Perspective: By Star Swirl The Bearded
There is no denying that outside cultures have had their hoof in shaping Equestria as we know it today, just as any civilization has borrowed from the past. But I am not writing about our current culture borrowing from the past pony cultures or in fact any culture we recognize today. Just by looking at Pony civilization we can tell that it wasn't designed for us. Our technology, barring any magical advancement, hasn't changed much in the last millennium. In fact it would seem that any new developments are really just variations on existing pieces. Brilliant though they may be, it seems we do not understand the core concepts behind them which leads me to the conclusion that we did not in fact make the inventions in the first place.
I have been doing research on a set of ruins older than six thousand years that are well beyond the skill and craftsmanship of the ponies of old and even the much older Alicorn civilizations that gave way to our own. In the ruins is a relief depicting an event, one could say a battle, between four very distinct forces. One is our ancestors, the Alicorns, defending their cities and the lands around them. The second is the Draconequus, the last and most famous of which now resides in the royal gardens as a lawn ornament. The other two are what led to the writing of this book as they have never been seen before anywhere. Yet if the relief is accurate, and my eyes have not failed me yet, they had the largest hand in our history than any other culture that preceded us. One is a being coming from the sky in the picture, consuming the other three and the other is-
Star Swirl the Bearded watched as his quill fell to the desk. His aura holding the quill vanished as if blown out like a candle. He frowned and tried to levitate the quill. It didn't move. His room was lit by a few candles and they flickered in the draft as the storm outside howled against the windows.
"It's been a long time old friend."
It couldn't be could it?
He whirled around and his eyes widened at the sight of his oldest friend. He cried out jumped out of his chair, embracing the mare before him.
"Celestia," he breathed at last, "It's been ages! How have you been? And look at you, you haven't aged a day."
"And you've gone and done all it for me." Celestia said with a quick smile.
He returned it sincerely and went back to his desk, his hoof traveling over it, pausing over the quill. He turned sharply.
"So what brings you to my study unannounced and uninvited?"
Celestia glanced at the stacks of parchment on his desk and her eyes skimmed over his work.
"On the contrary, you've invited my attention already."
He looked back and then gave her a confused look. He was about to speak when she cut him off with a raised hoof.
"Star Swirl, when you were in those ruins did you not happen across a large door? It would have had a mural of a battle on it. This is very important, do you remember?"
The question seemed so direct to him. It was too specific, she had to know where he'd been and what he'd been studying.
"Yes. I came across a large relief depicting a battle. It was a door?"
This was new information, it had looked more like a obelisk or monument. Star Swirl had heard of portals but with the advent of teleportation, they hadn't been used in ages. He also felt a pang of shame, how could he have not seen it?
"You didn't touch anything did you? You weren't followed? In or out?"
Star Swirl frowned, returning to the present.
"No and I don't think so? Celestia what is this about? What's-"
Celestia abruptly held up a hoof to silence him, she turned her head to the side and looked behind her.
"Celestia."
"Please, be quiet."
He could hear fear in her voice and fell silent. The constant sound of the wind screaming at the window did not help Star Swirl's nerves. His eyes shifted around the room and he saw that his nerves weren't the only ones on edge.
A candle went out in the corner of the room and they both jumped. The room got darker and the corner was cast in shadow. The rest of the room got darker until the candles although still lit gave off only enough light for a few feet. Lightning cracked outside and lit the room up for an instant and he thought he glimpsed a figure standing in the middle of the room before it was hidden in shadow. He tried to light the room with magic and found that he once again could not perform the simplest of magical tasks. In fact he couldn't perform any magic.
"My magic isn't working."
"Neither is mine," she said, not taking her eyes off the dark corner.
He processed what she said then spun to face her, his eyes widening.
"I... what?"
His mind raced. She was the most powerful being in Equestria! He had a sudden fear that she too answered to someone as powerful as she was to him. What god of old had entered his room?
