“So, did you hear about the new girl?” Moondancer asked the purple unicorn sitting on the stool across from her. The unicorn’s pink eyes turned towards Moondancer, who was jumping up and down excitedly. “Do you think she’ll be a disciple?”
“I don’t know,” the unicorn known as Vibrant Note responded. “Dusk sure doesn’t seem to think so.” She turned her gaze away from Moondancer and to the music stand in front of her. She lifted the flute up to her mouth and started to play.
The sun shined down on them as her melody filled the empty space around them. The balcony was faced to where the sun would rise in the morning, making it a perfect spot to practice either magic or music. Vibrant loved coming outside to practice her music and Moondancer really loved talking.
“Aw, what does Dusk know? She could be really nice,” Moondancer spoke over Vibrant’s music.
Vibrant moved the instrument away from her mouth, silencing it. “Maybe, but you know how Dusk feels about royalty?” Vibrant repositioned the flute in front of her and played once again.
Moondancer stood up on her front legs, balancing herself. “Oh, yeah. She’s a princess, isn’t she?” She then took a few steps forward towards Vibrant, coming to her side. “What do you think it’s like being a princess? Do you think it’s as fun as I’ve heard?”
Vibrant rolled her eyes. All she wanted to do was play her instrument in peace, but she knew Moondancer too well. When she had a question, she wouldn’t stop asking everypony until she received her answer.
“Probably not. Did you see the way she looked when she finally arrived here?” She thought about how the alicorn had appeared. She seemed angry, sad, and alone. Nothing like she expected a princess to behave at all. She didn’t look much like a princess either. Not with her dirty coat, her tattered mane, and her aroma.
“She looked depressed.” She returned to her instrument.
Moondancer jumped up and landed back on all fours. “Well, if I was a princess, I’d make sure I had the time of my life.”
Vibrant continued to play her music until Moondancer leaned on the music stand, causing the sheet of music to be replaced by Moondancer’s smiling face. “Why do you play the flute with your hooves?” she asked. “You could just use your magic, you know?”
“Because there’s nothing like holding an instrument in your hooves.” She looked at the beautiful silver instrument in her hooves. “To feel the sounds of harmony flowing from it as you play.” Her mind began to wander to thoughts of her mother.
Her mother was a wonderful flutist. One of the best they would say. And she played like it too. She was also a wonderful teacher. Strict, but wonderful. She loved her lessons with her mother. It was the best moments she had. Despite how harsh she was on her, forcing her repeat scales until they were done perfectly, she always had a cheerful demeanor and always motivating her to become better than she thought she could. She proved to her on more than one occasion that Vibrant was stronger and had more to give the world than she thought.
She did this with a simple raising of her hoof. Her mother asked Vibrant to raise her hoof as high as she could. Vibrant, not knowing what her mother was meaning or why it would have any significance in her life, did as her mother asked. Her mother then asked her to raised it even higher. Vibrant hadn’t even noticed that she did what her mother told her without even thinking. She had raised her hoof higher, even if it was only a inch. Her mother then proceeded to tell her that she had more in her than she thought.
Those sort of lessons and more came from her mother’s wisdom. But it all ended when she became a disciple. She hardly ever saw her mother and she lost so much time to spend with her. Regardless, she practiced every day. To remember the good times she had with her. The flute within her hooves was all that she had left of her mother. “It’s a feeling that I’ve come to love.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” Moondancer replied as she skipped off the music stand.
Just as Vibrant lifted the flute back to her mouth, a voice came from inside the sanctuary. “Vibrant, Moondancer!”
The two mares turned to see Dusk, just at the entryway. “We are needed,” he said.
Moondancer gave a big smile. “Ooo! A mission?! What are we going up against?!”
“Timberwolves,” Dusk replied.
Vibrant felt an eerie chill slither down her spine at the mention of the creatures. She was suddenly out of breath and she looked down at her hooves in horror. Not Timberwolves, she thought to herself. She shook uncontrollably as the beasts engulfed her mind.
“Hey!” Moondancer shouted, taking Vibrant out of her trance. “Are you okay?”
Vibrant took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She then turned to Moondancer, “Yes, I’m fine.”
Moondancer gave a big smile. “Great! Let’s go beat some bad guys!”
“Great.” Vibrant gave a half smile, trying to hide her anxiety. Just… great.
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Redeye had made his way to the green house, hidden behind the sanctuary. He would often wander there for many reasons, but only one reason kept coming back, over and over. He peeked inside the glass to see a beautiful pink mare tending to the vast variety of vegetation that flourished all around her.
