//------------------------------// // The Cottage // Story: The Eldest // by Authora97 //------------------------------// Everything hurt. Her skin felt it was melting yet it also felt like it was freezing solid. Asa tried to remember why she was feeling like this, while she was slowly awakening. She remembered going to her Tree. Then seeing Luna. Then she saw a manticore... THE MANTICORE! Asa tried to stand up but felt a weight push on her chest. “Please, try to stay still.” A kind voice told her. “You still need to rest, that bite took a lot out of you.” Asa’s mind went thru all the voices she knew. One fit this Pegasus. “Is she okay? I found her in a mighty big mount a pain.” A firm Farm Pony accent filled her ears. This voice soon found her owner as well. “I think she’s going to be fine. What was she doing in the Everfree this late anyway?” Her pegasus nurse asked her earth pony savior. “You ‘member what happened in Canterlot. She ‘ttacked us then the Princess, then the other Princess came to rescue. She musta hid in there to save her skin.” Asa couldn’t help but feel this pony didn’t like her but saved her due to her nature. “Ugh...” Asa groaned. Fluttershy gasped, flying back to her charge. “How are you feeling?” She asked in the kindest voice Asa had ever heard. Somehow even kinder than the voice of her mother. “Terrible.” “Oh you poor dear, can you tell me how you ended up against a manticore... if you don’t mind?” Fluttershy asked while tending to the large bite mark on Asa’s left thigh. “Of course dear Fluttershy,” Applejack stopped the creature before she could continue. “How’d ya know her name? I don’t remember her introducing herself.” Applejack pointed out. “Just before I was trapped in stone I had visions of what would set me free. A Sonic Rainboom. A Powerful Test with the Fate of a Nation in her hooves. And finally a mare completing her destiny, with her friends by her side.” Asa explained, she could see more clearly now. Applejack was staring her green eyes in shock, mouth agape. Fluttershy was too busy healing the wound to be shocked. “This might sting for just a second.” Fluttershy warned, placing a purple cream on the mark. Asa flinched, but then calmed knowing it was the only way to counteract the venom from the Manticore. “There is a reason I am the Princess of Visions Applejack, owner of Sweet Apple Acres and Bearer of Honesty.” Asa smiled. “Could you please finish your story?” Fluttershy asked, placing more cloth over the wound to stop the blood flow. Asa closed her eyes, focusing her magic of the Future. “I would rather start it in 8.354 minutes when all six of you are here and when Rainbow Dash has ceased yelling in my ear.” This time Fluttershy did stop. “Wha-?” “Rainbow Dash was flying overhead as Applejack carried me to your humble cottage Fluttershy. She went on to tell Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Twilight that the, and I quote *ahem* ‘weird pale two legged thing from Canterlot is at Fluttershy’s, hurry!’ unquote. I believe Pinkie should be here in a minute. Rarity a few seconds later and Twilight will teleport in two minutes. Rainbow Dash will follow a split second later and spend the next six minutes yelling at me.” Both mares stared at the creature, not entirely sure how to respond to that. True to Asa's word Pinkie bust in the door a minute later. Asa remained quiet as Fluttershy tended to her wound, Rarity came and nearly fainted seeing the horrid bite mark. Twilight and Rainbow, well they took things differently. Twilight wanted to send a letter to Celestia but Fluttershy pleaded, saying that with the horridness of the wound stress would not be a good thing. Rainbow just yelled accusations, none of which Asa took to heart. She was too concerned about her sisters. Celestia didn’t remember which meant she never turned into Corona, which was good, but Lulu did. She suffered the way Asa never wanted her to. A few seconds away from the explanation, Asa’s eyes roamed towards the moon. Wondering how much it hurt her father to have his daughter imprisoned in him for a thousand years. “Hey I’m talking to you! Give us some answers!” Rainbow yelled. This was Asa’s cue. “I told you my title and name at Sunset.” The first time her mother had seen her in three millennia and it was when Celestia was choking her to death. “I am Queen Asa Eques. Princess of Visions. Eldest Daughter of the Royal Alicorns. Faust and Galaxy.” “That’s a lie! Right Applejack!