//------------------------------// // With A Little Help From My Friends // Story: My Brave Pony: The Heart of the World // by Scipio Smith //------------------------------// With A Little Help From My Friends The inanimate golem sat in the corner, a silent watchpony over the library as Twilight sat on the wooden floor, reading a book. That was far from an unusual occurrence where Twilight Sparkle was concerned, far from it, in fact. Her discovery of the magic of friendship had not swept away her first love of books like a great deluge, putting them out of her mind forever. She was still Princess Celestia’s faithful student, after all. She had to keep up her studies in magic as well as in friendship. But this particular book that she was reading now had nothing to do with her studies. The project that she was working on right now was a little more personal. Three months ago two individuals had dropped out of a hole in the sky to land just outside of Ponyville: Lightning Dawn, Prince of New Olympia and Knight of the Star Legion, and his adopted sister Krysta, self-styled Princess of Awesomeness. They had come from beyond the stars, bearing the information that there existed a myriad of worlds beyond Equestria teeming with life both hostile and benign. They had come with knowledge that had, if not shaken the foundations of Twilight’s world, certainly expanded her horizons considerably. They had come looking for a magical object that they could take back home – back to New Olympia, Twilight corrected herself, since it appeared that Krysta had never considered the place to be her home – but though they had received the Prism Stone from the hooves of Princess Celestia herself, they had also found so much more than that here in Equestria. And Twilight liked to think that it was the other things that they had found here that had touched them more deeply than a magical gift, even one from Princess Celestia herself. The lonely Krysta had found a place – seemingly the first place – to accept her for who and what she was without concern for her unusual race and appearance; and Lightning… well, Twilight liked to think that the stiff warrior prince had learned to relax just a little during his few days here in Ponyville. Certainly he appeared to have learnt the value of having a little fun from time to time. He had learnt it so well that he and Krysta had been planning to stay here, in Equestria, and send the Prism Stone back to their people without themselves. Fate had had other plans. Fate and a wicked pony named Raven whose enigmatic machinations had forced Lightning and Krysta to sacrifice themselves to save Twilight, and spare Equestria a great evil. Twilight didn’t know if they were still alive. They had dropped into a void, and to hear Krysta describe it she had certainly seemed to think that they were going to their deaths, but she had also mentioned to Twilight that they had escaped from such a void before. That was the slender thread of hope that Twilight clung to: that they had escaped once, and having done so could escape again. She had to hope that they were still alive, and out there somewhere, because as much as Ponyville and the Equestrian life had made a great impression upon Lightning Dawn, the truth was that he had made an impression upon her as well. He wasn’t perfect, Celestia knew, but he had come so far in just a few days time that Twilight couldn’t help but wonder how much farther he could have gone if they’d had more time. She couldn’t help but wonder how much farther they could have gone together; the memory of the almost-kiss that they almost shared flashed through her mind and brought a soft blush to Twilight’s cheeks. But this was not just a case of a crush lingering in her mind; this was more than that; Lightning and Krysta had risked their lives to save hers, and she couldn’t just forget all about that or them. Twilight had enjoyed – for a given value of enjoyed, given some of the things that she’d been through – a rather hectic few months since the Grand Galloping Gala: she and her friends had defeated Discord and saved Equestria again, she’d helped Princess Luna preside over a successful Nightmare Night, she’d almost gone crazy; pretended to be a superhero, put on a Hearth’s Warming pageant, and travelled through time. But always, once whatever heady occurrence had passed, her thoughts returned to Lightning and Krysta, and whenever she had time she would hit the books with the aim of finding a way to contact them, or at least to find out if they were okay, and where they were wherever they were okay and maybe… maybe even helping them find a way back to her on Equestria, if they could. She didn’t have that, but as she looked at the book of ancient myths and legends in front of her Twilight felt as though she’d certainly got hold of something. I think this might be it, Lightning. In fact I’m sure it is. She put the book down on the table in the centre of the library, marking her place before she shut it. “Spike!” she called. “I’m just going out for a little while. I won’t be too long.” Spike stuck his head out of the door from the pantry. “Okay, but where are you going?” “I’m going to find the girls and ask them to come over,” Twilight said. “I’ve got something I need something to talk to them