Pureheart was always there when she wasn’t tending to the injured and it always made him smile to see her so happy. With what they did, the constant violence around them, Pureheart was hardly ever happy. That is, until she started to grow her own garden. She found tranquility in the beauty of the flora around her. And Redeye found tranquility in her beauty.
Redeye finally found himself at the entrance to the greenhouse. He smiled as he gazed upon Pureheart, who hadn’t realized he was there yet. “Hey, Pureheart,” he finally said, grabbing her attention.
She turned her head and smiled as he entered the room. “Oh, hello, Redeye.” She started to blush as she stared at him. “I … hope you weren’t waiting there long.”
He gave a nervous smile as he found himself flushing. “You know me? I’m happy with life.”
Pureheart smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I thought I was ignoring you.” She shifted her gaze and bit her lip. “It was really embarrassing.”
Redeye made his way to her. “Hey, it’s okay. I get that all the time.”
Pureheart started to blush even more. “You do? I’m so sorry! I didn’t even know.”
Redeye started to laugh. “No, that’s what happens when you grow up with 12 brothers and sisters.”
“You have 12 brothers and sisters?!” Pureheart exclaimed. “Wow. That must have been difficult for you.”
Redeye shifted his gaze to the plants, trying not to look into Pureheart’s eyes. “It was tough, but… We always had each other.” Redeye always found it difficult to find a way to look into Pureheart’s eyes. It was like looking at the very heavens themselves. He often thought himself unworthy to look into them, but couldn’t help but want to. He took a look at Pureheart and smiled. “Um… Pureheart?” he started.
Pureheart gazed at the stallion before her. “Yes, Redeye?
Redeye started to sweat as her eyes met with his. They were as beautiful as he remembered. He remembered when he first laid eyes upon them. The first time he ever fell in love with her.
He had been injured in a fight against a terrible beast. He didn’t remember how or what happened after. But when he awoke, he found himself staring into the eyes of the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. Pureheart. Since that day, he has been in love with her, but he never had the courage to confess it. And how could he? He wasn’t a strong stallion like Dusk or super smart like Starswirl. He was just… average. Still, he refused to give her up without trying.
“Um… are you…” he stammered as he continued to gather his courage. However, with her smiling face appearing before him, his courage abandoned him. “What do you… think of the weather … today?”
The smile vanished from Pureheart’s face, leaving only a puzzled look. “Oh… It’s… nice,” she replied.
What was that?! ‘What do you think of the weather?’ I am so stupid! Redeye cursed himself while trying to hide it with a smile. “Yeah… it’s really nice.”
An excited look then appeared on Pureheart’s face. “Redeye, I have to show you the new plant I grew.” Pureheart made her way to a pot and took it off the shelf. She then presented it before Redeye. “It’s called Lignum vitae. Isn’t it beautiful?”
As the lovely golden flower hovered before him, he couldn’t help but smile. Pureheart always had some new plant she was growing. She had secretly dreamed of being a gardener for several years. Only Redeye seemed to know this secret dream. He thought himself special that only he knew her passion.
“Yeah. Beautiful.” But he was hardly talking about the plant. He was talking about the mare holding the plant.
“Oh, I’m so glad you like it,” Pureheart confessed. “I was worried that I’d look stupid. That you thought I was just showing you some silly flower.”
“No.” Redeye quickly defended. “No, I could never think you’re stupid. And I could never think your flowers are silly!”
Pureheart stared at the stallion in shock. She was always the victim of ridicule by Dusk because of her reluctance to fight. It made her feel sad to be criticized so harshly, solely because she hated violence. But everypony else was good to her, especially Redeye. She started to blush as Redeye’s words echoed in her mind.
Redeye, now realizing what he had just said, started to blush as well. “Um… Pureheart?”
This is it! I’m just going to say it! he convinced himself. He told himself that he was done running away. He was going to tell her how he really felt. “I…” he started to stammer. He finally gathered all of his courage, despite their eyes meeting. “I –.”
“Redeye!” a voice from outside the greenhouse came. The two ponies turned to the source to see Dusk. He stood outside the doorway of the greenhouse, waiting for Redeye’s attention. “We are needed. Let’s go.”
Redeye sighed in frustration. Of all the rotten timing, Redeye cursed under his breath. He lowered his head and made his way out of the greenhouse, his heart heavy as a rock.
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As Redeye exited the room, Pureheart turned away from Dusk and focused solely on her plants. She was waiting for Dusk to ask her to join the mission. Something that she would immediately decline. For years, he had been trying to mold her into a warrior. Something that she had no interest in becoming.
When he didn’t say anything, she finally turned her head towards him. “Aren’t you going to ask me to join your mission?
“Would you have said yes if I did?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.