"I think you were followed out. Stay close to me-"
"That will not save him," said a voice from the corner of the room, cutting her off.
The hairs on the back of his neck shot up. The voice that emanated from somewhere in front of him was the dark and guttural tone of a monster. Every childhood fear of monsters that he thought he'd grown out of years ago came lunging back to him out every shadow.
"No one else can know of the door's existence," said the voice
He took a step back, his mouth hanging loosely open. What was this fresh nightmare, what hell had followed his life's steps and had finally caught up. He felt as if a reaper had appeared to him to take him for his transgressions. Every forbidden spell, every secret long buried, he knew so many. The worst part was that none of his knowledge had helped him.
He felt the urge to run but something else took hold inside him, he wasn't alone. He had a duty. An obligation. Celestia had tried to warn him and had fallen in the same trap. His love gave him strength and he reared up in defiance.
"YOU'LL NOT TAKE US!"
He picked up a heavy tome, an aged and boring read. He hefted it in his hooves and heaved it as hard as he could. Celestia's eyes followed it through the air as it impacted on a seal on his bookcase. The bookshelf heaved aside, the gears and cranks clanking as his escape tunnel opened.
Celestia stepped in front of Star Swirl, flaring her wings.
"No! don't! Don't move!"
She turned around and blocked his view behind her wings.
"What? What are you doing?"
"Saving your life!"
She faced the corner of the room, a steady and brave posture. She was terrified out of her mind on the inside. She hadn't thought it would come to this.
"He can be trusted," she stared at the dark corner but she couldn't find anything but a solid black mass to look at.
"Clearly not, his work behind you undoes any trust you may attribute to him," the voice said.
"He didn't know. Please -- Lucien, please give him a chance.".
Silence came after her words as if someone had started speaking it the moment she stopped. It filled the room and whispered in their ears until it was all they could hear aside from their own hearts and the tempest outside. She held her pose, then, a sigh. The candles on their side of the room started to give off more light. It was slow but eventually the room was dimly lit. The other half was still shrouded in impermeable darkness. It was like looking into a cave you couldn't see the end of.
Then something stepped into the dim light.
He froze, nothing about any of the previous monsters he'd faced had prepared him. It was the symbol of Death itself, a great cloaked figure with thin limbs and a flat, skeletal face. It's long limbs horrified him and he imagined it was a spider standing above them. It had thin, sagely eyes that regarded him as if everything about him was visible to it. It turned to Celestia and he saw her body stiffen. Her wings quivered.
"You know the risk," it said.
The voice was different. It had lost its growl.
"I also know you. You wouldn't do this."
It sighed and turned its head towards Star Swirl. He immediately felt sick and collapsed to his knees. It began speaking right into his ear even though he could see its feet across the room.
"You are to destroy any writing on the ruins you found. You will never speak of this again to anyone but Celestia and Luna. You will never return to that place again. Swear it."
"I s-swear it."
The being known as Lucien sighed.
"The hope of the world and worlds to come depends on this trust we share. Goodbye."
The last candle lit up and nothing was there.
Outside the storm still raged. The Princess's castle had seen far worse storms in its history but this one worried Luna. It wasn't like her sister to be late, for anything. But to miss her birthday was almost enough to send her over the edge. She sat alone in a empty hall with a single candle still lit on a cake as big as the table it was resting on. Hundreds of candles had gone out in the time she had waited and now this last one was flickering in a draft. She wept quietly so not to draw the staff over to her. She couldn't handle them ever since she found memos written by her sister ordering them to treat her extra kindly. Did her sister think she was some child to be coddled and cajoled into happiness.
"I wish it didn't have to be like this."
Luna rounded on her sister's voice, finding Celestia standing in front of her. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Luna held her look for a tense second before rushing over and burying her in a hug. Celestia looked shocked, she'd prepared a dozen speeches to explain her sister what happened in a way that didn't lead to another row. She held her a little tighter, loving her strong little sister a little more.
