//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Guardian Angel // Story: But Not Forgotten // by SilverDawn97 //------------------------------// Chapter Four: Guardian Angel Something was wrong. He could feel it all around, yet everypony else seemed oblivious. Rarity had said she had never met him before, but his heart told him otherwise. He could feel it whenever he looked at her; a faint memory of the past, a life in Ponyville that never existed. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to leave, to get as far away from her as he possibly could. His cutie mark told him it was his duty to defend the Elements of Harmony, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to get away; to escape from this cruel nightmare. ------------- She didn't know why. But every time she looked at him, Melody simply felt sad. It was obvious to both her and Silver that something had happened between them in the past, but neither could quite remember what it was. Melody wasn't even sure she wanted to know what past they shared. Although Fluttershy and her friends all helped to try and jog her and Silver’s memories, they got nowhere. It was almost as if something was preventing them from remembering… “Maybe y’all should go outside; get some fresh air.” Applejack suggested. “After all, it’s been an awful long day, and we've all been cooped up in this here library for quite a while.” “That’s a great idea, Applejack.” Melody said, eager for a chance to get some fresh air. “And I think I know just the place. Fluttershy, would it be alright if we all went to that field of flowers by your house?” “Of course that’s all right, Melody.” Fluttershy said happily. “After all, Applejack is right. Some fresh air will do us all a lot of good, and there’s nothing quite like a picnic with friends to help relieve stress.” “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow…” Silver said quietly. After everypony turned to look at him inquisitively, he followed up with “It has been a long day, but I think that right now we should just take a break and rest. We can always have the picnic tomorrow. Besides, maybe then Rarity will have found… What was his name again?” “Tartanis.” Twilight said. “And you’re right; we should wait until we can find your friend before going out on a picnic. After all, he might remember something that could be the missing piece to this puzzle. “Tomorrow then.” Silver said. As everypony made their ways back to their respective homes, Melody thought over what had happened at the gathering. “I just don’t get it… I can’t remember a single thing, but every time I think about Silver… I just feel like I wish I had never seen him again…” She suddenly stopped walking. “Again?” she asked herself. It had seemed like such a natural inclusion in her thoughts, and yet she was still surprised. “Are you alright, Melody?” Fluttershy asked, a frown of worry painted on her face. “It’s nothing.” Melody answered. “Just… For a moment, I thought I remembered something. I thought I remembered someone...” ------------- Luna was stunned. Alexander had told her that Colgate wanted to speak with her, but that wasn’t possible; Colgate had been dead for centuries. “Why does this keep happening?” Luna thought to herself. “First Seraph, and now… Why is it that everypony I’ve thought long dead keeps coming back to haunt me…?” But Luna knew that this time would be different. Her last meeting with Seraph still haunted her dreams, but this time things would be different; this time, she was in control. “Alexander, please bring in this visitor. It’s been far too long since I last spoke with her.” “Princess…?” Alexander asked questioningly. “Alexander, please. Yes, I do indeed know this pony, and if she truly is who she says she is… Then we have much to discuss.” “If you say so, Your Majesty. I’ll let her right in.” ------------- Colgate walked into Luna’s room in silence. She had waited for this reunion for so long, but now that it was finally here… “It’s good to see you, my old friend.” Luna, said, trying to break the ice. “I… never thought I’d see you again.” “The same to you, Luna.” Colgate responded. “After Celestia banished you… Anyways, I’m forgetting why I’m here. Luna, why are you here in Ponyville? You never leave Canterlot unless something that directly involves you is happening. So, what’s happened?” Luna was caught off guard by Colgate’s sudden transition to such a serious tone, but she wasn't much surprised; a millennium could change anypony. “I’m here because something happened; something that fulfilled another part of the Prophecy of Harmony. Two days ago, I was in the old field outside Everfree; you know the one. That night, I saw three shooting stars fall from the sky. What surprised me was when instead of crossing the skies, they landed in the field with me. When I went over to investigate them, I found three young ponies. I took them to Canterlot, and from there, my sister decided they should be taken care of by Princess Twilight and her friends. I came here to make certain they all settled in.” Colgate simply listened in silence, absorbing the information Luna sent her way. A few seconds of silence passed after Luna finished speaking before Colgate spoke again.”Luna, we both know there’s something you’re not telling me. You wouldn't come all the way out here just to keep an eye on some foals. What happened?” Luna was thrown off balance by Colgate’s matter-of-fact tone. She began to honestly wonder if this was the same filly she had befriended all those years ago. “Colgate, I… One of the ponies… He looked exactly like Seraph… I think… I think it’s him. It’s just like the final line of the prophecy said: 'I shall return only if you still believe'. All these years, I held on to the hope he would return, and now…” There were very few things left in Equestria that could surprise Colgate, but this was one of them. “You don’t think… You can’t actually believe it’s him, can you?" She paused for a second, pondering this new development. Was