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// Chapter 1: A Pleasant Yet Horrible Conversation 
// Story: Power Of Truth 
// by Onyourleft 
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Two Weeks Prior


The sound of hooves against stone echoed and bounced off the walls of Twilight's castle, revealing the approach of five eager mares. The mares in question are in fact not ordinary by any account. These ponies hold the high positions of element bearers, or in other words, they were champions. As they made their way through the castle they barreled past many peculiar creatures. These creatures include but are not limited to, a confused baby dragon gouging himself with sweets, a previous criminal mastermind dusting a bookshelf, and a pony who spoke only in the third person attempting to recite a speech.

 Luckily, the mares were used to these seemingly bizarre scenes, and flew past like nothing was out of the ordinary. Countless tourists had lost themselves in the vastness of Twilight's castle, however the bearers all knew the corridors like the back of their hooves, so it took them only seconds to reach their predetermined destination. The tall and elegant double doors blocking the way into the throne room were roughly thrown open. 

The five mares entered in one large group. The first cyan colored mare agily darted inside, her short rainbow mane catching wind as she flew like a bullet towards her throne. The earthpony mare who appeared next, casually walked inside. She quickly grabbed a hold of her hat to prevent it from running away as the air from the first pegasus’s launch hit her in the face. This golden, presently annoyed mare, scolded her friend for going so fast indoors. 

Next to enter, was a beautiful white unicorn. She had a lustrous purple mane that curled at its end. This gave it a nice bouncy appearance when she strutted by. It was most likely earned through tedious work, but nonetheless beautiful. She smoothly flowed into the room, stealing the spotlight without effort. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she dainty sat upon her own throne. The fourth mare who was a yellow pegasus decorated with a pink mane, snuck in behind the second and third mares. She was not hiding in a literal sense, however after the door creaked behind her, that fact quickly changed. She preceded like she was walking on eggshells, yet from the way she smiled afterward, you could tell that deep down she was overall excited. 

The last of the five to enter was a bright pink earthpony. Her mane looked like a mix of cotton candy and bubbles, and she entered bouncing joyfully alongside an enormous party cannon. Many had attempted and failed to place a method upon the pink terrors madness, she was simply eccentric and utterly uncontrollable. She laughed maniacally as she shot herself into her own seat, sending forth immense amounts of offensively bright confetti. The party cannon somehow appeared next to her as she landed, yet not a single mare present even raised an eyebrow at that peculiar fact. They only smiled or gave a slight laugh at the sight.

The five mares were now seated on their respective thrones, each bearing their unique cutiemark. After they caught their breath from the mad sprint, idle conversation ensued. However, it did not last long. The distractions of a cold throne, peaceful inhalation, and monotonous conversation could not keep the mares from staring at the empty, alicorn sized throne. Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all turned away from the vacant chair to peer at the single clock on the wall. 

The clock itself in nature was not peculiar or idiosyncratic in the least. It had numbers counting up to twelve, accompanied by the standard three hands. The only cause for this attention could have been the crack in the glass case, which stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the surrounding perfection. However, this was not the case. The clock was not the sole focus, it was in fact simply in the way of what the mares were wondering about. 

The clock ticked ominously slow, and held them all in suspense as the time of their meeting descended upon them. The final second ticked away. Just like that, Twilight Sparkle was late. This fact alone made the mares more excited, Twilight was never late, which means whatever was happening was in fact, momentous. Unfortunately, accompanying the excitement was worry and fear. The majority of their thrilling adventures did not occur or end without a struggle. 

Unfortunately enough, they were often called to deal with the most vile beasts of Equestria. Some of their enemies had gone as far as to enslave entire kingdoms, and threaten the world with dark power. Such atrocities seemed to have become a common occurrence in the past few years, and the mares often wondered why. They were pulled from whatever strange tangents their minds had created as Twilight Sparkle unceremoniously rushed into the room.

Twilight's entrance was almost too stereotypical. She stumbled in, carrying a massive pile of books and quills, all of which were covered in dust and cobwebs. She had a distressed look on her face when she recognized the clock on the wall, yet her demeanor remained overall excited. The pile of old books landed on the central table with a smack, releasing dust and even page fragments in a miniscule explosion. Rainbow Dash coughed and used her wings to blow away the dust, a look of disappointment sneaking up onto her face. None of the five other ponies present could deny that the ancient books on the table were a killjoy. With Twilight, books were almost always involved in some manner. However, when she called a meeting like this it usually meant only one god forsaken thing. Research. 