Pureheart didn’t respond. She knew she didn’t need to. Dusk knew what her answer was.
“We’ll send back the injured,” Dusk said as he turned away and started to leave. However, Pureheart finally stopped him.
“Why do you like to fight so much? Why do you embrace violence?” Pureheart asked. “Don’t you want to make other ponies happy?”
Dusk turned to her. “You think I enjoy all of this? Because I don’t.” He then took a step towards her, “I’m simply doing what needs to be done. Making sure ponies stay safe.”
Pureheart turned away, unable to face Dusk directly. She shook her head. “There must be another way.”
Dusk finally approached her. “Let me tell you something about what I do. Out there, there are ponies who are counting on me to make them happy.” He paused for a second as Pureheart started to step away.
Quickly and fiercely, Dusk grabbed her foreleg. In alarm, Pureheart turned her gaze towards Dusk. “There are ponies who are happy when their loved ones are safe. When they can sleep at night knowing that they and their families are safe. Something that I can give them.”
Dusk then let go of her foreleg and returned to the exit. “So stay here in your little corner of Eden. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be out there making other ponies happy. Something I thought you once held dear.”
Those words pierced Pureheart’s heart, causing it to drop. She felt as if she had been stabbed, as an aching pain shot into her heart. She wanted to retaliate, but by the time her courage gathered, Dusk was long gone. She lowered her head in shame as tears began to fall.
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“You look nervous,” a bright golden stallion asked the younger light blue mare. “First mission jitters?” He asked as he and several other unicorns made their way to the front gates of the sanctuary.
The mare hung her head down. “I guess, I’m just nervous is all. I really don’t want to mess up.”
The golden stallion, or Glory as he was called, started to laugh. “Aw, please. Timberwolves are nothing. I’ve must have killed hundreds of those things.”
Moondancer came next to the new unicorn, Diamond Glow, and smiled. “Yeah, the only thing bad about Timberwolves is their breath. I mean, gross!”
Diamond Glow smiled, which was more than Vibrant was doing. She was still shaken up by the news of their mission. Her hoofsteps were rack with uncontrollable shaking as she followed the other ponies. Glory finally noticed. “Vibrant, what are you worried about? You’ve been on missions before and Timberwolves are easy!”
Vibrant lowered her head to the ground and bit her lip. “It’s just… when I was a little filly… Me and my best friend we… we were playing in the forest… We knew it went against our parents’ wishes but…”
As she told the story, she noticed everypony gathering around her. She didn’t like it, but she had started the story. She felt she should finish it. “Anyway, we were attacked by Timberwolves.”
She envisioned the memory in her mind. The memory that still haunted her to this day. She envisioned seeing the bright yellow eyes. She remembered the foul stench of their breath. She recalled the sounds of their howls. She had never been so scared in her life. Never had she felt so defenseless. She imagined her friend feeling the same way.
“My friend was… just a little bit older than me… And faster.” Vibrant closed her eyes and saw a glimpse of the last moments she saw her friend. It was only for a second, but it might as well have been an eternity for her. “They should have gotten me, but… she tripped… Instead, they got her… and I survived.”
Moondancer was speechless with sad look on her face. Moondancer didn’t frown often and when she did, the whole group became a little gloomier. Diamond Glow came next to her and put her hoof on Vibrant’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. That’s a horrible thing to go through.”
Glory smiled. “Think of it this way. Now you can get some payback!”
Vibrant shook her head. Glory meant well, but he wasn’t as bright as he claimed to be. He would often say something that was easily offensive, despite him not meaning to be. However, as he was often ridiculed for his unwitting stupidity, he was often praised for his equally baffling wisdom. There was some truth to Glory’s words. Vibrant had thought of getting revenge on the creatures that butchered her friend. She had often allowed the thought to consume her. But her fear always got the better of her.
Dusk finally appeared before them. “Is everypony ready?”
The group nodded. With that, Dusk’s horn revealed a giant blue portal that each of the ponies entered through in turn. First, Glory, then Moondancer, and then Diamond Glow. Vibrant was about to enter when Dusk put his hoof in front of her. “This isn’t going to be a problem, is it?”
Vibrant shifted her gaze to the ground. She honestly wasn’t sure herself, but she decided to speak. “No, sir.”
Dusk smiled. “Good. Because I can’t have you freak out in the middle of battle out there. I need you focused.” He waited until Vibrant shifted her gaze towards him. “Is that understood?” he finished.
Vibrant nodded. With that, Dusk lowered his foreleg and Vibrant stepped through the portal at last.
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Dusk waited until Vibrant step through to make sure she didn’t back out of the mission. He was about to step through himself when a voice came from behind him. “What has happened?”