Luna still truly in love with Seraph? Even after a millenium on the moon? Colgate felt anger and frustration welling up inside her. "You still don't get it, do you Luna...He’s dead! He is never coming back!” Luna’s jaw hit the floor. “Colgate, what happened to you? You’re not like this! This isn't you!” “You want to know what happened to me?” Colgate said under her breath. “You left, that’s what happened to me! You may have been alone on the moon, but at least there you didn't have to watch everypony you've ever known, all of your family and friends, wither away and die... You were the only friend I had who could have been there for me, and you were gone!” Colgate was trembling with rage. “Colgate please… I didn't mean for any of that to happen…” Luna took a step back as Colgate slapped her with her magic. Colgate simply turned around and walked out the door, saying only one thing as she left: “Was your bid for power really worth it, Nightmare Moon?” Alexander was the only one who could hear Luna’s sobs as Colgate left. He thought about pursuing Colgate, but right now, Luna was vulnerable. If ever she needed a guard, it was now. ------------- The Doctor struggled to keep up with Derpy as she entered the TARDIS. “Derpy, what’s going on?!?” he exclaimed. “Where are we going?” “We need to go back to right before Princess Luna was sent to the moon!” Derpy exclaimed, as if that would explain everything. “But why?” The Doctor asked. Normally he was the one dragging others on adventures; this odd reversal of roles had left him completely off-balance. “Because the last time we were there, I was asked to deliver a very important letter. I didn’t think much of it then, but I just ran into the same pony who gave me the letter!” Derpy exclaimed. This brought the Doctor to a grinding halt. “But that can’t be… Nopony…” He stopped to chuckle a bit at the term before continuing. “Nopony could have survived a millennium unless they were either a fixed point in the universe..." "Well Doctor, I don't know if that's it, but either way... We need to get to the bottom of this." Derpy replied resolutely. ------------- Tartanis had no idea where he was as he entered the Everfree forest. He didn't care either. He galloped deep into the forest, before finally coming to a stop outside the crumbling ruins of an ancient castle. He didn't know it, but this was the same castle where Twilight Sparkle and her friends had re-discovered the Elements of Harmony. “Everfree Castle." He said aloud, reading what remained of the time-worn inscription on the castle gates. He didn't know why, but something in his gut told him he needed to enter the castle; that there was something inside he needed to see. As he entered the crumbling ruin, he had no idea he was being followed… ------------- Celestia was in tears as Nightmare Moon approached the seemingly-defeated Princess of the Sun. “Luna, you don’t have to do this! You don’t have to destroy this nation we built together!” Celestia pleaded, trying one final time to make her beloved sister see reason. “This nation we built? Sister, if either of us believed that I was given any say in how this kingdom was built, then I wouldn't be here now, tearing it apart brick by brick!” Nightmare Moon screeched as she unleashed more of her dark magic on the already battered city of Everfree. Their battle had almost completely leveled the once-beautiful city. If Celestia didn't end this battle soon, countless more lives would be lost to her sister’s blind rampage. “Luna, please! Stop this… Before I have to stop it for you!” Celestia shouted, a desperate plan entering her mind. “Hahaha… Stop me? Dear sister, we both know you wouldn’t kill me. I am your dearest sister after all!” Nightmare Moon said, cackling evilly. “Then you leave me with no choice…” Celestia said, feeling the energies of the Elements of Harmony coursing through her body. A beam of light shot out from her horn, encasing her sister in a translucent orb of light. Just as the orb began to lift into the sky however, Celestia dared to take one last look inside. What she saw was a young, scared little filly, just as her beloved sister had looked when they were young. “Tia…?” Was the last thing Princess Luna said, before the orb of light shot into the night sky, and Princess Celestia fell to the ground, consumed with grief and pain. This was never supposed to happen. They were supposed to rule side by side for an eternity. What had happened? “Mother, please… Tell me what I did wrong!” Celestia shouted at the heavens. High above, Princess Luna shouted the same thing, as her prison of light sped towards the Moon… ------------- As he entered the ruins of Everfree Castle, Tartanis struggled with his inner turmoil. He knew his duty, yet he was still haunted by the fragmented memories that tormented him at every corner. He wandered the castle for many hours before he stumbled across the crushed wreckage of a fallen tower. Towards the (once) uppermost room of the fallen tower, he found a window that led into a relatively-unscathed room: The chambers of Princess Luna. The room was obviously well-built to have survived not only the tower’s fall, but also the millennium of wear and tear that followed. The room was on its side, but Tartanis was still able to navigate it with little difficulty; any fallen furniture that might have hampered his progress had long since rotted away. He didn't know what he was looking for, or even why he was drawn to it, until he found a small envelope laying on what was once the wall, and now the ground. “How could a letter have survived this long?” He thought to himself. However, this was no letter; it was a prophecy. This prophecy was different from any other; both the prophecy and its writer were unique in many ways. This prophecy was written by a young Pegasus known as Seraph, one of the six fabled wielders of the Elements of Life. Silver light began to emanate from the prophecy as Tartanis began to read it. He was meant to make his way to this