Knocking a couple of times, the Prince waited patiently in front of Twilight's crystal castle to have his sixth and final sleepover of the week, as well as his last crash course before meeting with the royals of other nations. A notion that now had started to loom more in his mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't help but start to feel nervous about the whole ordeal.
Soon the double doors opened, and from it, Spike greeted the Prince. "Oh, hey, Blueblood, you came just in time. Starlight and Twilight just finished setting everything up for tonight."
"They set something up for a sleepover?" Blueblood questioned with a raised eyebrow making the dragon chuckle lightly. "You'll see, come on in." Spike invited him inside, and the Prince followed him as they advanced through the hallways.
"So, what is up with the huge backpack?" The dragon eventually asked, pointing at his equipment.
"Aunt Celly got a bit excited about the idea of me going off for a sleepover, so she helped me pack some things, and well, she might have overpacked a little. But hey, at least I'm prepared for any emergency now."
"Yeah, that sounds like Princess Celestia, alright." Spike chuckled at the Sun Princesses' overly cautious notion. Soon the two arrive at Twilight's studio, where they found the mares of the hour going through a list surrounded by books, ink, quills, and papers ready to be used. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they did not notice the arrival of the Prince and dragon.
"Greetings cousin, hi teacher." Blueblood called out to them both, but neither mare paid him any mind whatsoever as they continued with their list.
"Ah, hello?" He repeated, slightly confused.
"They can't hear you, dude. They're in research mode. Remember when Twilight got all excited when you last visited?" Spike replied with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, she was super engrossed with that spellbook. I didn't think Starlight had the same thing going for her."
“Yep, but don't worry, I know how to get their attention. Watch this." He grinned and then approached a desk where three inkwells and quills were perfectly arranged before slightly rotating one of the quills counterclockwise. Immediately the mare's eyes widened and then jumped to attention like they were just shot, and then they finally noticed the two of them in the room.
"Oh hey, Blueblood, I didn't see you there. When did you arrive?" Starlight greeted him as Twilight went to re-adjust the quill.
"Just did, I tried calling you, but you two seemed to have been busy." Blueblood pointed at the stack of books.
"Haha, sorry, Starlight and I were thinking of ideas for our sleepover, and she wanted to investigate the subject since, well, that is what we did."
"And you got excited, got lost in learning mode, and lost track of time." Spike finished for her. Looking at the Princess with a smirk and a raised eyebrow as he crossed his arms. Twilight couldn't do much other than chuckle nervously and blush from the embarrassment.
"Yep, pretty much."
"You took it personally that Twily and I looked into my dusk form, didn't you, Starlight?" Blueblood mentioned as he picked one of the books and glanced at its contents.
"I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you are supposed to be doing during a sleepover, but come on! It's rare to discover new magic!" Starlight defended herself, tapping on his chest. "New. Magic. Do you know how huge this is? How much professors, researchers, and even inventors would give for just a glimpse of this uncharted territory?! The only reason we haven't shared our results with other researchers yet that would die to know more about this is that we respect you too much, and we need to ask for your approval first."
"Ok, I get it. It piques your interest, doesn't it?" Blueblood raised his hooves in mock surrender while chuckling lightly.
"Yes." Both mares repled in stereo with pleading eyes.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that I got the attention of the Princess of Friendship and one of the greatest teachers of magic. And I'm happy that you are considering my opinion about sharing this with the public. Oh, and as long as you are careful and you compare notes with ponies, and you can give me your word that they are trustworthy, I don't see any issues."
"Thank you." They both sigh in relief at his approval as he put the book back down and looks at one of the scrolls. "And what exactly were you researching anyway? This looks more like history and geography books from all the maps and landmarks I see on these pages."
"Oh, I think you are gonna love this!" Twilight proclaimed excitedly as she pulled a chalkboard toward her using her magic and looked to her assistant. "Spike, could you bring us a teapot and cups and some mini sandwiches while I explain everything to Blueblood?"
"On it." He saluted and left the room, but not before patting Blueblood's chest. "Good luck, dude."
Blueblood watched the small dragon as he left, confused by his statement before being nudged into a chair that Starlight summoned behind him as she and Twilight started to write on the board.
"You see, ever since we agreed on having six different sleepovers, Starlight and I have been racking our brains thinking about what exactly we could do for ours."
"And after a lot of deliberation, and as an apology for getting ahead of ourselves, we came up with an idea." The two wrote furiously on the chalkboard until they showed him a diagram of the ghostly alicorns he had been encountering and what appeared to be a list of spells he didn't recognize.
"A magic/ research lesson sleepover!" They announced in excitement, and Blueblood could only blink a couple of times at the news.
"A magic, research what?"
