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Dear anypony out there,
Oh, I'm sorry for being so morose before! But things have changed since last I wrote in this journal. And when I say change, I mean big change! It seems so long ago, but I've been very busy! I think we just might be able to pull ourselves out of this mess I caused...
So let me explain, as I'm sure you're eager to know. Right after I had finished my last bit of writing, I went to sleep with the promise of another dreadful tomorrow. However, something woke me, and I saw this huge white light... mass... thing just floating in front of me! I went to hide at first, but then it started moving away from me as well. I was quite scared of it, but I knew deep down that I had to follow it. It led me outside the tree house and out towards the hills on the outskirts of Ponyville, though thankfully it was night and there weren't any ponies around to see me galloping madly after the floating blob of white light.
Soon enough I had been led to this small enclosed area, surrounded by an encompassing rise of rocky hills. There the light waited for me, glimmering under the still moon as I made my way cautiously towards it. When I finally came before the glow, I tilted my head inward to try and make out if there was anything behind the light. The illumination ended up nearly blinding me! A feeling struck me then... A feeling like that which I had experienced when I channeled the energy of the Elements of Harmony! I was reminded of my horn and my friends then, and my blind-struck eyes began to fill up with tears.
"Do not cry, Moonlight." said a voice which seemed to call down from the night sky. The voice was impossible to identify as male or female... Much like Concord's. But it was clearly not him. This voice spoke gently and slowly, trying to suppress my growing fear. "This is not the end. Equestria has faced forces far greater than this before, and you have not lost your friends yet. Now listen carefully, if you wish for the chance to amend it all."
I took my foreleg away from my eyes and placed it on the ground, still staring rather daftly into the impenetrable light in front of me. Obviously I was taken in awe by this figure of pure luminescence, but I knew that I should have been asking so many questions. Perhaps I wouldn't still be so apprehensive about the proposition if I had...
"The Elements of Harmony are broken. You know this much. The being known as Concord no longer holds sway to the power of Harmony. His only wish was to take it out of his hands and give it to the beings of Equestria. He has, and now chaos has taken over. There is hope for Harmony though, and the code of which it stands for. The interruption of your... Friends has broken the bonds of Harmony, and now their forces lie within six new ponies. I do not know who they are, nor what they represent in this new code of Harmony. You, Moonlight, must discover what Harmony has become and rally the respective ponies to defeat those who betrayed its power."
My mind was too preoccupied with making sure I understood everything that was said to be able to retaliate. I wasn't sure if I had any strength in me to undertake this quest, especially after living on so little after these past few days which seemed to stretch on to no end. And to have to interact with other ponies again... I just didn't know if I could bare it at all! Before anything came out though, I found my eyes readjusting to the cleared night environment. The light had gone.
I looked about intently and stepped forward where I had dared not before, only to get my hooves wet in a small sink of water at the base of the descent. Behind the ripples I could see the waning moon shaded in yellow against the blue hour sky. I could also see myself in the gaze of its all encompassing celestial influence. All I could seem to notice though was that my mane was a bunchy mess!
I thought over the whole story as I slowly returned to town, the dawn following behind me. Why have I been chosen to endure all this? I pondered, becoming frustrated. All I ever wanted in life was to be accepted with all the other ponies. Now I have to go on a second crazy quest which will probably turn out the same way as the first. I'm done with following whatever benevolent being has chosen me as their champion. I am not going to be hurt again!
When I returned to town I could see a large congregation of ponies headed towards what used to be the bazaar. Obviously it was none of my business, so I attempted to sneak towards my tree house without being seen. As I came around the trunk towards the front door though, I was suddenly surrounded by three very angry looking earth ponies! I backed up against the tree and they approached ready to come right at me if I tried anything. Were they looters? I had heard some ponies had succumbed to looting in order to profit after the initial assault, though they had never come by the tree house not that there was anything left to steal.
The sounds of a new pony entering the fray emerged, and a bluish unicorn came in from behind the others. "Well look here!" she said, leaning in very close to my face. "Good spotting boys. Do you think she was trying to eavesdrop on the meeting?"
"I don't know what she was doing," said one of her grey goons. "But I doubt it was going to be anything pleasant, the way she was sneaking around."
"N-no! Listen! You've got it all wrong!" I cried out helplessly. "I live here! I'll give you anything you want, just let me go!"
"You hardly seem like the Ponyville type." the gruff unicorn stated, raising up an eyebrow at me as she continued to examine closer and closer. "I should know. I'm from out of town myself. Now... Try again, before me and my boys run you back out of town!"
