//------------------------------// // Light's Slumber // Story: Twilight of Equestria // by Aeondragon //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Light's Slumber Twilight Sparkle lay back on her bed, sighing in exhaustion. Yet another Summer Sun Celebration come and gone. Three years ago today, she’d met the greatest friends she’d ever known and, together, they’d managed to free Princess Luna from the horrors of Nightmare Moon. It had been a long, enjoyable, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding, time since that day. In the past three years, she and her friends had discovered the joys of friendship and, as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, had saved not just Ponyville, but all of Equestria several times over. She closed her eyes, feeling much more tired than she should, even taking in the fact that she’d woken earlier than usual to watch Princess Celestia raise the sun. She had one of Pinkie Pie’s parties later, but it couldn't hurt to rest her eyes for a bit, could it? Before long, she was asleep. However, unbeknownst to anyone, a certain timer was ticking down, and had just reached its end. Deep inside Twilight, in some intangible place that harbored not just her magic, but the very core of her being, something ignited. For a moment, all was peaceful. Then, beneath her sheets, her starburst cutie mark began to glow. As it did, Twilight’s eyes twitched beneath her eyelids. At first, it was nothing more than that. Soon, the jerky motions had spread to her entire body. As she began to convulse, light gathered, welling up from her horn. At first, the effects were confined to her bedroom, but soon the entire Golden Oak Library began to shake as magic ran free within it. Books tumbled from their shelves, but rarely reached the floor. Anything not bolted to the floor had begun to rise into the air. Some objects changed forms, while others vanished, reappearing elsewhere. Flames erupted from nowhere, though they never seemed to ignite anything. It wasn't long before the effects had begun to spread beyond the tree that Twilight called home. Soon, magic was erupting all over Ponyville, seemingly random in target and effect. Fortunately, it seemed to refrain from causing any actual harm, though several ponies found themselves rising into the air, helplessly caught in a telekinetic field. They were lucky, as the fields soon faded, dropping them to the ground with no idea what was happening. It wasn't long after the events began that Twilight’s number one assistant, Spike the dragon, noticed what was happening. As Twilight’s assistant, he’d been exposed to all sorts of magic, so he managed to keep relatively cool. He rushed to inform Twilight, only to find the unicorn convulsing on her bed, her entire body blazing with ethereal light. Not knowing what else to do, Spike managed to catch a quill from the air. He quickly scribbled a note onto a piece of stray parchment before releasing a blast of his emerald fire. The message vanished as it was consumed by the flames. Knowing that the one pony that might be able to help Twilight was now aware of the situation, Spike now felt comfortable beginning to freak out. Narrowly managing to dodge a flying book, he screamed at the lavender mare to wake up. A moment later, he threw himself unceremoniously to the ground in order to avoid a quill’s sharp tip. In a brilliant flash of golden light, a tall mare with an alabaster coat materialized several miles outside of Ponyville. Her appearance was unmistakable, with both a unique horn and a set of splendid wings. Her mane was shimmering energy, glowing with many colors, primarily pink and green. Even if she wasn’t recognized from them, she wore golden regalia signifying her position as Princess of the Sun, which only highlighted the symbol of her charge emblazoned proudly on her flank. Celestia frowned as she took in her surroundings. Having been a master of the teleportation spell for millennia, she was sure that she’d made no mistakes in the casting. There were two possible answers. Either someone had placed a powerful teleportation-redirection spell over the town, and she hadn't felt the resistance such a spell would cause, or there was an intense enough magical disturbance that the spell’s innate protective features had triggered. Now deeply worried, as such a disturbance would be incredibly dangerous, she spread her magnificent wings and took to the air. Surprisingly, she met with powerful resistance. The magic in the air was strong enough to provide a tangible sensation. Unwilling to waste time, her horn glowed a powerful gold. A wedge of power formed before her, its golden light parting the very air. Her shimmering wings flapped harder than they had in years and Celestia left a golden trail as she soared through the air. At such speed, it didn't even take her a full minute to reach her student’s balcony. What she saw in the village was deeply distressing. Ponies and objects of every shape and size hovering helplessly in the air. The natural elements running amok. Fortunately, her superior eyes had not seen any sign of actual injuries to her precious ponies. Without so much as a twitch, the doors swung open, admitting her to the library. She stifled a bit of inappropriate laughter at the sight of her beloved student’s assistant fleeing from flying objects. It was much harder than usual, but she managed to levitate him into the air. Placing the poor dragon on her back, her wings now shielding him, she laid eyes on the reason she had raced to this small town in record time. Her faithful student was convulsing in the air, the lavender aura around her so bright that it almost prevented her from seeing the mare within. “Twilight!” The princess called, but it was no use. Her voice could not reach the mare. This was no ordinary magical surge. Twilight had certainly had incidents before, some that had been truly incredible, but never anything like this. Her horn blazed as she invoked a spell she had developed years earlier and, for a moment, the magical storm pouring forth from her student faltered. Unfortunately, it soon broke free again, even stronger. The sun princess frowned. It had almost worked. Unfortunately, her own power was simply insufficient to suppress the magical energies that were pouring forth from her student. Suppressing her worry for the young mare, she forced herself to concentrate. Taking a deep breath to center herself, Celestia closed her eyes. Her very essence reached out from her body, calling upon the entity she represented. For a single, infinitesimal moment, the sun dimmed as the immortal mare drew upon its power fully. Her horn turned a solid golden color as she tapped into the almost infinite well of power that gave light to all of Equestria. When she opened her eyes once more, they had changed completely. Now, they were blazing stars, identical to the orb that shone in the sky above. Light erupted forth as she cast her spell a second time. Crackling golden fire materialized in endless streamers pouring from the tip of her horn. It quickly wrapped itself around the entirety of Twilight’s aura, not burning the tree despite touching the wood in several places. The flames compressed inwards, forcing Twilight’s own energies back into her. It wasn't more than a few seconds later that the flames were actually sinking into Twilight’s body. The lavender mare’s spasms quickly stopped, and she sank down to the bed, which also fell to the floor. All around Ponyville, the magic had ceased to wreak havoc. Ponies who had been caught up raced back to their homes, reassuring themselves that their families were alright. Of course, this was Ponyville, where odd things happened every few days. Sure, this had been a particularly confusing incident, but it wasn't too unusual for Ponyville. Seeing that there were no remaining effects, it wasn't long before they were returning to business as usual. By the time the sun had returned to normal, Celestia had already returned to Canterlot, bringing along the comatose Twilight. Worried about what had happened, Celestia forced herself to bring Twilight to what was probably the most hated room in the castle. It was an almost forgotten chamber that hadn't had a guest in decades. Once upon a time, it had been Starswirl the Bearded’s personal lab. Celestia still wasn't quite sure what had happened, whether it was a safety measure gone wrong or a magical accident. What she did know was that the room was completely magic-isolated, beyond any other enchantment ever developed. No magic from outside could affect anything on the inside. Unfortunately, the room seemed to drain magic from those within in a decidedly unpleasant manner to power that boundary. It was bad, even for earth ponies and pegasi. What’s worse, the normal magical protections were insufficient to prevent Twilight’s fits from wreaking havoc. The princess had tried to bring her to a normal magic-isolated room, but it hadn't worked. Her suppression spell had faded, and Twilight had begun to blaze with light once more. Fortunately, she’d been able to catch the fit before it could get worse, and her spell had worked without drawing on the sun. Celestia did her best to suppress her despair, but was fairly sure that she wasn't doing a very good job. What had happened to her poor student? She looked down to the mare on the bed with distress. She remained there, standing still and worrying for several minutes. She only looked up upon hearing the sound of the door swinging open. “Sister? Are you alright?” Luna asked hesitantly. “Has there been any improvement at all in Twilight Sparkle's condition?” “No change.” Celestia sighed. “What happened to Twilight, Princess?” Luna had entered the room with three of Twilight’s best friends and Spike. It was Applejack who had spoken up, though all three looked rather distressed. Spike had raced to Twilight’s bed and was looking distraught. “I’m not altogether sure.” The princess of the sun admitted. “Spike sent a message that magic was ‘going crazy’. By the time I arrived in Ponyville, it was truly a disaster. It took a great deal of power to wrest Twilight from her surge.” “A magical surge?” Spike asked, alarmed. “I thought you said she was done with those?” The young dragon shuddered in remembrance of some of the horrors that Twilight’s magic running loose had caused. The more magical a unicorn was, the more ridiculous the effects of their surges, and you didn't get any more magical than Twilight Sparkle. “I believed she was. This incident was unlike any other. I’m sure you remember the spell I have used in the past to quell my faithful student’s powers? Well, the spell failed. I was forced to draw upon the sun itself to pass through even her unconscious defenses.” She still sounded a bit shaken about that.The idea of her magic being unable to help Twilight had made her quite fearful. “I-is she going to be alright?” Fluttershy asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “I am not sure.” Celestia admitted softly. “She appears to be in a sort of coma now.” Her eyes shifted to Luna briefly, before turning away. “Has anyone told Dashie or Rarity about this?” Pinkie Pie’s usually happy demeanor had fled at the sight of her friend's current appearance. Her pink hair hung limp. “Rainbow Dash should be completing her Wonderbolt training in the next two weeks or so, and I have no doubt that she would depart immediately should she hear what has occurred. I do not believe Twilight would appreciate Miss Rainbow sacrificing her dream just to check up on her. Once she returns, she will be told. As for your friend Rarity, I believe she is currently in the Crystal Empire? I have sent a message to Princess Cadence, who will take the time to inform her.” Celestia glanced at her sister again, hesitating. “Is there something you need, sister?” Luna asked, arching an eyebrow. “I… Yes. Yes, there is.” Pressing on, despite her misgivings, the princess continued. “I have a suspicion as to what has happened to Twilight. Do you remember a certain incident not long after we acquired our cutie marks?” Luna tilted her head upwards as she consulted her memories. Recalling the incident in question, she nodded her head sharply. “Yes, I recall. You fell into a deep slumber for many days. I was forced to move your sun and my moon both.” She complained before frowning. “Dost thou believe Twilight Sparkle is suffering from something similar?” “I… Yes. If my suspicions are correct, then the catastrophe earlier today was a result of Twilight acting as a sort of conduit for the magic used throughout Equestria. I would be willing to bet that, should we examine every unicorn within a certain radius of Ponyville, we would find that, in addition to an extraordinary magical surge, Twilight replicated every single spell used.” Luna froze at that. The level of power required for something like that would be utterly absurd. She doubted that she could do such a thing herself without tapping into the full power of her night. Even then, she would be hard pressed to perform such a feat. Celestia continued her explanation. “If I am right, then Twilight will be aware of every use of magic around her. It is doubtful that her sanity will survive without the proper training.” Twilight’s friends looked appropriately horrified at that, but Celestia wasn't done. “What’s more, I am unsure if Twilight will even be able to awaken without assistance. I myself had a great deal of trouble, and that was only with dealing with the changes of the sun. Twilight must learn to handle a far greater level of understanding, should my suspicions be accurate.” She turned to look directly into Luna’s eyes. “I want you to cast your coma-joining spell on me, sister. Send me into Twilight’s mind to aid her.” Luna’s jaw dropped. “No! Absolutely not! You yourself forbid me from using it. I could never… I would never do such a thing.” She declared. “Er… Excuse me, but what’s this spell y’all are talking about?” Applejack requested. Her two companions looked just as confused. “If there’s some spell that could help Twilight, why wouldn't you use it?” “Because what our dear sister has seems to be forgetting is that the spell is a failure. We originally developed it to utilize our knowledge of the dreamscape to help those who were trapped in endless slumber. We thought that the aid of a loved one might assist in the recovery of such patients, by allowing them to interact directly in the form of a dream. Unfortunately, we did not realize the consequences. Once our spell is used, neither can wake alone.” She addressed Celestia now. “You would be trapped within the mind of poor Twilight.” “I am aware.” Celestia retorted. “You have been asking me to take on a larger role in governing our country. This is your chance. I have no doubt that Twilight will wake if I can assist her. All you need do is inform the court that I have taken a short leave of absence. I am sure that you will do perfectly well.” “We will not do such a thing, Celestia!” Luna growled, turning to leave. “Then I will find another.” The princess of the sun replied determinedly. “It is a difficult spell, but there are several unicorns in Canterlot who are strong enough to cast it, and you forget that I know how it works as well.” Luna glared at her sister. “Why would you demand this?! You know full well that the public knowledge of you being unconscious for many days would be an invitation of disaster.” “There is nothing I would not do for my family.” Celestia stated, her determination clear. Luna and Celestia exchanged heated glares for a moment longer, until the younger of the two finally gave in. “Very well. If you insist on this foalishness, then I will aid you. Better that than the alternative.” The princess of the night turned to glare at the three Element bearers. “You will tell no one of this, do you understand?” She kept up her glare until they each agreed. Even Spike, who had barely moved from Twilight’s side since arriving, nodded his head. Celestia curled up on the bed around Twilight’s prone form. Luna stepped forward and placed one hoof on each mare’s head. Her horn blazed with shadowy power as she invoked her magic. Celestia’s eyes closed and Luna leaned back, barely restraining her tears. --Two weeks later-- The cyan mare flew through the air. The wind strained against her as she pushed her body to its limits. A moment later, the air exploded around her. As a wave of color poured forth, the high-speed flier wasn't done. She shot down before turning 180 degrees and flying back up through the ring of light. Less than a second later, there was a second blast of the light spectrum. The two rings of color were perpendicular to one another, and they spread through the sky, dazzling anyone watching. Rainbow Dash flew to the ground, breathing heavily. Her new Double Rainboom was utterly exhausting, but it was certainly a perfect final stunt to showcase why she was a perfect candidate for the Wonderbolts. She shook her head to clear it, her rainbow mane swishing behind her. It was certainly the most stressful stunt she had as well. Not only did she have to perform a 270 degree turn immediately after breaking through the barrier, she had to decelerate just enough that she could push through it once more, all in a fraction of a single second. “Well, that was certainly impressive.” A voice called out. Rainbow’s face lit up as she recognized Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts. “Are you ready, Dash?” The older mare asked proudly. “Ready to join the Wonderbolts?” “Yes!” Rainbow cheered, doing a quick back flip out of sheer joy. She would have done more, but she’d just gotten out of the most strenuous test she’d ever taken before, both physically and mentally. “Then come with me. All you have left to do is fill out some paperwork for Ironhoof and swear the oaths. You've done it, Dash. It's a bit premature, but let me be the first to welcome you into the Wonderbolts!” Spitfire led the beaming mare back into the building and into a rather large office. It was clear from the lack of luxuries that it was the office of a rather hardworking pony. The high-quality weapons and armor on the walls showed that the owner was clearly a military pony. Ironhoof Thunderstorm was a rather intimidating stallion. He was a dark grey color, reminiscent of the most dangerous kinds of clouds. He was the biggest stallion Rainbow had ever seen, even larger than Bic Macintosh. He had a lightning bolt shaped scar going over his left eye, though he still could open it. His wings were enormous and jagged. His cutie mark was a blood red tornado. The massive pegasus' head shot up the moment the door opened. He was instantly alert, though he relaxed a bit upon seeing his guests. He smirked as Rainbow followed Spitfire to his desk. He extended a hoof to Rainbow, who shook it eagerly. “Well, well, well. If it isn't the great Rainbow Dash, the fastest pegasus alive.” Rainbow blushed heavily as he continued. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” “No, the honor’s all mine.” Rainbow demurred. After all, this was Ironhoof Thunderstorm! He was the mayor of Cloudsdale and, more importantly, in charge of the Wonderbolts. He was also a military advisor to the Solar Throne, effectively in charge of most of the pegasi in the Equestrian Army. “You’re an inspiration to all of us pegasi, Rainbow.” He pushed a small stack of papers forward. At the top of the first page ‘WONDERBOLTS’ was emblazoned in ornate lettering. “I have your contract right here. But before you can get to dealing with the paperwork, I’m afraid that you have one last thing to do.” He paced a bit. “You see, the Wonderbolts were originally a military unit, and technically still are. In order to join, you have to make a couple of oaths. It’s pretty much just a formality nowadays, but they are still on the books.” Rainbow frowned slightly at the reminder. It was the one piece of Wonderbolt history she really disliked. She wanted to join them to inspire others. She had no desire whatsoever to join the military. Still, she looked at the single piece of paper. Her frown became much deeper. “What the hay?” She demanded, shoving the paper away. “There’s no way I’m swearing anything like this! I don’t even know what this pegasus nation is supposed to be!” Ironhoof glared at Rainbow. “The Wonderbolts are the pride and joy of our race. It’s only right that they would swear