"It's perfect!" Twilight approached with a big grin. "I have a list of potential spells that I'm pretty sure you would love to have, just in case for the meeting with the other royals, and I'm sure with how fast of a learner you are, getting the basics down will be a sinch." She levitated an open book towards him, pointing at one particular spell that piqued his interest greatly. "I know a transmutation spell that should turn you bipedal and give you hands for a short while~" She singsonged, sweetening the deal. He was about to grab the book when Starlight caught his attention, also holding another book.
"And after hearing your stories and description of those ghostly alicorn figures, I started to dig around in the Canterlot archives and with some old contacts that I have until I found just the book we needed. I know who they are, Blueblood! And how they are connected to cosmic forces that you can't possibly imagine, we might even be able to figure out exactly what these mares want, and why they chose you to engage in this bizarre test." Starlight matched Twilight's enthusiasm leaving the poor Prince overwhelmed by their energy. He leaned back a little to breathe and collect his thoughts on what the two were saying.
Meanwhile, On The Outskirts of Appleloosa
Pacing back and forth, Luna kept staring at the train tracks for the Elements of Harmony. Her anxiousness and worries kept growing for each passing minute where neither the elements nor the squad sent to bring them here arrived.
Where in my moon are Twilight and the rest of the Elements!? Luna stopped and glared at the distance, in the direction of Ponyville. They should be here by now!
"Your majesty." One of her Thestrals approached the distressed Princess and saluted once he was close enough.
"At ease, soldier." She commanded, allowing him to relax.
"I come with news, Princess. One of the scouts spotted and intercepted the Element of Loyalty, your highness. She is being escorted to the base right now."
The news managed to put her mind at ease. "At last, they have arrived. Now we can formulate a proper attack plan." She marched to their tent determinedly, with her soldier following close behind.
"That is the thing, Princess. She never received the news."
"What?" Luna questioned as she opened the tent and was greeted by a distressed Rainbow Dash and Soarin looking back at her.
"Her arrival is sheer coincidence. Our soldiers never reached Ponyville, according to her claims."
"Princess Luna?" Rainbow Dash questioned, approaching her. "Ok, seriously, what gives? What are you all doing here?"
She could only sigh and look down in disappointment. "I could be asking you the same thing, Rainbow Dash." She lifted her head and noticed the stallion next to her. "Both of you, for that matter, two days ago, I sent a squad to procure the Elements for an emergency when I found out that my sister has been foalnapped."
"Foalnapped!?" Both ponies exclaim in horror, with wide eyes as she nods.
"But, by your reactions, it is clear that the foe we are facing is far more dangerous than I previously anticipated if they managed to intercept my message and keep all of you in the dark." She looked into the distance, deep in thought, trying to figure out what to do now. "Which brings me back to my original question, it is a blessing from the heavens that at the very least one of the Elements has arrived regardless of our foe's efforts, but if you didn't come here to aid us, then what brought you here? I was of the impression that you would be entertaining my nephew at a sleepover, Rainbow Dash."
"I did. It wasn't until Soarin flew to my house after Blue left that we rushed here as fast as we could." Dash explained with a reignited sense of urgency as the pegasus stepped forward.
"It's our captain, Princess Luna. I think she is in trouble too."
"Is that so?" Luna quirked an eyebrow, intrigued as the stallion nodded rapidly.
"Last I saw her. She was going to visit Crossfire Tempo to discuss dates and times for our team, so we don't run into conflicts with her new one all the time. She promised it would be a two-day trip, and then she would be back."
Luna's eyes widened slightly the moment she heard the name of her foe once again.
"That was one week ago, she hasn't come home, she ditched her job as a captain, and she didn't even send a letter explaining herself. She's vanished!" His voice got progressively more and more distressed as he spoke.
"That's not like Spitfire at all." Dash spoke once again. "Something bad happened, And right now, that spa is our only clue. That is why we rushed in here."
"I'm afraid that while your hunch is correct, the situation is even more dire than that." Luna confessed with a hint of pity for the terrorized ponies. "I believe the mare responsible for holding hostage my sister, and most likely your captain is one and the same. Crossfire Tempo."
"What? B-But that doesn't make any sense. Why would she even do that?" They started to get hysterical until Luna stopped them using her magic. "Please calm down, you two. I will explain everything in detail if you just…."
Suddenly, she lost her voice as another headache washed over her, freezing in place for a moment before she dropped to the floor and held her forehead with one hoof. "No, please no, not now!" She begged, but it was already too late. A new memory was forming, and there was nothing she could do about to prevent it.
"Princess!" Dash and Soarin rushed to her side in worry, standing next to her. "What is happening? Is something wrong?" Soarin questioned, trying to think of something to do to help.
"Do not worry, you two. This isn't something for you to be concerned about. I only need to ride this out and then…."