Rainbow Dash was about to rattle off a dozen questions, when Pinkie Pie leapt onto the table, somehow letting loose a dozen balloons in the process. She landed with surprising elegance, but before anyone could register her random and sudden movement, Pinkie swept up a book and shoved it in her mouth. She gained a thoughtful expression and sat down, accidently turning on the map in the process. She released a chorus of hmm’s and ahhh’s, as she seemingly swished the book inside her mouth. The book itself was colossal, and could never have fit inside of a ponies mouth, well, until now.

Twilight who was used to Pinkie was still appalled.
“PINKIE! Don’t eat the books! These are around a thousand years old!” She shot open her wings in a gesture of panic, before magically removing the book from Pinkie’s mouth. “These pages hold priceless knowledge! PRICELESS!” She examined the book, thoroughly assessing  every corner and bind.
“But Twilight! How are we supposed to know how old it is without tasting it?” Pinkie Pie’s high pitched voice broke through Twilight's concentration and the other mare's amusement. Twilight at that only gave a tired sigh, while putting down the undamaged book. She then slowly went to her throne and sat down. She was about to begin her explanation when the interrogation began.

“Twi, I don’t know where the hay you got those books from, but they sure don’t look like something worthy of a summons.” Applejack’s tone was polite, but hinted at genuine confusion. She unconsciously straightened her hat before she continued, “We dropped all our chores and ran like it was cider season t’a get here. I am also mighty sure that we gave the whole town a fright.” She took a slight pause for a deep breath, taking her hooves off of the table. Her eyes seemed to light with an idea, however before she could ask whatever question she had formed, Rarity methodically slid into the conversation.

“Darling, I think what Applejack is trying to say is that you cannot use a royal summons for a research project. You know we all love your research projects and such, however we also have our own lives. And we cannot simply drop everything for your own personal endeavors.” She gave Twilight a sweet smile before using her magic to fix a small imperfection in her mane. 

Twilight gave an undignified grunt, wondering why she had not foreseen this reaction. Unconsciously she ran some statistics, hoping to plot out the probability of her obtaining a chance to speak. Her answer came when a small piece of popcorn hit her on the head. She snapped back to reality, and what a sight to behold. In a matter of seconds Pinkie Pie had set up what looked like a military barricade, and was firing popcorn at a flying Rainbow Dash, who said something along the lines of, “This is soooooo, much cooler than some crummy research project. I just wish the egghead could understand.” Without even one indignant thought, Twilight moved on. 

Fluttershy somehow had gotten hit by a popcorn projectile and promptly fainted. Applejack and Rarity were bickering about business and why they both needed to be back to work. Twilight was puzzled by that conversation, they were agreeing, yet somehow they were also arguing. She clawed her eyes away from the chaotic scene and decided, enough was enough. 

Princess Twilight reached within and withdrew a combination of spells from her endless labrinth of a mind. She efficiently tied the selected spells to her magical energy, bringing them to life at the tip of her horn. She formed a small appreciative smile. No matter how often you practice magic, it always feels amazing. The warm glow emanating from your horn, your soul blending with the magical power within, wrapping you in what felt like a hug and a ice cold wind at the same time. Twilight sighed, again, wishing this millisecond could last. It would not. The multitude of spells at her command shot out of her horn, simultaneously engulfing the room in a magenta light. 

Fluttershy opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as she climbed into consciousness. Surprisingly enough to her, everything looked completely normal. All six of them were seated and silent, their attention drawn to Twilight who posed proud and elegant on her own throne. Fluttershy could only remember something strange whacking her on the head, and then it getting caught in her mane. She had tried not to panic at first, but when it remained stuck and she couldn't see it she assumed it was some creature holding on to her.

 Promptly she was seized by the iron hoof of terror, and succumbed to the pleasant darkness. She was in truth, slightly upset that she had fainted. After many years of adventure her control over her fear had improved considerably. Yet, today she was beaten by popcorn. Sometime while blacked out, she had been saved from her salty adversary and placed upright. Fluttershy formulated a quick thanks for the girls, but she decided to wait, after recognizing academic frustration painted upon Twilight's frowning face.

She seemed like she was on the verge of an angry rant. One that would most likely last an hour or more. So the five mares on the chopping block stayed silent, hoping to be spared from the torture that lingered on the horizon. The air was thick with hot embarrassment as the mares realized why exactly the princess was feeling the way she was. Luckily enough for them, today, Twilight was far too happy to formulate a tirade. 

