Starshine stared at the rather intimidating creature before her. Who was this strange looking creature? How did she get here? Most important of all, have we met before? Starshine was quite sure they had never met before, surely she would recognize such a strange creature in a heartbeat. It seemed rather odd that the creature had used the words 'once again' putting such emphasis on it, especially if they had never met before.
It stared back at her, those emerald green eyes staring fiercely into her own. After a moment of silence, it spoke in a taunting yet amused voice. "Oh, I guess I do look rather peculiar, don't I? It makes sense you wouldn't recognize me in this form, after all what has it been...two thousand years since we last talked? I noticed you didn't recognize Apple Pie. I surely shouldn't have been surprised you've forgotten me as well."
Starshine's mind was a whirl with activity. Did she just read my mind? Surely not, it was just a coincidence...right? The feminine beast before her laughed playfully. "Heh, absolutely impossible! I couldn't possibly be reading your mind. After all no pony possesses that magical ability...right Starshine?"
Staring into those emerald eyes, Starshine felt a strange warm feeling. It was almost as if... No, it can't be, how could I possibly know her? The creature spoke once more. This time her voice contained the tone of sorrow and misery. "Starshine...have you forgotten us all? Do you truly not remember Apple Pie?"
Starshine shook her head. The creature continued her words becoming more and more frantic with each name given. "Claire! You know Rainbow Dash's daughter! She used to let us visit her at the Rainbow Factory every Tuesday!"
"Bubblegum! Pinkie Pie's son? He threw parties on our birthday!"
As Starshine continued to shake her head, the creature finally screamed at her almost as if in desperation. "Do you remember Fluttershy's and Discord's daughter? Do you remember your best friend forever? Do you remember your marefriend? DO YOU REMEMBER ME?"
Starshine was completely bewildered. "I-I'm sorry, I think you may have me confused with some other pony. I'm only eight years old, not two thousand. I am sure I would remember meeting you as well. Especially if we were as good of friends as you say. I don't even know your name."
Those emerald eyes flashed momentarily to a shade of a golden hue but only for a moment before the daughter of Fluttershy and Discord began laughing in a maniacal way. "Oh how rude of me! Nice to meet you once again Starshine, my name is Scr-"
She stopped and looked almost confused. Starshine noticed the hesitation and unsure of what was going on she asked about it. "Is something wrong?"
Those emerald eyes took on a tearful appearance. Her face was that of someone who was lost and scared. "It's not important! My name doesn't matter."
Starshine recognized that haughty tone and her mind flashed back to constellation class with Aunt Luna. The Astral Princess stood there before her pointing a hoof towards a particular patch of stars in the night sky. "Starshine, do you know which star is the leader in the constellation of the Ursa Minor?"
"Of course I do! It's erm...uh...hmm..."
"I am waiting young filly."
"Why does knowing the star's name even matter?"
Luna sighed and patiently explained. "The name matters, young filly, because the name is a representation of existence. Knowing the name of anything is proof of its worth and the fact that it matters, even if only minutely such as the stars in the night. Having a name means someone, somewhere cared about it enough to name it and share that knowledge with Equestria. Never forget the importance of a name. Also for future reference the star is named Polaris, it is known as the leader since ..."
The scene faded away, and Starshine looked at the poor creature before her. The pain was clearly written on her face, and the tone gave it away. Starshine ran up to her and wrapped her hooves around her in a warm, comforting hug while whispering softly, "you don't know do you?"
The indignant creature huffed. Pushing Starshine away she replied. "Of course, I do! My name just doesn't mean anything to a silly filly of a unicorn who can't be bothered to remember it! After all who could forget their own...name?"
Starshine heard it. The tremble in her voice on that last word was as clear as the crystalline formation that made up the Crystal Empire's royal castle. Starshine stared at her with her eyelashes raised. "You aren't fooling anyone missy. Now stop with this charade."
Those emerald eyes began to tear up as the creature lifted her only pony hoofed foreleg to her muzzle to stifle a sob. "I-it's just been so long. So long since another pony said my name. So long since I said it..."
