//------------------------------// // Family Ties // Story: Unlikely Places // by flutterstare //------------------------------// 2 Family Ties BUZZZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZZ Autumn groaned and rolled over on her pillow. BUZZZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZZ Why does school have to be so early? she thought. BUZZZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZZ “Alright, alright, I’m up.” Autumn reached over and slammed her hoof down on top of the alarm clock. It was a bit furrier than she remembered. Autumn groggily cracked open her eyes. Instead of seeing her room, she was met with the dense greenery that encompassed her makeshift campsite. She took a few seconds to let the amnesia wear off. “Oh, right...” she murmured. There is something undeniably depressing about waking up in a strange place, all alone. Autumn was starting to get the feeling that Indigo had been wrong. Maybe she wasn’t cut out to survive on her own. Maybe her sheltered upbringing on the urban streets of Manehattan had denied her the know-how necessary for a life on the trail. Not a lot of happy thoughts for the first few seconds of the day. Autumn didn’t have much time to ponder the issue however, because her lonely silence was interrupted by a pitiful sound from below her outstretched hoof. BuZzZbUzzZ...bzz.. She carefully retracted her limb to discover a small purple fuzzball of an insect with big red eyes. “Hey there, little guy. Where did you come from?” She recognized the adorable creature from somewhere, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it. It awkwardly fluttered into the air and made its way dizzily over to Autumn’s saddle bag, disappearing beneath the left-side flap. “Hey, what are you doing? I keep my food in there!” Autumn pulled herself to her hooves and walked to the bag, which she had left leaning against a pine tree. Upon opening the pocket she was met with not one, but a dozen pairs of hungry red eyes. A brief moment of stunned stillness, and then– WHOOOSH! A wave of colored fuzz gushed from the opened bag and blew right past Autumn’s bewildered expression, disappearing into the surrounding forest. Autumn stared blankly into the space where the insects had just been. Her wide blue eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing, or rather, what they weren’t seeing. Those deceptively cute insects had eaten everything. All the food she had so meticulously collected and packed as tightly as possible into her bag had been devoured. They left behind nothing except for a few crumbs and a candy bar wrapper. It was so sudden and unexpected; Autumn felt like screaming. It was simply too tragic to happen on the first day; the first morning, no less. She wasn’t prepared for a blow like that. Autumn was a pony accustomed to frustration however, and with a few deep breathes she managed to compose herself. It’s OK, she thought, It’s only food, I can find more. She leaned down to pick up the half-emptied bag, only to find it was stuck on something. She gave it a few good tugs, but it refused to budge. Her patience was beginning to wear thin, so she yanked a bit too hard and tore open the entire right side of the bag which held all of her supplies. Apparently, it had been stuck to some very determined pine sap. This time, Autumn made no attempt to hold in her rage. She threw her head back and let out the loudest and most aggravated scream she could manage. “Don’t test me you stupid wilderness!” she shouted to the trees, “I’ve got enough on my plate right now!” “By the looks of your saddlebag, you won’t have anything on you’re plate,” a voice from behind her observed. Autumn yelped and whirled around, but she couldn’t find the source of the voice. “Show yourself!” she demanded, “I’m not afraid of you!” “Well that’s probably a good thing considering I’m the one who’s trying to help you.” Autumn suddenly realized where the voice was coming from; and more importantly who it was coming from. “Indigo?” she said. Sure enough, her best friend sat cooly on a branch about half-way up the pine tree. Her goofy grin suggested that she found Autumn’s frustrated confusion mildly humorous. “How... What are you doing here?” “Helping out a scared, clueless, and now food-less friend, obviously.” Indigo swooped down and landed gracefully next to Autumn, nudging her side as she did. “C’mon. You didn’t expect me to leave you hangin’ out here, did you?” “Aren’t you supposed to be reporting the hooded pony?” Autumn asked. “All taken care of.” Indigo said proudly. “Does your father know you’re out here?” “Already checked with him, he’s totally cool with me making my own decisions and has no issue with me living on my own.” “But how did you manage to find me?” “Well, I knew where you started from; and to be honest, you’re not very far from the edge of the city. If I fly up above the trees I can actually see it.” “Huh,” said Autumn, “and so you just decided to come find me out in the woods and follow me all the way to wherever it is I end up?” “That’s about the size of it.” Indigo smiled broadly, satisfied with herself. She saw that Autumn was still skeptical though, and tried once more to reassure her. “Hey, I know it’s a big decision, but I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this – just like you have. I care about you, and I want to help you get through this. Besides, you promised me if you ever went on an adventure that I’d get to come along.” Autumn couldn’t help but smile back at her friend. It was true that she had promised, although it had seemed inconsequential at the time. What did she have to lose? She couldn’t honestly say that she didn’t want Indigo to come with her. “Well, alright,” she decided, “if you’re sure. I guess I could use the company.” “That’s what I wanted to hear!” said Indigo, “Indy and Autumn, adventurers out on the open trail!” She stretched out a hoof as if she were presenting a movie title. “Only until someone comes to rescue us,” Autumn reminded her, “you did tell the guards didn’t you?” “Sure did,” Indigo confirmed, “It was in a stroke of good luck too. You see, as soon as I dropped you off I figured I’d better head back to the shop and write a letter to the proper authorities. Right as I got there, I found a guard just standing outside the shop. It was almost like he had been waiting for me! I told him the whole story of you and the hooded pony and the letter. He said not to worry about anything, the guards would take care of everything and soon it would be safe to come back. In the mean time though, you should stay out here and keep moving. I paid him a few bits to be quick about finding the hooded creep, and then he left. I’d feel safe if I were you, this was a pretty big fellow.” “That was lucky...” Autumn agreed, “and he said to stay out here in the woods?” “Just until he or one of the other guards comes to find us. Although by the looks of it, surviving even that long might be a struggle” Indigo gestured towards the torn bag and supplies strewn across the ground. “Yeah, some stupid bug things got into my stuff last night.” “They’re called parasprites. Don’t you remember? There was a big orange one on the cover of the Fillyscouts Survival Guide.” “I knew I’d seen them somewhere before,” Autumn said, “Well regardless, we now have no food and no way to carry anything else. So what do we do?” “Live off the land, of course!” said Indigo, “Forage for food, navigate with the stars, sleep on the ground – that kinda stuff.” “Well I dunno