"I am so so sorry but something came up. Star Swirl did something he really should not have and I-"
She was cut off by her sister hugging her even tighter.
"Oh come and wish me a happy birthday already."
They went over to the cake, still in each other's hooves, and blew out the last candle together Celestia had lit nearly a thousand candles and it had given off so much heat and light that the ingredients had to be enchanted. Luna had also turned off all the lights in the hall. It was night out, why try and make another day in here?
Celestia turned her head towards the chandelier and tried to cast a spell to light the room. Her horn lit up but the aura vanished as if in a breeze.
"Allow me."
The chandelier light up but inside of the rays of the sun, it glowed pale white. A thousand thousand stars lit up across the ceiling.
Luna gasped and squinted at the newcomer and her eyes widened.
"LUCIEN!"
She galloped over to him and embraced him, knocking him off his two feet. They laughed and caught up like old friends, not saying a word, just enjoying each other's company for the first time in an age.
"Just because I've missed most of your birthdays does not mean I would miss them all. Wait, the candles, I did miss it. Drat."
"Technically the party lasts all night."
"You're just glad someone is still up at this hour to celebrate with you," he said, smirking at her.
"Ouch, Lucien," said Luna, giving him a reproachful look.
"Sorry, now are you going to let me breathe?"
They rose to their feet and Lucien dusted himself off and looked over to Celestia who was giving him a lethal glare. He walked over, arms held out to his sides.
"I'm sorry for making you late but we all have our responsibilities in life. Pay heed to yours."
He gestured over his shoulder to Luna who was trying to lift a knife with her hooves but it kept dropping. Celestia's eyes burned as she glared back at him. If anyone else had done what he did she'd have hunted them down and tried them in the courts. As it was, Celestia knew that the world had lived by his grace for millenia. She wouldn't and couldn't treat him with anything less then respect and sometimes a little contempt and loathing.
"How could you lecture me when you were just about to kill one of my oldest friends over a piece of paper!" her voice going shrill by the end of her sentence.
"I always know more than then let on. I knew you'd get there in time. In fact I may have taken the long route just to give you time to save the day, night, whatever. Just look at the events, he didn't have to die, you got to attend your sisters birthday party, I get cake... right Luna?"
"It's still a maybe."
A plate and fork appeared in his hands and he mockingly advanced on the cake drawing them into a stand off of rude insults and silly faces.
Celestia narrowed her eyes before a faint smile played across her lips. She straightened up and walked beside him.
"I suppose you've never given me reason to doubt you before."
"And I never will," he said, turning to face her.
Luna poked Lucien in the back causing him to jump, Celestia snickered and walked past, her own eyes fixed on the cake.
"Ow! That thing is sharp you know!" Lucien rubbed his back, his eyes staring black holes at his adversary. It had no effect but to make her do the same.
"I do. Stop nullifying my magic. I am trying to do something here."
She gestured to the cake that was finally beginning to melt. He closed his eyes and and he felt his ears pressurize as he allowed magic back into the world. Luna conjured up a brace of knives and began spinning them around the cake, dicing a section of it into tiny sculptures.
The cake was far too large to ever be eaten in one sitting. Even for all the inhabitants of the palace it would have been a challenge. Celestia looked at the massive cake, not even a quarter eaten, and her expression lost its shine. She had just wanted to do something nice for her sister's birthday. She sighed and put down her plate.
It was getting hard. Her sister's mood swings, she could see she was lonely and desperately needed a friend but everything she tried ended in failure. In the old days it hadn't been a problem. They'd had each other, friends, mother and father, even Lucien before his duty made him have to guard the door full time.
She looked down then turned to Lucien to speak but he cut her off.
"I know what you are going to say and it's taken care of. I got the dragon your friend scared off back in place and added a new host of security measures that are sure to hold until the morning."
