//------------------------------// // Lost Part 3 // Story: Remembrance (The Audio Drama) // by Nira Lightshine //------------------------------// ---Hours Later--- -Twilights Library- "Argh! There's nothing here! I've been searching for hours, and there's absolutely nothing here! Ugh!" Twilight growled to herself as she slammed her hoof on the table. "Princess Twilight? Is that you?" Said a loud mare's voice as a pony came into view, looking a bit frustrated at the sudden disturbance, but brightening a bit when she saw who it was. Twilight yelped out as she and the chair took a plummet to the ground, she would straighten herself and looked to see her student. A mare that went by the name of Galaxy Star. She would be a mare that had a lightish blue tinge to her fur, and purple and blue in her mane and tail, "Oh it's just you. What are you doing?" She asked sitting up on her haunches now. "I was just looking at the latest volume of the Pinnacle Emotion. It's going to be on my next exam in a week. I have to study up." She said sitting down now as she looked at her teacher worriedly. "Of course, I remember when I was a student just like you." She chuckled lightly. Galaxy giggled, "That is so weird. Seeing how I am your student now Princess Twilight." "Yes, that was a long time ago," Twilight said. Now getting up and walking toward the book she had taken down and put it onto a shelf nearby "Anyway, what are you looking for princess. Maybe I can help you track it down?" She said smiling brightly as she began to look around at the bookshelves, momentarily forgetting that she didn't even know what her teacher was looking for. "I-I don't think you should be involved in this." Twilight answered while, looking through a book on ancient elemental magic, but grunting when it literally meant, 'Elemental magic' as in fire, water, earth, and wind. "Why? is it dangerous?" Galaxy asked as she moved closer to her teacher and took a book from the pile and wondering why she would be looking for things in ancient magic. "Yes, and I don't want you to get hurt." She said, but thought, 'I can't lose another pony important to me. Not again, especially if I can stop it.' She would start to put the books away though resigned, maybe the Starswirl Wing in the Canterlot archives might have something? "But this is what my studies are for. I want to help you, princess! Please let me!" Galaxy said, her ears down and a hoof to her chest, she would be ready to stand by Twilights side, all she needed to do was ask. "I guess your right. But I can't endanger you any further. I'm sorry." Twilight said as she looked sadly at her student. She remembered her as the little filly she'd found crying in the hallway after a teacher had told her she shouldn't go to this school if she couldn't perform a simple spell. "I understand princess. But if you ever need anypony to talk to. I'm always here." Galaxy said brightly, trying to brighten up the mood. "Thanks, that…that really means a lot to me." Twilight said "No problem! But I'm sure whatever the problem is. It can be fixed by the elements. I've read so much about them already. How they helped you save Equestria from monsters, villains and even Sirens. I remember one pony even said…" She would watch Twilight go toward a chest on the floor with a dark expression on her face as she lifted it with her magic, "What's wrong princess?" "Nothing Galaxy…it's just…I can't use the elements anymore." She said starting to move the chest to Galaxy and opening the lid. "Whhhhaattt? What do you mean you can't use the elements anymore? Aren't they the main reason for your kingdom. I mean being the princess of friendship and all." She realized then what she said and looked down, "Sorry, guess I'm not helping that much." "No, it's fine. I know the elements are part of the reason for me becoming an alicorn. It's just…when my friends…left. So did the elements. See?" She said opening the lid completely before putting it on the ground. Galaxy would stare into the chest excitedly, but instead of bright jewels like what the books showed, there were six broken what looked to be ornaments, cracks running all over them, "Wow…they look so…dull." Galaxy said as she looked on them sadly. Staring up at her teacher as she closed the chest again now and put it away. "They didn't always used to be like that. They used to be bright beacons of light that gave hope and joy to everypony." She said meaning more about her friends then the elements, "Then one by one, each friend of mine left. So did the element. They became dark, dull and slowly cracked. I tried to use them, but they were useless. They are never coming back, and neither aren't the elements." Twilight said. "I'm sorry Twilight, but I'm sure elements are completely gone though. Their probably buried deep deep down somewhere." Galaxy said heading toward the stairs now. "I'm not too sure about that Gal," Twilight said with a hoof to her chin as she began to follow her, getting ready to head to the royal archives. "Well, you never know princess. Now I have to