Dusk turned to see Starswirl coming for him. “Timberwolves are gathering near Ponyville. We are being sent to deal with them.”
Starswirl nodded. “I shall accompany you.”
Dusk gave a smirk and raised his eyebrow. “Oh, and what about the namby-pamby pony princess?” Starswirl started to glare as Dusk insulted the young mare they had taken in. “What if she were to chip her hoof or get a hair out of place?” Dusk’s voice finally trailed into a growl-like tone. “Wouldn’t that be a tragedy?”
Starswirl took a step forward. “Do you not think you’re being a bit harsh on her?”
“Do you not think you’re being a bit soft on her?” Dusk replied. “She’s a noble and of the worst kind.” He then turned his gaze towards the portal. “But you already know that. After all, you spent the last month tailing her.”
Starswirl made his way to Dusk’s side. “I was simply performing a boon for an old friend.”
Dusk turned towards Starswirl. “Well, let me tell you something about Celestia. I know her type. Her title is all that matters to her and here titles mean nothing. It was a mistake to bring her here.”
He finally made his way to the portal as his final words echoed into the hall. “She won’t last here. You and I both know that.”
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The moon shined brightly over the field just outside Ponyville. Six figures hid within a heavily lit area, waiting for their opponents. The forest, just beyond the field, was bustling with sounds of insects and night birds, such as owls. The unicorns gathered themselves around a bright blue portal that appeared. From the portal stepped Dusk, followed by Starswirl. Dusk eyed the area around them, keeping a close watch for any movement. So far there was none and the air was clean. The forest was full sound, as if the creatures within it were whispering to one another.
Normally, the air would have been fouled with the breath of the Timberwolves, but so far there was not a revolting scent yet.
“How fares the scouting?” Dusk asked as he approached Redeye.
Redeye turned his gaze towards him and shook his head. “Not good. We haven’t had a single sighting, but we know they’re out there.”
“Keep at it,” Dusk replied. He positioned himself at the helm of their tiny camp, keeping his eyes out for his enemy. Moments turned into minutes and still there was very little movement.
Many ponies began to think this was a wild goose chase, but Dusk knew better. His magic could sense the hundreds of enemies lying in wake, waiting for the right moment to strike. He also knew with the night and the numbers on the wolves side, a more tactical approach was needed to defeat them, rather than hunting in the dead of night. Dusk knew that the creatures were closing, despite that the air was still clean. The animals in the forest were become quiet. Dusk knew the battle was at hoof.
Finally, a scent in the air told Dusk they were on the move.
“Urgh!” Hoofcuff yelped, quickly holding her nose. “What is that smell?”
“Timberwolves,” Starswirl explained. “They use their breath to distract their prey.”
“But we won’t be their prey,” Dusk stated. “Not tonight.”
The unicorns readied to their feet and frantically searched for any movement that might give away their enemies’ position. “What are they doing?” Diamond Glow finally asked when she felt her enemies encircling them.
“Timberwolves always hunt in packs. They are surrounding us,” Starswirl replied.
Dusk then felt a single wolf make a leap for them. As it emerged from the darkness, it headed straight for Diamond Glow. In panic, Diamond Glow shielded herself with her forelegs, hoping that the wolf would change course. However, it was only when Dusk fired a bolt of fire at the creature that it stopped. The beast fell to the ground and vanished in a puff of black smoke. Diamond Glow started to shake in fear as she realized Dusk was glaring at her for her paralyzing fear.
At that moment, Dusk felt the whole pack start to move. They were coming and there were hundreds of those beasts. “Circle up now! Protect your right and left!” Dusk shouted.
Like well-organized soldiers, the unicorns created a circle with Dusk at its head. The sky lit up with flash of fire, lightning and light while the air around them filled with sounds of wolves whimpering in pain.
As the creatures came, Dusk’s horn summoned two mystical blades at his side. One of the beasts came from his right, but was quickly dispatched by Dusk swinging the blade at the creature, cleaving it in two.
Hoofcuff unleashed a group of chains from the ground, breaking up the floor below her as the chains took to the sky. The chains constricted the wolves tightly and then squeezed until their wooden bodies being to snap under the pressure.
Redeye, Moondancer and Diamond Glow kept up their barrage of blasts of magical energy while Glory summoned a mighty axe to his side. With each swing, Glory chopped the wolves’ limbs and heads off their bodies.
Vibrant and Starswirl unleashed torrents of fire, which slowly consumed the wolves as they attempted to enter the circle. Their wooden bodied turned to ash as they struggled against wave after wave of fire.