about.” “Something about…” Spike hesitated, “those two?” Twilight smiled faintly. “Yes, Spike, something about that.” “You’ve got something?” “I’m not certain,” Twilight admitted. “But I think I’m on the right track.” She set out across Ponyville, gathering her friends as she went from Carousel Boutique to Sugarcube Corner, from Fluttershy’s cottage to Sweet Apple Acres; Rainbow Dash was the hardest to get hold of, and involved Twilight yelling at clouds like a crazy pony for several minutes before she found the right cloud on which her cyan pegasus friend was sleeping, but eventually she had spread the word across all of her faithful friends that there was something she wanted to discuss with them, and would they all come over to the library for a meeting so that they could talk it over. It had been late afternoon by the time that Twilight had finished her research, and so by the time that the whole gang assembled in the library Celestia had already lowered the sun and Luna had raised the moon to cast the world in a deep purple which gathered at the windows of the living tree-library. Twilight lit candles, which cast long shadows across the interior of the Golden Oaks as the six ponies and one baby dragon gathered in the main circular space, her friends waiting to see what she had to say to them. Twilight looked at each of them in turn: her friends, the pieces of her heart. They didn’t all see eye to eye on this – opinion on Lightning Dawn was somewhat divided amongst the group – but of their love for herself she was absolutely assured, and she hoped that that affection, the bond between them that had enabled them to redeem Luna and defeat Discord, the ties that bound them unbreakably to one another, would be stronger than any misgivings they might have about Lightning or the way that Twilight felt about him. “Thank you all for coming,” Twilight said, smiling at them briefly. “I’ve asked you all here because I… because I’d like your help with something.” The lips of Rainbow Dash twitched upwards a little. “Come on, Twilight, you don’t have to get us all together like this and make a speech to ask us to help you out. Just tell us what you need and we’ll do it.” “You know us, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Always happy to do you a favour, the same way you wouldn’t hesitate to do the same for us if we needed it.” Twilight’s smile widened, even as she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about it. “That’s… it’s really wonderful to hear you say that, but please don’t jump in too quickly. You might not feel the same way by time I’m finished.” Rainbow frowned. “Why not? What’s this about, Twilight?” “It’s about Lightning Dawn, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper. Twilight took a deep breath. “Yes,” she admitted. “It’s about him, and Krysta.” She looked at Rainbow Dash expectantly. Rainbow did not disappoint. Or rather she did disappoint a little, but only by acting much the way that Twilight had expected her to act: her jaw clenched, her body tensed, and she looked a lot less eager to help than she had done just a moment ago. “Oh,” she said, in a voice that was almost a growl. “Right.” Twilight didn’t respond to that directly. This wasn’t the time, or at least she didn’t want to get into it with Rainbow Dash right now. Instead it was to Pinkie Pie that she looked, since Pinkie had the most legitimate reason to want nothing to do with Lightning, after what he had been prepared to do. The pony who went by Raven – whether that was her real name or not Twilight couldn’t say, no records of any Raven existed anywhere – had infected Pinkie with something, some kind of darkness, a force of hatred and malice that had tried to take her over. And Lightning… Lightning had been prepared to kill her for that because that was what his world and his people did to those who suffered such a fate. Obviously it hadn’t come to that – Twilight had taken the darkness out of Pinkie and taken the burden upon herself instead, and Lightning had found himself unable to kill Twilight – but she wouldn’t blame Pinkie Pie for not wanting anything to do with him after that. “Pinkie,” she said gently. “I’d like you to stay, but if you don’t want to… then obviously I won’t make you.” Pinkie stared at her, her blue eyes guileless. “Why would I want to leave?” “Because of what he tried to do to you?” Rainbow suggested. “He was only trying to protect everypony else,” Pinkie said. She looked at Twilight, and seemed to hesitate for a moment. “The truth is… the truth is that I’m more upset about what you did, Twilight.” Twilight’s eyebrows rose up, disappearing behind her bangs. “What I did?” “I asked you to stop,” Pinkie reminded her. Twilight was silent for a moment. She and Pinkie had never really talked about what had happened that day. “I… I had to try,” she said softly. “I had to save you.” “Even if I didn’t want to be saved that way?” Pinkie demanded. “I… how do you think that would make me feel, knowing that it was my fault you were gone and never coming back?” “Nobody would say it was your fault,” Twilight replied. “I would!” Pinkie cried. “I would say and it would be true!” Twilight did not reply for a moment. She licked her lips. “I… I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie. Only… I’m