At that moment, a soldier rushed inside the tent. "Your highness, we have a problem! A sand storm just formed outside our camp, and it is fast approaching." He used his magic to close the tent in time for the walls to be buffeted by the harsh winds, and they could hear the raging storm outside. "It's terrible, your highness! We have no choice but to ride this out until it's over."
She wanted to issue an order, but it was too late, and the wind picked up with such force the tent blew away. No one could see anything beyond their snouts, as Luna could only close her eyes and allow herself to be transported into yet another forgotten memory.
Back At Twilight Castle
Once the Prince managed to calm down the two overly enthusiastic mares, and after taking a small snack break, courtesy of Spike, who promptly left to bed soon after, the three decided to allow Starlight to start things off with her lesson before discussing spells. To prevent Twilight from accidentally hijacking the sleepover by getting too excited and losing track of time.
"Ok, here it goes." Starlight started her lesson by drawing the planet and seven arrows pointing at it. "An extremely long time ago, back when the world was still young, and Grogar had not yet been born, there were seven beings that some believe were living manifestations of cosmic forces linked to reality itself. Records of their exploits can only be found in legends and rumors so ancient that anyone would believe them to be just fairy tales. That is if not for the fact that we have met one of them."
She drew the image of Discord. "Back then, he went by another name, but by his description and powers, this was Discord."
"Ok, I think I get where this is going. Is this the story of him and all of his siblings?" Blueblood raised an eyebrow with interest as she smiled and nodded.
"Correct, I will be brief because they don't play too much of a factor, but it is important to point out she is his sister. And I kind of like the titles they give them."
"Wait, if Discord has been around for so long, how come he waited like millions of years before turning Equestria into chaos?" Twilight was intrigued as well.
"That is the first thing I asked myself too when I started investigating; it turns out that siblings cancel each other out and produce a sense of balance in the world, even Discord. The mare I'm talking about is his opposite."
She started to put a title under Discord and drew the rest. "Anyway, the legends describe these seven entities as Discord, the mosaic unknown; Death, the specter mare; Despero, the oceanic Breezie; Dream, the desert hack; Desire, the forest dragon; Dis-Tro-Ya, the volcanic Holstaur, and finally the mare we are interested in knowing, Destine, the light alicorn."
She finished drawing each spirit circling the one they were interested in. "Each has their own legends and story, each is aware of their siblings' existence, and as I said before, they can cancel out each other's powers in a cosmic sort of balance. Yet another manifestation of harmony not only in the world. But throughout reality."
"Wow." Blueblood was left speechless at what Starlight told him, making him realize how momentous his talks with some of them were and how he talked with the manifestation of despair or chaos come to life. Starlight erased the pictures, leaving only Destine. "And that's enough about them. They all have their stories, but as I said, we are only interested in hers." She pokes Destine's name.
"So here's the thing, according to the legends, Destine was a spirit charged with keeping records and observing the rise and fall of everything, especially kingdoms, which are her bookmarks to establish periods. To do so, she manifested herself as a book with the same name. She entrusted it to a deserving kingdom who enchanted it and cast ancient spells on the book in such a way that only those of the royal lineage, or the ones they deemed worthy, could read it because you see, the book of Destine did more than keep records of everything that was. It also had the information and power over everything that is, and will be, even after the end of existence. By the way, this confirms a continuation after the end of everything."
"Wait, so that book could tell the future, or even tell you anything you needed to know at the moment right there and then?" Blueblood's eyes widened at the implications of such power.
"It goes beyond that. This book is connected with the fabric of reality itself. Whatever you add in or take out would happen. For instance, if you wrote down that 'rocks don't exist" then they would simply cease to exist." Starlight elaborated, visibly worried at the implications. The Prince himself felt a chill run down his spine.
"So, you understand why so many precautions were needed. Power of such magnitude could be devastating in the wrong hooves."
"One can only tremble at the thought alone of what someone with wicked intentions might do with that much power," Blueblood mumbled as he looked away, deep in thought.
"According to the records, the book was entrusted to the rulers of a lost kingdom called Alicornia. Who, in honor of Destine, built the greatest of all libraries called the Equinandrian. It was a massive place where it was believed that everything recorded in the world had a copy there. It was yet another place for Destine to keep track of things and even aid in her sacred duty."
Twilight physically shivered and rolled her eyes with some drool. "S-So many books!"
"And so, for a long while, the kingdom was prosperous and rich with knowledge, and each ruler took into consideration the position of Destine and safeguarded of her precious book."
"Something tells me the story doesn't end well." Blueblood commented in a worried tone. His concerns were confirmed when Starlight nodded and looked down in pity. "Eventually other kingdoms grew jealous of their power, and a race called The Raptorians declared war which resulted in the book being broken apart, and split into three pieces."
"And what happened to the Raptorians?" Blueblood looked at the board, wholly invested.
"I don't know, their records and legends stop there, but considering how they are no longer around, and how no further history or record is known about them. I could only imagine it was a mutual extinction event."
