All of the Guardians were confused and wary about why they were called into Sapphire's office again. This time, Sapphire seemed calm and happy.
"Um, sorry Sapphire if I'm speaking out of term," said Aether, "but why are we here this time? Are we in trouble?"
Sapphire shook her head, "No you're not in trouble, if you were I would be acting like I'm pissed off. But no, I have somepony that wants to talk to you about something very important."
"What is it?" Melody asked.
Sapphire went to the door and when she opened an old pegasus pony entered. He had white fur, a grey mane and tail cutie mark was one silver star with six gold stars surrounding it similar to Princess Twilight's cutie mark. Sapphire, lead the older pony to a nearby chair.
"Why thank you kindly Sapphire," the older pony with a little bit of shake to his voice. He smiled when he saw Melody whistle a couple of short tunes, "Ah yes, Melody is it? From what I hear, you are fully blind am I right?"
Melody nodded, "Yes sir, when I sing it gives me the ability to see. But it's not for very long. I can't sing all the time so I still need somepony to be my eyes."
The older pony nodded, "I completely understand child. But I should start by telling you my name. My name is Maverick and I used to be a Guardian for the West Gate. I recently handed control of it down to the young lad standing in this room named Fancy Mark. No I wasn't alive when Sapphire got the job of Head Guardian, you want to know why?"
Every Guardian in the room nodded.
"Because I wasn't alive around that time," said Maverick, "Sapphire is over a thousand years old!"
While everyone else gasped. Sapphire smiled and nodded, "It's true I was picked to be Head Guardian right when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna started ruling over Equestria."
"From what I heard about you Sapphire," said Maverick, "when you were a filly you ran and played with the other children just like a normal filly would. You even got picked on for being a blank flank by the kids in school. You got your cutie mark with the very first red rose you ever grew. In that red rose was a small sapphire gem. The funny thing is that the last pony that gets their cutie mark in their class, doesn't really turn out to be anything special. Everpony was wrong on that one, so very wrong!"
Maverick paused and then he chuckled, "In any case, Sapphire became the Guardian for the Center Gate at that time and she managed to persuade the other Guardians to not go to war to take back control of the Gates from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The Guardians at that time were out for blood. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's blood to be precise. That's because the Guardians really looked up to the ruler of the land before the Princesses came into power. The ruler back then was actually a stallion by the name of Prince Zoe."
"A stallion ruled over Equestria once?" Melody asked. The fact that a stallion used to rule over Equestria fascinated Melody. She couldn't speak for anypony else but she really wanted to hear about this pony named Prince Zoe.
"Oh yes," said Maverick, "but the land wasn't called Equestria back then. The land had another name. The Founders renamed the land after they got over their bickering and they thought they stopped the Wendigos. To those of the Guardian Community, the Founders were the stupidest ponies ever. Their stupid little holiday called Hearth's Warming Eve, was based an a big fat lie!"
Everyone except Sapphire and Aether gasped at this information.
"Yes I know," said Maverick, "at that time the Founders actually had a war with the Guardians they won and the Guardians had to hand over control of the Gates to them. Not to mention Prince Zoe had to step down from the throne and hand it over to the Founders. The Guardians' anger towards the Founders grew over time and they wanted another war to take back control of the Gates. But then Sapphire saw this and stepped in to reason with Guardian's and that stopped another war from happening."
Melody was listening so intently that she almost fell over. "So what happened next?"
"Well the war didn't happen," said Maverick, "Sapphire got picked to be the Head Guardian and another Guardian took her place at the Center Gate. Now the reason why I tell you this tale is for one very important reason. The reason is, I'm Phantasia's father."
Hearing that Maverick was Phantasia's father Melody fell flat on her face in shock. Aether came over and helped her up.
"Thanks Aether." Melody said.
"No problem." Aether replied.