to serve our interests above all else. Times are going to get hard, Dash. We have to have every card that we can get.” “What are you talking about?” Rainbow demanded. “Equestria is at peace! We’re on good terms with all of our neighbors! Even if it wasn't, I support all Equestrians, not just the pegasi! That oath is more than biased; it practically demands that I be willing to kill anypony that threatens a pegasus!” “Rainbow, please!” Spitfire spoke up. “Think about this. All you have to do is swear the oath and you’re in the Wonderbolts!” She hesitated briefly. “We haven’t been called into military service for decades!” Rainbow shook her head. “I will never swear an oath like that.” “I’m afraid that you don’t have a choice.” At some signal, a pair of armored guards entered, blocking the door. Ironhoof sighed, obviously frustrated. “I had intended to do this more slowly, but I’m afraid that the ideal opportunity has come upon us. You see, Princess Celestia has been out of commission for two weeks now. This is the best chance for a first strike we’ve had in centuries. So, you’re going to swear this oath, or we’re going to lock you up forever. Now make your choice!” His eyes sparkled with rage. “Buck you, traitor!” Rainbow snarled as she turned away. “You’re being called into service Rainbow. For the sake of all pegasi, you have to join! The unicorns have been squeezing us dry for years! Don’t you have any loyalty at all?” Spitfire demanded as she placed one hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. The rainbow-maned pegasus lowered her head. “Of course I do.” She spat, laying out the elder pegasus with a perfect punch. “I am loyal to Equestria. I’m going to stop you!” She flew as fast as she could, slamming into one of the pegasus guards. She hit him with enough force that he slammed through the door, giving her a perfect exit. Unfortunately for the cyan mare, there were eight more guards outside the room. Cursing as they surrounded her, Rainbow prepared herself for a fight. The odds were bad, especially considering how exhausted she was, but she just had to escape. Her eyes briefly lowered to look at the crystal bracelet on her right foreleg. It perfectly matched her coat, and had six marks inscribed on it. Twilight had given it to her just before she’d left, forcing her to promise not to take it off. 'For them.' Rainbow thought as she glared at the other pegasi. She made the first move, managing to duck under one of the larger pegasi. She rammed into his legs, knocking him over. She took the time to snatch his spear in the process. She didn't have much practice with the things and, in a moment of panic, she hurled it at a charging stallion. She'd only wanted to get him away and winced at his scream. The spear had pierced right through one of his wings. The athletic mare took to the air, narrowly avoiding being impaled in three places. She shot towards the exit, only to see three more guards ahead of her. That made an even dozen. The odds were looking really bad now, but Rainbow couldn't give up. She used her superior aerial abilities to grab one of the guards ahead of her, hoisting him into the air. While that normally wouldn’t be the best idea to use against another pegasus, Dash was well aware that it was rather hard to take control of one’s own flight from a standing position. Before he could react, she turned and, pumped her wings hard. Using every ounce of her body’s strength, she swung him into one of the guards charging her from behind. Luckily, pegasi were naturally light ponies, or there was no way she could have swung him like that, regardless of the force her wings could produce. She managed to land several well-placed kicks that broke spears into pieces. Her chest heaving, Dash braced herself as they moved to surround her again. She glanced down at her leg again and glanced at the bracelet. Twilight had sworn that it would keep her safe. 'You know, Twi, if there was ever a time I could use some of your help, it would be now.' Sunlight glinted off the crystal, as if mocking her thoughts. Even as she thought that, a pair of the guards tackled her from behind, managing to restrain her briefly. A third stepped forward and leveled his spear to skewer her. She glared at him hatefully. She would not close her eyes. She was going to face her death proudly. Nevertheless, she found herself unable to hold back a flinch as he moved closer. As he thrust the spear forward, Rainbow found her vision completely eclipsed by light. A moment later, she realized that she was still alive. He hadn’t managed to complete the attack. The building was decimated. As she watched a rippling wave of rainbow light explode out of her position, she realized what had happened. Somehow that crazy egghead had managed to get the bracelet to trigger one of her own Rainbooms! Thanking the lavender mare with all of her might, Rainbow took to the air, using the speed granted by the Rainboom to propel her away from Cloudsdale. She had to get to Canterlot. She had to warn them. 'I’m coming, Twi.' Rainbow thought determinedly as she shot away from the cloud city.