go practice my teleportation. Because I keep ending up in Saddle Arabia. Hehe, maybe I should go buy a train ticket first. Just in case." Galaxy grinned while walking down the stairs. ---Hours later--- -Royal Archives, Starswirl Section- A loud snoring noise could be heard as a purple alicorn could be found sleeping with a scroll attached to her horn, drool covering the book she was using as a pillow and the other scrolls as a blanket, it might be cute if it wasn't for the fact, she looked like this was the first bit of restful sleep she'd had in days most likely. "Twilight? Where are you?" Called a soft voice. The purple alicorn yelped out an answer as she was startled awake, "The answer is sixty-five!" She called out blearily, before blinking owlishly at her teacher, "Um I mean." She said starting to look through the scrolls again determinedly, trying to act like nothing was amiss. "There you are Twilight!" She would look over her disheveled mane and tail, and the bags under her eyes, despite Twilights wide grin, Celestia had known her since she was a Filly, and knew the telltale signs of an all-night study session, "Have you been in the library all night?" Twilight deflated a bit as she looked back at the pile of scrolls, deciding as she did so to start putting them away, they hadn't had the information she was looking for, "Ummm…maybeee?" She asked turning back to face her mentor, "I was just trying to find something to help us defeat the nightmare…but I have nothing." "Well thank you for your dedication Twilight. But I think I found an answer to the problem." Celestia answered. Twilights ears popped up excitedly, "Really! What is it?" Celestia chuckled sadly, "Calm down. I know of a zebra…in Ponyville. That could help us with the problem." Twilight gasped in pain as she looked at her hoof, was she really ready to face Ponyville again after so many years, "In pony…ville?" She choked out. "Yes I know you don't like going there Twilight, but this maybe the only opportunity we have," Celestia said as they started to walk toward the exit. "Of course, I understand. It's just hard. When do we leave?" Twilight asked. "Oh Twilight, I wish I could go with you. But me and Luna have to prepare for Cadances visit today. I know this is difficult, but you have to go without us." Celestia said. "Well if it's the only way. Yes, I'll leave immediately." She said. Celestia would conjure a cloak then, "Here take this, so you won't be recognized." Twilight would take the cloak and put it around her shoulders now, "Thank you, Celestia." "One more thing Twilight. Since neither I or Luna can come with you. I've already asked Galaxy to join you. She is very excited to learn about where you live." "Oh really? Oh, thank you, Celestia." She said as she would see Galaxy in the distance looking nervous as she waved at the two princesses. "Of course Twilight. Now you better get going. The carriage leaves soon." Celestia said stopping now. "I think I'm going to take the train. For old times sake." Twilight said walking on. "I see. Good luck Twilight." Celestia said turning now as her former student and her student started to head to the train. ---Ponyville--- Twilight found herself in a place she promised herself she would never step in again. Not because it was below her station or anything. But because of the fact that it held way too many memories. Memories that stopped her heart with grief as she realized, she still wasn't ready for this. But as she and Galaxy stepped off the train. Her student would be almost skipping in excitement as she said, "Woah! This is so cool! I've read about Ponyville in books and you've told me about it. But we're here! Oooh, it's so exciting!" She squealed, "I mean. I'm sorry Princess." Twilight chuckled reminding herself now of Pinkie Pie a bit as she said, "Yes it’s a bit exciting to be back here where I used to live. But while we are here. Can you call me just Twilight? It might look a bit suspicious if you called me Princess." "Okay! You got it, prin-I mean Twilight." Galaxy would stop herself as they walked toward the center of town, "So are you going to give me the grand tour or what?" Twilight nodded, "Well that's where I used to study for exams. And that over there is where the mayor used to live…and." That’s when she saw Carousel Boutique. Memories of her friends started to come to mind. "Oh Darling, that dress is simply gorgeous." Rarity's voice came. "Thanks so much for helping me Twilight. I couldn't have done it without you." Applejacks came next. "Eee! Look at that over there." Pinkies voice. "Oh, Twilight! Can you help me find new food for Angel." Fluttershy's voice. "Hey Twilight. Think you can beat me in a race?" Rainbows voice. "Twilight. Twilight! Twilight!!" These voices were coming louder and louder until one finally broke through to her, "TWILIGHT!" It was Galaxy starting to grow worried about how quiet she was, "Are you okay Twilight? You kind of spaced out there." "Ya Gal. Let's just try to find that Zebra quickly." As they walked through the stalls, they'd