about you, but I am not sleeping on the ground,” said Autumn. She leaned down to roll up her sleeping bag and grab the map. “Nor am I navigating with anything but a reliable map.” “Awww, you’re no fun,” said Indigo. “Maybe not, but I am practical,” Autumn retorted, “Here, you carry the bed roll and I’ll read the map.” “I’m looking forward to a few days in the backcountry,” said Indigo. She grabbed the bed roll and slung it over her back. “I think it’ll be a character-building experience. Aren’t you excited?” “I think ‘anxious’ is a better word,” said Autumn. With that, the pair continued on deeper into the forest. * * * The next few days were rough, at least for Autumn. Even though she had a bed roll, the nights were colder than she had expected. She often found herself unable to sleep; simply shivering and listening to the strange sounds of the forest around her. The second night was especially bad: it rained until just an hour before sunrise, forcing the two to seek shelter inside a cramped hollow log. Indigo didn’t mind the weather quite as much. Even without a bed roll of her own, she always seemed to enjoy sleeping under the stars and braving the chilly air. The night it rained, she spent the whole time singing show tunes and telling stories from their childhood. That was just like Indy: not willing to let something as trivial as weather get in the way of a good time. Food was a whole different issue, and one that neither pony was thrilled about. Indigo had retained some knowledge about how and where to find food in the forest, but it was mostly limited to edible fungus and small berries. A couple times they had tried to start a fire to cook their food in an effort to make it taste better; but dry wood was hard to find, and starting a flame without matches or magic was even harder. As nutritious as Indigo insisted brown-spotted mushrooms were, they did not make a particularly filling meal. As such, they found themselves in a perpetual state of hunger. Parasprites were less of a problem (mostly because they were never carrying much food), but the Hollow Shades Forest was home to a wide array of other concerning creatures. Timberwolves were always a threat; and although they never came across any, Autumn could occasionally hear them baying in the distance as she lay awake at night. The pair also had to learn how to differentiate between the weeds and flowers it was safe to walk through, and those that would give them a nasty rash. The actual traveling was the only positive part of their experience. The terrain was mild, and the spaces between trees were wide enough to allow for easy maneuverability. They talked and laughed as they walked (and flew) along Autumn’s carefully worked out path. Although she had seen woods like this before before, there was an invigorating satisfaction that came with exploring untamed lands with her best friend. Everything was new and exiting, something she didn’t get much of back home. Maybe this was the grand adventure she had been waiting for. On the third day after Indigo had rejoined Autumn, they came across a glen where the trees opened up to reveal a grassy meadow. It sat between two hills, which made a small valley. At the very center of the clearing, a few large boulders were clustered together in an unusual formation. “Hey, check this out,” said Indigo. She flew over to the boulders and landed on top of one. “I think this is where we should camp tonight. It’s a pretty cool place if you ask me.” “It’s a nice spot,” Autumn admitted. She walked over to the boulder on which Indigo had perched. There was something strange about it. “Hey, wait a minute,” she said, pointing to what appeared to be inscriptions on the side, “These are ruins!” “Ruins?” Indigo said. She hopped down next to Autumn to see for herself. “You mean there used to be something built here?” “It looks like it. See these two were columns, and this one was probably part of a wall.” Autumn opened her map and scanned the area she had been sure they were in. “This doesn’t make any sense,” she said, “I can’t find these ruins on the map anywhere.” “Maybe we’re the first to discover them,” Indigo suggested excitedly, “That would be quite an achievement for adventurers such as ourselves.” “It’s possible...” said Autumn as she folded the map up, “but what did they used to be? A monument? A castle? A watchtower?” “A sanctuary, actually.” To Autumn’s horror, a third pony stepped out from behind one of the boulders. She wore a long purple robe and hood, embroidered with an apple inside a triangle. Apparently, she had been just out of sight the entire time. Autumn leapt back and cried out. Indigo sped over and took a defensive stance beside her friend. “Indy! That’s the pony! That’s the one who left the note!” “We must have been followed,” Indigo growled. She kept herself low to the ground, like a lion ready to pounce. “You stay away from us!” Autumn yelled. She put on the most aggressive face she could manage and made sure not to break eye contact. Indigo stood beside her and brandished a stick in her mouth as if she intended to use it as a weapon. The duo backed slowly away from the hooded pony, towards the tree line where they could escape. “I do not wish to harm you. If apprehension by force was our intention we would have done it days ago.” It was a mare’s voice, calm and smooth as if she were talking about the weather. “So what exactly is your intention then?” Autumn’s voice, by contrast, was shaky and uncertain. When she had seen the stranger at the edge of Manehattan, there was something oddly non-threatening about the encounter; a feeling she found herself experiencing once again. Regardless, this was the pony she had been running from. The revelation that she had been followed the entire time made her uneasy and fearful. “All will be explained, but first you must come with me,” insisted the mysterious pony, “This is a matter of great importance.” “Yeah right! You expect us to trust you?” Indigo laughed, “Some unnamed mare wearing a creepy hood who we know nothing about except that she has been stalking us. Boy, I can’t even think–” “My name is Sister Ambrosia.” “–of a more trustworthy... What did you say?” “Sister Ambrosia. That is my name,” she explained, “Before I became a member of the Order, my name was Silver Sunrise and I lived just outside Fillydelphia. Now, I live at the sanctuary with the other members of the Order of Everlasting Truth.” She then pulled off her hood revealing her soft features and letting her long white mane drape over her shoulders. “Now you know who I am.” Autumn and Indigo were momentarily taken aback by this sudden disclosure of information. “How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Indigo asked, a little less accusingly than before. Sister Ambrosia laughed in a friendly way. “Let’s just say that lying is something I don’t have the capacity for.” She took a confident step in their direction. The two younger ponies were understandably confused, but they held their ground. The unexplainable feeling that this mysterious pony could be trusted was growing in the back of Autumn’s mind. “Aren’t you the one who left that letter for me? The one who was watching me when I was at school?” “No, but I know the ponies who did and can assure you that they are no threat either.” She took another few steps so that she was within stick-swinging range. “We are secretive, but we are not dangerous. It is true we intended to take you against your will from your home in Manehattan, but that