//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Transcending Equestria // by BlueDWarrior //------------------------------// Transcending Equestria -- Prologue  -- There is a saying out there, you know? They say that everything that is immortal can be divided into two main groups. On one hoof, you have those that wish to maintain Order and certain strict kinds of systems, mortals tend to call these immortals “gods”. On the other hoof, you have those that wish to generate Chaos and constantly shake existing systems up, mortals tend to call these immortals “demons”. Even as recently ago as a couple of years, I would have been one to to say “Yes, there are gods among us who want to maintain Order, and there are demons lurking that want to sow Chaos and disrupt everything we hold dear.” Boy, were my friends and I ever wrong about that… ----- Twilight Sparkle looked up from reading a book of general philosophy, spying a certain now part-time farmer gliding over the courtyard at low altitude. “Come on Lady Terria, I know you’re originally borne of Earth Pony stock, but everyone with wings eventually learns how to fly!” one of the Air Royal Guard trainers shouted encouragingly, having to treat the orange Alicorn far more like a skittish child than he (or anypony else for that matter) was comfortable treating her. “Ah know that, but Ah’m still nervous as all get out when Ah’m in tha air! And Ah told y’all before, when Ah’m not on duty just call me Applejack!” said orange Alicorn replied, the nervousness evident in her voice as she flew relatively slowly, but at least steadily, through the air. “Oh come on AJ, you are honestly looking worse than me when they were helping me learn!” Twilight shouted at the circling white Pegasus trainer and orange neophyte Alicorn. “I d-d-don’t need this right now Twi!” Applejack shouted back, her voice wavering slightly as she lost her bearings for a few moments. “Please Lady Umbria, leave Applejack alone while she performing her flight practice,” a calming matronly voice called; followed by a familiar white Alicorn flanked on one side by one of her primary aides. “Oh come on~ Princess Celestia, it feels weird and stuffy when you call us by our new titles and names,” Twilight whined a bit. Though she was easily an adult by normal Pony standards, given who her new peers, she was barely a newborn. “Dear Twilight-Umbra, do you mind if I call you that? In any case, it’s just something you all will have to get used to. Seeing as Celestia saw fit to make you six regents while you've barely gotten the training wheels off of your new bodies, you will just have to roll with the punches,” a somewhat snide masculine voice chirped, as the pink cloud of smoke heralded the ‘Demon’ of Chaos, Discord, as he took up a lounging seat next to the Lady Regent of Shadows. “Well at least he uses part of my old name, though Twilight-Umbra sounds kinda stiff,” Twilight pouted as she rolled her eyes at her senior. “Anyway, like Discord said, it’s done now so we all will just have to get used to it,” Twilight sighed as she magically marked and sat her book down. “Whee~~!!” a partially pink, partially fire-engine red Alicorn with strange combination of curly and wavy mane shouted as she literally rode through the paved walkway on a hoop made out of fire. “Lady Ignia, please don’t ride flaming wheels through the courtyard~!” one of the Unicorn instructors shouted as he and a pair of others tried to catch up with the rather odd sight. “You know, usually you jump through flaming hoops, not run around on them…” Discord mused as he rubbed a talon under his chin. “You do know who we’re talking about, right?” Twilight responded curtly. “Point taken,” the draconequs concluded. The giggling Alicorn, though, had her fun interrupted as another Alicorn appeared out of the fountain, sighing as she doused the flaming wheel, much to the chagrin of the pink-and-red Alicorn, who cartoonishly skidded across the grass. “Oh come on Fluttershy, it wasn’t like I was going to burn anything down this time…” Pinkie groused as she dusted grass out of her mane. The royal blue Alicorn shifted back to a more ‘natural’ seeming butter yellow, minus some fringes along her (somehow even longer) pink mane. “Yes I know Pinkie, but still, safety first. We’re just now starting to get our budgets for projects, and rebuilding our auxiliary residence because of accidental fire-starting is not something I want to explain to the committee.” “Boo. Oh well, can’t exactly