One by one, the group dispatched the wolves, but they continued to come. Dusk found himself defending the others more and more as time went on. He sensed the growing fatigue in the others, which he needed to compensate for. It would only be a matter of time before the wolves would gain the upper hoof.
And as predictable as the sunrise, the circle began to weaken. Slip ups were happening more frequently and Dusk was forced to abandon his own area to protect the others. Eventually, one of the wolves leapt over the back group where Diamond Glow as supposed to guard and found itself in the middle of the circle.
Fortunately, Starswirl noted this and generated a massive mountain at their center, causing the wolf to be impaled at its peak. Dusk slashed at another wolf that came straight for him and noted that the wolves would no doubt go for easier prey. Something that he hoped to bait them with. “Partner up and spread out!”
With that, Dusk found himself alongside Vibrant, silently hoping that her anxiety wouldn’t interfere with the mission.
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Celestia had made her way to the main chamber after breakfast. The porridge she ate this morning was less than filling and didn’t provide a variety of tastes, but it was the first time she had been guaranteed food when she awoke since her banishment. Her thoughts then wandered to the night when she fell asleep. As uncomfortable as the floor was, she fell asleep rather quickly. She blamed the fatigue for that. She had just climbed an entire mountain on little to no sleep.
She had thought she would see some of the other ponies this morning, but nopony else was around. She knew other ponies were here. She saw some of them around, as well as Starswirl, the Ancient One and… the really rude one. She didn’t know what to call him, but she despised him, just as he despised her. She didn’t know the reason why he hated her, but she didn’t care. If she could go the whole day without seeing him, it wouldn’t have hurt her feelings.
Her memory then sparked of what Starswirl said before she fell asleep. Work? What kind of work does a princess do?
As she poked her head into the main chamber, she noticed the Ancient One kneeling at a row of lit candles. She didn’t understand why, nor did she care. She just wanted to find Luna and get out of here as soon as possible. She entered the room and made her way to the Ancient One. “Um… I was told to begin work today, I guess?”
“Then you may begin,” the Ancient One replied, not even turning to greet her.
Celestia raised her eyebrow in confusion and turned towards the room. She searched high and low for anything that she was supposed to be doing, but all she saw was a bucket full of water and a brush an inch or two away from it. She continued to search around the room before finally giving up. “So, what all-important task am I to be doing?” Celestia finally asked.
“Scrub the floor.”
Those words echoed in Celestia’s ears. Surely, they really didn’t expect a princess to do simple chores. “Really?” Celestia hissed.
The Ancient One turned towards her. “I would do it, but I am an old stallion.”
Celestia couldn’t bring herself to believe what the Ancient One was asking her to do. It was as if he had asked her to carve off her own hoof. “Don’t you have servants for this?!”
The Ancient One turned away and back to the candles. “No servants here. Only ponies.”
Lords above, this pony makes no sense! Celestia growled under her breath. Finally, Celestia shook her head and submitted to her request. She concentrated her horn’s magic on the brush, attempting to lift it into the bucket. However, the brush seemed to fight against her, causing it to remain perfectly still. She focused harder, but it seemed the harder she tried to move it, the more impossible it became. Finally, her focus gave out and when she looked upon the brush once more, the brush was still stationary. It hadn’t moved an inch. It just sat there as if to laugh at Celestia’s attempt.
Could something be wrong with my magic? she thought to herself. It was working at breakfast. Why isn’t it working now?! She turned towards the Ancient One. “My magic doesn’t affect the brush!”
“That’s because the brush is not meant to be moved by magic.”
Celestia shook her head in disbelief. Here, she found herself expected to scrub a simple floor and yet she couldn’t even move the brush. It was an impossible task. “So, how am I supposed to ‘scrub the floor’ then?” she mimicked the Ancient One’s tone as she repeated her task.
However, the Ancient One didn’t seem to notice. “With your hooves.”
Celestia’s mouth almost dropped to the floor. She couldn’t believe what she was just asked to do. It was more unbelievable than the task itself. “So I am to scrub these floors like some… barbaric… earth pony?!”
The Ancient One turned towards her with a satisfied smirk on his face. “Yes.”
Celestia glared at him as he continued to smile away. “Fine,” she murmured under her breath. She made her way to the side of the bucket and placed her hooves on the brush. She picked it up and placed it in the water. She shivered as her hooves made contact with the blistering cold water. As she raised the brush from the water, she shook her hooves to remove the excess water from them, hoping to dry them off a bit.
She then started to scrub the floor as instructed, but found herself not knowing how to scrub it. She found herself fumbling from back towards her and away from her, from side to side and to circular motions. None of which seemed comfortable.