"Stop!" came a distinctly male call from a short distance away. We all turned our heads and saw a figure now rushing over to the scene, and the unicorn in front of me finally decided to give me a bit of personal space. I tried to relax, though I couldn't help but think that everypony was out to get me anyways. From the glare of the sunrise emerged a tall bronze stallion with big old green eyes, hay colored hair, and a determined look across his maw. His canter slowed as he finally got in range of us, going right up the unicorn who had been threatening me and pointing directly at her with his hoof.
"Trixie! You should know better than to go around accusing ponies like that! Remember what happened to you when you first got here? You were just trying to find someplace, anyplace safe and you were nearly turned out." He shot his gaze over to me before stiffening up a bit and lowering his hoof. "Now, I can tell you plainly that Moonlight does in fact live here in Ponyville. In this very tree house, in fact! Whether or not she wants to be bothered by anypony is her business, and you should leave her be."
He accented that final statement with a light tap on the ground which stirred the dirt beneath him. I stood there looking between the five in front of me with a grand anticipation nipping at my flustered senses. This was certainly not easing myself back into society. All of the ponies around him were utterly shocked, and Trixie herself was at a bit of a loss for words. Finally her face grew sullen and her ears drooped down, giving a sigh in acceptance of his argument.
"Fine... I'm sorry about that." She rose herself up and looked back at me sympathetically. "It's just been nerve wracking around here lately. We've been told that there are ponies out there who want to try and undermine all that we've been working for, and we don't like to take any chances. Forgive me?"
She smiled and offered her hoof out to me. My mind could not have seen it as more repulsive at that point. Not because of her behavior before, but given that I hadn't been this close to anypony for such a long time. Knowing I was cornered like I was made the whole affair even more difficult to take in a friendly way. I realized, though, that this may be my first step to return to normal, and I raised my hoof back to tap Trixie's in a pact of agreement.
"Splendid!" she said, motioning for her followers to come along. "What was your name again? Moonlight, was it? Oh, we will become very good friends, just you see! This little scuffle may have been a bit rough, but nothing a strong noble pony... Hold on a moment!" Suddenly she leaned towards me again, eyeing towards my forehead. I quickly realized what she was looking for and quickly tugged down on my scraggly mane, making a rather embarrassing screaming sound as I did. Her face was aghast however, and she looked about nervously as to find a way out of continuing.
"Er... Well! I had best go along now! Nice to meet you!" She proceeded to speed off in towards the ruins of town with her gang in tow. It still hurts.
"What was that about?" said my stallion savior. I had recognized him, since he was a Ponyville resident. His name was Reach Out, an earth pony who used to work at town hall. We had met a few times, and I took to memorizing his name as I did with everypony. He was required to know who I was, though. Now he stood over me, offering a hoof as I broke down in front of him, becoming a total wreck. It couldn't have been nice to watch. He seemed to be saying some more words of comfort, but I couldn't hear them in my stupor.
I realized that the whole situation for him must have been aggravatingly confusing. Not knowing about my affliction and what it had made me... He deserved to know, though, so I took my hooves to roll back my mane to show the split horn underneath. His eyes widened up and he looked like he was ready to run off like Trixie, but instead he brought himself to the ground and laid beside me in wait.
I was afraid to move for the longest time. It almost felt like he was judging me, watching to see what I would do as I bawled my eyes out in the shame. He never changed his expression though, one of deep concern, and did not try to approach me any closer than he was. Soon enough I was exhausted of the crying and fell back against the tree trunk, breathing steadily until I found myself somewhat at rest. When I was a filly and something like this would happen to me, my parents wherever they are... would be there to hold me close and make everything seem so much better. Instead of that, now I merely got a tap on the side, but it was enough to gain my attention.
"Moonlight," Reach said, looking rather sullen himself. "I know that this is a terrible thing that's happened to you. I can't even begin to understand what it means. We've all lost something here though. You've locked yourself away to try and escape it, but you can't live in fear of what may come. We're very strong here in Ponyville, you know that! And we will support each other as long as we can! I know you were the same way, before all this. And now, I will be here to help you." He had stood up by this point in his speech and went to nudge me gently with his face. A bit embarrassingly... I leaned into it, imagining my parents once again. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah... I think I am." I said, looking at him and his huge green eyes. A tingling feeling surrounded my lips a moment, and for the first time in a long while I found myself pleasantly smiling at the gentle lug of a stallion. Finally I could raise myself back up on my own four hooves and not look so downtrotted. "Thanks, Reach. I needed that. I think I have been a bit rash these past few days. Not nearly as rash as some other ponies, but just assuming I can't do anything isn't the way out of this. I want to help again!"
"Great!" Reach said with a glamoured grin on his face. "Let's get into town then. The meeting's about to start!"