blame you anyway…” Pinkie replied as her tone went back to what was normal for her. “Glad to see you… understand.” Fluttershy responded back with quite a bit of surprise in her voice; honestly expecting to get more of an argument out of the baker-and-party-maker. “It seems like you have quite the talent for negotiation, Lady Aquia,” Celestia chuckled. “Well she did help me turn into a model citizen, after all,” Discord chimed in, conjuring a medal that stated as much in Equestrian print. “Yeah, the jury is still out a bit on that, but at least you aren’t making the sun go all crazy like last time,” Pinkie responded. Discord laughed his hearty laugh, as he remembered the good-and-bad times. “Yes, yes. Being locked in stone for millennia kinda does that to you. I had to see if I still had it.” “Yeah, you had so much of it left we had to put you back in stone for another two years after that…” a rainbow-maned Alicorn added for herself as she and the second white Alicorn entered the courtyard. “You know if it weren’t for your niece and your sister being currently indisposed, we’d have the makings of a nice little get together,” Discord mused aloud, as he perched himself on the back of the second white Alicorn, while talking to the first. “I would appreciate it if you did not perch yourself on my back. I might be a little bigger, but you are still HEAVY!” the second white Alicorn barked; Discord thankfully taking the hint and dismounted to stand on the ground next to her. “Taking Royal Canterlot voice lessons from my sister?” Celestia asked of the violet-maned Alicorn. “No, Princess Celestia, that’s just me. Thought now that I think about it, being able to clear 90 decibels without having to strain my throat would make a nice arrow to have in my quiver,” Rarity thought aloud, as she imagined being able to yell Blueblood’s head off should he get too cross with one of the maids. “You’re forever gobbling up new spells and techniques. I swear maybe in some universe you’re really Twilight!” Rainbow Dash joked as she gave Rarity a gentle shove. “It is unbecoming of royalty to not be well-versed in all aspects of life. I must be a Lady, a Scholar, and a Warrior if need be (hopefully I won’t need to be the last one, though.)” “Hrmph,” Rainbow Dash grunted as she responded. “I think giving me a horn and stronger body just made me completely unfair. I mean I was already totally awesome, now I’m just indisputably awesome.” The pose Rainbow Dash struck would have looked stupendous on a poster, but just looked downright silly in the courtyard with the several aides and many Alicorns and one Draconequs. “Seriously, Lady Aeria, indisputably awesome? I bet you hardly use that horn beyond the basic telekinesis, do you?!” Rarity asked in an incredulous tone as she stared at the slightly taller, cyan blue Alicorn. “Um… eh…” Rainbow Dash hemmed and hawed, as she stumbled in her head for a good sounding answer. “I totally do Lady Lucia!” Rarity sighed as she moved in close to Rainbow’s face, speaking in a hush tone where only they could hear without straining. “You know lying is not becoming of a Princess; if you need help, you know Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and I will all do whatever we can.” Rainbow Dash sighed heavily as she waited a bit to join the small gathering in the center of the courtyard, Rarity having already joined the little cluster. “Is Spike still in the Serpent’s Pass? I do hope he’s alright…” Fluttershy thought aloud, her worried tone evident to everyone there. “The letter I got from him last week said the trek had been harrowing, but he was holding up well enough. Seriously you go through a growth spurt and suddenly a world’s worth of responsibility is slammed right on top of your head,” Twilight replied, as she magicked the letter onto the table that she was lounging near. “Ain’t that the truth,” Applejack responded as she landed, panting a bit but otherwise none the worse for wear. ----- Leave it to the Element of Honesty… though I guess we can call her the Honest Land now… Oh wait look at me banging on about our current lives. You all are probably wondering how the six of us ended up as the six newest Lady Regents of Equestria. You may be asking yourselves “Wait Twilight, how did you six become Alicorns and Princesses to boot?” Well to be honest, the origin of this little fact is quite harrowing, but since you all are there, I might as well. Anyway, like I said before… it all started around two years ago…