The Ancient One walked passed her. “Don’t forget the walls.” He then proceeded out of the room leaving Celestia alone.
“Don’t forget the walls,” Celestia mockingly mimicked under her breath as she scoffed. She then resumed her trivial task.
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Glory swung his axe embedding it deep within the neck of the Timberwolf before him. He unleashed a cackle as the wood cracked under the amount of force he used. “Come on, boys and girls. Show me who’s next to get chopped up!” He prepared himself for another wolf as it came straight for him. His reflexes sent his axe straight in the middle of the beast’s head.
“Is that all you’ve got?” he taunted. Just then, a surge of pain went into his left hind leg as if it had been stabbed. He fell to the ground and looked behind him to see a Timberwolf gnawing at his leg. He quickly lifted his foreleg and dug the axe into his opponent causing it to release his leg. Blood poured profusely from the wound, trailing into the dirt. He struggled to his feet as the pain continued to burn. Before he could manage to his feet, another wolf leaped on him, biting into his shoulder as it landed. Followed by another and then another. In a matter of seconds, all that was left of Glory was his bloodcurdling scream.
Diamond Glow turned her head to the source of the scream, recognizing it to be Glory’s. ”Glory!” she started towards where Glory’s voice was last heard.
Dusk turned back to her as he fended off another wolf attack. “Remain in position!”
Diamond Glow stopped and turned back to Dusk, who had blasted a wolf with bolt of lightning. “But Glory is in trouble!”
“Do as I say!” Dusk retorted, giving Diamond a sharp, stern gaze.
Diamond was silent as she turned back towards where she last saw Glory. She focused her gaze to the creatures and made a mad dash for them.
“No!” Dusk shouted. He was unable to stop her as he held back several beasts against his force field. As Diamond moved deeper into the shadows, he could see less and less of her. However, he was still able to hear everything that happened within the darkness. His ears were assaulted by her battle grunts as it sounded as if she was fending off opponent after opponent. However, what followed froze Dusk’s heart. He heard her screams of terror, followed by her screams of pain, which slowly faded to nothing.
Damn it! Dusk cursed under his breath. He forced the creatures back by pushing his force field against them. The force field then consumed the creatures entrapping them in its unbreakable grasp. With that, a simple spark of his horn and the entire force field erupted in flames, consuming the beasts trapped within.
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Vibrant’s ears perked straight up when she heard the sound of Diamond’s final scream. As she heard the scream, the memories of her old friend began to haunt her once more.
She was just playing in the woods with her best friend. The filly had a knack for trouble and would often disobey her parent’s wishes of staying away from the woods. Her friend was also a natural at persuading her to tag along. They just wanted to do some exploring. They just wanted to have some fun. After a long day of chasing each other through the woods, the sun started to set. They decided to rest a little while at a gathering of tree branches.
However, those tree branches proved to be the bodies of the Timberwolves. The fillies had upset the creatures, but more importantly, it was feeding time. The beasts chased them. She remembered running, hearing their growls and snarls mixed in with her hooves running across the ground. She was quickly growing tired, but after hearing them howl once more, she picked up her pace even faster.
Within moments, she found herself at her village. She cried in terror to the nearest pony she could find. She told them that she and her friend had been in the woods, playing, when they were attacked. However, what she didn’t realize until then was that her friend was gone. She had never followed her out of the woods. A search party was sent to find her and find her they did. But she wasn’t alive. She was torn apart by those animals, leaving only a small portion of the pony she remembered.
All this flowed through her head as a wolf leaped into the air, heading straight for her. She fell to her rump, screaming as its teeth came within inches of her. However, before the beast could grip her, Dusk sent a bolt of energy at the creature, causing it to vanish in a puff of smoke.
As Vibrant opened her eyes, she started to hyperventilate.
Dusk approached her. “What in Tartarus happened?!”
Vibrant looked up to Dusk, stammering for words. “I… I…”
“You froze up!” Dusk shouted at her, finishing her sentence.
Vibrant lowered her gaze to the ground. Dusk continued, “You have just become a liability to this group!”
“I… I’m sorry.” Vibrant closed her eyes and tucked her head closer to her body.
Dusk grabbed her face and forced it towards him. “Listen closely, because, unfortunately, I can’t send you back to the Ancient One!”
Tears started to form in Vibrant’s eyes as she was force to stare into Dusk’s enraged gaze.
“Keep it together!”
Vibrant nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. Dusk resumed his position and shot another wolf coming straight for them. Vibrant stood up quickly and assisted him, firing a bolt of energy from her horn.
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Starswirl unleashed a volley of magical arrows at the beasts that continued to emerge from the shadows. Fatigue was starting to show on his face, as he assumed was the case for the others. “Dusk!” he called out. “There are too many! We must regroup!”
“Form up on me!” Dusk’s voice came from the darkness as a bright sphere of light lit up the sky, driving the enemy back into the shadows. As the light illuminated the area, he started to take account for each of his allies. He could see Redeye and Moondancer making their way to Dusk. Vibrant was already by his side and Hoofcuff was on her way, just ahead of Starswirl. He made his way to Dusk, just before the light faded.
When the shadows once again became dominate, there was stillness all around them. The beasts were still there, but they were hardly moving.
Starswirl took this moment to whisper to Dusk. “These are no ordinary Timberwolves.”
Dusk nodded. “Agreed.”
Redeye turned his head towards his commander. “So, what do we do now?”
Dusk turned to the darkness, as if he could see the creatures already. “We wait for them to make the first mistake. Don’t move. Don’t even blink until I say so.”
With that, the group became dead silent. Starswirl took this opportunity to survey his allies and noted their injuries. Redeye had a nasty cut on his hind leg, it was bleeding pretty badly. Starswirl was impressed that he was still standing. He would occasionally grit his teeth, as if he was in pain, but he held himself up quite well.
Hoofcuff had several scratches on her body, but nothing that looked serious. Her mane and face, however, was covered in blood. Starswirl surmised that she must have been cut at the top of the skull, based on how the blood flowed down the front of her face.
Moondancer’s tail had been completely torn off. Like Hoofcuff she had scratches along her body, but the most severe injury was a bite she suffered at her ear. One of the wolves must have bitten one of her ears and torn half of it off. Her ear was bleeding, but she was coping well.
And Vibrant was in the least amount of stress. She has a few cuts and bruises but nothing serious. She just looked frightened. Like a child that had just been told a scary story or had heard a frightening noise. She was shaking as she attempted to stand still.
He couldn’t find Diamond Glow or Glory. He felt his heart drop, knowing exactly what befell them. He hadn’t known Diamond Glow very well, since she was new, but he did know Glory. Glory was arrogant, but a kind-hearted stallion. It was difficult for Starswirl to think that Glory could fall to simple Timberwolves, but as Starswirl said to Dusk, these were not ordinary Timberwolves.
He also took note of Dusk, who hardly had a scratch on him. He was coated in sweat however. Despite this, he didn’t look exhausted. In fact, he looked pleased. Very happy of how the fight was going. He looked like he was prepared for the next opponent, no matter how big or how many there were. He looked eager to fight. Something that Starswirl’s stomach turned at.
As the silence continued, he began mentally preparing himself for the wolves to strike. Finally, after several quiet and lengthy moments, the wolves made their move. And with that Dusk let out a cry of rage.
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Dusk and the group returned from their mission after a long night of battling with the beasts. The remaining unicorns all gathered at the main hallway. Vibrant was still shaking from the near-death experiences she had. Redeye was limping badly, causing Pureheart to scurry towards him in an attempt to mend him. Starswirl carried Moondancer, who had taken a nasty blow to the head which rendered her unconscious. Finally, Hoofcuff entered, falling to her knees in exhaustion.
Dusk looked towards the hallway and saw the Ancient One coming towards him.The Ancient One looked around them, taking note of each of them. He then looked towards Dusk. “Where are the others?”
Starswirl turn his head towards the Ancient One as he gently set Moondancer on the ground. “They fought bravely, but were lost, master.”
As those words rang in the hall, the Ancient One’s head lowered to the ground as his eyes spoke of his grief. “This is a dark day for us.”
Dusk took a step forward. “These were no ordinary Timberwolves, master.” The Ancient One raised his head towards him. “They were tactical. Planning. Something was pulling their strings.”
“They seek their master.” He then looked towards the ground again. “And Discord’s influence grows stronger by the day.”
Starswirl took a step toward his master. “How is that possible, my master?” He put his hoof on his master’s shoulder. “I have seen the gateway. The Chaos Dimension remains sealed. Discord has not come through.”
The Ancient One shook his head. “I do not know. But I fear he knows something that we do not.”
“I shall continue to investigate this matter, master,” Dusk stated his resolve as he turned away and started down the hall.
“Be careful, Dusk.” The Ancient One’s voice caused Dusk to stop before reaching the doorway. “Discord is a formidable opponent.”
Dusk turned to his master with a smile. “Perhaps he is, master. But so am I.” He then turned around again and continued on his way.