is no longer necessary. “When you fled the city, I was tasked with seeking you out and bringing you to the sanctuary. As it turned out, the direction you decided to travel was the direction of the sanctuary. I decided that as long as you were heading the right way on your own free will, there was no reason to reveal myself; and now here you are, right at the epicenter of our operation.” She gestured around the sunny glen, towards the stone ruins. “It seems fate has guided you towards your ultimate destiny.” Ambrosia smiled at Autumn. Everything she said sounded sincere, and the incredibly perceptive Autumn couldn’t find a trace of dishonesty in her expression. There was still one thing that bothered her though: these were the ponies who took her father. As nice as Ambrosia seemed, kidnapping was not a forgivable crime. “Where is my father?” she demanded. “He is safe. If you would like to see for yourself, simply follow me and I’ll take you to to him.” Ambrosia stretched out a hoof in a gesture of friendship, still smiling warmly. Deciding that she had little choice, Autumn hesitantly raised a hoof to meet the one patiently waiting for her. “I’m not so sure about this,” warned Indigo, “Remember that this is the pony you’ve been running from.” “I know,” said Autumn. Her hoof met Ambrosia’s and they shared a moment of mutual understanding. “but something tells me that we can trust her.” “Wonderful,” Ambrosia said, somehow making her smile even friendlier, “Now I’ll take you to the sanctuary where you can see your father and we will brief you on the situation” “I thought you said we were already there.” Indigo said. Ambrosia laughed again. “You are in the right place, yes. But you do not expect us to conduct our business out in the open, do you? We are a secret order, after all.” Ambrosia began walking towards the ruins at the low point of the glen, Autumn following close behind. Indigo, who was significantly more skeptical than her friend, waited where she was for a few moments before reluctantly following. Upon reaching the largest stone, Ambrosia took a moment to analyze the carvings on its face. Once she had found what she was looking for, she placed a hoof on a triangular symbol and pressed down. To Autumn’s surprise, it gave way like a large stone button, sinking a few inches into the ruin. Then the ground began to shake. A large crack appeared where Ambrosia had placed her hoof, spreading across the length of the stone and pulling the monolith in half. Within thirty seconds, an ancient-looking doorway had created itself where there had been nothing before. “One more thing,” said Ambrosia. She turned turned to Indigo, who had only just caught up with them. “I’m afraid only Autumn has been cleared to enter. Your friend will have to wait here.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Indigo said, feeling scandalized, “I’m not letting you take her anywhere without me. I don’t trust you or your creepy robed buddies.” “We have to be strict about this,” Ambrosia insisted, “Our affairs concern only miss Breeze, and outsiders are never allowed in the sanctuary without the Grandmaster’s prior knowledge.” “Where I go, she goes.” Autumn staunchly replied, “If you want me to follow you in there, then Indy’s coming with us.” Ambrosia considered this and let the smile return to her face. “I suppose I have no choice then. Very well, we’ll do it your way.” She turned and walked through the entrance and down the steps just inside. “This way, please” The stairway was dark, lit only by an occasional torch; and the steps were worn and crumbly, forcing Autumn to proceed very carefully. It wound down in spirals, making it impossible to judge how far they had to go. Indigo preferred to stay above the steps, hovering along behind the other two and interrogating Ambrosia. “What kind of secret society is this anyway? And what do you want with Autumn? Why didn’t you just come to her openly?” she demanded. “I suppose I should enlighten you on the Order’s mission, as I’m sure this is all very confusing for you.” Ambrosia spoke as she led the young ponies far beneath the surface. “Many centuries ago, in a small town at the edge of the Everfree Forest, lived an earth pony who made her living growing and selling apples. She was called Applejack, and was known far and wide as a shining example of honesty and integrity. “After the great Schism, when the Princess attempted to eradicate a great deal of public information, Applejack was the first to openly denounce Celestia’s actions. She led a campaign to promote transparency about the incident, and became a figurehead for public displeasure with the Crown’s efforts to restrict freedom of knowledge. “Unfortunately, this made her a symbolic target. She was imprisoned at Canterlot, where she eventually passed away. A devoted group of supporters pledged to carry on Applejack’s mission, working to declassify all the information the Princess had confiscated. They called themselves The Order of Everlasting Truth, and built an organizational headquarters in the valley we are now beneath.” “You mean those ruins?” asked Autumn. “Indeed,” Ambrosia replied solemnly, “It seems the Princess felt threatened by the Order and had it destroyed; burnt to the ground.” “Princess Celestia did that?” Indigo asked astoundedly, “That seems hard to believe.” “Believe what you wish, but the fact is the building was destroyed and the Order disbanded. For decades it seemed as if Celestia would be successful in her efforts to terminate common knowledge of the Schism. However, three very old ponies – the only surviving members of the original order – came together and decided that the mission must be carried on. They founded a new Order of Everlasting Truth on the ashes of their former alliance, and secretly constructed a sanctuary far below the ground. To this very day, we have followed the example of Applejack’s determination and spirit by seeking to uncover the secrets kept locked away in Canterlot. We each take an oath to never pervert the truth, and devote our lives to the causes of honesty and morality. “Of course, we cannot make ourselves known to the Princess, lest we meet the same fate as our predecessors. So we conduct our business in secret, attracting the attention only of those who are vital to our plans.” Ambrosia finished her explanation, and allowed her two followers to ponder it in silence. Eventually, they reached the bottom of the steps which emptied into a barren antechamber; at the other end of which was a huge oak door. Carved into the center of the door was the same symbol that Ambrosia wore on her hood, and that Autumn had found stamped on her envelope. “So... what does all this have to do with me?” she asked, as they crossed the stone floor. “In time, you will understand. First, however, we need to inform Elder Fallawater that you have arrived." Ambrosia knocked on the huge door with her hoof three times. The sound reverberated in the chamber for a full twenty seconds. For another twenty seconds after that, there was only silence. Finally, with a loud creaking sound the door began to open. It opened just wide enough for a purple hood to stick itself through and size up the visitors. “Sister Ambrosia,” said the hood, “We’ve been waiting for you. Does this mean that you have–” “Yes, she is here.” Ambrosia confirmed, “There is another too. A friend.” The hood turned to get a look at the blue pegasus. “Well, she can’t be allowed inside. She shouldn’t even have been allowed to come this far.” “She