"It just seems irresponsible. You staying here all night. I-"
"I know what you are going to say and I know what I would say in return. And so on and so forth."
Celestia levitated her tea cup to her lips and sipped it, all the while never taking her eyes off him. One ability she envied was his foresight. He was just too smug about it.
Morning came and they said their goodbyes to Lucien as he faded into the sunrise. Celestia was still pondering what he'd meant when he'd said his goodbye to her. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. If anyone else had said it she'd have thought they'd meant the party the night before but Lucien was Lucien and, from her experiences, he saw time differently. A by product of his sight no doubt. She couldn't tell why but she was worried. An nauseous feeling in her stomach that made her uncomfortable in her own skin.
Luna sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her forehoof. She knew it would be ages before they saw each other again. He was one of her first and oldest friends. He'd always been there. She was still pondering what he'd meant when he'd said his goodbye. You'll be all grown up when next we see each other. Just make sure you don't let the time in between change you.
Ten years later
The Elements' light slowly faded away until the gems that had once shone brightly in the dark were now lifeless stone orbs. Celestia heaved and sobbed in the broken ruins of her castle, trying to fight the tears back. She sat down on her haunches, flinching at the feel of the cold stone floor on her flank. She shivered and bit her lip. She was the only leader now. She had to be strong, an iron mare to hold it all together.
She coughed. She clenched every muscle in her face, holding her breath, trying to will the tears away. Her sister had given her no choice. She had to do it. For the good of the country.
Small comforts.
She kicked a stone chip across the floor. She had banished Luna to the moon to save her but did she really save her? What if in a thousand years time she came back as Nightmare Moon again and plunged the country into civil war or worse? Would she be able to do this again? Another thousand years? Or would she come back and run into her waiting hooves, the sister she loved again? The pain was not knowing.
She heard a noise, a small creak of stone on stone. She looked up to see a figure half hidden in shadow.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner."
Her eyes widened and she stopped crying. Lucien was here. Celestia felt a rage she hadn't felt since she'd imprisoned Discord. Lucien had been away from the door and impossible to contact. He could have fixed everything! If he had just been here sooner! Her face contorted in rage and she pushed herself to her hooves. Her horn sparked and her eyes glowed before they both dimmed. She felt the magic drain from her and she sank to her knees. Beaten before she could even rise. She began sobing, half heartedly trying to stand.
"I saw this coming, you know that. I could have done something. You know that." Lucien lost control and the growl entered his voice. "But I see what comes next and I had to make a choice. Don't you think I hate myself for it? That I have to do certain things to make sure other things happen? Because I do. Don't think I'm a monster, no. I am cursed to see the future AND have a caring heart. To live a life I've already seen. To act out my own play even though the character doesn't fit sometimes."
He was right. He was always right. She took a deep, shaky breath and let her shoulders drop. Beaten.
Lucien walked over and sat down next to her. He put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. His arms were like a blanket as they wrapped around her.
"Don't lose yourself to this. Be strong for yourself, your people, for her."
Celestia sobbed in response and looked up at him.
"Will she come back? Will I get my sister back?"
Lucien looked down at her, his face still wearing a saddened expression. Celestia felt her throat close up.
"Yes."
Celestia flinched and gasped before her mind processed the word.
She felt the muscles that she had been clenching to fight the pain relax. A dizziness overtook her and she fell into him for support. He sighed and stroked her mane, his own face as unmoved as stone save for a single tear running down his cheek. He felt sick to his stomach.
"I do everything for a reason."
"I know."
A thousand and two years later. Ponyville.
Spike slept peacefully in his basket. He enjoyed sleep and it was only half due to his age and personality. Dragons slept a very long time. In fact one might think the world was overrun with them if they all woke up and started flying about. It was a genetic trait. Dragons consumed a vast amount of resources and it was mutually beneficial for them to sleep and wait for the land to heal from their feasting. So it was to great annoyance and much surprise when spike was rudely awakened by an almighty belch that produced a large spout of green flames. The scroll was held in the air for a second before falling on top of him with a clunk.