She instead slowly inhaled then exhaled, a small, partially forced, smile rising on her face. She quickly pulled her wings in, causing a small ‘thwap’ to sound. After that action was complete, she settled into her chair, watching her friends squirm in embarrassment. Once she was comfortable and completely settled, she began to speak.
“Now. If you would all remain quiet, I will explain what is going on and why you were summoned here on such short notice.” She gave them a slightly menacing stare before continuing.

“In one week, a comet filled with immense magical energy will pass over equestria. This event is a once in a lifetime opportunity not only for its physical beauty, but because it will cause a magical surge that is like nothing ever seen in Equestria before. I know for certain that it will at least double all types of magical reserves. This means that earthponys will be two times stronger, pegasi two times faster, and unicorns will have twice their normal power capacity.” Twilight gazed around the dead silent room, observing her friends as they reacted to the news. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all had their mouths wide open in utter astonishment. Applejack had her eyes practically bulging out of her head, and Pinkie Pie was sleeping. Or at least she put up the illusion of sleeping, you can never really know.

Before they could rattle off another thousand questions, Twilight took up the mantle once again.
“The scholars of Equestria are going to use this surge in countless experiments that will change the world forever. We have been tasked with keeping Ponyville under control once the surge hits.” This news shattered her friends smiling faces. The last thing they wanted to do was control and attempt to organize a bunch of ponies. 

Twilight quickly realized she was losing them. Their faces gave it all away. So she immediately began to explain the next part of the plan, “Don’t worry, you won't have to actually tell anypony what to do. We just have to be ready in case a creature of magical origins attacks Ponyville. You will have all the time in the world to experiment with your new power. Though I must remind you that it is only a surge and will not last very long. The maximum amount of time predicted was around four hours. So make the most of it!” 

Twilight grinned like a mad pony as her friends began to explode in excitement. Nothing made her more happy than seeing her friends in complete and pure joy. She decided to let them gush for a little while. After all, there really was no rush. Life was perfect and she could not have been happier. Of course along the way there had been bumps (aka scheming villains and terrifying monsters), but it was all worth it for years like this one. Twilight had a loving family, amazing friends, two devoted students, and all the knowledge/books she could ever want. For what seemed like the one hundredth time that day, Twilight gave a truly satisfied sigh. 

After a few more minutes of ecstatic chatter Twilight sent out a silent message to Starlight and Trixie, asking them to please join her and the girls in the throne room. A minute or so later her two students casually walked into the room, bringing what appeared to be tea. Twilight's mouth all the sudden felt parched and more dry than sandpaper. She shook that notion away, knowing it was most likely physiological. 

Fluttershy got up and grabbed a chair for Trixie, while Starlight set the tea supplies on the table, allowing Rarity to take up its service. A fleeting moment passed, and then it was silent once again. All eight ponies silently sipped their warm tea, unconsciously adjusting their positions to be more comfortable. Starlight decided she wasn't going to wait for Twilight, and asked the obvious question.
“Soooo, what exactly are we still here for? Do we need some kind of plan of defense? If so, I can make one.” She was already aware of the situation, but not the plan. So she casually turned her gaze to Twilight, expecting her to provide a straightforward answer. What she received was not exactly what she expected. 

Twilight was extremely nervous, and it was adorably obvious. She sat sunken into her throne, almost as if she was attempting to phase through the solid crystal. Her eyes darting back and forth gave her the visage of a trapped animal, and that was not even the worst of it. Twilight was rubbing her forehooves together in an agitated manner as  a lukewarm sweat broke out on the back of her neck. 

Under normal circumstances Twilight being nervous would not have come as a shock. She had a slight reputation of overreacting and losing her head over miniscule misdemeanors. Today however, was different. Twilight had been happy and confident, even going as far as to be commanding. Going from confidence to complete distress was a colossal jump, even for her. Not to mention the fact that Twilight had gained an exponential amount of confidence with every passing year. To say the least, this situation was unnerving for all of the mares present.

Twilight swallowed her fear and embarrassment. They were her friends, they would understand. Right? She saw the concern plainly displayed on her friends faces.
“Twilight Darling, you do not need to be so nervous. We have all been the best of friends for years. We have battled countless ruffians and villains together, risking our lives for one another. I am confident that whatever it is you have to say, we will still love you the same after.” She again straightened Twilight’s mane, but this time added a gorgeous baby blue flower from a nearby vase.

