//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Celestia's Mentor // by K.J. Cragon //------------------------------// "Hello, everypony," the conductor said, starting the drowsy Twilight Sparkle. "We will be arriving in Canterlot in about twenty minutes, so I would reccomend that those getting off at the Canterlot station be ready to part." All Twilight wanted to do was sleep. Alas, though, she was getting off at the next station and was staying in her old room at the castle so she could get her research project on Equestrian history done. The vast selection of books from the royal library was just what she needed to get it ready to present to her mentor, Princess Celestia. That's why she forced herself out of her drowsy state to make sure everything that she needed was in the right place. Her friends were staying back in Ponyville, which had been here home for quite some time now. About three years, if she remembered correctly. Spike, her assistant, had wanted to come too, but she assured him that this study would only take a few days. Plus, somepony needed to watch the library, and she was not going to let Pinkie Pie do it ever again. The mess she had plenty was unbeleavable. Before she knew it, the train came to a screeching stop, and it was time to get off of the train. She put her saddle bags on, which were stuffed to the brim with parchment and quills, and cantered onto the platform, looking around to see if her usual escorts, some of the royal gaurs, we're standing in the crowd. Eventually, she found to her surprise, her brother Shining Armor and his wife, Princess Cadence. They were holding up a sigh that read: 'Twilight Sparkle.' "Shining!" She called out to her older sibling, who matched the voice to the pony. "Twilie!" He waved, Beckoning her over, to which she happily obliged. He ruffled her mane. "It's so nice to see you again sis!" She grinned. "You too, BBBFF!" She said, then turned to the Princess of love and nodded. Cadence winked, and the two mares started dancing and singing; "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves." They paused and turned around, " and do a little shake!" They laughed, not having done that in quite some time. Shining smIled. He had his sister back, and they had some catching up to do. "And then we gathered up all of the Pinkie Pies to the Town Hall, and gave them a test: Watching paint dry!" Twilight exclaimed as she told her audience about what her friends had come to call 'The Mirror Pond incident.' "Wow, that sounds excruciating," Shining commented. "And weren't they all dead set on having fun?" "Yeah, all except one, who we later found out was the real Pinkie. She was drawing frowny faces in the ground." "Dang. So what did you guys do to make them go away?" Cadence asked. "I used a spell that I found in a book. After we found out the real Pinkie Pie, she was so happy that she had her friends back, she fainted on the floor!" Twilight finished the story right as they pulled up to the gates, of which guarded the Canterlot gardens. They went up the the royal guards, who cast a spell of all of them with blue magic, each resulting with a distinguished 'ding!' I wonder what that was all about? She thought to herself, as the guards opened the gate and let them in. I'll have to ask Shining about it later. For now, it's study time! She said goodbye to her sibling and sister in-law, and cantered up to the library. As she went down hallway after hallway, she noticed more guards, and more paintings on the walls. She stared at the guards, some of which she recognized as being in the castle when she was a filly, but they gave no notice that she was actually there. When she looked at the paintings, she noticed that most, if not all of them, were a silent meadow, consisting of nothing but grass. She wondered if this was a painting of what most ponies had come to call 'The Great Beyond,' or what was more scientific, the afterlife. It sure didn't look like how she pictured it though, with scientific lab tools all over, rows and rows full of test tubes. Her train of thought was interrupted when she herd a soothing voice behind her. "Hello Twilight, I've been expecting you," The voice said. Twilight looked back to see her mentor, Princess Celestia, looking at her thoughtfully. She bowed at her superior. "Hello Princess," she said, confused. "What do you mean that you have been expecting me? Is something wrong?" Celestia suddenly had a concerned look on her face. "Not yet, my faithful student," She said. "But if I do not act soon, I fear that there will not be harmony in this world, and not have been for many millennia." Twilight stood in place, shocked. "Wait wait wait," she said. "I'm looking at a random picture, you sneak up on me, and now you tell me that something very serious is going on? Why so suddenly? I thought you had me here to study for a research project for you?" Celestia didn't look her in the eyes. "Twilight... I have to show you something." She started to walk over to the library, and Twilight followed, not sure what was going on. The two walked over to the back of the library, to where the royal archived were stored. They went through the double doors, and to the back of the room, stopping in front of a book case labeled 'C through D.' "Celestia," Twilight started. "I don't know what we're doing here. I've been through this section a million times." The Princess pulled out a seemingly random book, 'Royal Family Cookbook Volume fifteen,' and turned her head to her student. "Twilight, look behind this book's spot please." Twilight obliged, to find a book inside a hollow space behind where the old cookbook should have been. It read; 'The Personal Diary of' The words were scratched off for a few spaces, ',personal mentor of Celestia.' Twilight rubbed her eyes and looked again. It read the same thing as before. "Princess, you had a mentor? Who was it?" She smiled. "Yes, I did. If you really want to know, why don't you look at the end?" Twilight did as she was told, and went to the last page there was before it looked like somepony had ripped the rest out. She read it allowed. 07/07/234 end of the Discord calendar Dear journal, I have trained my student well, it seems. She had her battle, and won, using the elements of harmony on her own, a feat of great power. It went on explaining how the battle 'Raged on for days' and of Celestia's victory. And then, Also, it seems I have become impregnated. Thats right, I am pregnant with a foal, who I can sense is a powerful Alicorn, most likely a mare. I have gained a promise from my student that she will be trained to be her counterpart, the moon raiser. I think I will name her Luna if I can. I have to leave now for the celebration party, but will write in you soon. For always a moon raiser, Mentor of Celestia, and Element of magic, Twilight Sparkle.