"Urghh."
He managed to roll the scroll off of him and it hit the floor with a loud 'thunk'.
Twilight sat bolt upright in bed at the noise.
"Spike, I think I heard something, will you go check it out?"
Spike sleepily glared at Twilight. He was about to say something when she promptly fell right back asleep. Her snoring would surely keep him awake for the rest of the...night? He looked outside and saw the sun's light was illuminating the world already. They had stayed up for the better part of the night reading Celestia knows what book and practicing yet another spell. Spike glanced at the scroll and decided that if he was to be awake then so was she.
He carefully picked it up and tossed it on her bed and the impact caused her to shift in her sleep.
"Ssspike!...earthquake...zzzzz."
She was incorrigible. His stomach growled for coffee and food and he hopped out of bed and made for the stairs.
Twilight rose and stretched, eliciting a few snaps and pops and finally a loud crack. She winced and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Maybe I spent too much time hunched over my books last night."
A loud snort was heard from down the stairs and Twilight giggled.
"Okay, way too much studying."
"Hey did you find the letter yet?"
"Letter? What letter? Spike, I just woke up. Oh. Found it!"
She picked up the scroll and a small black stone rolled out on to the floor. It hit the floor and she jumped at how loud a sound it made. She gave it a cursory look over and read the letter
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
This small stone was recovered from an impact site high in the northern mountains near the Gyphonian Border. Our own scientists are inundated with materials already and I know you would love to have the chance to study this rare find.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
PS: Send me anything you find worthy of note and honestly do not think this should consume your life for the next few days. You didn't read that did you?
She didn't. Twilight was already racing down the stairs to find every book she had on meteorites and heavy metals.
"SPIKE!"
Canterlot.
Princess Celestia chuckled as she realized that maybe the letter could have waited until she had raised the sun.
Naw.
She hummed to herself as she walked down the halls towards the library. Today was going to be a good day.
She entered the library, it was pitch black save for the edges of the curtains still trying to hold back the day. She thought about opening them but thought better of it. Her sister would be in here somewhere and would not appreciate the change. She didn't like change.
She took a few exploratory steps into the room, squinting in the dark. Her hoof caught on something on the floor and she felt the world take her for a spin. She landed on something bumpy and breathing.
"Curses, Luna!"
Her sister still slept and the sight of her sister's sleeping form, her hooves repositioning themselves around a stuffed animal, blew away any anger Celestia had for her. She carefully picked herself up and then levitated her sister to her room, making sure to be quick as so not to sully the dignity of the Princess of the Night in front of the staff.
She tucked her sister in and turned to leave when a bright flash of fire in the middle of the room accompanied by a bang which caused her to jump and Luna to sit bolt upright in her bed in a martial arts pose. A small note that was burning slightly at the edges floated over to them.
"Who -- Celestia?! What's -- What?!"
"Somepony sent us a note."
Celestia walked over to the singed note and her breath caught in her throat and she fell onto Luna's bed.
"What is it?!" cried Luna.
"Not somepony. Someone."
Dear Celestia and Luna,
I can give you a few months. Use them well.
Your oldest friend,
Lucien
Ponyville.
"SPIKE!"
Too early for this sh-
"What is it Twilight?"
"Get me our copy of Extraequestrial Metals and Elements!"
Leave it to the Princess to make a beautiful day and then have you spend it inside studying some stupid rock.
"On it," he grumbled.
Spike was helpful by nature. He loved Twilight more than anything. He just wished he could express it during the afternoon, preferably along with a bowl of gemstones.
Twilight was racing around the library pulling books off of shelves that had nothing to do with the subject at hand. The stone was still lying where it had fallen beside her bed.