Starshine stared at her for a moment, unsure what to say or do next. That's when that voice she had heard earlier whispered to her with a soft yet sorrowful tone. "It is time young one, ask her about the incident two millennia ago. Learn the past and who you truly are, How this all came to be and most importantly, get back what was stolen from you."
Meanwhile Back in the Kitchen
Celestia was frustrated. Having listened to the tale of Bolt and Applespice, she somehow felt as if something about that story was off. Bolt had been saved by Applespice and together they ran off to make their own way in Equestria. However, the descriptive way Applespice described Bolt's encounter was odd, to say the least. The story seemed to be focusing on the beauty of Ruby Rayon, the unicorn from the story and who would later become Applespice, the pony in front of Celestia telling the tale. Why did it feel like it was being told from another's perspective, though not directly? It's almost as if... Celestia's eyes widened as she finally realized what was going on. She held up her hoof to silence Applespice and turned to face Bolt who was still thudding away with that war hammer. Her next words caused the warm atmospheric glow of that wooden building to suddenly feel as chilling as the surrounding orchard. "Ruby, why did you perform such a ritual, one that is considered taboo even amongst the princesses?"
Standing in the Ethereal Plane
"What did you just say?"
Those emerald eyes took on a slight glint of shame and guilt as Starshine asked her question once more. "I asked can you tell me what happened two thousand years ago?"
Starshine saw the creature before her bowed her head in sorrow as she stated. "Two thousand years ago, Equestria was ravaged by an uncontrollable chaos. It made the purest of ponies turn darker than the night in the sky right now. The hearts of those we cherished most, were corrupted. Your mother, my mother...our parents were nothing before it's might. One by one, the shadow engulfed them. The legendary heroines of Equestria, became the heralds of its untimely destruction."
Starshine's eyes were widened in pure shock. Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, the creature continued. "The Celestial Princesses along with the children of those seven, confronted them, determined to stop the madness as fires razed the fields and the ground cracked and fissured..."
Starshine heard her voice trail off, she knew it must hurt to revisit the past. Still she had to know, though she was terrified of what she might learn and yet she asked anyway. "What happened after that?"
Those green eyes began to tear up as she tried to choke back a sob. "They were too far gone. Nothing the children of the Mares of Harmony did could break through. The princesses were cast aside, wounded horribly...and the screams of the soldiers filled the air. Everything was lost...but then as her best friend watched, a unicorn mare stood back up. Before the might of her mom, she was helpless, but she kept standing back up as her wounds grew greater in number and the ground she stood on was soon dyed red. Finally, she too fell, unable to rise again."
Starshine was completely enchanted by the tale, seeing the battle almost materialize in her mind as if she was there. She practically startled the hybrid before her as she screamed the following. "WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?"
"She was a special mare. Having long since achieved marehood, the daughter of Twilight Sparkle was rather unique. You see, from filly to adult; she had never received her cutiemark. Having never shown an aptitude for anything but fostering harmony with others, she then stood before the seven mares, a blank flank.
She begged her mom to stop, to just listen to her heart. Sadly it was not to be. As her mom stood before her, horn glowing over her daughters fallen, bruised and beaten body it happened. The horn of the blank-flanked unicorn began to glow an unearthly blue. It took on the appearance of ghostly fire as the glow encased her own body.
As everypony present lay, still and unmoving the cutiemark of the mare appeared upon her lilac flank. I will never forget it. A star, similar to the one her mom possessed, only it showed five small firey flares around it. The star itself was the same color as the magical glow emanating from her horn. The star had chains within wrapping around it and stretching out and connecting to those five firey flares. "
Her voice broke. Tears began to fall down the creature's muzzle. Starshine saw the pain and the aura surrounding her. It was lavender tinged with blue. she was in love Starshine thought. She opened her muzzle, speaking softly and offering a hug to the miserable creature before her. "You don't have to continue if it hurts too-"
Lightning flashed as the creatures eyes became yellow in anger. "Be quiet! I...this needs to be said. My feelings on this matter have lain dormant far too long! Let me speak!"
Starshine noticed she didn't refuse the hug and gently clung to her, whispering just one word softly. "Continue."
