//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Pony Veracity // by keithsterling //------------------------------// “A unicorn legend in Bridlewood forest speaks of wondrous ancient castle ruins overgrown with vegetation that holds within a secret that could change the course of ancient Equestria history or at least our understanding of our ancient Equestria history." A mare voice said with a hint of playfulness followed by a slight chuckle as there was a sipping sound after the laugh. "Now come on, Izzy, you promise to tell me the unicorn legend if I join you for tea here at Crystal Tea Room in Bridlewood forest." A second mare voice said with a hint of excitement as the sound of fingers drumming on the wooden table could be heard. "I know Sunny, but like I told you, I heard this story from a friend of a friend who heard this story from a friend of another friend that heard the same story from another friend. So I can’t be sure how accurate this telling is.” Izzy said, flipping her palm upward toward the ceiling as she sips tea from her cup once again. "Izzy, tell me the legend, any kind of information is good information to add to my father's research journal of ancient Equestria history," Sunny said in a pleading tone of voice. “All right, sunny for your father's research journal," Izzy exclaims as she sighs once before taking a drink from her teacup again. “Somewhere in deeps darkest part of Bridlewood forest sits an ancient castle overgrown with vegetation that local unicorns call the spooky place. The ancient ruin castle looks to have been destroyed many moons ago from maybe inside, but that is just a rumour. To get to the ancient ruin castle, you must traverse the most dangerous path you every followed and cross a rickety rope bridge over a bottomless chasm. Along the way, something will try to stop you; it says to be the spirit of ancient unicorn curse forever to guard the castle." Izzy explained; she paused for a moment to take another drink of her tea. "I have heard that only one unicorn has ever found the ruined castle and got inside the ruin. She found two finely decorated large stone altars with sun and moon on them, side by side covered with crystals. Inside those crystals were two very large unicorns they looked to be sleeping. Before she could investigate further, the ancient unicorn spirit chased her out of the castle. She believes there might be three ancient unicorn spirits in that castle guarding those sleeping unicorns. As one was chasing her and two other blocked other paths out of the castle.” Izzy explains as she takes another drink of her tea. "Is that unicorn that got into the castle still around, Izzy?" Sunny inquiry, hopeful as she took a drink from her teacup. "Unfortunately, Sunny, the unicorn that got into the castle, disappeared long after relating the legend to anyone that would listen," Izzy explains as Sunny blinks with surprise. "That extraordinary, Izzy? Telling anyone that would listen to this same story. Huh?" Sunny commented, a bit confused as she crossed her arms in front of her. "That's why I can't say if this legend is true or not. There no way to confirm it." Izzy comments as she reaches for the teapot and pours herself another glass of tea. Meanwhile, in a deep rectangle eight by ten squares stone chamber in the basement of ancient ruins of a castle. A light blue Alicorn/unicorn mare passes her soft blue slender hand over a medium-sized seeing pool replaying the reforming of the three crystals that brought magic back to Equestria. She watches the scene unfold till the three crystals start whirling around an earth pony mare transforms her into a temporary Alicorn. ‘That is definitely low-level Alicorn magic, transforming the earth pony into a temporary Alicorn. That transformation would have been permanent if that was high-level Alicorn magic, my mother's level. Additionally, those crystals created by Princess Twilight Sparkle being separated for so long probably stored up a lot of her leftover magic. So went the three Crystals came together it released the store up magic restoring what was lost in Equestria.’ The half Alicorn/Unicorn mare thought as she passed her light blue slender hand over the water, changing the scene back to the interior of the Crystal Tea Room and the table of Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow. “Brother!” the half Alicorn/unicorn mare called as the clicking of heeled boots on a stone floor echoes in the chamber; from the shadows appears a darker blue Unicorn/Alicorn stallion. “Yes, you’re Highness.” The unicorn/Alicorn stallion said in a deep foreboding voice that caused the mare to shoot into the air, scared with her face paled went the stallion came up behind her. “What hay? Brother! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” the Alicorn/unicorn mare said, her voice breaking as she folded her feathered bird wings onto her back. "Nervous sister?" the stallion asked in a normal tone of voice with a slightly mischievous smile on his snout. "Yes, brother, Auntie taught you all of her abilities, and Auntie was quite intimidating mare like mother. You are heading in that same direction with a darker color scheme you like." The mare said, floating two bubbles out of the water in front of both of them with the same earth pony mare in them. “But anyway, brother, I found the pony that reformed Princess Twilight Sparkle three crystals. And it looks like our little sister Blueberry hunch was right. It was an earth pony." The mare said as the picture inside matched perfectly as the two bubbles merged. "So, your highness put the plan into motion?" The stallion asked as she nodded her head. “Yes, I am about to contact our little sister Blueberry to make contact with the unicorn and earth pony." The half Alicorn/unicorn mare says as she makes the two bubbles pop in front of them. Back at the crystal tea room, sitting at a small table within earshot of Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow table was drop dead gorgeous light blue half Alicorn/unicorn mare with crimson red mane and tail. She was sipping some tea from a tiny ceramic teacup. Her 5ft 6in exquisite equine figure was an attired rosebud pink mare round-neck short-sleeve T-shirt and authentic granite high rise skinny jeans. On her perfectly shaped and sized light blue ten-inch long bare feet were black kovari ballet flats. This half Alicorn/unicorn mare was Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight, the youngest daughter and last of the hidden royal foals of Princess Celestia. Since arriving at the Crystal tea room in Bridlewood, the gorgeous Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight has not gone unnoticed by the stallion clientele of the establishment; even the owner of Crystal tea room Alphabittle Blossomforth seem to be drawn into her web. ‘A very rare crystal in Bridlewood, a gorgeous unicorn mare like that light blue unicorn over there.' Alphabittle thought, staring at Blueberry as she gracefully sipped her tea from her cup. "Huh?" Izzy exclaims as she notices Alphabittle staring over her shoulder toward a table behind her. 'Well, hello darling, so the royal foals are in this period. Blueberry, you haven't aged a bit. Being the offspring of pure Alicorn like the Princess.' Izzy thought in a transatlantic dialect of particular light gray unicorn mare from ancient Equestria. Went the three crystals shattered during the unrest in Ancient Equestria under the reign of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the spirits of six element holders were released and reborn in this new generation of pony to continue their protection of all of Equestria. The pony with one of the spirits of element holders is unaware of the spirit inside them, except something from ancient Equestria is viewed triggering a memory. Went the three crystals were reformed bring magic back to Equestria, those spirits became aware of their new form. They remained in the back of the pony's mind, allowing that pony to access the element holder's natural ability. 'Well, niece, if you are here. That means your brother and sister are here as well. (Watching Blueberry answer the phone in her purse) I'll bet that phone call is from Princess Aurora Silverlight; knowing the royal foals like I do, I'll bet your older sister is running the show. Just like your mother, the Princess.' The spirit of Rarity Radiances thought as she noticed something moving in the shadows of the crystal tea room. "Huh! I must be seeing things!" Izzy exclaims, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. "Hey, Izzy, what's wrong? You look kind of tired." Sunny inquiry went; she noticed Izzy rubbing her brilliant orchid colored eyes with her fingers. "Nothing, Sunny, I might be tired? It had been a long few weeks since the three crystal reformed." Izzy comments as she takes another drink from her teacup in front of her. "I know, Izzy, it's amazing how fast the three breeds of ponies have come together for the good of Equestria," Sunny commented excitedly as she took a drink from her teacup in front of her. ‘I know that magic, it night magic, like Princess Luna had, could it be Prince Somnus Silverlight. The Princess’s only son? I didn’t know Princess Celestia had foals of her own till the dying Rarity told me.’ The spirit of Princess Twilight Sparkle thought in the back of the mind of Sunny Starscout went she sensed familiar magic from ancient Equestria ‘Went rarity told me about the Royal Foals of the Princess. I was upset that the Princess forced me to take over as Equestria's leader. I watched all my friends die of old age, why I lived! It was a sun blessing went I finally died! Unlike the Princess, I gave my student a choice, and she said no. Went my student Luster Dawn refused to take the mantel of rulership with no new Alicorn to take control of the three crystals it shattered losing harmony in Equestria.’ The spirit of Princess Twilight Sparkle thought angrily as the emotion filled the back of Sunny Starscout's mind. "Sunny, whoa! Why did you slam your fist down on the table like that?” Izzy inquiry as to the teapot almost flipped off the table went Sunny slammed her fist on the table. "Huh? I did what?" Sunny asked, a bit confused went she saw her fist tightly clenched indent on the table. "No way? I am sorry, Izzy, I suddenly got mad all of a sudden. It was like I remembered something that got me so mad." Sunny said, a bit shaken as she unclenched her fist. "Huh? What so funny, Izzy?" Sunny asked as she watched Izzy bring her hand up to her snout and giggled. "Huh?" Izzy exclaimed like Sunny, she was a bit confused with bringing her hand up to her snout. "I don't know, Sunny? You reminded me of someone? But who I don't know." Izzy explains as she brought her cup up to her lips and took a drink. And Sunny notices Izzy look over her shoulder toward the gorgeous unicorn mare gracefully drinking her tea at a different table. 