is of good heart, Brother Melrose,” Ambrosia insisted, “The girl refuses to enter without her, besides.” “Hmmmm, this goes against regulation... but I suppose we can make an exception just this once.” Melrose disappeared back inside and pushed the door the rest of the way open. Autumn was met with one of the most amazing sights she had ever seen. A massive chamber opened up in front of her, big enough to have housed a small town. It was as wide as five city streets, and stretched so far that the other end was barely visible in the distance. The room was lit by a series of magical fire pits along its length, each of which marked where a side corridor extended off of the main one. Dozens of ponies wearing purple robes moved about the chamber. Some looked as though they had important business to attend to and hurried by, many milled about in small groups. Most of them stopped what they were doing and turned to watch Autumn as she walked by. They whispered to each other and pointed hooves, making her feel very self conscious. “You must forgive my Brothers and Sisters for their curiosity,” said Ambrosia as she led Autumn and Indigo down the long corridor, “We seldom have outsiders come into the sanctuary; especially ones as esteemed as yourself.” Autumn didn’t get a chance to ask what Ambrosia meant by ‘esteemed', because right at that moment a huge robed stallion appeared out of one of the side corridors and called out to them. “Sister Ambrosia! Thank goodness you’ve arrived. You must take the girl to the Grandmaster at once, Elder Fallawater has been growing impatient.” “In time, Brother Ramsdell,” said Ambrosia, “First, I promised I would take young Autumn to see her father.” “Very well,” said Ramsdell, eyeing Autumn nervously, “Please be quick about it Sister. I shall go inform the Elders that you have arrived.” With that, the enormous stallion took off briskly down the corridor in the opposite direction. “Errr, so you’re all brothers and sisters then?” asked Indigo as she watched Ramsdell trot hastily away. “Metaphorically, yes,” Ambrosia said, “We are all united in a common cause, and we work together as a family to better achieve our goals. Family ties were of great importance to Applejack. Speaking of family, we’re almost to your father’s chamber; he’s just down here.” They turned down a side corridor and then around another corner into a significantly smaller room with wooden floors and several doors lining the walls. Behind a desk just inside sat a unicorn who was pouring over a stack of scrolls. Besides being the only unicorn that Autumn had seen since entering the sanctuary, the pony also stuck out because she was not wearing the same purple robes as the others. Instead, she wore a white lab coat and a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles. “Can I help you?” she asked without looking up from her work. “Yes. Autumn Breeze here would like to see her father. A mister Dusty Brown, I believe.” The unicorn stopped what she was doing and squinted towards the newcomers. Autumn noticed that her horn had a faint glowing aura around it, as if she were engaged in some form of continuous magic. “I see...” She adjusted her glasses and pushed the scrolls she had been studying aside. “Has she been cleared by the Elders to do so? I’ve got too much paperwork right now to be breaking regulation.” “You let me deal with the Elders,” said Ambrosia, “I think this girl has the right to see her own father before she is assigned her task.” The unicorn shrugged and said “Very well.” She walked over to one of the doors and with a burst of magical energy sent it swinging open. “He’s in here,” she said. Autumn looked at Ambrosia who nodded kindly. She then looked at Indigo who gave her a cautious grimace. Well, she thought, I’ve come this far. She walked past Ambrosia and past the unicorn into the low-ceilinged room, expecting to find her father in something reminiscent of a jail cell. That was not at all what she found. Her father was indeed there, right in front of her; but he was in no state to greet his daughter. He was suspended in mid-air by a magical aura the same color as the one around the unicorn’s horn. He was apparently unconscious and unable to move, floating in gentle rotation like a pony-shaped celestial body. “Wha... How... What have you done to him?” Autumn cried, “I thought you said he was safe!” Ambrosia stepped into the room and attempted to comfort her. “Autumn please, you must remain calm. I assure you that your father is perfectly–” “Sister Ambrosia!” Another robed pony with a raspy voice charged into the room, accompanied by the massive Ramsdell. “How dare you bring her here without consulting me! I can’t even count how many violations you’ve just committed. We’ve been waiting here for days, and the first thing you do when you get here is take the girl to a restricted area!” “Elder Fallawater, I take full responsibility for my actions, but I see no issue with allowing the girl to see her father who she cares about deeply.” Ambrosia pleaded. “And who in Equestria is this?” Fallawater pointed a hoof at Indigo, who had just run in to see what all the fuss was about. “We cannot tolerate protocol violations of this magnitude! The fate of our entire operation rests on the assurance that every last–!” “Calm yourself, Fallawater. There is no harm done.” Yet another pony stepped into the now very crowded room. She was older; clearly more experienced than most, but still young enough to have a commanding presence. Her mane was golden yellow with streaks of orange, and her coat was a pleasant hay-color. She wore the usual robes, but had no hood. Instead, a golden tassel draped around her neck, held down with a pin in the shape of the Order’s insignia. At the end of the tassel hung a golden orb. She looked around the room, analyzing the situation with a pair of strikingly familiar piercing blue eyes. “I want everypony out of this room except Autumn and her friend. Am I clear?” she said. “Yes, Grandmaster,” came the almost unison response. The three other ponies bowed their heads and poured out of the room as if nothing had happened, leaving Autumn and Indigo alone with Autumn’s father and the Grandmaster. For a long while, nopony said anything. Autumn and the Grandmaster stared intensely into each others eyes. Indigo stood awkwardly to the side. “So, I guess you’re the leader here, huh?” Indy said, when she couldn’t take the silence any longer. There was no response. Indigo was getting the feeling that the other two knew something that she didn’t. “Autumn, are you OK? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “Pretty much,” Autumn replied in a daze. Without breaking eye contact, she explained to Indigo what it was that had her so shocked. “Indy, I’d like you to meet my mother.” * * * Autumn took a deep breath and prepared to do it one more time. She reared back and leapt forth from the edge of her bed with all the strength she could muster. She swung her legs out in front of her, mimicking the style of professional long-jumpers, and came to a perfect landing a good four inches beyond her previous record. “Wow!” the young filly exclaimed when she saw her new record, “I was practically flying that time!” She fetched a new piece of tape and stuck it to the carpet where she had landed, marking her success. She took a proud bow towards the Wonderbolts poster on her wall. She imagined the real ones were there watching her. Autumn wondered to herself if they might be so impressed that they would start an Earth-Pony division for amazing feats of jumping. She would be sure to qualify for such a thing. She made a mental note to pitch the idea to that new blue pegasus filly at school. Surely as a pegasus, she would have some sort of connection to the Wonderbolts. Autumn would have liked to run and tell her parents about her accomplishment, but she wasn’t aloud out of her room yet. Her parents were having one of their “Grown-Up Talks”, and they never let their daughter participate. Even when she would promise to be super-duper-quiet-and-just-listen-not-say-anything-at-all, they would tell her to go to her room and wait until one of them came for her. It used to be a rare occurrence, but her parents had been having more and more grown-up talks recently – this was the second one today. Autumn didn’t understand why she couldn’t at least go outside. Even better, why couldn’t her parents go outside and leave Autumn by herself in the apartment. There were all kinds of grown-up ponies outside to have talks with, after-all. Autumn looked out her dirty window to the streets below. She watched the ponies pass by, some pulling carts or carriages, others wearing suits with brief cases. Why is everypony always in such a hurry? she wondered. Don’t they know it’s the weekend? Just when the boredom had started to creep its way back into her rambunctious young mind, the door opened and her father stepped inside the room. Autumn joyfully whirled around and ran to give his legs a big hug. “Daddy! Guess what!” she said exitedly, “I jumped really far just now! Farther than I think anypony has ever jumped...” Autumn looked up and noticed something wasn’t right. Her father was usually bubbly and cheerful, but now his face was wet with tears. He looked sadly at his daughter, as if he knew something terrible was about to happen to her. “What’s wrong daddy?” asked a legitimately concerned Autumn. She could only think of one time in her life when she had seen her father like this. “Did aunt Éclair die again?” He solemnly shook his head and let a few more tears escape down his cheek. He walked over and sat on Autumn’s bed, gesturing for her to come sit beside him. She obliged, and rested her head on his side in an effort to comfort him. “Do you remember when we had that talk about how sometimes ponies do things that are hard to understand?” he asked. Autumn nodded vigorously. “Well I’m afraid that this is one of those times,” he explained, “It’s your mother. She... she...” but he couldn’t finish his sentence and broke down in a fit of tears. “It’s OK, Daddy. Don’t cry.” Autumn wrapped her hooves around her father and nuzzled him as sweetly as she could. “Big brave Autumn Breeze is here to protect you from all the bad things.” Dusty hugged his daughter back and looked out the window, where he was sure his wife had already disappeared forever into the crowd. “I know she is,” he said, “and I’m gonna need her.” * * * Misty Morning understood the confusion and anger she saw boiling behind her daughters eyes. She knew it couldn’t have been any different, though. The most noble causes in life require sacrifice. In the end, working towards the greater good is what’s most important. “Autumn,” she said as gently as possible, “before you say anything, I’d just like you to know that–” Then Autumn did something she had never done to anypony in her entire life. She slapped her own mother, right across the face. “How dare you!” Autumn yelled, “How dare you just walk out on us, on him, as if you hadn’t a care in the world. How dare you treat us like dirt, like ponies not worth your precious time and then come charging back into our lives ten years later to screw everything up!” She took another wild swing but her mother was ready this time, ducking to avoid her hoof. “Autumn, please!” Misty begged, “Allow me to explain myself! I never meant–” “I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Autumn felt tears burning in the corners of her eyes, but she hadn’t the strength to hold them back. “I don’t care that you have your reasons. I don’t care that you’re involved in some crazy cult. I don’t care that you’re back now and you want my forgiveness. I! Hate! You!” “I think I’m gonna step outside,” said Indigo, who had been attempting to shrink quietly into a corner. She moved quickly towards the door, but was stopped by Autumn’s outstretched hoof. “You’re not going anywhere!” she said, “I want you to know. I want the whole world to know what kind of terrible parent my mother is!” “I don’t expect you to forgive me,” Misty said calmly, somehow managing to keep away her own tears, “What I did was unfair to you and to Dusty and I am sorry, but I never thought that you’d forgive me. What I need though, is for you to listen to me. There is something bigger than our own lives at stake here. I’m not asking you to agree with me or even to like me, but I do need you to listen.” Autumn narrowed her eyes and lowered the hoof she used to restrain Indigo. “Oh, I’ll listen,” she said, “I’ll listen because for some reason you’ve found it necessary to kidnap my father – my good parent – and trap him in some freaky magical prison cell. I’ll do whatever you want me to; because unlike some ponies, I care about my family and would never abandon him.” “Very well,” her mother replied, “A hostile compliance is better than none at all.” She walked past Autumn and Indigo and stood facing her former husband. “I’m sure Sister Ambrosia has explained to you the mission of our order. Information is what we seek above all else, so that we may reveal it to the citizens of Equestria; as is their right. Recently, we have uncovered some important facts about the nature of the Great Schism. This has brought us tantalizingly close to unraveling the mystery as a whole; but before we were able to celebrate our imminent success, tragedy struck. A rat in our organization tipped off the Canterlot guard. They were given names, plans and possibly even the location of this very sanctuary. Every member of the order is now in jeopardy, and sending them out into the open could prove to be dangerous. Time is something we cannot afford to squander however, and this new intelligence about the Schism must be acted upon now.” She turned around to face her daughter. “At the lowest level of the Royal Canterlot Library, far below where most ponies ever venture there is a room that is restricted from public access. It is called–” “The Elements of Harmony room,” Autumn interjected, “I know, I’ve read about it. Apparently I’m not quite as worthless as you seem to think.” Misty smiled and nodded. “Clever girl. Then I’m sure you know that it contains all the reliable information pertaining to the Schism, and reportedly the Princess Twilight Sparkle. As I’m sure you can imagine, getting into this room and extracting the information would be of enormous value to our cause. Thanks to the aforementioned breakthroughs, we think we may be close to finding the key to unlocking the room’s secrets. Unfortunately, it would be far too risky to send an agent right into the clutches of the Princess. “That is where you come in. We have long waited for you to be ready to join our cause, and now it would seem the time has arrived. You are young, which means you’ll be able to avoid detection. You also lack any government record, so we know they won’t be looking for you. I am also happy to note that your heart is in the right place: you seem to desire this knowledge as much as we do. All in all, I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect candidate.” “OK, back up,” Autumn said, “Let me get this straight. You want me, a minor, a minor who hates your guts no less, to break into the most secure room in the entire kingdom and steal some ancient information for you at the risk of being caught and banished. Just because you are my mother does not give you the right to send me on some dangerous journey that will ultimately end in failure.” Misty sighed and tilted her head in a knowing way. “Actually, the fact that I am your mother gives me every right to send you on this particular quest.” She paced around behind Autumn, back to where she had been earlier. “Do you remember my sister? She passed away due to illness a while ago, but we used to visit her sometimes for supper.” “Aunt Orange?” asked Autumn, “Yeah, what about her?” “That's an old family name: Orange. We’ve been living in Manehattan for a very long time; hundreds of years, actually.” Autumn’s mother put a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. “The Oranges were close relatives of the long forgotten Apple family, and my sister and I were it’s final descendants. You Autumn, are the youngest living blood relative of Applejack; and when I pass away, you will be the only one.” Autumn tried to keep her angry face on. She wanted to say ‘So? I don’t care about Applejack or your mission.’ She wanted to defy her mother’s wishes, no matter how noble they might be. Somewhere deep inside her though – the same place where she had somehow known she could trust Ambrosia – she felt a compulsion to accept the great task requested of her. She did want to know more about the Schism, and she had always wanted to travel to the great mountaintop capital of Equestria. It was this strange urge that kept her from spitting in her mother’s face and walking out. “It was fate that brought you to this point, my daughter,” Misty insisted, “The success of everything that I and this whole organization have worked for hinges on you fulfilling your destiny.” “Tsch," Autumn rolled her eyes, "I don’t believe in destiny. And may I remind you that you have still failed to tell me what you’ve done to my father.” “Let’s just say, we’re using him as insurance,” her mother explained, “We can’t afford to risk your non-compliance.” This made Autumn genuinely angry. “So you’re holding him hostage?” she growled. “Not at all. He is perfectly safe; actually safer than either of us. He is under a spell called Ignarosia. It keeps him perfectly preserved; suspended in space and time for as long as the spell is in effect. If necessary, he could be kept like this for hundreds of years without aging a day – as long as there’s a unicorn nearby to maintain the magical energy. When the spell is broken he will wake up feeling like only a fraction of a second has passed since we put him under.” “So I assume you’re not going to let him go until I get you what you want?” Autumn morosely deduced. “I assure you I have no intention of hurting him,” Misty said. “You’ve already hurt him,” Autumn said darkly. She pushed past her mother towards the closed wooden door. When she reached it, she turned around and made the most important decision of her life. “I’m going to accept your request. I’ll get into the Element’s of Harmony room and bring you the information you want.” “My dear,” said her mother as a broad smile stretched across her face, “I’m so happy that–” “But let me get one thing straight. I’m not doing this because of destiny and I’m certainly not doing it for you. I’m doing this for me, and for my dad.” Her mother sighed and said, “You are entitled to your own opinions, although time may change your judgment of destiny.” “Yeah, whatever. Let’s go Indy” “Before you leave, there is one more thing you need to know.” Misty urged. She removed the tassel from her neck and placed it around her daughter’s. Autumn noticed one small tear in the corner of her eye as she was doing this. “Inside the locket at the end of this tassel is an old family heirloom. According to our recent discoveries, you may need it to complete your quest. There are others like it, but we are unsure of their whereabouts. You will need to find them too, before proceeding on to Canterlot.” “Whoa, you didn’t say this was going to be a two part adventure!” Autumn protested, “How many of these things do we need?” “I do not believe there are more than three, but I’ve been wrong before,” her mother confessed, “We shall assist you in preparation for your journey, but our guidance will be minimal once you depart. We’ve taken an enormous risk brining you here as it is.” Once again, she put a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. “I have faith in you, Autumn. I am sure you are destined for greatness, whether or not you have come to realize it yet.” Autumn pushed her mother’s hoof away and turned to leave. “Like you said: you’ve been wrong before.” * * * “But... but Misty, I don’t understand. Why is this happening so suddenly?” “Dusty, you knew there was a risk. I told you when you asked me to marry you that I was involved with some very shadowy ponies. I have no choice.” Misty continued to pack her bag, refusing to look into her husbands teary eyes. “Is this because of me?” he asked, “Did I do something wrong? I can change, I swear.” “Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” She closed and locked her travel case, throwing it over her back and walking towards the door where Dusty stood uneasily. “I love you and I always will, but there are things more important than you and I.” She kissed him on the cheek, and continued hastily towards the exit. “What about Autumn?” Dusty asked. Misty stopped in her tracks. “What about your daughter? How do you expect her to deal with this? She’s not going to understand why you’ve decided to abandon her; I barely understand it.” Misty looked towards the door to her daughter’s room, where she knew the young filly was waiting to be let back out. She didn’t say anything, but the thought of leaving her own child without so much as a “good-bye” clearly troubled her. “She’s never going to trust you again,” said Dusty, whose face was now wet with tears, “No matter how sympathetic or apologetic you are; if you leave now, you will forever lose the respect and may even lose the love of your own daughter. The least you could do is go in there and tell her exactly what’s going on and why you may never see her again.” Misty stood for a few moments in painful contemplation before replying. “I can’t do that, Dusty,” she said, “I can’t do that, because if I go in there and see her face one more time I would never be able to leave. Destiny has called me away, but I’m certain it will bring Autumn back to me one day. Goodbye, Dusty; and good luck.” Misty headed out the door, down the stairs, and out onto the street outside. As 8C disappeared in the jungle of ponies and buildings behind her, she restrained her emotions as best she could. The motherly part of her mind screamed at her to turn around, but she knew it couldn’t be so. Sometimes you have to make hard choices, and in the end the greater good is what matters most. Misty had an important task ahead of her, and she couldn’t afford to let petty emotions cloud her decisions. She had to keep telling herself that this wasn’t something she would regret. Ten years later, after seeing her daughter again for the first time, Misty Morning sat alone in a dark room and cried. * * * Indigo quietly watched as Autumn rooted through the supply chest, haphazardly throwing various