"Oh." Blueblood looked down in shame, hearing how their kingdom ended.
"As for Destine, because she was connected with it, once the book was split, so was she. Causing her, or rather them now, to merge with the remains, and wear their corresponding pieces like bandages, obeying the laws of time. From that point on, the Fates were born. Three alicorn mares that follow the passage of time, each representing an aspect of it."
She drew three arrows below Destine and underneath them three mares, one a filly, another a fully mature mare, and finally an old mare in her golden years.
"Tarot" She pointed at the old mare. "Loyal chronicle of everything that was. The mare of the past dressed with bandages so old they risked falling apart at any moment. Fortune." Starlight moved were to the fully grown mare. "Dedicated recorder of everything there is. Of the three, I think she is the one that gets closer to how Destine at some point looked like, and finally…."
She moved to the filly with bandages brand new and the only one that was blindfolded, as the other two had their left and right eye covered, respectively. "…Vision, eager speaker of everything that will, the sister that can see the future, and tell how something could happen if it continues down its current path."
"Past, present, and future then." Blueblood summarized, looking at their names. "Ok, so that's their story, but the question remains, why their interest in me?"
"I honestly don't know." Starlight paused to think and then looked down. "My best guess is that it involves how you are an anomaly, which explains why they would be able to interact with you more frequently and directly."
"An…anomaly?"
"Oh! I get it." Twilight stands up. "Like the assassination, the…." Her earlier energy left her body as she started to ponder as well. "What if…" She slowly turned to him. "What if that was supposed to be the end, like it was written that Prince Blueblood would die in his bed, drowning in his own hubris, both rhetorically and literally."
"Ok, I can see that—poetic even. But Twilight, if that was true, that means you and your friends would have had to face ponies like Jet Set, Upper Crust, and Fort Knox. You might not have even faced them. Equestria's corruption could have continued under your nose without you even noticing." He pointed out, his worry evident in his tone.
That comment snapped them from their thoughts as their eyes widened. "You changed the course of history." They mumbled at the same time.
"What?" He asked them, confused, as they went to the drawing board once more.
"Of course! The first time you met them. It was after you defeated Fort Knox, right?"
"Y-Yeah, it was Fortune, and she was kind enough even to heal me."
"That's it!" Starlight drew a line and then branched off a second one starting in the middle of the first one. "Originally things ended there, Blueblood dies, or Blueblood lives, but gets scared and tries to do good."
"So far, the story is the same." Twilight nodded and followed down the second line. "But then, Blueblood confronts corruption and saves a damsel in distress."
"Not out of greed, or personal gain, but from an altruistic mind, and wishing to do the right thing." Starlight nodded. "And it caused a ripple effect. A new destiny is woven as a result."
"Going against their existence, reaching into uncharted territory."
"It makes no sense, unless." They started to ponder.
"The three mares are a result of a division that may be…maybe all these years they have been trapped?" Twilight thinks about it.
"Trapped?" Blueblood looked at the two before turning his attention to the board. "You think what happened left them stuck somehow?"
Starlight nods. "It's still just a theory, but there is so little known about the Fates that it is hard to say. If you were stuck only being able to look to either the past, present, or future. Wouldn't you feel trapped?"
"So aiding someone that escaped destiny itself might be their ticket out, and by becoming an alicorn since the ascension magic involves having your past laid bare, it will be like rewriting reality or changing it completely. They might even be aiming to combine into Destine once more." Twilight concludes.
"Ok." He starts to pant at the implication. "No biggy, so the manifestation of what is probably reality itself is broken, and only I can piece it back together by passing through a series of trials. No pressure or anything."
"Hey." Twilight approaches her cousin with worry. "It's ok; this is mostly a theory so far. We could always be wrong."
"Yeah, what Twilight said, you don't need to feel pressure Blueblood, we only want to help you by shedding some light onto this mystery."
"I'm thankful for that, girls; it's just, no matter how you slice it, the Fates have an agenda involving me, and for whatever the reason, it's gonna be big."
The two mares looked unsure of what to say until Twilight got an idea. "Well, I think that is enough for now." She picked up her magic spellbook. "what do you say we move this party to the magic part of it?"
This seemed to do the trick, as Blueblood turned to look at her with great interest as she smirked and opened the book to the page she mentioned earlier. "What do you think, Blue? Would you like to know how to be bipedal again?"
"Heck, yeah, I do! Starlight. You don't mind if we practice some magic now, right?" He asked, concerned as she shook her head. "Not in the slightest. Anything else we say from here would be pure theory, mostly. I'm also interested in resuming our magic lessons, if I'm honest. Say, Blueblood, have you ever tried combining two spells at the same time?" She asked, getting ideas herself. As the party became more magical, and the three spent the rest of the night practicing the list of spells, Twilight prepared for the occasion.