not really sorry because… because if I had done nothing then… then I’d feel exactly the same way if you were gone, and I hadn’t tried my hardest to help you.” The two of them stared at each other for a moment, before Pinkie’s eyes closed as a bright grin spread across her face. “It’s okay, Twilight. After all, we’re both here now, right?” Twilight chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are, aren’t we?” “And as for Lightning,” Pinkie said. “He saved you. So if you need my help to find him or talk to him or whatever this is, then I owe him one. I think we all do.” Rainbow snorted. “Why don’t you explain a li’l more, sugarcube?” Applejack suggested. “We can talk a little more once we have the details.” “I quite agree, darling,” Rarity added. “Not to mention we’re all on tenterhooks to know just what you’ve found.” Twilight nodded. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. If you’re all willing to stay and listen-“ she hesitated a moment, waiting to see if Rainbow would go, but for now she stayed, for which Twilight was thankful. “Then I’ll begin,” Twilight continued, levitating the book that she had been reading earlier, a collection of myths and legends that went back to the very earliest days of ponykind and other creatures too: yaks, dragons, zebras. She opened the book, and set it down upon the floor where everyone, including Spike, could see it. “As you know,” Twilight said. “I’ve been looking at ways that I could find Lightning and Krysta; either to find out that they’re okay, or possibly to bring them back here if that’s at all possible. I still don’t know how possible the second one is, but in my research I’ve come across something that I think will help with the first: the Heart of the World.” “Heart of the World?” Applejack repeated. “I don’t reckon I’ve ever heard of nothing like that before.” “I’m not surprised,” Twilight replied. “It’s a very old story. Even I hadn’t heard of it until very recently; but as I researched I kept coming across references to it: in more modern texts its noted as a story that bears into the topics I was researching, but in older sources it’s talked about as a real thing that the writers appeared to assume that anyone reading – contemporary with the sources themselves – would be familiar with. Unfortunately, the assumption of familiarity comes with the downside that none of those texts actually engage with what the Heart of the World is and what it does, and I wasn’t able to find any original source that describes it.” “But you were able to find something,” Rarity said. “You must have, or else we wouldn’t be here.” “Right,” Twilight agreed. “I was able to find this description of the myth,” she gestured with her muzzle to the book on the floor in front of her, and to the illustration of a hollow world with a tunnel leading down into the chambers beneath the surface. “According to this text, the Heart of the World is a story that is found far more frequently in dragon and zebra lore than pony tales, but even amongst those creatures mentions of it dramatically decline as we move into the period of recorded history, as though… as though it were forgotten about, or someone wished it to become forgotten.” “Or it was never actually real,” Rainbow suggested. “You said it yourself, Twilight, these are myths.” “So was Nightmare Moon,” Twilight reminded her. “So was the Lost City of Olympia.” “We’ve still only got one pony’s word that was real,” Rainbow said. “Princess Celestia seemed to believe Lightning,” Twilight. “Why don’t you tell us what this here myth is?” Applejack suggested before Rainbow could say anything else. “What does it have to do with Lightning and Krysta?” “According to a reading of the various myths and legends surrounding it,” Twilight said. “Obviously there’s a degree of syncreticism at play here, but by analysing the commonalities – and I haven’t just consulted this summary, but also as many of the sources as still exist – the Heart of the World was a living being of some kind; not a living creature, I don’t think, but certainly a consciousness, perhaps one bound to an object of some description. Unfortunately the sources are not very clear on that; they make it as explicit as they make anything that the Heart could not move physically, but some of them represent it as a kind of gemstone or core that could think and interact, others suggest that it was more of a spirit bound within a certain locale. Either way, it possessed great power and an awareness of all that passed on the surface of the world. According to the stories it possessed great wisdom, and it was customary in the First Empire of the zebras for the Emperor or Empress to enter the tunnels to seek its blessing on their rule, and lords and common creatures alike sought out its counsel. Offerings were left to it; it was revered as a kind of god.” “Maybe it was one,” Fluttershy suggested. “Perhaps,” Twilight replied. “Especially since another aspect of the legends is that the Heart could communicate across the stars, to other beings like it on other worlds. According to the stories there was even commerce and travel between said worlds – or at least beings from other worlds would come here, where they were received with honour by the zebras. Until…” “Until?” Rainbow