The creatures yellow eyes shifted back to emerald and she smiled almost brokenly, enjoying the warmth of that hug. She slowly closed her eyes and recalled that horrible night.
"The glow encompassed the battlefield, bathing all present in its glow. Everypony's eyes were opened, the pain that had been felt slowly dissappeared. All were amazed! It was a miracle, the wounds of each pony and creature present had slowly vanished! We were healed! Then, that mare's friend saw why. It was true that all the pain had faded, that the wounds and scars healed on those in the area, however they didn't just heal.
No, those wounds had been transferred to the brave mare. As her friend watched, as everyone stared wide-eyed, the mare's flank and skin erupted in red, it dripped slowly down her hide as she gasped in uncontrollable pain. She gasped as her vision clouded over slowly. No pony moved, the air on that scorched earth was chilling.
Twilight Sparkle screamed in horror. She, like the other six had been bathed in the light as well. Like all others present her friends and her's wounds had vanished and their eyes had been cleared to the truth. She rushed to her daughter's side, begging her to hold on. As that mare's friend stared in shock she saw that unicorn smile at her mom. "You al..ways said that *cough* y-you would sacrifice everything for...Equestria, mom. I-I lo- *cough* love y-y..."
With those final words, her daughter stopped breathing with a warm smile on her face. Twilight held her daughter's head to her chest and cried. As all watched on, the Princess of Friendship then was pulled forcibly from her daughter's body, the tears coursing down her muzzle as she screamed in protest. "My baby! No! STARSHIIIINE!"
She was cuffed in anti-magic binders and dragged over to where her friends waited under the gaze of the armed guard of Canterlot. A trial was held a few moons later. The event was projected to the entire realm of Equestria. The seven mares didn't bother defending themselves. Each pleaded guilty and acceptance of any outcome. Shortly later an announcement by Twilight was said in her normal soft voice. "Loyal subjects, we swore to protect the balance of Harmony, to protect those in need. Yet here I stand, guilty of the greatest crime a princess can commit. By my hooves, Equestria has crumbled. We the mares whom you sought guidance from stand guilty of far too many crimes to be accounted for."
That mare's friend watched the announcement, her heart broken into many pieces. Then it happened, the event that no pony could have forseen. Twilight continued as a strange smile showed upon her face, all while gesturing to the six beside her. "We however, refuse to step down, without righting at least one of our greatest follies. We love everypony and these are our final words."
Rainbow Dash, former Captain of the Wonderbolts was then heard. "Remember to be daring!
AppleJack's Earthpony accent was heard. "Always be honest, show hospitality to everypony. Remember we're all family."
Fluttershy's timid, compassionate tone was next. "Never forget to show acts of kindness.
Pinkie Pie was heard snatching the mic. "Everypony don't forget to smile and have fun..what is this a funer..oh...yeah, well don't stop smiling!
Rarity's sultry unicorn voice caused a few stallions and mares to quiver where they stood. "Always be generous dah-lings! Also remember, tomorrow is mare's day and only a fool would wear brown and red in the bedroo-"
Starlight's counselor voice was heard. "Don't let your past, prevent your bright future."
Finally, Twilight could be seen. She spoke softly. "It was my honor serving you all, but the time has come for another to step up. Farewell. Celestia please, forgive me but we will not be going to Tartarus as planned."
Everypony watched in shock as the seven formed a circle and smiling lovingly at the crowd through the now projected scene. There was a glow around their bodies and then a flash. Her mare friend couldn't believe it. When the flash cleared, Starshine stood there, looking rather confused amidst the seven still forms of the mares of Harmony."
The creature seemed to have finished her story, but Starshine was confused. She stated simply. "I don't understand. You claim that a chaotic power took control of the Mares of Friendship back then? If that is so where exactly did this power come from?"
The creature's eyes flashed yellow once more and she smiled maliciously. "For that answer, we will need the testimony of the ponies that started the whole mess. The ponies, who changed our destinies. The sisters who cast a spell so forbidden it altered our very reality to what we see today. We need to talk to her highness, Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna."