//------------------------------//
// Ch1: Spirits of Harmony - Part 1 
// Story: My Little Pony : Spirits of Harmony 
// by PairADice 
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“Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria, a regal pony spread harmony and friendship throughout the land. But as time went on, the rulers from surrounding kingdoms grew jealous of the happiness and prosperity in Equestria. For years they watched ponies flock to her beautiful lands, and their anger and jealousy transformed them into wicked beasts of darkness, and their kingdoms were brought to ruin. One fateful day, the four dark rulers united in hopes of conquering Equestria and shrouding the land in eternal darkness. Fearing for the well-being of her subjects, the regal pony used the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using their power, she vanquished the wicked ponies and banished them within the kingdoms from whence they came. With harmony restored to Equestria, the kingdom continued to thrive and the magic of friendship has reigned throughout the land ever since.”


Breathing a sigh of nostalgia, Celestial Sky turned away from the gigantic tapestry that hung on the wall, and she looked up at her mentor. “That was one of my favorite stories when I was a filly. Hanging up this tapestry took a lot of work, but it was worth it!”
“Yes, I find it quite interesting myself,” Princess Twilight Sparkle said while staring up at the woven image that depicted the fillies story, "Dawn of Harmony." Looking away from the tapestry, she scanned the room and smiled. “You did a fantastic job setting up this museum. It certainly brings back many memories for me, and for that I thank you.”
“It was my pleasure, princess,” Sky said.
Walking out of the tapestry hall, Princess Twilight said, “I trust you are ready for your next assignment?”
“Oh!” She trotted after the princess and made a quill and a roll of parchment snap out of thin air with a spark from her horn. “A new assignment? Yes!” She positioned her quill and looked up from the parchment with an eager smile. “Ready!”
“As you know, this museum is opening tonight. Although you were originally supposed to return to Canterlot after setting things up, I would like you to stay here and host the grand opening.”
Sky stopped writing abruptly and looked up from the parchment again, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the mere thought of accepting such a task. “But, Your Highness, I’ve never even hosted a birthday party, let alone a museum opening.”
Princess Twilight laughed, “I am aware of that, but after all the hard work you have put into this place, I think no pony deserves the honor of hosting the grand opening more than you.”
Sky blushed and smiled upon hearing Princess Twilight praise her efforts. Not a smile of arrogance, but a smile of happiness because she pleased her mentor, and there wasn’t anything in Sky’s world that could make her happier.
“By the way,” she continued, “I trust you are making some friends.”
“Excuse me?” she said as she put away her writing materials.
“Make some friends…” she said, the way a mother gently reminds a child of a forgotten chore or a misplaced toy. Sky, however, felt as if she had received a rock from her special somepony on Hearts and Hooves Day. 
“That was an assignment?” she mumbled. 
“Well, I wouldn’t call it an assignment.” Princess Twilight shrugged. “But yes, if that is what you would like to call it.”
Sky stood before her mentor and bit her lips as she tried coming up with a reasonable excuse that would justify her negligence while simultaneously preserving her reputation. When nothing came to mind, she lowered her head and sighed. 
“I’m sorry, princess,” she confessed, “I’ve been really busy with the museum, and when I'm finished with work I’m too exhausted to go out and meet ponies. But I promise, after tonight I will make some friends!”
“I trust that you will. But just to be sure that you don’t put this off any longer, I would like you to write a report about your new friend. I will be expecting you to present it to me tonight after the grand opening, understood?”
“But, what about the museum?" Sky objected. "I still have a lot to do! I don't think I'll have enough time to write a-"
"Tonight, Sky," she insisted.
Bowing immediately, she said, "Yes, Your Highness."
“Good. Before I leave, let me introduce you to your new assistant, Angel Eye. She will be assisting you with museum security tonight, and I’m sure she’s more than willing to offer you a helping hoof in the meantime.” She looked toward the doorway leading into the next room.
As if she had been waiting for her cue, a pegasus with a lavender coat and a long flowing yellow mane emerged from around the corner. She gave her princess a slow bow before smiling timidly at Sky. Unsure of how to react to such a withdrawn smile, Sky simply smiled back and tried her best to avoid looking uncomfortable.
Princess Twilight walked toward the museum entrance, breaking the silence. “Now, I have some last minute things to attend to before the grand opening tonight, and when I return I trust that everything will be in order.”
“Oh, yes, princess. Of course!” Sky said, grateful for an excuse to break eye contact with the strange pegasus. She followed the princess to her royal chariot while listing off minor tasks that she would be completing during the afternoon, hoping to assure her mentor that she had everything under control.
“Now, Sky,” Princess Twilight interrupted her ramblings. “You will complete the task I gave you, yes?” she asked as she climbed onto her golden chariot.
Sky stared up at her with a blank expression, but when she recalled the bizarre assignment that she was given three weeks ago, she mumbled, “Y-yes: make some friends...oh, and have a report ready after the grand opening.”
“Very good. I will return when the sun sets at seven o’clock.”
“Yes, princess,” she said and bowed.
Her guards stomped their hoofs, signaling that they were ready for flight. With a few trots, the pegasi lifted the princess’s chariot off the ground and flew toward Canterlot. As Princess Twilight flew over the small town, she sat up straight with her chin raised like the Equestrian ruler she was, her glittering mane flowing elegantly through the wind.
Once the princess was out of sight, Sky bolted back into the museum thinking of all the things that she had to do before the fast approaching evening. There was still polishing, mopping, and aligning that had to be done. She entered the nearest hall, featuring Ponyvillian art, and worked furiously on every little detail she could find, inwardly praising herself for the proactivity that she demonstrated throughout the week. Were it not for her initiative, she was convinced that there would have been no hope for the grand opening.
Before turning her attention to the complementary food table, which only needed to be assembled because the caterer had delivered the food that morning, she trotted through the museum one last time to make sure there wasn’t a single mislabeled artifact or lopsided display. When she entered the jewelry hall, she was so glad that double-checking was a habit because she found a pedestal that wasn’t exactly ninety degrees adjacent to both the wall and the pedestals beside it.
With her eyes locked on the implied square occupying the floor, she carefully reached out her hooves and proceeded to adjust it with extreme precision. Just as she was about to get it into a perfect position, an unfamiliar voice broke the silence.
“Um…excuse me?”
Yanked out of intense focus, Sky shrieked and bumped the pedestal, sending the glass showcase falling to the floor. An explosion of pure terror ignited within her. Before she could even attempt to save the museum from an unsalvageable catastrophe that would shatter the very foundations of Equestria, the lavender pony pushed her aside, slid into a low squat with an outstretched wing, and caught the glass case just before it smashed into pieces.
Though Sky laid on the floor feeling relieved, shocked, amazed, and grateful all at the same time, she only managed to shout, “Don’t scare me like that!”
The lavender pony stood up with the artifact and slide it back on the pedestal with her wing. While she aligned the artifact with the pedestal, she said, “Sorry.”
This pony, who had just demonstrated remarkable speed and reaction time, had the gentlest voice Sky had ever heard. Judging from the way this pony spoke and the smile she gave her when they were first introduced, Sky deduced that she was a shy pony, or perhaps an introverted one, and seeing these seemingly opposing qualities was uncanny to say the least. She got up from the floor and composed herself. “No, I'm sorry. Thank you so much! I guess the princess was right to bring you here.”
“Don’t mention it.” She turned away from the artifact, which was now perfectly aligned – pedestal and all. “But I can help you, Celestial Sky. That's why I was sent here.”
Sky critiqued the pony’s work a final time, and when she was pleased with what she saw, she turned to her and said, “I see…” Although her work was passable, she still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced that this pony was capable of being her assistant. “Well…the food table is next. I guess you can get started with that…um…”
She gave her that withdrawn smile again and answered, “Angel Eye.”
“Angel Eye,” she repeated. “Yeah…just get the food set up in the lobby, and try to make it as neat as possible. I mean, like Grand Galloping Gala buffet table neat!”
Without saying a word, Angel Eye walked past Sky and returned to the lobby, leaving Sky alone to finish her inspection. 
For the next hour, Sky double checked the rest of the museum for any misplaced information panels and spot-cleaned the rooms she feared she may have overlooked. As she made her way toward the lobby, she readied herself for the results of Angel Eye’s food preparation. When she stepped in the lobby, her eyes widened with astonishment. Not only was the food table set up, the red carpet was laid out and all the lobby decorations were set up exactly the way she had envisioned. Sky ran to the window and looked at the sun, which was still well above the horizon.
“How did I do?” Angel Eye sat on the floor and crossed her front legs.
“This is great!” she exclaimed. “How did you know what to do?”
“I arranged the food the best I could, like you told me. As for the decorations, well, I found the instructions that came with them.”
With an impressed chuckle, Sky smiled proudly.  “Then I guess it’s a good thing that I drew out my decorations plans the night before; who knows how things might have turned out otherwise!”  she said as she trotted to the food table.
“Um…thanks?”
When Sky finished evaluating the the food table, she stood upright, spun around, and faced Angel Eye. “And now, my final assignment,” she declared, and then she trotted to one of the lobby benches cushioned with red velvet. “Come, sit.” She patted her hoof on the seat next to her.
“Ok…” She plodded toward the couch in hesitation.
Sky conjured her parchment and quill for her essay, confident this would be her easiest assignment ever! After all, how does one fail an assignment that might as well be the equivalent of a What-I-did-This-Summer elementary school paper? She cleared her throat and said, “So tell me about yourself, Angel Eye. What is your favorite color? What are your hobbies? Do you, a pegasus living here in Ponyville, prefer to trot or fly? Tell me about your family, friends, and acquaintances. Are they all-”
“Excuse me, Ms. Celestial Sky?” she barely raised her hoof over her head like an intimidated student.
“Yes?” She beamed with an eager twinkle in her eye.
Angel snapped her hoof back to her side, startled by Sky's eagerness. “Oh, it's just…what are you doing?”
“Becoming your friend,” she answered as she wrote, ‘Angel Eye is inquisitive, an admirable trait in any pony.’ She looked up from her parchment. “What do you think I’m doing? Now, let’s stay focused here, Angel Eye, I have to get this done before the princess arrives.”
“Begging your pardon, but don’t you have any friends?”
“Friends?” she repeated, barely listening to her. “Of course I do. What pony doesn’t?”
“But are you their friend?”
Sky looked up again and narrowed her eyes, and her quill flopped in her invisible grasp. “I don’t understand,” she replied.
Angel Eye got up from the bench. “You want to get a bite to eat?”
“Not really,” she replied rather bluntly, “I’d like to finish this first.”
“Well, I’m getting hungry, and I know another pony who can probably help you with your assignment a lot better than I can…if that’s ok with you.”
Sky let out an exasperated sigh and put away her quill and parchment. “Very well then.” She stood from the bench and proceeded to lock up the museum. “I suppose it’s better that we eat something now than run the risk of picking food off the tables later.”
Once the museum was locked up, Sky created a makeshift ‘Out to Lunch’ sign and hung it on the door. Though she didn’t like the idea of leaving the museum unattended in the middle of the day, fearing that something might go wrong or that Princess Twilight might return unexpectedly, she knew she had to finish her assignment, and obviously this socially inept pony wasn’t going to get her anywhere. So she followed Angel Eye and tried her best to conceal her impatience.
“So who's this friend of yours?” Sky asked, hoping this new pony wouldn’t turn out to be just like Angel Eye. After all, Sky knew that friends typically bond through a common personality or mutual interests.
“I’ve known her since I was a filly. She's nice.”
Hearing the way Angel Eye spoke, Sky began to notice that there was a genuine kindness and an alluring gentleness within Angel Eye; however, it didn’t change the fact that Sky could only grin awkwardly as she tried thinking of ways to maintain a flowing conversation. When nothing came to mind, she chose to walk in silence until she met this other pony who might actually do her some good.
Angel Eye led Sky to a simple white framed house on the outskirts of Ponyville. There were rows of cherry trees, strawberry bushes, and a variety of berry bushes next to the house. They walked onto the porch, complete with a porch swing and a rocking chair, and Angel Eye tapped on a screen door. Within seconds they were greeted by a pink pony with blue eyes and a white mane. Sky couldn't stop staring at the curls in this pony’s mane, which almost looked like picture perfect whipped cream.
“Hey, Angel! What brings you here?”
“This is my new co-worker – she’s new to Ponyville. And maybe we could get some cake…if you’re not busy right now.” 
‘Sheesh, she's even timid around her friends,’ Sky thought.
“Well, come on in!” the pony said. When Sky approached the doorway, the pink pony shook her hoof and said, “Hello there! My name is Strawberry Shortcake, and what’s your name?”
Having become accustomed to Angel Eye’s soft voice and withdrawn approach, Sky was confounded by this pony’s forceful, energetic greeting. “I-I’m Celestial Sky. Uh...your friend said that you might be able to help me with an assignment.”
“Did she now?” Strawberry Shortcake looked back at Angel Eye and grinned. “What kind of assignment is it?” she said as she closed the door behind her.
“I need to make a friend,” Sky declared boldly while she conjured up her quill and parchment again. “So tell me about yourself, Strawberry Shortcake. What is your favorite color? What are your hobbies? Do you, a pegasus living here in Ponyville prefer to-”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” she interrupted. “Slow down, now! Take a saddle off and come on over here and have a piece of cake.”
Sky stared at the two ponies in bewilderment as they started cutting up a fresh blueberry cake that had been cooling on the kitchen counter; it was as if they were completely oblivious of her extremely important assignment. With a low grumble, she put away her quill and parchment for the second time today without any progress, and she reluctantly sat with them.
“How big would you like your piece to be?” Strawberry Shortcake asked, holding a knife over the cake.
“I don't know. Surprise me,” Sky grumbled, feeling certain that she would never finish her assignment on time.
“So, Celestial Sky, where are you from? What brings you out here to Ponyville?”
Like a Canterlot messenger declaring a royal degree, Sky sat up straight and raised her head so that her chin was parallel to the floor. “Princess Twilight personally sent me from Canterlot with the task of assembling the Ponyville Museum.”
“Ah, you mean the one in that big old tree palace thing?”
“Yes, and-”
“I was wondering if that place would ever be used for anything. It’s been off limits for Twilight knows how long! 
“Me too,” Angel Eye said. 
“Yep, I've heard it's been empty for decades,” she said to Angel Eye. She turned to Sky. “But we’re not the ones who should be talking about that. We are pegasi who moved here, you know.” She reached across the table and bumped hooves with Angel Eye. After their odd gesture of friendship, she continued, “But what I do know is that the folks around here sure are excited about this. Ever since the day those royal carriages showed up and started moving stuff in there, everypony has been talking about it! If I may, I'd like to thank you for coming here and doing all this. I’m sure they have plenty of fancy historical museums up there in Canterlot. Hay, even Cloudsdale has stuff like that. So you can imagine how much it means to the ponies around here to have a place that represents their history.”
“Uh huh, don't mention it…” Sky said before taking a bite of cake. Her patience was wearing thin, but she did her best to control herself. She swallowed and said, “I don’t mean to be rude Strawberry Shortcake, but-”
“Call me Berry,” she inserted. “I’ve learned that Strawberry Shortcake is a bit much to say.”
“Ok then…Berry, I have an assignment to complete before the princess returns for the museum’s opening tonight so let’s try this again.” She brought out her writing materials again. “What is your favorite color? What are your-”
“Oh, this again?” Berry interrupted. “Miss Sky, you can’t go around like you’re setting everypony up for an interview. I ain’t applying to be your friend, you know,” she teased.
Sky sighed. “Well, would you mind humoring me just this once?" she snapped, and her tone gradually became harsher as she continued to speak. "I have to finish this report by sundown, so I don’t have time to build a friendship by initiating multiple encounters in hopes of progressing from courteous small talk to intimate conversation. I don’t know if you Ponyville types understand this, but when the Princess of Equestria requires something from you, you do it. And if circumstances or social customs need to be adjusted, so be it. So unless you have a more efficient way of making friends in a matter of hours, which I highly doubt, I’ll happily take your advice.
She waited for a reply she knew that she wouldn’t get.
“No?" She held eye contact with both of them for a brief moment. "Alright then. Now please, just answer my questions and this will be nice and quick for all of us.”
Sky closed her eyes and forcefully placed the tip of her quill on the parchment. When she opened her eyes, Angel Eye quickly looked away from her, and though Sky didn’t want to admit it, the awkward silence made her realize that she had been harsh - too harsh. Before she could apologize, Strawberry Shortcake stood up and glared intensely at her.
“You listen here, Celestial Sky! I don’t know who you are or who you think are - you can be the princess’s right hand pony for all I care, but you will not talk to me or my friends that way.”
“Um…berry.” Angel Eye started to say, but Strawberry Shortcake cut her off.
“And truth be told: I think the princess would be ashamed of the the way you’re handling this assignment. It goes against everything she has ever taught about friendship!”
“Berry, please…”
Sky was so taken aback by Strawberry Shortcake's response that her magic ceased to flow from her horn, causing her writing materials fall to the floor. Was this pony right? Had she inadvertently overstepped a line of decency in her attempts to complete an assignment? Surely the princess would understand that that wasn't her intention. Unsure of what this conversation could potentially amount to, she stood up, put away her quill and parchment, and ran out the door.
“Sky?” Angel Eye pleaded.
“Miss Sky!” Strawberry Shortcake called out to her, but she was already out of earshot.
She ran from the farm and back into Ponyville, so flustered that she tripped on a vine growing out of a crack in the road. Without a coherent thought in her head, she paid no mind to the onlooking ponies and continued to run toward the museum. When she was about two hundred yards away from the museum, she heard another set of hoofsteps rapidly approaching her from behind. Just as she was about to look back, an orange earth pony entered into her view, her multicolored mane and tail of red, green, black, yellow, and blue whipping in the wind.
“You like running too?” the pony asked as she matched her pace with Sky. “Let’s race to that big tree!”
Anypony could see that this earth pony wasn’t running as fast as she could, and though it was bizarre, Sky continued running even though she was getting tired at this point. There was something about the way this pony’s face lit up while she ran that made Sky forget her misstep with Strawberry Shortcake. As odd as it was for her, all she wanted to do in this moment was run with this stranger.
They drew closer and closer to the tree, and since this pony had been adjusting her speed, Sky assumed she would allow her win or at least come close to winning. But when they were within fifty yards of the door, she lowered her head like a trained athlete and sprinted to the museum entrance at a remarkable speed.
The pony skidded to a stop and flicked her bangs off her face. “Ha! Looks like I win! That was fun!”
While Sky struggled to catch her breath, she noticed that this pony remained unfazed thought she had been running much longer and faster than her. It was then that Sky noticed the satchel that she was wearing, which was filled with letters and small parcels - a mail pony.
“Yeah, that was kinda fun. Thanks.” Sky agreed. Though she didn’t want to admit it, she knew that this pony had provided the release she needed. “I’m Celestial Sky, by the way. Sorry if I kept you from your job.”
“The name’s Wind Sprint, and I’m the fastest runner in Ponyville so don’t even worry about it! Besides, I challenged you, remember? I never turn down a race, even when I’m on the job. I can run from Ponyville to Bitberg in five minutes flat! So what's a slight detour to this earth pony!” she said and then posed like a star athlete. 
“For some reason, I believe you.” Sky chuckled.
“And so you should!” She flicked her bangs again. “So why were you running? It looked like something was bothering you.”
Wind Sprint’s question suddenly reminded her of how rude she had been to Angel Eye and Strawberry Shortcake. Feeling that there was no need to bore Wind Sprint with that story, she shrugged and said, “No reason, it was just something I felt that I needed to do. Get the blood flowing...and stuff...you know...”
Wind Sprint grinned. “I like you, Celestial Sky. I’m sure we could be good friends. We should race again sometime.”
“I don’t see the point. I’ve never seen a pony run as fast as you!”
“Hey, a race is a race, and I’m looking forward to our next one already. I would love to do one right now, but I’ve gotta get this mail delivered before sundown if I want to be back on time for the museum’s grand opening.”
“You’re coming to the grand opening?” Sky said. Realizing that Wind Sprint had no idea why Sky would care, she added, “I’m the curator! Of the museum, I mean.”
“Really? That’s cool! So I guess I’ll see you tonight!”
“Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again for the race!”
“No problem! Welcome to Ponyville, Celestial Sky!” she said before running off into the distance.
As the sound of Wind Sprint’s hoofs faded, Sky heard yet another set of hoofs approaching from behind her. Feeling as if everypony was going to approach her this way for the rest of the day, she spun around and saw Angel Eye, and though she was a familiar pony she wasn’t exactly thrilled to see her.
“Ms. Sky!” she called out.
She gulped. “Hi, Angel Eye.”
“Please don’t be angry. She really is a nice pony, honest! She’s just a little blunt when she feels she needs to be. She wanted to apologize, but you ran out of there so quickly she didn’t have the chance. And she told me to tell you that she’ll finish up her work at the farm as fast as she can and then come over to the museum so she can make it up to you. So are you still mad? Please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad, Angel Eye. She was right; I needed to hear that. The princess wouldn’t approve of my behavior. I just hope Strawberry Shortcake isn't still mad at me.”
“She isn't. Really,” she said.
“I hope so.” Sky sighed. “Anyway, let’s get back in the museum and finish things up before we do anything else. Don’t worry, I’m sure things will be fine when Strawberry Shortcake shows up tonight.”
“Good,” she said, sounding relieved. “But remember Ms. Sky, she prefers to be called Berry.”
Sky smiled as they walked into the museum together. “Right, and you can call me Sky," she said, feeling much better than she did a moment ago.


Roughly three hours later, Sky stepped out of the museum and looked at the clock tower that towered over the buildings of Ponyville. Just as Angel Eye said, Strawberry Shortcake showed up about an hour before the opening and lent her hoof for any last minute help. At first Sky thought things would be very uncomfortable, but they made amends with ease. Unfortunately, despite everything that happened, she still couldn't find time to write an essay about a friend. She came to terms with her situation and assured herself it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But this was the first time she was unable to fulfill a command from the princess, so she didn’t know what to expect. She could only hope that the princess would understand.
But that matter was the last thing on her mind as she watched the sun sink into the horizon. Though the evening was beautiful, she couldn’t shake off the panic swelling inside her. She started pacing with a small piece of parchment and read: 

Artifacts organized and presentable – check.
Decorations for the museum – check. 
Food for the guests – check.
Red carpet laid out for the princess – check.
Checklist of Honored Guests – check 

Everything was in place, and the clock tower read five minutes to seven…so where was everypony?
“Um…Sky?” Angel Eye said with concern.
Sky heard her, but she was too lost in her worries to respond. Maybe the ponies of Ponyville were busy with a community event that the princess didn’t account for, or perhaps the entire town didn’t care for history and museum pieces. Social apathy toward museums was not uncommon, even among the most refined ponies of Canterlot. But where was the princess? As the minute hand of the clock tower inched closer to seven, the further she felt from her sanity.
The clock tower rang - still no guests, still no princess. 
Sky felt like a helpless filly. But not just any filly, a filly that had been accidentally locked inside a old building that was being demolished that very day, never to be heard from again.
“Don’t worry, Sky,” Strawberry Shortcake said, “I’m sure the princess is just running a little late.”
“The princess? Running late? Psht, right..."
Angel Eye and Berry looked at each other uncomfortably, silently fearing for their well-being.
"Ok, ok, so she may be a little late, but what about everypony else? Highly respected royals from Canterlot are supposed to make an appearance tonight – not just the princess! And you said that ponies around here are excited for this grand opening, so where are they? Huh? What about them?!”
Just as Sky finished speaking, two ponies walked into the museum side by side. One pony had a white coat and black mane while the other had a blue coat and a bright orange mane. Of the two ponies, Sky was most intrigued by the black and white pony, who carried herself in a way that reminded her of the ladies from Canterlot. However, it was not the pony's demeanor that fascinated Sky: it was her color. Ponies with a neutral color scheme was a rarity, making her a unique sight to behold. The black and white pony’s friend quickly drew Sky's attention the instant her gaping green eyes beheld the artifacts in the museum. Leaving her friend’s side, she darted to the closest showcase in the room.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” The blue pony squealed with delight. “Woodwind, Woodwind! C’mere! C’mere!” she said, and she pressed her face against a glass case that contained an amulet from first-century Ponyville.
“Look, look, look, look!” She bounced when her friend got closer to her. “Isn’t this exciting?”
Angel Eye stayed true to her duty and approached the blue pony. “Hey, Pair, keep your face off the glass, please?” she said.
“Oh, right.” She immediately complied. “Sorry, but this is just so exciting!”
Sky approached the two guests and asked, “You know about this stuff?”
“Are you kidding me? Who wouldn’t want to know about all of this stuff?! Just think of all the things that were inspired from history: the stories, the games, the costumes!” She squealed. “And now that this museum is open, I can get direct inspiration for my own games! No more train rides to Canterlot for me!” She jumped up and squealed again before running off to another artifact.
Though Sky’s evening was utterly destroyed at this point, she was uplifted by the pony who was so enamored with a simple amulet (historical value aside). Even if this pony was the only pony that would appreciate the value of the museum this night, that was enough for Sky.
The black and white pony stayed behind and looked at Sky with an embarrassed smile. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat. “Pardon her, she gets very…eccentric when it comes to games and such frivolity. She owns a game shop in town, you see. My name is Woodwind and that was Pair A. Dice - Pair for short.”
“I’m Celestial Sky, and I am the curator of this museum.”
“Are you?” She pulled out a sack filled with bits from her side bag. “Then will you please accept my donation to this museum?”
Sky took the bag and marveled at its contents: fifty bits.
“Wow...” Sky said, flabbergasted. “Most museums are lucky if they can get any pony to donate a bit or two, and it usually only happens when a filly wants to put a coin into one of those gimmicky donation receptacles.”
“Yes, well, this museum means a lot to Pair, so it would be a shame if it were to shut down due to financial reasons. I also believe that hard work should be rewarded. I have seen you working on this museum over the past few weeks, and I must say that you have put together quite the grand opening.”
Woodwind looked around the room as if she was analyzing her work. With a disappointed sigh, she said, “But I must admit, it is not as…grand as I was expecting. Oh! No offense to your efforts, I assure you! It is just that I was expecting more extravagance and glamour as far as your…guest list is concerned.”
“It was supposed to be.” Sky’s heart sank.
“No matter, silly Pair was just thrilled to come into the museum, and you can imagine the look on her face when she saw that the place was practically empty. But I wanted to see the princess and the royals from Canterlot. Do you know when she will be making her appearance?”
Every section of her brain resisted her will to utter the one word she needed to say. With grueling mental strain, she swallowed her pride and managed to say, “No.”
"No?!" Woodwind exclaimed.
Suddenly, the museum doors swung open and slammed on the wall, startling every pony. Being the security pony, Angel Eye instantly shifted into an offensive stance, ready to take on whatever might burst into the room. Standing in the doorway was a familiar orange pony: Wind Sprint. This time she was not the carefree athlete that Sky met earlier; this time her face was full of fear and confusion. 
“Wind Sprint?” Angel Eye said, resuming her normal stance.
“What’s going on?” Woodwind said.
“I don’t know." Wind Sprint panted. "There’s something freaky going on in town! Come look!”
Sky wasn’t sure whether Wind Sprint had included her. All the other ponies knew each other so it didn’t feel right for her to assume that she could join them. Unable to stifle her curiosity, she lingered at the entrance and watched them run away together. Just when she was about to turn back into the museum, they called out, “Come on, Sky!”
Their call surprised her, but when it registered that they really wanted her to join them, she locked up the museum in what had to be a record time and followed them. Within a few blocks, she could tell that something was indeed strange. Not only was the town eerily silent, but there were unusual vines growing out of cracks in the ground that had wrapped themselves around everything from buildings to abandoned troughs.
“Oh no…” Pair’s ears drooped. “I hope this didn’t come from that weird board game I found the other day.”
“Not now, Pair!” Woodwind snapped.
“What in the hay is going on here?!” Strawberry Shortcake said. She ran to a familiar house on the block and pounded on the door. “Lily? Lily?! Open up!”
Wind Sprint let out an exasperated sigh and cried, “Incoming!”
Strawberry Shortcake and Angel Eye turned around and just barely dodged before Wind Sprint smashed down the door and charged into the house.
“Oh my goodness!” Woodwind said and placed her hoof over her chest.
“Wind Sprint!” Strawberry Shortcake shouted without hiding her disapproval. What makes you think you can just break into somepony’s house?”
“Berry…” Wind Sprint said, almost like a whimper.
“I mean, we don’t even know what’s going on here!”
“Berry!” she yelled.
Sky entered the house and found the five ponies staring into the living room in silence. She followed their line of sight and instantly understood why they were at a loss for words. The house was completely covered in vines and other greenery that seemed to be growing out of the house itself. At first Sky tried to rationalize the situation with the idea that the pony who lived here just happened to like greenhouses or something, but the thought was eradicated when her eyes met the figure in the center of the room. While the other ponies were paralyzed with fear and lost in bewilderment, Sky approached the figure with great caution.
Wrapped in a net of vines that pulsated with a dull green glow was a pony who Sky assumed was Lily. Upon observing the vines, she knew this was a form of magic, and a mysterious one at that. Aside from the obviously magical glow, the vines were not wrapped around her but rather as if they had grown into her flesh. She carefully removed one vine from the pony's skin, and when she saw that nothing detrimental occurred, she proceeded to tear off every vine. The other ponies snapped out of their daze upon seeing Sky’s actions and ran to their friend.
“Lily? Are you alright?” Strawberry Shortcake asked.
“Say something!” Wind Sprint pleaded.
Words were not necessary to determine that something was very wrong. Sky had seen this pony every now and then while walking through town, and the last time she saw her she had light yellow hair, a white coat, and a single lily for a Cutie Mark. But the pony before her had a dull brown coat and mane, and her Cutie Mark was nowhere to be found. Lily responded to the cries of her friends, but her gaze met their eyes with a disturbing emptiness. She stared at them for a moment, and then she turned away with a snort and stooped down to a patch of grass growing out of the floor. With only a moment of hesitation, she devoured the grass like a mindless beast, an act that even the most uncivilized folks in Ponyville would deem uncouth.
“Sky! What happened to her?” Angel Eye asked.
“I don’t know…” she replied. Only the Princess or the high unicorns of Canterlot would have any idea about the magic taking place. Though her immediate thoughts wanted to turn to them for help, she felt as if the town had been cast into an abyss completely disconnected from all of Equestria, and all tangible hope seemed to be worlds away. 
“I don’t know,” she repeated, mostly to herself.
Suddenly, ghostly howls pierced the silent night.
“Timberwolves!” Strawberry Shortcake said.