Maverick sighed, "I owe a big apology to all of you in this room today. Especially to Sapphire. I'm the one that told Phantasia about the Gates. I told him about the Gates when he was still a clot without his cutie mark. I stressed to him the importance of respecting the Gates and those that guard them. I also told him not to be angry if he didn't get picked to be a Guardian because not everyponies' magic is compatible with the Gates."
"I remember Phantasia asking me why only Princesses can rule over Equestria and I told him that's just the way the Founders set the rules when they founded Equestria. I remember him telling me how stupid that was and one day the rules should be changed. A pony should be able to rule over Equestria despite their gender. I told him that he would not get the rules changed unless he took Equestria for himself. That was a big mistake on my part. I should've never put that idea in his head."
"It seemed that when I told him about taking Equestria for himself, he let that idea stay with him while he was growing up. I bet Phantasia really thinks he's a hero by starting a revolt trying to take control of the Gates for himself. He doesn't realize how much of an idiot he's being. I also bet that he thinks if he takes control of the Gates I won't be able to kick out the family and I'll have no choice but to respect him and keep honoring him. Like that's going to happen! Phantasia should know that he can't force ponies to respect him. If he does it won't be sincere. To me, fake respect is the worst type of respect you can ever get."
Sapphire nodded. "I agree, Elder Maverick. You don't have to apologize for the actions of another. If anypony should apologize for their actions, it's Phantasia."
Maverick nodded in agreement, "I hope this little bit of information helps you better understand why Phantasia is doing what he is doing. If he does decide to try and take control of Gates for himself, please do your best to fight and fight him hard! Do not let him take Equestria! I don't want this land to be renamed again. That will be just as bad as what King Sombra did to the Crystal Empire. I'm so glad that Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor were able to take the Crystal Empire back from King Sombra. Well I should be going now."
Wow I love this type of history! I can't believe Elder Maverick is Phantasia's father. Melody thought. Elder Maverick seems so kind and caring, Phanastia's just a big jerk!
After Elder Maverick left, Sapphire closed the door and smiled. "Well now, there you have it. Now that we know what Phantasia's true intentions are, I say if we can find a way to change his mindset about Equestria. I understand him thinking that it's not fair that only Princesses can rule over Equestria but that's the way things are. Just because you think something's unfair is not much of an excuse to start a war and drive everypony out of the land because of it. The Founders drove every pony out because they were selfish and greedy. But as Elder Maverick said, I persuaded the Guardians to not have another war with Equestria. You want to know what Equestria was named before the Founders took over?"
"What was it named?" Melody asked.
"The Nintis Empire." Sapphire answered.
"Whoa!" Everypony said.
"Yeah I know right?" Sapphire said. "You guys are free to go now. You'll be summoned for your training tomorrow."
As everypony began to leave, Melody stayed behind.
Sapphire tilted her head, "Yes, Melody? What is it?"
"How did the Gates get established in the first place?" Melody asked.
"You know something Melody?" Sapphire answered. "I don't know. Honestly, I think that's a closely guarded secret. I don't know who knows that and if I did, I doubt they would tell me the answer."
"Oh." Melody said.
"Was there anything else you wanted from me?" Sapphire asked.
Melody shook her head, "Nope that was it."
* * *
Melody sighed as she continued to work the song she just wrote to describe her feelings about the recent events that had taken place.
You've never once given up
Not even when I've pulled away
But now I'm here and it's almost done
So just this once
Just this once
You've never once given up
Even from that very first day
Edges rough, but it was always love
So just this once
Stay
Stay, stay, stay, stay
You turn to me, it's finally over
You can keep your promise after all
We're going home after all this time
Shocked that we both made it out alive
Now we get to tell a story
That didn't just end with a hero's sacrifice
It goes just this once I'll choose what I want
And just this once I'll do the right thing
And just this once I'll choose to save her
And just this once I'll sacrifice
Just this once I'll make my own choice
And just this once I'll be the good guy
After she finished tweaking the first verse and the chorus she put the song down when she heard Apple Bloom's voice call out to her, "Uh, Melody! I'm here! I brought the books you wanted! Can you believe The Gates of Equestria book was found in the fiction novels section at the library?"