 Rarity smiled lovingly and watched Twilight’s face blossom into a sad smile. The others in the room straightened up and gave Twilight supportive nods, allowing her to gain strength from their love and care.
“I know. I love you all more than I can put in words, and I would trust you all with my life.” She paused, her sad smile wavering. “But I don't know if this is something I can ask you all to do. It could end up meaning nothing, or it could end up meaning possible treason.” Her smile remained, yet it turned far more nervous than sad as she revealed a possible result.

Applejack was the first to react,
“Twi’light I don’t know what you are planning, but we are with you no matter what. We stick together through thick and thin. Just tell us what is going on.” She knocked back her hat to reveal her deep green eyes. Nothing but support and unconditional trust radiated from her gaze. Twilight was lost in the heart warming moment when Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“Are you going to explain the situation or what? We can’t sit around all day.” She rolled her eyes playfully as she rocked back and forth in her seat. Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. Rainbow Dash was telling her not to sit around all day, ugh, she was the one who slept on clouds for hours. The sassy statement was just what Twilight needed. She mentaly prepared the story and calculated possible ways to tell it. Finally she settled on the whole truth. No use in telling only part at this point. Applejack would find out the whole story eventually anyway. Twilight nudged her horn awake and began to project her memories for all to see.

“It all started when I went back to the Castle of the Two Sisters a week ago. I had noticed on our last trip that there was an ancient library still intact. So, I decided to go back and catalogue the books in the library. After a few days of preparation, I set off into the Everfree forest. I knew it was dangerous to go alone, but you all were so busy that week that I didn't want to intrude. I told Starlight that I was going on a trip to the Zebrican tribes for political reasons, and that I was not to be distrubed.” The table of ponies watched the story play out before their eyes. Vivid life like colors flashing and adapting as the small character Twilight headed into the Everfree forest. They all remembered that crazy week like it was yesterday. Yet somehow they knew nothing of this trip. Soon enough they all realized that their first thought explained the second.

“I was lucky, and reached the castle without a single drawback. Yet once I arrived, that quickly changed.” Her neutral expression turned frustrated, verging on anger as she uttered that final sentence.
“The library that I had seen was unfortunately, mostly destroyed. I approximated that what was left contained only ten percent of the library's original knowledge. That however was not even the worst part.” Her voice seemed to drip with contempt, and her friends recoiled slightly. Twilight Sparkle was many things, but angry and contempt, definitely not.

 “I discovered a secret vault below the demolished section of the library, and it was sealed by Celestia and Luna’s magic. At first this was a grand discovery, and my academic side was bursting at the seems. I immediately sent a message to Celestia, asking her to open the vault.” The princess paused, creating a dramatic effect that was honestly unnecessary. “Her response was this.” Suddenly the mirage that had been displaying Twilight's memories flickered until a small letter appeared. It read as follows:


	Twilight, this vault is sealed for a reason. I ask that you do not attempt to open it.


	Inside is very dangerous knowledge that belongs under the ground. The only


	reason that the books and scrolls inside remain is because of the strong magical


	charms protecting them. I know that you live for knowledge, so I understand this


	will be hard for you. I implore you to heed my words. Do not open the vault. You


	Cannot begin to comprehend the damage those tomes have caused. I care about you, and that is why this letter is not a request. I hope you will understand.


	Your loving teacher,


	Celestia, Princess of the Sun, Solar De Gloria


Even from across the room, Pinkie Pie could feel Twilight fuming in anger. She silently stalked up to Twilight's side as the others finished reading. She then softly put her hoof on her shoulder and whispered into her ear,
“Celestia loves you, you know that. It's okay that you disagree, and also, you really need to make up for not being a rebellious teen.” The last sentence was whispered with a mischievous smile, and Twilight laughed, immediately lightening the droopy mood that had settled. Pinkie Pie bunny hopped back to her seat, leaving behind a cupcake with Twilight's face on it behind.

“I wish it ended there girls, I really do. I wish I could just accept my teachers command and be done with it. But I can't. I need to know what is in that vault. I strongly believe that all knowledge should be open to everyone, unless it could literally incite dark magic, knowledge in itself is not evil.” She recited those words with conviction, she even stood up to say it.

“This leads me to the favor I wanted to ask for.” The mane six looked at eachother, sending messages without uttering a word, while Trixie and Starlight kept their eyes fixed unwavering on Twilight. “I need you all to keep Celestia away from Ponyville if she wants to come, and to distract her if she does arrive.” Again she paused, this time to carefully watch her friends' reactions. To her cosmic relief they all wore the same permanent expression of understanding and support.