They ran out of the house and into the road where they were immediately surrounded by six timberwolves – three on one end of the road and three on the other. Sky had heard of timberwolves before, but until now she always thought they were merely creatures of ponytales, and she wished they had stayed that way. Giant wolves made entirely of rotting wood and broken branches stared at her with menacing yellow eyes that almost reduced Sky to the whimpers of a foal. Her nostrils burned from the stink of their foul breath as their predators closed in on them. The largest wolf lifted its head and howled. As if this was a command, the other timberwolves lunged at them with their mouths open and their claws bared.
Strawberry Shortcake and Wind Sprint at charged the oncoming timberwolves. They jumped up and pounded their front hooves on their heads. When they landed, they bucked them one by one while Angel Eye and Pair. A Dice watched their backs. Woodwind and Sky used their magic to repel the wolves from themselves and their friends. 
Just when Sky thought that they had a chance of escaping, the earth beneath their hooves split open and thick, glowing vines slithered out of the ground and swiped at each pony’s legs. Strawberry Shortcake and Wind Sprint, who were occupied with the timberwolves, were snared by the vines and dragged toward the Everfree Forest. Woodwind and Pair A. Dice were snatched away soon after. Even Angel Eye’s wings could not save her, for the vines whipped up into the air, snagged her leg, and slammed her on the ground, and the vine dragged her from Ponyville as she screamed helplessly.
Sky cut the vines with her magic, but for every vine that she cut there seemed to be a dozen more ready to take its place. When she was certain she couldn’t fight them off anymore, a violent sunbeam illuminated the night.
The sunbeam struck the ground and scorched the earth with a deafening rumble, leaving a deep ditch of charred earth in its wake. The vines burst into flames and the timberwolves were reduced to piles of ash upon a mere touch of the intense, fiery light. Sky looked for the source of the magic and she saw Princess Twilight flying above her, blazing like sun in the sky.
Sky stood up and winced due to an agonizing headache that only came whenever she used too much magic. She ignored the pain and did her best not to expose her discomfort to the princess. When Princess Twilight landed on the ground, an army of palace guards followed after her and dispersed throughout the town. They broke into every building in sight and dragged out any pony they could find. Lily was not the only pony who suffered from the effects of the mysterious vines. The once bright and colorful citizens of Ponyville were reduced to dull colors varying from brown to grey, which matched their vacant and downtrodden countenance.
“Princess…what’s happening?” Sky said as if she was on the verge of tears.
“This is an ancient magic. But I must be sure it is the one I fear.” Princess Twilight stood and pondered the situation before her. She prodded a limp vine with her hoof, and after exhausting her mind with every possible option, she stood upright and bellowed, “Discord!”
The second Sky heard that name she inched closer to the princess. Though Discord was mostly a jovial character, who was a significant aid to the kingdom and an interesting creature to socialize with, Sky could never get over his bizarre, serpentine body, which seemed to have been pieced together by some sadistic collector of animal body parts. In a flash of light, the renowned spirit of chaos appeared and gave the princess a dramatically low bow. 
“You summoned me, Princess Twilight?” Discord said.
“Thank you for your promptness, Discord. I believe an old threat has returned to Equestria. Look at these vines. Is this not the work of Princess Gardenia?” she asked.
“Hmm…” He rubbed his chin. “Let’s take a good look here, shall we?” He observed the vines from every absurd angle possible and took a few glances around the town. When he came to his conclusion, he turned to the princess and said, “Your majesty, I don’t see why you bothered summoning me at all - not that it is a burden, mind you.”
Princess Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I can’t afford to jump to conclusions when it involves Princess Gardenia, you know that. If any of my subjects set hoof in the Everfree Forest upon my command, the seal I created to contain her magic will be broken.”
“Of course, of course,” he said as he let his head slump back lazily. “But there’s really no other candidate for such masterful gardening skills. I mean, look around you: glowing vines, a pack of timberwolves, a herd of ponies who look like they’ve just been told that friendship isn’t magic…”
“Discord!” she scolded.
He bent over laughing, arms wrapped around his slender belly. “Oh, lighten up, princess. I couldn’t resist that one." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, yes: there is no denying that this is the work of Princess Gardenia," he stated robatically. "There, are you satisfied?”
“Thank you, my friend,” she said, accepting the situation that was before her. “You may go.”
“And thank you.” He bowed again and leaned his head toward her. “And as always, if you need me, I’m just a call away.” He winked and then disappeared as quickly as he came.
“Celestial Sky,” Princess Twilight said, looking down at her gravely. “Things are as bad as I thought. Immediate action must be taken; otherwise, all the good ponies of Ponyville will be lost.”
“What’s going on? Who is this Princess Gardenia?”
“Princess Gardenia was one of the five sister rulers of ancient Equestria. I assume you have read about them.
“Yes, I have.” Sky replied. “But I don’t recall a 'Princess Gardenia.' In fact, I don’t think any of them were ever named, unless there’s a book on them that I’ve never read.”
“No, there isn’t. The details of these rulers are preserved and passed down through Canterlot royalty. The story goes that a sisterhood of ponies founded Equestria. But as you know, without the Elements of Harmony to unite and guide the rulers, each of them fell into disharmony and their portion of the kingdom degenerated along with them. Princess Gardenia was the princess of the nature. Instead of using her magic to make the plants grow in harmony with the other four rulers, she attempted to create a new form of nature, a world without magic. To keep her from infecting all of Equestia, she was sealed away in what is now known as the Everfree forest. So long as no pony enters the forest upon royal command, her power will be contained for as long as the Elements of Harmony endure.”
Sky absorbed everything she heard, and though the world around her seemed to be falling apart, understanding what caused it gave her mind some sense of stability amongst all the confusion. As she looked down at a vine on the ground, she said, “But that still doesn’t explain why this is happening. If you didn't send send pony into the Everfree Forest, that can only mean that there's a problem with the Elements of Harmony. The Elements of Harmony are still working, right?” She looked up at her hopefully.
Princess Twilight responded to her worried expression with a reassuring smile. “Of course. All I need to do is go to the Elemental Palace deep in the Everfree Forest. I’ll try to reason with her, but if that fails I will need to use the Elements of Harmony.”
“The Elemental Palace?”
“Yes. It was the palace where the five pony sisters ruled, the very first palace of royalty in Equestrian history. And in its halls, the Elements of Harmony were born. Now while I am gone I have a task for you, Sky. I need you to use this spell on every citizen in Ponyville.”
She stood directly in front of Sky and lowered her head. At first, Sky though that she was bending down to give her a hug, but instead she placed the tip of her horn on Sky’s head, which sparkled brilliantly with an aura of purple light, and taught her a new spell. Having completed the spell, Princess Twilight backed backed away from Sky, who felt as if her mind had been relieved of every grievance she had ever experienced. 
"Got it." Sky nodded. "But what does this spell do?"
Before Princess Twilight could say a word, another slew of vines erupted from the ground and snared her. Unlike the vines that took away Angel Eye, Strawberry Shortcake, Wind Sprint, Pair A. Dice, and Woodwind, the ones that bound the princess glowed green like the vines that held Lily. 
“Sky!” she shouted as she struggled against the writhing vines. “Go! Go to the Elemental Palace!”  The vines bound her legs, and then another wave of vines slithered around her body and began piercing each segment of her spine. A thick, glowing vine pierced the back of her neck, and her eyes widened as a pulse of magic surged through her body. Sedated, her eyes closed, her body went limp, and she fell. When she hit the ground, her crown tumbled off her head and landed on a mound of overturned dirt.
“PRINCESS!” Sky cried.
Sky wanted to run to the princess's aid, but a gaseous silhouette of an alicorn seeped out of the earth and loomed over the fallen princess. Within the green magical mist, bright yellow eyes strikingly similar to that of a timberwolf stared down at the princess. As a gesture of triumph, the dark alicorn reared and a geyser of vines spewed from the earth and engulfed everything in Ponyville, even Princess Twilight's royal guards. 
Vine after vine came after Sky from all directions, but she managed to dodge them as she raced out of town. Though she feared for her fallen mentor, she made her way out of Ponyville, now a living jungle, and ran to the Everfree Forest, struggling to ignoring the helpless cries of Princess Twilight's soldiers as they either attempted to fight or escape the onslaught of magical vines. She didn’t know how to get to this Elemental Palace or how she would undo this disaster, but she knew what had to done. Her princess needed her. 


~~~~~~~~~~


Twilight opened her eyes and tore away the vines that bound her. The vines attempted to seize her again, but with a powerful flap of her wings she ascended above the town, safe from the chaos below. She reluctantly turned a sorrowful eye away from her suffering subjects in Ponyville and focused on Sky, who she saw running toward the Everfree Forest. 
A loud crack sounded and Discord appeared by her side. “Stellar performance, princess.” Discord said while holding a smiling thespian mask over his face.
“Discord, please.” She rolled her eyes.
“Now that I can speak freely, I have a fun question, Your Highness,” Discord said as he slithered around her. “Didn’t you cause this by sending Professor Bayleaf into the Everfree Forest the other day?”
Sky closed her eyes. “Yes,” she admitted.
He tossed the thespian mask to the side, which disappeared into thin air, and stroked his chin inquisitively. “Fascinating leadership, if I do say so myself. Why are you allowing this to happen to your beloved Ponyville and your dearest student?”
“Because she needs to be pushed,” she said. “Besides, it was only a matter of time before the seal on Princess Gardenia finally broke. I can only hope that Sky made some friends. I will intervene if necessary, but it is imperative that she discovers the magic of friendship, as I once did.”
Discord flew in front of Twilight and looked into her eyes teasingly, “Well, look at you! Manipulating circumstances for the greater good, just like the great princess before you.”
Twilight looked down and smiled to herself as a rush a memories came to mind. She recalled the days when she couldn’t fathom the idea of even remotely measuring up to the great spell casters of Canterlot, let alone her old mentor. Back then there were many things her mentor did that Twilight didn’t understand. But now, as she watched her own pupil, she felt a new appreciation for her old mentor in a way that she never experienced until now.
Twilight snapped out of her sentiments, and she turned to Discord. “Circle the town and keep any travelers away from Ponyville.”
“Yes, your majesty.” He circled around her once and flew toward the outskirts of Ponyville. “And what will you be doing?” he turned around and asked.		
“Watching over Sky,” she replied with her eyes locked on the earth below. She flapped her wings and flew toward the Everfree Forest, keeping her fierce gaze fixed on her beloved pupil.