see one occupied by a tan earth pony, "Excuse me. Do you know a Zebra who lives around here?" Twilight asked hopefully. "A Zebra? The only Zebra that we have that lives around here is Zillia. But she lives in the Everfree Forest." He said stopping the cleaning of his stall. "The Everfree Forest! Why the heck does she live there." Galaxy exclaimed. "Beats me. A few of us have tried to convince her to move out of that shabby old shack and move into Ponyville. But she always says no. I guess it belonged to her mother." He said. "You mean Zecora?" Another friend lost, she was a very trusted advisor for unusual things too. She had forgotten she'd had a daughter. "I think that's her name. Now, are you going to buy something? Or ask twenty questions?" He said sounding annoyed. "Thank you, you've been very helpful," Twilight said as they started to walk toward the forest. "Sure kid. Whatever." He said going back to cleaning the stall. As they walked ever closer to the Everfree Forest, Galaxy said with fear in her voice, "Please don't tell me this means what I think it means?" Twilight gave a small smirk, "Yup, it means we have to go into the Everfree Forest." She also thought as they began to walk in, 'Just like how my first adventure against the Nightmare began. Entering the Everfree Forest after Celestia sent me to Ponyville to make friends." ---Sometime into the Everfree Forest--- "Ack! Something touched my hoof! Oh, it was just a vine. Ack! Something touched my other hoof. Oh, it was only a twig. Ack! Something touch-" She was interrupted. "Galaxy! This is a forest. Things are going to touch you!" Twilight now pondered the wisdom of bringing somepony else with her for this. "I know I know! I just don't do outdoors. Why do you think I'm studying magic in Canterlot? To get away from the woods!" She said still making sure there was nothing that was going to eat her following them. "Well, you don't have to worry because we are here." She said pointing to an old hut in the middle of nowhere. And she knocked then, "Hello? Zillia?" The door would open then, and a black furred and silver-maned Zebra would stick her head out, "Yes? Who are you?" Twilight would shed the hood covering her head, "Hello Zillia. My name is Twilight Spar-" She would be interrupted. "Yes, I know you, Ms. Sparkle. So the princess of friendship has come to find me. So it must be big." She said moving toward the middle of her hut to work on her dinner that night. "How do you know me?" Twilight asked. "My mother Zecora spoke of you quite fondly. I must say, it is an honor to meet you, Ms. Sparkle." Zillia said. "I'm not sure it’s an honor. I'm just a normal old pony." Twilight said watching Zillia move over to a bookcase, "Anyway. We need your help, this creature called the Nightmare is threatening to destroy Equestria and we were wondering if-." "Old, yes. Normal, no. I don't think there is an ounce of normality in you Ms. Sparkle. In fact." Suddenly a book would be thrown at Twilights head that barely missed her, a large book at that, "This is a book complications you have overcome. You are far from normal." "Um, Zillia. That's great. Princess Celestia said-." Getting interrupted again by the Zebra mare. "Yes yes, oooh my soup is ready!" She said acting like a filly instead of a mare as she trotted over to the soup. "Xillia. We really need your help-" This interruption was the last straw for Twilight. "Maybe I should head into Ponyville later and get some carrots. Yes, carrots sound good." She said. "XILLIA! We really need your help with the nightmare!" Twilight shouted. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you, Ms. Sparkle," Xillia said looking up now as she did so. "But Princess Celestia said." "I can't help you, Ms. Sparkle, because you can't wield the elements like that." She said gesturing to Twilight herself. "Like what?" Twilight said weakly. "Like that, the Elements can't be used now because you are like that!" She said having her own level of being cryptic that must run in her family. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. How can I stop the nightmare!" Twilight said "The problem is. You are asking the wrong question. Instead, you should be asking another." Xillia said coming out from behind the cauldron. "I still don't know what that means." "How about I put it another way," Xillia said sitting at the table near her. ---Song: Open up your heart---- As Xillia started to hum a tune to herself. Galaxy would start to bob her head side to side to the rhythm as Twilight glared at both of them her patience starting to wear thin. "So you say that you are worthless, so you say your nothing more, then a poor princess, but let me say, that you are wrong!" She sang and pointed a hoof at Twilight. "So you say that you're dried up! So you say that you've hit the floor and your broken and bruised but let me say, you'll walk away!" "The savior of Equestria. Time and time again." As one of the scrolls activated, visions of Twilights conquest of Nightmare Moon would play out, 'To answer your