abandoned ruin; he was meant to be the one to find this long-lost relic of the past. His vision faded to white as Tartanis fell to the ground. ------------- Queen Chrysalis saw it all: She watched as the strange gray Unicorn entered the Everfree Forest, the hidden home of the Changeling Hive. She watched as he wandered the ruins of Everfree Castle. She watched as he read the Prophecy of Harmony, and collapsed to the ground. Chrysalis knew that she had just witnessed something she was not supposed to; something that was part of a chain of events even she could not possibly predict. But that couldn't stop her from trying to turn it to her advantage. As she flew back to the Changeling Hive, she began hatching a plot. She immediately sent out scout drones to Ponyville to gather information; whatever was going on, Chrysalis was certain that somehow or another, Princesss Celestia's lackeys, the "Elements of Harmony", were at the center of it. They always were. For now though, she knew she had to begin making preparations. A devious plan had begun to form in her mind... A plan that would allow her to finally get revenge on all her most hated enemies in one fell swoop... ------------- Tartanis woke, but immediately knew he was dreaming. After all, how else could he be standing on the Moon? Just as he began to wonder what he was doing here however, he heard a vaguely familiar voice. "You're awake." Tartanis turned towards the voice, and saw a young white Pegasus with a cyan mane. "I was wondering how long it would be until you got my message." Seraph said calmly. "Where are we?" Tartanis asked. "Who are you?" "Isn't it obvious?" Seraph replied. "You're dreaming. Ironically, it was your dreams that got you into this mess in the first place. As for who I am..." Seraph hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I'm just a memory. A message left behind by the author of this letter. As for the author of the message... His name was Seraph.." "Well then... Seraph. Why am I here?" Tartanis asked, intrigued by this strange colt. "You're here because even though your mind forgot your last journey to Equestria, your heart still remembers. You were meant to come here, but it seems Fate didn't finish her job properly... Or, maybe she did. Maybe someday you'll get a chance to ask her yourself. Either way, a storm is coming, and if continue to be torn between the sense of duty that comes from your cutie mark, and the broken memories of your heart, you won't be able to protect the ones who really matter in this coming conflict." "What does my cutie mark have to do with this?" Tartanis asked, looking at his cutie mark. It looked the same as ever: A golden shield, with the symbols of the six different Elements of Harmony emblazoned upon it. He always felt a sense of duty when he looked at it; he knew it was his sworn duty to protect the bearers of those marks. And yet... "What is it you intend to do?" He asked Seraph. "You may not know it yet, but your destiny has changed. What happened to you in Equestria before no longer matters." Seraph answered ominously "In fact, if you stay on your current path, your heart will be torn asunder by the events that will soon unfold. If you continue to worry over what happened in the past, you won't be able to protect who truly matters in the present. If you want to keep Rarity safe, you need to forget her. What happened between you two in the past doesn't matter; As far as anypony in Equestria knows, you've never even been here before." "So you're telling me I should just... Forget her?" Tartanis asked. "Yes." Seraph replied. "That chapter of your life is long over. If you continue to focus on it, you'll miss your one chance at a new beginning." "Fine then..." Tartanis replied. "But please, tell me something. What happened between me and Rarity? Will I ever remember?" Seraph hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes, you will remember eventually. But by then, you'll have bigger problems than remembering a past that never happened. All you need to know is that this is your chance at a new beginning; a fresh start. What happened in the past doesn't matter; all that matters now is what you do in the present." Tartanis still had many questions, but he never got a chance to ask them. Suddenly, Tartanis's vision faded to white once more as he regained consciousness... ------------- As Melody prepared to go to sleep in her room at Fluttershy's cottage, she was struck by how peaceful and quiet the night was. Looking out the window at the field of flowers outside her window, she noticed for the first time how close Fluttershy actually lived to the Everfree Forest. Just to the side of the field, the looming trees of the forest seemed to take on a life of their own, rebelling against the beauty of the night with their twisted branches and eerie inhabitants. Caught up in the dark strangeness of the forest, Melody almost missed the sight of a young gray stallion with a crimson mane stumbling out of the trees. Astonished to see anypony coming from the forest at such a late hour, Melody immediately called to Fluttershy, and the two quickly galloped out to the forest to see if this strange new visitor was alright. ------------- Stumbling through the trees, the young gray Unicorn wasn't quite certain where he was going, or why he was even leaving the forest. Walking out through the thick branches of the trees, he found himself in a field of flowers, beneath a beautiful moonlit sky. Looking around, he saw two other ponies approaching from the distance, a young tan mare, who looked to be a Unicorn like himself, and a yellow Pegasus with a bright pink mane. Stumbling to the ground, exhausted from a trek he couldn't remember making, Tartanis fell asleep beneath the stars, unaware that his new destiny, his new path in life, was approaching even as he fell. If he had known the importance of the letter he still carried, if he knew the events it had set in motion, he would have been hard-pressed to sleep at all...