"Wait... Now?" I said rather nervously. I still wasn't sure if I was ready to be around so many ponies...
"Yes now!" he repeated, trying to nudge me forward. "They certainly won't wait for us, and I do enough repeating of important information in the day job. Come on, move!"
His cheer would have certainly been infectious to me if I wasn't still so deep in my insecurities, though eventually his insistence broke through and I started to move into town. I kept my head down as a walked, not wanting to be seen, although more likely just drawing more attention to myself. Once I started to hear the voices growing closer, I began to fidget nervously. Reach would give me a concerned look from time to time, but kept silent to try and help me power through it alone it helped.
Eventually we breached the assembly and began to move through the crowd where there had been a stage set up for whomever was preparing to speak. Strangely, all the ponies seemed to be talking rather normally, most even with smiles and giggles as they discussed with their friends. I saw faces that I had not in such a long time... Cara Sweet, Knockin, Wind Rush, Harpa... It was nerve-wracking to know that I had ruined everything for them. Yet they were so... Content in this moment.
"Fillies and gentlecolts!" rang out a voice arising to the stage. "Let us commence this meeting!" I took my head away from the ground for a moment to see that it was indeed the ever-illustrious Mayor Dolly, though she was looking as hit by the times as anyone else. No longer did she have her silly green tie or her ginormous red glasses, but was instead conservative as she appeared by the struck populous perhaps not by choice.
"I am glad to see that you have all held up well these last few days whilst this meeting was arranged." She raised her hoof to the crowd, who somewhat uncomfortably cheered in response. "While not everypony is accounted for, I would not panic, seeing as many likely ran away as came in after the chaos began." I looked through the crowd to see if I could find Trixie, but the amassed ponies seem to be too close together.
"This should not keep us from our task though," the Mayor continued. "And rebuilding Ponyville is to be our number one priority. While there have been a few hiccups in gathering the materials since we've been unsure about the safety of the outside for the past few days, I do believe we've discovered a route to the Everfree Forest that..." Her voice seemed to trail off as I began to lose interest. Not for lack of caring, but I never could stand her announcements! It was certainly quite rude of me, yet I saw other ponies taking to talking aside as well. I looked up to Reach and he seemed to still be more concerned with me than anything else, so I gave him a smile.
"So, Reach, is everypony going to be assigned to rebuilding?" I asked quietly, unsure if I would be told to hush for the announcement.
"Well," he said, trailing his eyes across the crowd a bit nervously. "Not everypony."
"Now I would like to bring to the stage," the Mayor said quite exuberantly. "Miss Trixie Alasol!" And there she was, marching right up onto the stage and seeming to very much appreciate the applause she was getting. It was at this point that I noticed her cutie mark, which seemed to be a line of sparkles arranged in the shape of a bulwark shield. I would quickly figure out what that affinity was.
"Thank you, Ponyville!" she said, looking out to everyone with exuberant eyes. "I know some of you out there might be worrisome of putting the defense of Ponyville in the hands of an outsider, but Trixie and her friends will make sure that nopony comes to any harm so long as we're on watch!" She kicked her front legs up in the air a bit in a dramatic flare, though there was no accompanying applause. "Er... Right then! So let us quickly go over what needs to be done in order to keep this precious town safe, okay? We will need watches around the clock, sharp eyes who can spot a bird at five hundred meters! Energetic ponies with the resolve to..."
I could see why Mayor Dolly seemed to like Trixie so much... They both went on unbearably long speeches! There was a bit of discontent about the crowd, and Reach particularly looked a bit ashamed to be in the crowd here listening. Perhaps it was because of Trixie's attitude towards me before, or perhaps he didn't truly trust her, but her presence certainly made him shift a bit more than he normally would.
When I next looked at the stage, I realized that several other ponies had come up to the platform as their respective positions in Ponyville's line of defense had been announced. They were all just as proud as the last ones, gleaming off their pearly whites and attempting to draw attention towards themselves in the most ludicrous dramatic poses! In the middle of the stage Trixie was still listing, and I realized that she seemed to be rounding off her self-discussion.
"And lastly," she said. "We will need somepony to embark on a very important mission. Too long have we been isolated here, only gaining scant contact with the outside world. We must send a scout to relay the message that Ponyville is building itself up to fight against the five ponies who have been wreaking havoc across Equestria!" My heart jumped in my chest. I had nearly forgotten about why I was so hesitant to come here in the first place. My friends...
"So... Is anypony prepared to take this duty?"
It seemed that all the side conversation had stopped when it became clear that things were serious. A couple of ponies looked to be quivering as if attempting to gain the courage to step up, but understandably they were all hesitant to leave the safety of the town. Nopony seemed to have any idea of just how many towns out there were even left, nor who would be on our side if we sent the message out.