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Applejack didn’t respond. Being the Element of Honesty, she was able to see a lie. Asa was telling the truth. “Applejack!” Rainbow yelled. “She’s tellin’ the Truth Rainbow Dash!” Applejack yelled. “Let’s let ‘er finish her story.” The mares, minus Fluttershy, stared at Applejack with shock. “Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “Sure as sugar Twi.” Applejack replied. “Could ya keep going?” Asa nodded. “Of course Applejack.” She turned to Fluttershy, “Is it possible for me to sit up?” The pegasus nodded. “Not too quickly though.” Fluttershy warned. Slowly sitting up on the couch, keeping her leg up to make sure the wound didn’t keep spilling. “Years ago, my parents died in battle. Their forms merged with the sun and moon respectively. I was Crowned Queen of Equestria a day later, my Mother’s Advisor thought it would be good to keep the ponies’ hopes high. Whatever killed my parents was still out there. Please no questions.” Asa said suddenly. Twilight sat back down, confused as to how Asa knew how she was going to ask a question. “After I was crowned, I saw what my future would cause. The beast that killed my parents killed me. Sending my young sisters into a darkness nopony could take them out of. They became Corona and Nightmare Moon. Sending ponies would didn’t listen to the moon and burned the ponies that didn’t listen enough.” A tear fell from her eyes. The memory of that vision still fresh in her mind. The six ponies would, mostly, had come to take her away in magic cuffs stared at her in horror. Princess Celestia would do what?! “I tried to find a way to keep that from happening. Anyway. After a day of search I found it. In order for me to survive the attack, I need to miss the attack. And no, that didn’t mean I had to die before the battle. It means I had to be turned to stone. I would miss the battle, still be alive for my sisters when I awoke and their memories of me would last long enough for them to remain on the good path. “After what happened at Sunset I was confused. I was expecting Celestia to forget me, but not for her to want to kill me. Luna was supposed to forget as well, but only something that kept her in a halted state would keep those memories intact.” Twilight interrupted her. “Like being on the Moon for a thousand years.” The other’s eyes filled with sadness at hearing this. “Exactly. Luna came to me when I fell asleep in those woods. She told me about Nightmare. Even when I thought I found a solution it failed me. Now she hates me because I didn’t warn her. “But if I did then I would have to tell Celestia about Corona and how both of them would forget me. It didn’t take a vision to show me that I couldn’t do that. They would’ve refused to turn me otherwise. So I withheld the truth.” Another tear threatened to fall from her eyes. “And today...when I came back at the time of both Sun and Moon... the first time my mother has seen me in three thousand years and it was of my sister trying to kill me. The first time my father sees me is when I lose Lulu.” Asa wanted to cry her eyes out. But she was taught to be a fighter... A fighter can only take so much. A long silence hung in the air. Nopony knew what to say to the injured Queen lying in their friend’s cottage. Pinkie was the first to act. “It’s okay Queen Asa. I’m sure Princess Celestia didn’t mean it.” Pinkie comforted. Asa locked eyes with the pink mare. “I can tell when my sister does something by accident or purpose. Good or evil intent. For herself or others. That act was on purpose with evil intent for you mares. I only attacked because I saw you attacking me first and I didn’t want to be bucked in the first my first day back in the world of the living. No offense Applejack.” Asa explained. “No problem ye majesty.” Applejack replied. “Please, I hate titles as much as my sisters. Just call me Asa. I’ve only had that of Queen Thing for five days." Asa explained. The mares nodded at her. “So...” Twilight started “What should we do now?” Now the mares looked at Asa, her eyes were fogged over. “Three, two, one.” “THROW A PARTY!” Pinkie yelled.