objects to the side. It had been over an hour, but she was clearly still very angry. For as long as she had known Autumn, Indigo had never seen her friend as upset as she was now. Not that her emotions weren’t understandable. A psychological blow like that would have made anypony flip out. Indigo was worried though, because Autumn had always been able to keep her temper in check in the past, which is what allowed her to be so clever and capable. She was afraid that being so upset might cause her to make bad decisions; for instance, agreeing to commit treason. As much as Indigo would have liked to argue this point out loud, she was also afraid of what Autumn might do to her. She figured it was best to let her friend cool down before trying to change her mind. Autumn on the other hoof, could only think about one thing: how much she hated her mother right now. The Order of Everlasting Truth as a whole she could understand and had even come to appreciate, but Misty Morning was a different story. The day she left, Autumn’s mother sucked all the happiness out of life at 8C. What’s worse is that she seemed to have done it for no reason, and with no warning. Now here she was, about to embark on a dangerous journey all thanks to the mare she had grown to despise. Her sweet words and noble causes didn’t fool Autumn, Misty Morning was a demon who breaks hearts and holds loved ones hostage. She pulled out a silver saddle bag and threw it in the “keep” pile. Along with it there were a couple of canteens, a box of fire starters, a cooking set with silverware, a second bed roll, a hiking tent, a traveling cloak, a telescope, an assortment of trail food, and a sheathed dagger. The dagger Autumn had picked out mostly because she was still thinking about what she wanted to do to her mother, but it had its practical uses as well. “This stuff isn’t very helpful,” said Autumn grumpily. Ambrosia, who had just returned to the supply room, shrugged and said, “Material possessions are unimportant to us. We seek knowledge, not things. This is all I have to offer you, so I’m afraid it will have to do.” Her face lit up when she saw the small pile Autumn had made. “I see you’ve chosen the Chalybus Pouch; a wise decision.” “Why? It just looks like a regular saddlebag to me,” said Autumn. Ambrosia chuckled. “That bag is far from regular. It is made of refined Chalybus, one of the strongest substances known to ponykind. It is nearly invincible, incredibly light, and has certain magic-resistant qualities. It should be very useful to you on the long journey ahead. Ah, that reminds me...” She pulled a folded parchment out from beneath her robe and laid it flat on the floor so the others could see it. “Another map?” Indigo asked, looking quizzically at the tattered paper. Ambrosia nodded. “I understand you will be searching for several ancient items in addition to your primary quest.” “Yeah...” Autumn grumbled. She pulled the tassel from her neck and threw it to the pile with the other things. “Well in my opinion, the best place to start your search would be where the one you already have came from. This map is from my personal collection. It is over five-hundred years old, so please be gentle with it.” She pointed to a small black dot nestled between Canterlot Mountain and the Everfree forest. “This is where Applejack called home, and where you should begin your quest for the items you seek.” Indigo squinted to read the faded label. “Ponyville? Why have I never heard of that place before?” “For whatever reason, the town spiraled into obscurity after Applejack was taken away. There may still be a small settlement there, but nothing significant enough to make it onto any modern maps.” Ambrosia folded the map back up and placed it carefully next to the Chalybus bag. She then began packing everything Autumn had chosen neatly inside. “I see that you are upset,” she said, “and although I may not know exactly why that is, I implore that you put emotions aside in order see the larger meaning behind all this. You have been chosen by fate to liberate Equestria from the bonds of intellectual oppression. That is an honor greater than most other ponies – including myself – could ever hope to achieve.” “You all speak so often of ‘fate’ and ‘destiny.’ Isn’t that kind of irrational?” Autumn asked, “I mean, I would have thought that a society of truth and knowledge would stick to cold hard facts.” “I think you will find that there is much in our world that does not conform to what is ‘rational’.” Ambrosia finished packing Autumn’s bag and lifted it onto the young pony’s back for her. “You are strong, Autumn Breeze; and the blood of strong-willed ponies run deep in your veins. Whether or not you believe in destiny, I am certain you have what it takes to put an end to our suffering.” Sister Ambrosia looked into Autumn’s eyes with a maternal warmth that the young mare had lived without for so long. Autumn had the sudden urge to embrace her, but was prevented from doing so by the appearance Brother Ramsdell. “Excuse me Sister, but Elder Fallawater is displeased with the amount of time the outsiders have spent within the sanctuary, particularly that one.” He nodded at Indigo. She scoffed and crossed her hooves, although she was admittedly feeling a bit out of place. “You could fill many books with things Elder Fallawater is displeased with,” Ambrosia said, “but I’m afraid he’s right. As far as we know, our location may be compromised; so you’ll be safer once you’ve left.” “I’ve also been instructed by the Grandmaster to return these you you.” Ramsdell pulled out a small pouch full of bits and a short stack of papers from beneath his robe and dropped them in front of Autumn. Autumn lowered her head to get a better look at the items she had just been presented with. “My essay?” she said, “You... read my essay?” “Of course,” Ramsdell confirmed, “Almost all of us have. It is what let us know that you were mentally qualified to handle the burden of this quest. I must say, it really is an inspirational piece; you should be proud of yourself. When Brother Harshwhinny told us of your fixation with the truth behind the Schism, we knew that you were ready.” “Did... did you say Brother Harshwhinny? He’s one of you!?” “Our Manehattan contact, yes. A rather stuffy fellow; refused to change his name when he joined. Very proud, but principled, and that’s what counts around here.” “Well... I don’t want it,” Autumn said, “I’m not sure I could fit it in my bag anyway.” This was truthful, as her silver saddlebag was already overfull with supplies. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take it,” Ambrosia said, “I can probably think of a good use for it.” “The money is actually for the blue one,” Ramsdell explained, “In return for the faux payment I took from her back in Manehattan.” Indigo looked surprised to suddenly be involved in the conversation. “Payment? What kind of–? Oh!” She slapped a hoof to her head. “I knew you looked familiar! You were the guard outside the shop who I made the report to. Horseapples, you guys are good...” “Come,” said Ramsdell, “it is time for you to depart.” The four ponies walked back through the entrance hall; past the hooded ponies who pointed and whispered; past the fires which burned bright enough to light the massive sanctuary; past Brother Melrose who kept watch at the huge wooden entrance doors; up and up the hundreds of stairs; until finally they found themselves standing in the gentle afternoon sun. A soft breeze drifted through the glen, and the clear blue sky was like something out of a landscape painting. It was the perfect day for a picnic or a walk in the park; not so much for embarking on a life-changing journey. Autumn looked west, towards the distant Foal Mountains that stood between her and her ultimate destination. Along the way there were forests, gorges, rivers, and dangerous beasts that most ponies had only ever heard of. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” said Autumn “I must be insane.” Ambrosia smiled reassuringly and said, “Remember you are not alone, young Autumn. You have myself and the entire Order behind you, not to mention the support of your devoted friend. We believe in you, and you should believe in yourself.” Autumn tried to give Ambrosia the thank you that she deserved. She had done so much for Autumn, and had been nicer and more patient with her than any other pony she had met that day. “Ambrosia, I... you’ve been so...” but the words wouldn’t come out. Sister Ambrosia held up a hoof and shook her head. “There is no need,” she said, “I have only done what was necessary. Soon we will all be in your debt.” “Ahem.” Ramsdell tilted his head towards the sun, which was getting low in the sky. “Time is of the essence, Sister.” “Off you go then,” Ambrosia said, “you don’t want to get caught in the dark without having set up camp.” Autumn and Indigo walked westward, towards the setting sun and the shadowy tree line. They were silent, both in deep contemplation of the challenges they would soon come to face. The weight of their task finally began to sink in on their conscience. Autumn turned around to see if Ambrosia and Ramsdell were still watching them, but the hooded ponies had vanished. The ancient ruins looked as though nopony had stood among them in centuries. She supposed that was how it was intended to be. The duo trudged into the trees and out of sight of the glen, searching for a hidden flat space to set up for the approaching nighttime. Indigo was the first to say something, roughly summing up her feelings about the days events. “Well that was weird,” she said, “Are you sure you can trust those ponies, Autumn?” Autumn had been wondering the same thing herself. “No... but what choice do I have? They have my father. Besides, Ambrosia seems alright,” she said, as she carefully stepped over a fallen tree. Indigo simply hovered above the ground, avoiding the rough terrain. “Yeah, but they are a secret society, which means they’re good at hiding things. Personally, there are still a few questions I’d like to know the answer to,” she said, “Like how have they kept this huge operation secret for so long? And since when does Celestia imprison ponies for life and burn down sanctuaries?” “And what does ‘Lærmuu Nefdiså oumn’ mean?” Autumn added. “What now?” “It was written at the bottom of the note left in my room. I didn’t think to ask anypony in at the sanctuary, but it seems odd to me. I’m almost certain that it’s Ancient Equestrian.” “What’s so strange about that?” Indigo asked, “It’s an ancient order, isn’t it?” “Yes, but not that ancient.” Autumn explained, “That language has been dead since before Celestia arrived. I’m pretty sure ‘Lærmuu’ means ‘chosen’, but that’s as much as I can decipher.” “Huh,” said Indigo, “Well, maybe we’ll figure out along the way.” Autumn stopped and lowered her head. Indigo noticed her friends sudden change in disposition and landed next to her to see what was wrong. “What’s up?” she asked. “Look, Indigo,” Autumn began, “This is all happening really fast and this journey I’m about to go on is probably going to be very dangerous and could very well end in failure. I just want you to know that you have no obligation to take that risk, and you can go home right now if you want to. The last thing I want to do is endanger a friend.” Indigo chuckled and punched Autumn on the shoulder in the way she was so accustomed to. “What kinda friend would that make me?” she said with a toothy smile, “I said I’d help you through this mess; and so far as I can tell, you're not through it yet.” It was moments like this that reminded Autumn why Indy was her best friend. Through thin and thick, she’d always be there to support her. “I couldn’t ask for a better friend than you,” she said. “You’re darn right, you couldn’t.” Indigo stood straight like a regal pony might, and gave a deep bow. “Indigo Cavallino is a pony of her word, and she will help you rescue your father no matter how many rooms we have to sneak into or mysterious ancient items we have to track down.” “Oh right,” Autumn realized, “I forgot about finding those things.” “What are they again?” Indy asked, straitening herself up, “little golden orbs?” “I think it’s what’s inside the orb that we’re supposed to be looking for.” Autumn pulled off her saddle bag and set it on the ground. She began rooting around inside for the tassel her mother had given her. “I was so upset when she gave it to me that I guess I forgot to see what it actually was.” she said. Finally, she pulled the small golden locket out of the bag and held it up to get a closer look. It had a latch and a hinge, indicating it could be opened. Her mother had said it was a family heirloom. Autumn wondered what kind of family heirloom could help her get into the Elements of Harmony room. “Well, lets find out.” She undid the latch and let the locket fall open, dropping it’s contents onto her hoof. The two ponies stared in silence at the item, perplexed by its alleged importance. It was a small orange gem in the shape of an apple. * * * Far to the southwest, beyond the Foal Mountain Range and at a considerably higher altitude, Princess Celestia prepared to lower the sun for the night. She adjusted her crown and ran one last check of the daily to-do list, making sure everything was in order. She took a deep breath, and just as her horn was beginning to glow with the alicorn’s powerful aura of magic– POP! A scroll materialized in front of her and fell to the ground. Celestia sighed and put her evening duty on hold. She levitated the scroll to where she could read it and undid the string that kept it rolled tight. The Order has changed tactics. The Grandmaster has sent her daughter, Autumn Breeze, and one of her companions to retrieve the Elements and infiltrate the archives. They are in possession of one of the six already; the one the Grandmaster has been hiding. They are headed in the direction of Everfree Forest, most likely via the southern route around the Foal Mountains. They should be easily apprehended upon your command, but the daughter is clever so precautions will have to be taken. I await your orders with eagerness my liege, as always ready to serve. –S When she had finished reading, Celestia incinerated the scroll in a burst of magical flame. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, using her magic adjust her crown once again. “Leave it up to the Apple family to be too stubborn for their own good,” she said to herself. Celestia walked over to her palace window. Canterlot was perched on the western face of the mountain, so she could not see east to where Autumn and Indigo were at that moment setting up camp for the night; but she could see south to the Everfree Forest, where she knew they were going. “Misty, someday you are going to have to learn that there are some secrets which cannot be revealed by anyone.” Celestia looked towards a distant clearing at the edge of the forest, the same clearing where the town of Ponyville once stood. “Not even myself.”