his ideas about magic and mysticism itself. As your horn is now gone, it is this book that you must use to gain mastery of your talent once more. While you possess power, you have no way to control it. This book shall become your focus point, and the tool which you use to turn your magic into elegant spells. Treat this book with respect, and you shall find it an indispensable artifact in your adventures.”
Having read the description of her gift, Twilight could not help but to feel a strange tinge of pain inside her. Hastily, she buried it under the current situation, reminding herself that what was happening now was more important. Giving her full attention to the artifact, she turned her gaze on the tome. The said tome, as if aware of her attention, began doing something unexpected. It sent out a thread of magic towards Twilight’s broken horn, as if searching for something. And when it had finally connected to the horn, the book came alive. It floated up into the air, and started hovering by Twilight’s side without the pony herself noticing. It looked almost like the book was taking a small portion of Twilight’s magical power to keep itself airborne, so that even without her horn Twilight could use the book in an easy manner.
“W-what? Okay, this is a bit strange. I must admit, though, it is very convenient,” Twilight said and giggled when she saw the book floating next to her. “Now let’s see what kind of secrets this tome holds inside it.”
Twilight opened the book with her hoof and began going through the pages with an amazing speed. While she only skimmed through the pages, it was clear that the more she read, the more respect she gained for the book. The vast knowledge that was hidden in the pages of the grimoire was something a studier of magic like Twilight Sparkle found fascinating, as well as a bit scary. While she might have understood what was written in the tome, she had no idea if she would be able to control such spells. Especially now that her horn was broken.
“Wait, Twilight, there’s something else in the package,” Spike suddenly said and lifted two things from the floor. One was yet another letter, one was a big piece of parchment. “Seems like these both are from Princess Luna.”
The small dragon took the letter and rolled it open before reading aloud its contents. The ponies around him quickly gathered to look, as they were all curious as to what Princess of the Night might have given as help. Spike, realizing he was suddenly the center of the attention, looked rather pleased with himself. He cleared his throat very matter-of-factly before proceeding to read what had been written in the letter, trying to clearly mimic Princess Luna’s voice to some extent.
“Thou might be unsure as to what more I could add to the great gifts my sister hath given thee. ‘Tis but a simple thing, something to ease thy travels in lands long forgotten. A map from the times myself and my sister were but fillies, enchanted so that it shall redraw itself according to what thou see and experience. But there is more: If thou find one of thee missing, thou only need to think of that pony, and her location shalt appear on the map. I wish that this map shalt guide thy way on thy perilous journey.
Best regards
- Princess Luna”
After reading the letter, Spike looked at the map that had been with it. It was an old thing, looking like it should have belonged to a museum rather than in the hands of the baby dragon. But there was also strange sense of adventure to the map. The burnt and torn edges, the rough surface that the time had eroded, the smell of lands that nopony had visited in many years. Everything in it made the ponies feel like it was the key to unforgettable journey.
“I guess that means I’m gonna be the cartographer as well as the one who writes the letters to Princess Celestia,” Spike said, and puffed his chest. He was clearly raring to go. “Somepony has to keep track of where we’re going, after all.”
“Then it’s settled,” Twilight Sparkle announced and struck the floor with her hoof. “We have a mission given to us by Princess Celestia herself, we have the artifacts given to us so that we could accomplish this mission, and we have the will and courage to see that this mission succeeds. I say we will spend the rest of today packing, get some well-earned rest for the night, and then leave tomorrow, during the dawn. What do you girls think?”
There was nopony who disagreed with what Twilight said. They knew the importance of their mission, and everypony was getting excited about the journey. Therefore, there was no need for overly long talks. The ponies decided what should be packed for such a long journey, and after that had been cleared, everypony headed straight to their homes. There was stuff they needed to pack, and family-members they needed to explain the situation to. And it would not be easy to explain how the Princess had suddenly requested them to travel to a whole another continent, to a land that was nothing but a legend.
****
When the first rays of the sun hit the rooftops of Ponyville, seven figures could be seen gathering at the town square. The quiet town was bathed with the golden warmth of the dawn, which also gave new energy to the travelers who were about to begin their grand journey. As the sunlight illuminated the group, it made them look like great adventurers instead of the normal ponies they had been. To the relatives watching from afar, the form of the six ponies standing there seemed almost heroic, in a way.
The songs of the birds were the only fanfare that had been arranged for the send-off of these ambassadors of peace. But it was the only thing they needed. As they saw their hometown, Ponyville, bathing in the crisp, golden light and being surrounded by the sounds of ever-present, peaceful nature, they knew that no matter what they might experience on their journey, their home was still the best place in the whole wide world. And that, if anything gave them the courage for their journey. After all, it was all for the safety of Ponyville, so that it would not be overrun by the war.
“So, Spike. What’s our first destination?” Twilight Sparkle asked while enjoying the refreshing breeze that swept through the town square. Of course, she knew the answer already, but she wanted to be a bit dramatic as they were being watched.
“We’ll travel through the Everfree Forest, going around the mountains that lie to the west. That way, we will reach the Windswept Valley, which will take us all the way to the western border of Equestria. On our way, if we want to, we have the chance to visit Fort Stronghoof, too,” Spike said very matter-of-factly while reading the map. “After that, after we leave Equestria, it’s a great unknown ahead of us.”
“To the Everfree Forest it is, then!” Twilight said and fixed the position of her travel-cloak.