Spike was scanning the top shelf for the book Twilight needed, mumbling under his breath. Breakfast was half made on the table. The toast he'd forgotten about popped and Twilight snapped her head around and growled at the offending machine. She viciously unplugged it and turned her attention back to the growing pile of books slowly cutting her off from the world.
No distractions!
Spike found their copy of Extraequestrial Metals and pulled it from the shelf. He felt it jerk in his hand and he cried out when it pulled him off the ladder and carried him to the book fort that was now complete.
"Thank you, Spike!"
"You're wel-"
"Now can you get me that stone?"
Spike's eye twitched.
"...On it."
Spike stopped on the way at the table and poured himself and Twilight a cup of coffee. He drank both and made his way up the stairs, stretching and yawning as he put on his best early morning study scowl.
He bent down to pick the stone up and was knocked off balance when the stone suddenly got heavy. It slipped from his hand and the wooden board cracked under it.
"What was that, Spike?"
"Nothing."
Spike frowned and picked it up again. It fell out of his grip and landed next to his foot causing him to jump.
"What are you doing up there?!"
"The stone! It's really heavy!"
"Oh for -- let me get it."
Twilight stormed up the stairs and shot a look at Spike who shrugged and gestured to the stone which had embedded itself in the wooden floor. Its pale grey surface looked glossy and smooth and Twilight could see her silhouette in it in the morning light now pouring through the open window.
"It doesn't look that heavy, Spike. Here, let me... I -- what?"
Her horn glowed and a light purple aura surrounded the stone but was quickly was snuffed out. She looked at the stone now with an jeweler's eye and poked it with her hoof. It feel over as if it weighed nothing.
"Okay, but why doesn't my magic work? Spike! Take a note!"
Spike pulled out the clipboard and pen he kept on him at all times. He knew all too well that he had to have it on him should she suddenly need to organize something or take a note or write a frantic letter at three in the morning.
"The stone, and I am calling it a stone for now until I know more about its composition, appears to negate magic. Upon my attempts to lift the stone my magic was dispelled. My assistant also had trouble moving the stone as it appears to weigh significantly more then its size would suggest."
"And got it. Hey how come you can kick it over without stubbing your hoof?"
"Good question. Let me try to-ow!"
Twilight winced as the pain shot up her leg from having kicked it more forcefully.
"Alright, I think I know why its mass fluctuates. It is probably affected by momentum."
"What?"
"The faster it it moves the heavier it becomes. Try to pick it up slowly."
Spike gingerly picked it up and lifted it as slowly as he could. It rose without a problem. Twilight smiled triumphantly.
"Spike... take a note."
Rainbow Dash had woken up early. All of the early morning ponies of Ponyville watched as she streaked through the sky northwards to meet a incoming storm bank before it could rain on the town. Most of them turned away from the sight and went back to what they were doing but some kept looking. There wasn't supposed to be a storm today.
"Hey Rainbow Dash! What made you wake up so early?"
Applejack trotted after her friend and she did a tight loop and landed on the ground. Rainbow Dash turned around to reveal a crazed look in her eyes.
"Wake up?"
"You look like a rotten apple, Rainbow. What, did you stay up all night?"
"Yeah, practicing some new tricks. This was supposed to be my day off. I was just going home but then I ran into to Derpy who asked if I knew anything about the storm moving in?! Said it would ruin her mail route, I mean look at that monster. I gotta deal with it before it hits Ponyville."
"That's mighty civil of you, Rainbow." Applejack tried to keep her voice earnest but kept looking over her shoulder at the storm.
"I can't leave the town hanging. That thing is gonna tear this place up."
"And you're just going to deal with it."
"Yup."
"All by yourself?"
A flash briefly made the world light up. Rainbow dash gulped.
"Yup."
"Ten seconds?"
They both jumped at the almighty boom that shocked the town.
"Give it... fifteen... twenty seconds..."
Applejack blinked.
What did she just say?