'Huh? That Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight and my sister-in-law student. She is still alive! (A tear runs down the cheek of Twilight spirit).’ The spirit of Princess Twilight Sparkle thought in the back of the mind of Sunny Starscout went she saw the gorgeous unicorn mare gracefully drinking her tea at a different table. 'As time went on, more ponies I loved died, I was slowly started to slip into depression. Before Cadence dying she told me before Flurry's heart was born, she was teaching Celestia's youngest daughter Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight the ways of white crystal magic from the Crystal Empire. She was natural at it as her, and she was very proud of it. She was very pleased if anything happened to her or Flurry Heart, the ways of White crystal magic would continue on in the heart of her student. After Flurry Heart died, I thought White Crystal Magic was lost, and the royal foals disappeared.' The spirit of Princess Twilight Sparkle thought in the back of the mind of Sunny Starscout as she continued watching the gorgeous unicorn mare gracefully drinking her tea at a different table. "Huh? Sunny, why are you crying?" Izzy asked as tears streak Sunny apricot-coloured cheeks watching Blueberry talk on her cell phone. "I don't know, Izzy! It's like all my emotions are not my own." Sunny said, her voice breaking as she wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. "But anyway, have you ever seen that light blue unicorn mare in Bridlewood before?" Sunny asked, pointing with her cup toward the unicorn mare drinking her tea. “She quite gorgeous, Sunny. But I am not like high society in Bridlewood. I am kind of mid-society in Bridlewood." Izzy answered, taking a drink of her tea. "How do you know she's high society, Izzy? To me, she looks like an ordinary unicorn." Sunny commented as she took a drink from her tea. "I just know Sunny, and she has perfect manners, a mark of high society," Izzy explains as the two mares gasp went Blueberry stands up from her table and walks over to Sunny and Izzy's table. "Greeting, my name is…." Blueberry said politely "Blueberry!" Izzy says "Swirl Silverlight!" Sunny says as Blueberry blinks with surprise, with these two mares knowing her full name. "That is right, mares! Have we met before now?" Blueberry exclaimed, questioning as she sat down at the table with Sunny and Izzy raising her hand for another pot of tea which was quickly brought by Alphabittle to the table. "Huh! An ancient coin?" Alphabittle exclaims as Alphabittle holds a gold bit with sun and moon symbol on either side of the small gold coin. "Is there something wrong, stallion?" Blueberry asked politely as Izzy reached into her purse and exchanged the ancient coin for three newer bits. "Miss Silverlight, how did you get your hands on an ancient coin like this?" Sunny asked, flipping through her father’s journal to the section on Equestrians currency look for the coin year. "No way! This coin is from the reign of the two royal sisters that falls into the timeline of the rise of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and her friends!" Sunny said excitedly as she couldn't believe she was holding a piece of ancient Equestrian history in her hand. "I am Archaeologist; I guess that coin fell into my purse at one of my digs," Blueberry explains, lying, reaching into her purse creating a dig journal with her potent Alicorn magic. "You are an Archaeologist, Miss Silverlight!" Sunny said, more excited as Blueberry handed Sunny the dig journal so she may flip through it. "Oh, my stars! My father would have loved seeing this Journal of your Miss Silverlight. He was research!" Sunny said as a smile formed on Blueberry snout. "I heard rumours that there was some pony else doing research into ancient Equestria, But I didn't know it was an earth pony. Miss earth pony." Blueberry said, very polite as she floated her dig journal back to her. "It not Miss Earth pony, It Sunny Starscout. And this, my friend." Sunny said, gesturing her hand toward the unicorn mare sitting next to her. "Izzy Moonbow, Miss Silverlight," Izzy said, shaking Blueberry's hand. "Please to meet you, Sunny and Izzy. You know my name Blueberry Swirl Silverlight." Blueberry said friendly as Izzy noticed the shadow leaving the Crystal tea room. 'Tee-hee, it looks like his highness Prince Somnus Silverlight is heading out. So my niece and nephew, what are your plans? Whatever your plans involve this unicorn and that earth pony. Mmm, I wonder if those plans involve your mother Celestia and your aunt Luna. I was told that them going to Silver Shoals was a fabricated story. I always thought the royal family wanted to live like a normal pony family, so they gave the rule to Twilight Sparkle. Then one of my duties led me to Silver Shoals, I looked for them, and I never found them. As I was leaving Silver Shoals, the mayor gave me a letter. It was a goodbye letter informing me that my nieces and nephew would fulfill their mother and aunt's duty. I never figure out what that meant.' Rarity's spirit thought as a tear ran down her cheek at the same time ran down Izzy's cheek.