I was frozen along with the rest of them. To risk going out there and seeing my... Former friends it still scares me. Perhaps if what we were told was more concrete than the frigid unknown, then maybe some brave pony would have stepped up sooner. There was only so much talking a Ponyville pony could stand though, and we were perhaps expected to be impulsive folk. Trixie was looking over the crowd rather poignantly, and it didn't seem like she was set to move until somepony spoke up and took on the responsibility.
"I will!"
Everypony turned their eyes towards me, and Reach's own eyes nearly came back in his head. My hoof was raised. I looked worriedly up towards Trixie who seemed almost shocked at first, but reeled herself back to a calm expression. The talking resumed, and I felt nearly ready to duck my head down again and cry.
"Very well... Moonlight." she said, coming towards the edge of the stage. "You wish to bring information of our plans to the rest of Equestria? You will have to move quickly, quietly, and not look back until you garner the support we need to stand up against our enemies. Make everypony know that we are here in Ponyville, ready to protect what's ours! We will-"
"Me as well!" said Reach beside me, putting up his hoof. "I wish to go with her." This time, Trixie couldn't help but look absolutely jaw-dropped. She looked at him with a very longing sort of look, though he only returned it with his own dutiful glare back at her.
"R... Reach," she said, trying to stiffen up again. "I can... Understand your concern, but this is a job best suited to a single pony. That way they can travel quicker, not make a presence..."
"Two ponies is not going to make a difference in that." he said, stepping up a bit. "All it will do is ensure that we have each other's backs. I certainly won't let anyone journey off on their own while the outside is still like this. If nothing else, we have a friend on the way to keep us balanced. I am going."
Trixie seemed to muse on this a moment, and the crowd seemed to be formulating their own opinions under a hush. Reach's speech made me seem rather helpless, but I knew deep inside that I was. Having another pony out there to watch my back would be helpful, but I still wasn't very trusting and I'm still unsure. What could I even do on my own? Being out there in the big world I had only dabbled into previously, and only in the last two years. How was I even supposed to know how many communities were left out there? Are they all destroyed like ours? What if there are those that don't want to join us? It still is a mission that weighs heavily on me, and not even the reassurance of everypony in town has stopped me from worrying.
"There's nothing I can say to change your mind?" Trixie's voice reeked of sympathy which was quickly shot down by Reach's shaking head. Her ears lowered once again, but she picked herself back up before most of the other townsfolk could notice. They certainly want their protector to look beat. "It's settled then. Moonlight and Reach Out will set off to bring our message across Equestria. Let us hear it for the defense force of Ponyville!"
Those up on stage began to hoot and holler along with much of the crowd, but most who were near us could only raise tepid applause as they saw both of our concerned faces. My new partner and I looked at each other worriedly, completely winging this whole procedure. We had taken the step to help Ponyville towards recovery, but at what cost to ourselves? Reach certainly had a lot more to lose than I.
Mayor Dolly came up afterwards and continued to talk about the town restoration until Trixie pulled us out of the crowd and took us to their 'base of operations' which was a destroyed tower on the North side of Ponyville. Luckily we had a full map of Equestria to take with us, as well as some advice from a few out of town ponies about what to expect. Trixie herself had come from the East as a protectorate of Trottingham, and gave us some sound advice.
"Ponies are as tough as horseshoes out there. Don't expect them to accept you at first. You have to earn their trust, and that's likely about doing what they say. Just keep your... Heads about you, and you'll be fine."
After that, we went our separate ways for a while. I returned to the tree house and began to start digesting the information. I was thinking of using this journal for the planning of the trip, but I realized that it might be my only way to explain what our mission is at this stage if we happen to lose ourselves. Whether anyone can take that duty from me... I'm not sure.
Over the past few days, Reach and I have been talking about exactly what we're going to take and which way we're headed. Many ponies have come to thank us for taking the duty, showering us with gifts like it was some sort of party. We couldn't take any of them though. It was tough enough to convince Reach that the journal was important enough to carry, let alone the comforts that others have been gifting us.
More than a few ponies have been asking why I decided to go, especially after I seemed to have disappeared for so long all ready. The truth is that I'm not sure what I can accomplish, going out there as a diplomat. All I can be sure of is that this gives me a better chance to discover what that glowing light wanted me to do. To discover the new Elements of Harmony and bring them together... It is my duty now, though it makes me feel like I'm betraying Reach in some way by not telling him. I don't want to leave Ponyville behind like this, but there's no chance for any of us if I don't.
I will save it, if it's the last thing I do.