"I'll get everyone inside. You be careful ya hear? I'll see if I can get someponies else to help."
Applejack galloped away to warn everypony she met. Rainbow Dash simply sat still and mentally prepared herself for the challenge at hand.
I'm not worried. No, I'm assessing the situation like a pro.
Another flash blinded her and she tried to blink away the steak now burned into her retinas.
Like a pro who's about to get fried.
She won't last long in that storm by herself.
Applejack thundered down the main street hollering at the shopkeepers that were just opening their stores to close up and prepare for the worst. She skidded to a halt outside of her own stall where her brother and sister where just getting ready for the day.
"Applejack."
With Big Mac's voice it could have been a question posed due to her hurried entrance and wild look in her eyes, or it could have just been a simple hello.
"No time. Storm's coming. Get Applebloom to the cellar. Now."
Big Mac blinked once and spat out his wheat stalk and wordlessly nodded. He picked up his youngest sister and ran at a full gallop out of town, Applebloom's questions bouncing off him like so many raindrops. There were some things the Apples just understood about one another.
Applejack started to hear the howl of the wind and feel the tension in the air. She burst into the city hall's offices and ran over the Mayor who was walking out of her own office with an 'I love Mondays' mug glued to her lips.
"What are you in such a hurry for?!"
"Look outside, Miss Mayor!. Get every pegasus in town up in the air to help deal with that storm."
"What storm? There wasn't one schedu-"
A crack outside made them both scream and jump into each others hooves. They looked into each other's eyes.
"I'll get right on it."
Outside Rainbow Dash was having trouble staying in the air let alone getting in a position to help.
Come on! Ponyville is counting on you!
A bolt of lightning sizzled past her and she fell out of the air. She caught herself after dropping twenty feet.
This is insane! And not in the good way!
She busted a cloud and watched as it reformed again behind her. Her skin tingled and she instinctively rolled, another bolt lanced out and struck the lightning rod on top of the library. She bled altitude for speed and narrowly avoided another bolt which struck a pony running for cover. She collapsed and rolled to a halt.
Rainbow Dash landed and ran for cover, it wasn't raining, the world was drowning. The winds picked up even more. She watched as a wave of pegasi launched themselves into the air either to be batted down or struck by lightning. Derpy was struggling to gain altitude when she was hit by a bolt that left another streak burned into Rainbow's eyes. She looked around and over the winds Rainbow swore she could have heard her say, "I can seeeee!" before she was struck again and spiraled out of sight.
"Rainbow!"
Applejack charged out from under her cover and yelped as a bolt hit behind her, causing her to fly the last few feet. She landed on top of her friend and they both pulled themselves further away from the tormenting weather outside.
"What is going on, Rainbow Dash?!"
"This storm isn't normal!"
"What do you mean?"
"It's fighting back!"
They both peered out from under their cover to watch the sky as the last of the pegasi were shoved out of the sky by screaming winds or knocked out by uncannily accurate lightning strikes.
"Celestia help us."
"Uh, girls? There's probably a better time for that."
By strange coincidence they had taken cover under the overhang of Sugercube Corner. Pinkie had just stuck her head out the window to see the storm and looked down to see her two friends in each other's hooves and had naturally assumed.
"What, Pinkie Pie, I... what in the hay are you-"
"You want to come inside?"
They ran around to the door and Pinkie pulled them in. The door was ripped out of her hooves as the storm tried to claim more victims. They all grabbed the handle and together managed to get the door to latch. The lights flickered then went out leaving them in the dark.
"So... anypony up for a game of hide and seek?
Fluttershy was tearing her hair out. Every one of her animal friends had run away. The birds had begged her to let them out and had flown away without so much as a glance back. She was running back and forth inside her cottage, her mind racing with her legs.
I have to go and get them! They aren't safe out there!
She stopped her running and tentatively approached the door. She made to open it but her vision was filled with a white light and she felt more than heard the explosion.