Each pony had packed all the necessary things they needed for the journey. They all were wearing saddlebags where they had stored enough food and water to get them to the first town on the other side of the Everfree Forest. They had also packed items that would be essential on the long journey like fire-making equipment, warmer clothing, and tools and such. In other words, whatever they needed to survive on the road.
They had also each been given a cloak by Rarity, ones that she had spent most of the night making. While these cloaks bore the same overall theme, they had been given some additional details that made them unique to the pony who wore it. For example, the clasp of Twilight’s cloak was in a shape of three stars stuck together, while Fluttershy’s cloak easily masked her into the undergrowth if she needed to approach animals without being noticed. However, Twilight was not sure if all of the unique aspects were that necessary. While she understood the more aerodynamic shape of Dash’s cloak or the padded leather-plates that offered additional protection for Applejack in her cloak, she had hard time believing that the numerous pouches inside of Pinkie’s cloak had been put to good use.
And it was better not to talk about Rarity’s cloak at all. While it had been made to look like the cloaks favored by rangers, the feathers that covered most of the cloak were extravagant to say the least.
Spike had also gotten a cloak of his own. His had been reinforced with some of his old scales, and at the moment, he wore it with great pride. After all, it had been a personal gift from Rarity to him.
“Alright then, everypony,” Twilight Sparkle said and turned around to look at her friends. “Hopefully nopony is getting second thoughts about this journey?”
“Don’t even joke ‘bout that, Twi,” Applejack said and put on her hat. “Ah wouldn’t miss this thing, no matter what.”
“If it’s for the Princess and for my friends, of course I will go,” Fluttershy continued. “And since Angel and Owlowiscious are watching all my animals, I can go without having to worry.”
“Save Equestria, see the world and have a chance of discovering new forms of fashion from far away? You’d have to tie me up if you wanted me to stay out of this,” Rarity said with a bit of a mischievous smile. Next to her, Pinkie Pie was already stretching her legs, eager to set out.
“Enough chit-chat! We’re losing time if we just dally around here!”
“Pinkie’s right,” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “The longer we take to leave, the longer it will take for us to reach this Marecedonia place. So how about we get going already?”
“Well, Twilight,” Spike said with a somewhat smug smile. “Looks like our group is raring to go. As the leader, would you like to give out the order?”
“You bet,” Twilight Sparkle said and turned her smiling face towards her friends. “Alright, everypony! The journey ahead of us will be long and full of dangers. But it is all done for the sake of our home, and the whole of Equestria. If we fail, a war might consume the whole nation. That’s why we cannot lose. Our mission is to reach the land of Marecedonia and convince the Senate of Marecedonia to stop the plans of waging a war with our beloved Equestria. We cannot afford to fail. No, we shall not fail! We will get to Marecedonia, and we will stop this war! Do you agree?”
Twilight’s answer was a united cheer of five ponies and one baby dragon.
“Then let’s go!”
Together, the group of six ponies and one dragon took a heading towards the Everfree Forest which loomed in the distance. Though it was far away and caressed by the pleasant sunshine of the morning, it still looked like a dangerous place. However, seeing it now did not make the ponies feel anxious. They had braved against the dangers of the Everfree Forest multiple times, and this time was no different. They only had to emerge from the other side, instead of returning to Ponyville after doing what they had tried to accomplish. Whatever dangers they might encounter would be just one bump in the long road to Marecedonia, which laid somewhere beyond the borders of Equestria.
Unknown to Twilight and the others, instead of just their relatives, numerous ponies were matching the gallant start of their journey. Rumors had spread fast, and at this point there did not seem to be a single pony who had not heard that the famous six ponies were now starting a long and arduous journey to save Equestria once more. Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that in the eyes of those ponies, Twilight Sparkle and her friends looked very heroic as they walked forward, the sun blazing in the sky behind them.
But perhaps something of the collective awe that the other ponies had was transmitted to the seven friends. They found themselves raising their heads higher, walking with more brisk steps and having no fear of leaving their home behind. It was as if they themselves had understood that now that they had left for a journey such as this, they would also have to act like heroes in order to succeed. It was different from the previous times, such as with Nightmare Moon or Discord, as back then, they were thrown in the middle of the situation without getting any time to prepare. But this time, they knew exactly what they were going to do. And they were going to do with their heads held high and with pride.
This time, from the very start, they were leaving on an adventure with the intention of saving their home.
“Twilight, do you want me to pen a letter to Princess Celestia before we leave the Ponyville?” Spike suddenly asked and produced a quill and a piece of parchment from inside his backpack. “It might be a good idea to let her at least know we’re going already.”
The purple unicorn thought for a moment. Of course she wanted to leave a message for her teacher that she was doing as ordered, and that they were already leaving to accomplish this mission, but what would she say, exactly? What should she say? She did not want to seem too excited and talk great lengths about what she was planning to do, but neither did she want to be rude and just leave the letter unsent.
“C’mon, Miss Thinky-Pants,” Pinkie Pie giggled and patted Twilight on the back. “Don’t think too hard about it, and just say what you need to, silly!”
Twilight smiled to her friend. As usual, the advice that Pinkie Pie gave to her was just what she needed in order to get her thoughts straight. The purple unicorn cleared her throat, twice, and then nodded to Spike. The baby dragon readied his quill while they were walking.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight started. “We accept the duty given to us, and are now on our way to Marecedonia. Always your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”