urged. “Until… the First Empire was destroyed a thousand years ago in a great cataclysm, no one is entirely sure of what kind,” Twilight admitted. “Many historians blame invasion by dragons and griffons, others suggest a natural disaster, but in light of what I’ve read I can’t help wondering if it had some connection to the loss of the city of Olympia.” “Are they connected in any of those stories about the Heart you’ve been readin’?” Applejack asked. “Some,” Twilight admitted. “Olympia was located far to the south of Equestria, and the lords of the city – who go unnamed, slightly unfortunately, but then these are zebra stories – are amongst those who are said to have consulted the Heart of the World upon occasion.” “This thing sounds pretty neat,” Pinkie said. “How come everypony just forgot about it?” “Because,” Twilight continued. “Something happened when the zebra empire fell, and possibly when Olympia was lost as well; when that happened, the legends state that the Heart of the World became sad, and closed off its heart to the world; more than that, it did… something, to ensure that there would be no more contact with or visitors from beyond the stars. That fits with what Lightning told me, that our world was closed off, cut off, unable to be found or entered except by extraordinary means. That was why nopony could follow him here however much they might have desired to. “But what was done can perhaps be undone. The reason that I asked you all here is that I propose to seek out the Heart of the World and see if there is a way to at least reach out beyond this world as was done before, and see if I can reach Lightning and Krysta, just to find out that they’re safe.” “What if there’s a good reason why this Heart thing cut itself off in the first place?” Rainbow said. “What if there’s a reason we shouldn’t be messing with this stuff?” Twilight declared. “If there is a good reason then the Heart of the World can tell me so itself when I arrive. I’m not going to speculate upon its motives or let those speculations stop me from doing something to stop me from finding two friends.” “You mean you want to go to the zebra lands?” Fluttershy asked. “I do,” Twilight said. “The Heart of the World resides underground – so the tales say, at least – in a series of tunnels descending deep beneath the surface. I think that I know where to start searching: an area of land on the border between Grevyia and Quaggai. I want to go there and I want to look and I want to see what’s there. And I… I would like for you all to come with me. There’s nopony I’d rather undertake this search with.” She smiled bashfully. “And to be perfectly honest I’m not sure that I can do this without you.” “And if we say no?” Applejack asked, her voice soft. Twilight looked at her, eyes widening just a little. “Are you saying no?” Applejack scuffed her hoof upon the wooden floor, then pushed her hat back on her head just a little. “I ain’t saying no, but I ain’t saying yes just yet either, sugarcube. The truth is… I know you liked Lightning Dawn-“ “This isn’t about my feelings-“ “Ain’t it?” Applejack replied. “I’m not saying it would be a bad thing if it were, I’m just sayin’… it’s an awful long way to go chasin’ a legend. Are you sure it’s out there?” Twilight chuckled. “I think I might be starting to get to the point that I’d be surprised if we came across a legend that wasn’t true.” Applejack snorted. “I guess I can understand that,” she admitted. “And if Rainbow’s right, and there’s a good reason why we might not want to open up this particular door?” “I would never do anything to put Equestria or any of you at risk,” Twilight said. “You know that, right?” Applejack stared into Twilight’s eyes for a moment. She grinned. “Well, it ain’t like I can just let you go run off without me now, is it?” Twilight sighed with relief; she hadn’t realised just how nervous she was until she felt that nervousness ebbing away from her a little. “Thank you, Applejack,” she said. “That means a lot.” Applejack tipped her hat. “Anytime, sugarcube.” “Me too! Me too!” Pinkie cried, bouncing up and down with a springy sound in her hooves. “Like I said, Lightning and Krysta saved you, so I think we owe it to them to try and save them too if we can.” “I’m inclined to agree,” Rarity declared. “We do have an obligation to them both, and in any case, how could we refuse you a favour of this sort when you ask for it?” Twilight bowed her head. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you feel that way, but I really don’t want you to feel pressured-“ “Who said anything about pressured?” Rarity asked. “If I felt pressured to do a favour for a friend, well, we wouldn’t really be such good friends, would we?” She beamed. “Besides, I’ve heard that the zebra fashions are quite remarkable, perhaps after we’re done we could find time for a little sight-seeing, hmm?” Twilight laughed. “I’m sure we can manage to fit some in on our way home.” “And the wildlife in that part of the world is supposed to be exquisite,” Fluttershy cried. “I mean, um, I’ll come too, although I don’t know if I’ll be any help.” “Thanks, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” “I have to say, however,” Rarity added. “I think that perhaps Spike you ought to stay at home for this.” “What?” Spike