question, there's just one thing you gotta do! You gotta dig a little deeper! Rediscover who you are! You gotta dig a little deeper! To save the elements! You have to find what you lost so long ago! Open your heart once more!" And as Xillia looked through the bookcase, she would suddenly start flinging books out Twilight using her wings to shield her and Galaxy Star as this happened. "Um! Is this song really necessary!" She called out. "The only way you can fix this! Is to go back to where it began!" Xillia sang while a scroll activated to show a globe and 5 familiar shadowy figures in it. Twilight gasped at the sight of her friends for the fleeting second she saw them, "Wait! What!" "Go back in time and find your friends once more! And you'll find yourself once more! Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, Generous heart! These are the things you will need to create balance once more!" She sang, "You gotta dig a little deeper! Rediscover who you are! Dig a little deeper to save the elements! You have to find what you lost so long ago! Open your heart once more!" She sang as she held her hooves over her heart. As Twilight stood again as the barrage of books finally stopped, she said, "Uh Xillia! How exactly do I go back in time." "Ya isn't that like impossible," Galaxy asked, not aware of Twilights messing with the past before. Xillia only giggled as she sang, "I have just the thing to get you where you need!" She said now holding a book in her hooves, "Repeat the story and start again! Then you'll dig a little deeper. Rediscover who you are, you'll dig a little deeper, to save the elements! You have to find what you lost so long ago. Open your heart once more." She then hoofed the book to Galaxy who barely caught it, "Here kid take this." She said, "Open your heart! Open your heart!" Galaxy chimed in as well now, "Open your hearttttttt!" She opened an eye, to see Twilight staring at her as if saying, 'Don’t encourage her.' And she looked back, "What?" "Onceeeee moreeeeeeeee!" Suddenly Twilight and Galaxy would find themselves being pushed out her door, "Now please go. I have many things left to do today." Twilight said, "Wait but you didn-" She would have the door slammed in her face, "Ugh! Fine. That's the last time I ask for help from her. Let's go, Gal." As they were leaving, Galaxy started humming the song again, "Galaxy!" "Whattttt! It's catchy!" She whined but stopped. ---Canterlot Throne Room--- Twilight had several hours of frustration to keep pent up in a small cabin on the train. And when she finally arrived in the throne room, she was ready to sleep but knew she needed to report to Luna and Celestia. So as she arrived in the throne room, she tried to put a smile on her muzzle. "Welcome back Twilight, did you find Xillia?" She asked sensing something was wrong. "Yes we did, but she wasn't very helpful." She said pulling the book out from under one of her wings. "What do you mean?" Luna asked. "She threw this and several other books at us. And then slammed the door in our faces." She said, "And we still don't know how to stop the nightmares." "And that's all she said?" Celestia asked. "She also said something about going back in time and finding myself," Twilight said. "Let me see the book Twilight," Luna said as she and Celestia started to look through it. "Actually, Xillia might have been onto something. This is a book of old spells Starswirl threw away in the middle of his studies." Celestia said. "Woah you mean THE Starswirl?" Galaxy said hopping up to look at the book now before in her clumsiness, would trip. Twilight rolled her eyes as she said, "But these spells are just from a dusty old book that probably won't even work. How can this help us?" "I'm not sure. But I don't believe Xillia would have given this book to you Twilight unless there was a reason for it." Luna said. "Maybe the spell isn't useless. But unfinished?" Galaxy suggested as she got back up. "What do you mean unfinished?" Twilight said taking the book back now. "Welllll, you became an Alicorn by finishing one of Starswirls spells. Maybe this is the same thing?" She said getting a grin on her face at her idea. "Galaxy! You’re a genius!" Twilight said grinning, "Look, here's a spell that allows a pony to go back in time, but only for a short while. But what's missing?" "Why not recite it? And see what happens?" Galaxy suggested. "Um, I'd rather not. Seeing how last time I almost destroyed my friend's lives." She said, and began to work on the spell for the next few moments, "There! That should do it." She would begin to read the spell now out loud. "When one heart is lost in the depths of time itself. One must go and set things right, by rediscovering the place in which they began." And as she was reading this her eyes began to glow brighter and brighter before. *BOOM!* As an explosion of light happened, Twilight would feel her body leave the area. And as the smoke cleared, instead of seeing Twilight, Galaxy, Celestia and Luna only saw a smoldering spot on the carpet, "TWILIGHT!" They all shouted