//------------------------------// // Reminicing // Story: The Fall of Equestria // by Lil_Gay_Loser //------------------------------// Mechanical thumps echoed against the wooden floor, the cyborg alicorn was clinging to metal railing, shakily walking along. Applebloom sat close, watching her progress, while Honey lied beside her, trying hard to keep a pencil levitated in front of her. They’d trained like this multiple times a day for two months now, working Twilights body, regaining the strength to walk and becoming familiar with her robotic limb. She looked down, she had reached the end of the railing, taking a deep breath in, Twilight let go and placed all four of her hooves on the floor, taking a step forward, she stumbled for a moment, Applebloom shot up ready to pick her up, Twilight shook her head and steadied herself, walking again, this time, making it to the other side of the room. She whipped her head around to Applebloom and beamed, happiness radiated off the purple alicorn, and it was infectious, Applebloom found herself smiling back. Honey quickly dropped what she was doing and raced over bounding up and down. “Twilight! You did it!” Twilight looped her hoof around Honey and brought her into a hug before sitting down and letting out a content huff. “It only took me, what? Two months?” Twilight rose to her hooves again and shakily but confidently walked over to Applebloom and plonked down next to her, lying on the ground and gesturing for Honey to come over. Honey sat back down and closed her eyes, focusing on trying to levitate the pencil again. “Okay you need to focus, imagine the pencil floating in your mind.” Applebloom stood up and stretched before nodding to the pair and exiting the room. Their magic lesson lasted for around an hour before Honey threw the pencil with a huff. “This is too darn hard, I can’t do it, I give up.” Honey grumbled, she furrowed her eyebrows and scrunched her muzzle while folding forehooves. Twilight took a moment and watched Honey, a sense of familiarity washed over her and she started chuckling. Honey’s frown grew and she squared her shoulders, this only made twilight laugh harder. “What?! What are you laughin’ at!” Twilight brought her hoof to her muzzle. “I’m sorry. You just remind me so much of your parents.” Honeys expression immediately switched, she now eyed twilight with intense curiosity, a small sense of sadness crumbled in her chest.  “What were they like?” Twilight was a little taken back by Honeys hushed reserved tone, smiling Twilight scooted closer to the cream coloured filly and began to revise old tales of their adventures as the elements of harmony.  “Applejack really never did get over the fact that Rarity proposed first, I guess it was her stubborn pride that got in the way, she was overjoyed nonetheless. Not as overjoyed as pinkie was when she heard. ”Twilight smiled and sighed, a twinge of guilt bit at her heart.  “How come...how come my parents didn’t want me? I mean why did they just leave me here?” Twilight shot Honey a concerned and sad look, she nuzzled the fillies cheek before giving her a bright reassuring smile.  “Honey, they didn’t just leave you here, I guarantee you, they wouldn’t have if they had a choice. The world isn’t like it use to be, your mum thought here would be the safest place for you, with your aunt Applebloom.” Honey sat up, her eyes glossed over as she tried to imagine what her parents looked like, if they even knew she was alive. “If they saw you now, they’d be so proud of you.” Twilights words struck Honey like a brick, tears began to fall, Twilight brought the filly into an embrace, and gave her comforting reassurances as she wept.  A gentle knock came at the door, twilight groggily lifted her head up and gently shook it, eradicating some of the sleepiness clouding her mind. Applebloom entered the room, and stood there for a moment, smiling at Honey who had tucked herself into twilights remaining purple coat. Twilight looked to the yellow mare in the doorway, a smile crept its way to her muzzle as she’d realised just how much she’d grown, no longer that young troublemaker she use to know, but a bright confident leader. Applebloom walked her way over to Twilight and sat down.  “So, I think it’s time we pack up.” Twilight shot her a confused but intrigued look.  “Pack up?” Applebloom nodded.  “It’s time we leave, you’re awake and moving around now, we need to approach and tell the other camps of your return, with the element of magic back and the Princess of Friendship being the last remaining pony of royalty who hasn’t been corrupted, we need to start telling ponies.” Twilight’s eyes shot to the ground, anxiety gnawing at her stomach.  “But I can’t even do anything as the element of magic anymore, my horns broken, all it does is fizzle, and alicorn magic is unstable enough without adding a broken horn into the mix. The elements were also destroyed.” Applebloom shook her head and gave twilight a very intense stare.  “Twilight over the last ten years I’ve had a lot time to study and think. Every Villain you’ve defeated with my sister and your friends has been with those elements. And even though the physical necklaces are gone, the spirits of the elements still exist.” Applebloom took a deep breath and relaxed her agitated breathing. “You brought back Princess Luna by using those elements to defeat Nightmare Moon, but before that, she had destroyed the elements, that didn’t stop you, because your spirits are what embody those beliefs and ideals of Magic, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty and Generosity. And I strongly believe that if we manage to gather the spirits of the elements back together, we can make a plan to finally put Equestria back together again.” Twilight watched as Applebloom spoke with such determination, she saw something in the eye of the yellow mare, a spark...it was the spark of hope.  —————————-~~~~~~~~~~~——————- A shimmer of light plunged its way through the crack of the door, igniting the room into a slight orange hue, the ever lasting sun bore into the walls. Twilights eyes fluttered open as the line of light hit her eyelid, arising from her still hospital bed, as she stretched a knock came at the door.  “Hello Your highness, Applebloom sent me here to give you these.” A green Pegasus mare ventured through the doorway and handed the princess a pile of clothes. “She said that perhaps you’d feel a little more comfortable covering up. And that she’d wish to see you in about an hour, I and a few others will be escorting you.” Twilight gave the mare a small smile. “Thank you Sargent..?” The mare smiled  “Sargent Sketcher your highness.” Sketcher answered with a bow. “Thank you Sargent Sketcher, I appreciate it.” As Sketcher turned around Twilight called to her. “Hey, sorry for asking, but I’d like an honest answer from somepony I don’t directly know. Does my appearance comes as shocking? Or...disgusting?” Twilight cast her eye down and awaited the response until she heard Sketcher chuckle. The Pegasus mare lifted her forehoof and slid her sleeve up to reveal a prosthetic of her own.  “Ma’am, the worlds changed, in this new land, we’ve all lost something, be it family, friends or even a limb. The things that we lose, only drive our determination, and it reminds us to fight for the things we’ve lost, and bring about a better future. Not to sound corny of course.” Twilight felt a small glimpse of gratitude in her chest, and gave the Sargent a fierce nod, who in turn left the room.  Looking at herself in the mirror twilight felt a little more at ease, she’d wrapped majority of her robotic prosthetics in bandages, and dawned black cargo pants along with a brown leather duster, the only remaining metal that showcased was her wing, but attempting to conceal it was futile, throwing on her saddlebags She wandered outside. This was her first time being out of the hospital room, she stood for a moment feeling the sun on her face she took a deep breathe in before looking around. Ponies hustled and bustled around the rather large camp, from armed soldiers to tiny foals, ponies gathered everywhere, moving supplies, pitching tents and some simply stood idly by engaging in small conversations with others. As twilight walked the dirt streets many ponies acknowledged her, from waves to bows to smiles to simple hellos, Twilight felt sheepish until the spotlight of ponies, she spotted Applebloom and quickly trotted over.  “Everybody’s staring at me, I mean I get I was a princess once but it’s like-“  “They haven’t seen you in 10 years? Yeah these ponies knew you were here but no one has been allowed in that hospital room, course ponies are excited, you’re a walking talking beacon of hope Twi.” Applebloom had her nose in a map, Honey sat next to her and gave Twilight a welcoming smile, in which she returned. “Okay if we leave now, we should be in the Dodge City division by 9:00pm.” The Sargent whom Twilight saw earlier was nodding at Applebloom before getting up and gathering a few extra guards who were tailed by Zecora. By the time the sun had left the tree line Twilight, Applebloom and Honey had ventured out, along with a small division of guards and followed by Zecora, scaling the trails, minimal conversation passed the group, mostly focusing on their task at hand. Twilight looked towards the sky the sun sat, very reminiscent to the time her and her friends discovered the tree of harmony and the princesses were kidnapped by the plunderseeds.  “Does the sun really not move?” Twilight didn’t look down, her eyes stayed up, examining the strict bore of orange light that plastered the sky.  “The sun moved? I’ve only heard stories of the when the sun and moon changed with night and day.” Twilight flicked her ear and looked to Honey in bewilderment, before it clicked; Honey had been born after the fall of the princesses and didn’t know what the world of Equestria looked like before the war. Twilight felt somber, giving Honey a lopsided smile and sighed.  “Princess Celestia use to raise the sun, and Luna raised the moon. Celestia would care for her subjects in the day, watching over them and handling day to day tasks. Luna would watch over her subjects at night, and walk in their dreams, protecting them from inner struggles.” Twilight closed her eyes and felt the wind flow past her remaining purple coat.  “That sounds nice, I wish I was there to see it.” Twilight put her feathered wing over Honey and gave her a nuzzle.  “You will Honey. You will.”  ———————~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~—————— The barrier had been crossed, the sky struck right down the middle, as light and dark battled for reign, orange and purple muddled together as the sun and the moon claimed their domains and wrestled for the other.  “The sky is bright, it’s beautiful when they fight. They argue for terrain as we argue to abstain.” Zecora’s words rang throughout the silent group of travelling ponies. The camp came into view, it was significantly smaller than that of the main base of operations the group had come from, it was filled with fewer tents, and consisted of mostly full grown mares and stallions, fillies and colts were far and few between. The air felt crisp and cold, as cloud cover circulated above, the weather was in control of itself now, without Pegasi to control it day in day out, it had grown a mind of its own.  Twilight felt the fur upon her spin rise as the group stood at the edge of the camp, heads spun, gasps were heard, whispering and a few bows here and there the whole camp gathered to listen to the new group. Zecora looked to Twilight with a smile and then out to the crowd of ponies.  “A beacon of hope arises from the ashes, she stands before you all. As a light in the dark a twinkle does shine, and the Princess of Friendship becomes a sign.” Zecora took a step back and Twilight took a step forward.  “It’s good to be among you all. I haven’t been awake in this new torn world for very long, it’s hard to see this once beautiful land be torn and plunged into war. To see families misplaced, to see the broken land it breaks my heart, and I promise you all, I will do everything in my power to-“  “Twilight?…” Twilight stopped mid sentence and looked to the source of the voice. The alicorns heart felt like it had grown wings and soared into cloudsdale. A pink coloured pony stood at the front of the crowd, her pink hair chopped in a long bob, the hair behind her ear fluffed up like it’s old self, but her forelock was straight and discoloured, a long scar plastered across the mares head, she wore a cream coloured pullover and blue striped socks on her forehooves, her usual bright blue eyes looked dull and tired and her right eye was pale and the colour was faint, her ears had cochlear implants in each. Twilight felt tears prick the edge of her vision, the pink pony took another step forward, Twilight shook her head and felt the smile ripple through her entire body. “Pinkie Pie!”