“I understand that it is a lot to ask, but I need to use the comets power to break open the vault. Without Celestia's permission, the only way to open it up is with complex and powerful magic. I tried and came close before, but her spells were still too powerful for me to break on my own. I’m not quite sure, but I believe because she ordered me not to, that breaking into that vault is treason. Or at least insubordination.” Her features along with her friends became nervous and teetered on the edge of fear once that statement hit home. Twilight was about to back out and revoke her favor when Fluttershy, to everyone's shock and delight, spoke up.

“We understand Twilight, and we are happy to help. No one, not even the Princesses should keep knowledge from everypony. Well, unless it is really really really bad.” She shrank back after her statement, though a soft vibe of confidence continued to resonate from where she now sat. Everypony else looked at Twilight and gave her nods of agreement. Twilight, with happy tears coming to her eyes, thanked them all for coming and agreeing to help. She then bade them farewell, apologizing for delaying their work.

Once the rest of the elements of harmony left, Trixie, Starlight, and Twilight remained. Starlight and Trixie exchanged a glance before tentatively walking up to Twilight.
“Twilight, I think I need to let you know that I believe this whole mission is foolish. You have everything you could ever want right now, so I don't understand why you would risk it just for a few old and dusty books. Princess Celestia would never accuse you of treason, though your relationship with her I do believe would take a major blow. As your friend I need to tell you my true opinion, and my opinion is that this is a foolhardy quest which will end with broken relationships.” Starlight held her breath, waiting for Twilight to respond, tensing her body as she waited for verbal retaliation. Yet again it was not what she expected.

“It is not about the books.” Twilight stated, her voice just above a whisper. “It is about the truth.” Her eyes seemed to burrow into her head as the horrible words tumbled out of her mouth. “What I am saying is that Celestia lied to me. She lied about what was inside of that vault, and she lied as to why it was sealed. I was able to work my magic enough into her shield to open a small hole. Inside I didn't just see books and scrolls. I saw weapons, magical objects, statues and other crazy things I couldn't recognize; even after doing research.” She exhaled slowly and snuck a look at Starlight and Trixie, who were both allowing their jaws to smack the floor. 

“Trixie doesn't understand? Why would Celestia lie to you?” Trixie cocked her head slightly, giving her question a truly curious tone that was almost cute.
“I don’t know. That is why I have to break in. Celestia doesn’t lie to me, ever. So whatever is in there is a threat to all of Equestria. So I am going to open it up and force Celestia to tell me the truth, hopefully mending our relationship instead of breaking it.” Her wings drooped to her sides as the thought of a broken relationship with Celestia fully expanded in her mind.

 Luckily, Starlight knew Twilight and recognized the bad train of thought.
“How about you go to bed? It has been a long day, and the comet won’t arrive till next Monday.” She smiled knowingly as Twilight suddenly straightened out.
“Nope, I am completely fine! I have so much to do today! Mondays are the start of the week, I can’t start my week by sleeping the day away!” She was almost yelling at this point, desperately attempting to get her point across. Starlight did not flinch, she just stepped forward and put Twilight to sleep with a simple spell. 

Trixie raised an eyebrow,
“It was that easy? Isn't she supposed to be our great and powerful teacher?” She aimed the question at Starlight. However, it wasn't a real question. Trixie had a profound respect for Twilight and after becoming her student would cross the world for her. The question was implying that Starlight had performed some kind of trick.

“She didn't fight me Trixie, she knew what I was planning before I even summoned the spell. A part of her knows that she needs rest. Especially after reading all those astronomy books last night. I mean wow, this mare can read like no pony I have ever met.” With that, Trixie and Starlight levitated Twilight upstairs and into bed, giving her a quick caring glance before silently exiting the room. Starlights was still worried as she trotted down the hall. What would she do if she lost Twilight?

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Celestia sat upon her throne, fear coursing through her body. It had been a week since the vaults were discovered, yet she still could not let it go. If Twilight managed to somehow open it up, the consequences could be world shattering. Even though the vault itself was not enough to cause the permanent damage Celestia was afraid of, it provided the tools for her enemies to win. If only Twilight understood the power she held. History would return to haunt her, Celestia was sure of it. However what she could not be sure of was Twilight. Would her prodigy and surrogate daughter stand by her side, or would she fall to the lure of the dark. Only time would tell. Celestia released a breath she did not know she had been holding. Oh how she wished Luna could help her, but she knew better. If Luna knew, things would get very complicated very fast……….