Melody opened the door to her house and let Apple Bloom in. Boy I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be happy that Apple Bloom did a welfare check on me!
Apple Bloom smiled when she walked into the house. "Wow Melody! You've been doing some decorating or something? Are you that bored because of being on house arrest because of what Pinkie Pie did?"
Melody paused. "Huh?"
Melody didn't she was decorating or anything like that. She had just been placing different notes of her sheet music around the house.
Apple Bloom whistled, "I take that back, it just looks like you've been working really hard on a lot of different songs lately. I remember you doing that every time something was bugging ya. Obviously this situation about being on high alert and on house arrest is getting on your nerves huh?"
Melody shrugged, "I guess so. But I don't remember leaving sheet music around the house when I was upset about something."
Apple Bloom nodded. "Oh yeah, that was another tell-tale sign that you were upset about something. The other tell-tale sign that you were upset was pretty obvious, your eye twitching and you screaming at Applejack about it. I wonder if she realized what being a mother was all about before she adopted you? Honestly, every time you argued with her it broke her heart. Applejack didn't like it when you got upset with her. Mostly because she couldn't figure out how to talk to you like I could and still can."
"Oh, I see." Melody said.
"Oh and yes I got the books in braille because you can't read a book the normal way because you're blind and all." Apple Bloom said.
"Well duh," said Melody sarcastically, "thank you captain obvious!"
Apple Bloom chuckled, "Sorry I just have a habit of pointing things out like that. So exactly what did you want those books for?"
"Well I asked Sapphire about how the Gates got established in the first place," responded Melody, "but she didn't seem to have an answer for me because she didn't even have the answer herself. It's almost like whoever or whatever established the Gates intended to keep everything a secret. I would try and use my magic to examine the Gates myself but that might be breaking the rules as far as being a Guardian goes. The last thing I want is to do something stupid like what Pinkie Pie did and put everypony in danger!"
"Yeah that makes sense," said Apple Bloom, "I know how you are, just like you don't like to show emotion around ponies, you would never put your friends in danger."
Apple Bloom set her saddle bags on the ground and handed them over to Melody. Melody immediately began to search through every book until she found the one book she was the most curious about. The Gates of Equestria.
She put the book on the table and flipped it open to the first chapter. The first chapter was titled: Before Equestria was founded.
"Hmm," said Melody, "the title of this chapter is very interesting. I mean who would be able to keep track of everything and I wonder if Sapphire knows about this book if anypony can find it if they know what they're looking for?"
Apple Bloom shrugged, "I have no idea."
* * *
The Gates of Equestria by: the Unknown Scribe
Chapter 1: Before Equestria was founded.
A long time ago and no one can say how long Equestria was founded. The land that became Equestria was actually an Empire called The Nintis Empire. There was peace and prosperity all around.
The ponies that lived in the Empire played and enjoyed the sun in the daytime. The ponies slept when the moon was out at night time. Everyone was protected by the Gates and those that guarded them. At that time, there was no need for a pony to raise the sun and there was no need for a pony to control the moon. The sun and the moon moved on their own and didn't need to be controlled by anypony.
But on one fateful day, three arrogant ponies that would become the Founders of Equestria summoned the hardest unstable magic to control called the Wendigos to come out of the unstable demission because of their bickering.
It was very hard for the Guardians to get the Wendigos under control again. When the Wendigos were tamed the Guardians waited for the Founders to come out of the cave they trapped themselves in. When the Founders did come out of the cave, Guardians sternly told them that they were not welcome in the land that became Equestria. The Founders declared war on The Nintis Empire and unfortunately they won and the ruler of the Empire, a stallion named Prince Zoe, had to step down from the throne and hand control of the Gates over to the Founders of Equestria.
The Founders of Equestria then proceeded to drive every single pony out of The Nintis Empire and founded Equestria.
Even though this is a really short chapter on the history of The Gates of Equestria, I hope that whoever is reading this book keeps reading if they want to find out more about the Gates and their history.