cried. “Why?” “This will be a long journey,” Rarity said, glancing at Twilight for confirmation. “And perhaps a hard one, too.” “But I want to see if Krysta’s okay, too,” Spike insisted. “I owe them both for saving Twilight just as much as any of you girls! And Krysta was my friend as much – almost as much – as Lightning was Twilight’s. So why should I have to stay behind and wait, and what am I supposed to do for however long you’re gone anyway?” “I’m sure you could go stay with my parents, or Princess Celestia,” Twilight said. “The point is that we don’t want to see you get hurt.” “Come on, Twilight, I’ll be with you guys,” Spike said. “What could possibly happen?” Twilight hesitated, thinking. None of the legends explicitly mentioned danger, and even if it did Spike was tougher than his age might suggest; he wasn’t a pony child, he was a young dragon with all that implied. But, on the other hoof, it was a very long way to go. “Are you sure about this?” she asked. “This will be a very long journey, and it won’t be possible for you to change your mind about this halfway through and go home again.” “I might be a baby dragon, but I’m not that much of a baby,” Spike insisted. “I’m not going to get bored and whine that it’s getting too hard. Besides, you might need an assistant.” “Maybe,” Twilight conceded. Spike’s eyes seemed to double in size, consuming the rest of his face as he stared imploringly up at her. “Okay, okay, just stop doing that,” Twilight said, with amusement in her voice. She rubbed the top of his scaly head with one hoof. That was everypony – everyone – accounted for save only one. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash. “Oh, come on, you know that I’m not going to say no and let you all go off on an adventure without me!” Rainbow snapped. “I didn’t like the guy and I don’t think he’s worth it but I’m not going to ditch you, Twi. I said I’d do whatever I could to help you out and I’m going to do it, even if I do think it’s crazy.” “I’m glad that you can-“ “I’m not quite done yet,” Rainbow said, as she fluttered up into the air a little, mainly so that she could fold her forelegs. “I got a condition first.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “A condition?” “You have to talk to Princess Celestia about this first, and make sure that it’s a good idea with her,” Rainbow said. She scowled. “I don’t like this, Twilight. I don’t like it and I don’t like Lightning Dawn either. I’ll go with you all, because it’s you guys, but… I just want to know that it’s okay before we do.” Twilight thought about it for a moment. As conditions went it was far from unreasonable. “I suppose that’s fair enough,” she said. “Spike, take a letter to the princess.” The ever-ready Spike produced parchment, quill and ink as mysteriously as he ever did. “Ready,” he said, a slight smile playing upon his scaly features. Twilight cleared her throat. “Dear Princess Celestia,” she said. “As you know, ever since Lightning Dawn and Krysta disappeared from Equestria, saving me – saving all of us – from the Shard of Darkness that the pony Raven had unleashed upon Ponyville, I have been researching ways that I might, if not be able to find them again, at least be able to prove to my own satisfaction that they had survived the sacrifice they made for all of us. And now, I believe that I’ve found something. “In my research, I have come across something called the Heart of the World, a mysterious legend, I must admit, but one which, if the tales are true, possesses knowledge and abilities stretching beyond the boundaries of this world; knowledge of other places and other peoples, knowledge of the fate of Lightning and Krysta and, perhaps, the ability to bring them back here. I don’t hold out great hope of that, but even to know that they were alive and well, albeit separated from me, would give me great comfort. “From what I’ve read, I believe that the Heart lies somewhere in the lands of the zebras, between Grevyia and Quaggai, and I propose to seek it there. My friends have all agreed to come with me, but they have suggested that I should talk to you first about my intentions. For that reason, I would be very grateful if we could meet and discuss the idea. “Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” Spike rolled up the completed letter, and breathed his green fiery breath upon it, consuming the scroll in a puff of ethereal smoke which floated gently upwards towards the ceiling of the library before disappearing completely from view, transporting instantly across the distance between Ponyville and Canterlot, where Celestia held court. “Thank you, Spike,” Twilight said. “Princess Celestia might not reply for a while, it took her some time to think about-“ Spike belched out a letter in another burst of green smoke, his whole body leaping off the floor for a moment as he spat out the missive. Twilight grabbed letter and dragon both in the grip of her telekinesis before they hit the floor. “Or she could reply right away, I suppose,” Twilight finished, with a touch of nervous laughter in her voice as she set Spike down, and open the letter. “What’s it say?” Rainbow asked. Twilight glanced up from the letter to look at her. “Princess Celestia wants me to come to the palace tomorrow morning to discuss it.”