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Celestia had finally finished to floor and the walls of main hall. Her hooves were wrinkled and her forelegs ached from all the scrubbing back and forth. The water in the bucket was pitch-black at the end of the it. As she sat down to rest upon the ground, the Ancient One came before her. With only a few words, he told Celestia to clean the floors and walls for all of the sanctuary. Despite her weariness, Celestia, reluctantly, did as she was told. She proceeded to all the other rooms, emptying the bucket of water and refilling at the end of each room.
As she worked, she caught faint glimpses of the other ponies around her. Each of them would watch her as she wasn’t looking, but they second she turned towards them, they would whisper to themselves.
What are they staring at? Celestia thought. For the short glimpses she could take towards her fellow ponies, she noted that some of them possessed battle scars. How these ponies gained them, Celestia couldn’t tell, but she knew that whatever these ponies did, it was dangerous. And the longer she stayed here, the more likely she would be exposed to that kind of danger. She knew she couldn’t stay here. Once she found Luna, they would leave this place forever.
The day dragged on as Celestia moved from room to room, endlessly scrubbing the floors and walls. She was finally at the last room and was nearing completion of the room, when she heard a noise that sounded like a conversation in the hallway. She perked up her ears to hear what the ponies spoke, but could only hear a few words.
“Discord… opponent.”
“Perhaps… Master… So am I…”
As the conversation ended, Celestia quickly returned to her duties, hoping that nopony would catch her slacking off. That was what annoyed her the most. Celestia had stopped once or twice in an attempt to rest, or she had tried to skip a room. But every time, the Ancient One would catch her and she would be force to restart her work, or return to the room she skipped. It was as if he was watching her every move, even if he wasn’t in the same room.
Her mind couldn’t help but think about the Ancient One. He was the strangest pony she had ever encountered. He spoke in riddles, never gave a straight answer, and above all else, he was somehow levitating before her without wings, strings, or any magic she had ever encountered. She replayed the image in her mind again and again, but every time she came up with an insane explanation. Each one more crazy than the last. Finally, she settled on the simple truth that it must be some sort of trick. An illusion. Perhaps caused by her fatigue.
Suddenly a torrent of water washed over her, drenching her from the tip of her horn all the way down her body. She nearly leaped up in shock as the cold water touched her body. She looked up to see the bucket of water she was using to clean, hovering high above her. Its contents now soaking into Celestia’s skin. She frantically searched around her to see why the bucket would soar without reason. Her answer came to her when she looked to the doorway. It came in the form of the black unicorn she hated.
He just stood there. His horn was glowing and there was a cruel smirk on his face. “Just thought you could use a bath. You smell awful.” With those words, he tossed the bucket to the side and exited the room.
Celestia growled under her breath as the unicorn slowly trotted away. If I didn’t have to put up with this, I most assuredly wouldn’t. She started to shiver as the cold water stuck to her body. Within a mere moment, Celestia found a rag that she could use to dry herself. It was a small rag, but at least it was dry.
As she wiped away the freezing liquid from her body, her mind began to wonder how the stallion could lift the bucket with his magic, when she could not. It bothered her to have to drag that heavy bucket around with her mouth. It was awkward and would often splash all over the floor as she walked. She turned her head towards the bucket with determination. She started to focus on it with all her might as her horn started to glow a bright pink. She concentrated even harder as she attempted to move the bucket. Finally, her concentration broke causing her to gasp in deep breaths. When she finally caught her breath, she looked up to see that the bucket was still stationary.
This is so unfair! she shouted to herself as she proceeded towards the bucket to continue her task.
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Night finally fell on sanctuary and Celestia was exhausted. She had finally finished the scrubbing of the floors and walls in the entire temple. She was so tired, she dragged herself to dinner and could barely eat, despite how hungry she was. The soup was warm, but it was still just soup. There was little flavoring in it, except for these long strings that she would slurp up. She thought she heard one of the ponies call them ‘noodles’, but she couldn’t say for certain. She liked the noodles, but the soup was still much too bland. Regardless, she ate was she could.
As she perched herself down to dinner, there were very few ponies to talk to. When she sat down, only two ponies remained in the dining hall. But they were too busy conversing with themselves to even notice her. Not that she cared; she just wanted to leave this place as soon as she was able.
After dinner, she hauled herself to her room. As soon as she opened the door, she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Her forelegs were in pain, her hooves were still aching from the long hours of sticking them in freezing, cold water, and cleaning the walls was especially hard on her wings. How can anypony be forced to do that? she asked herself as she laid there, her thoughts consuming her. That was the second most tiring thing I’ve ever done. And, Lords Above, all I did was scrub floors and walls!
However, despite how much she thought about it, a thought kept repeating in her mind. Once she had finished her task, the Ancient One came to her. With a smile, he had said, ‘More work tomorrow.’
That thought haunted her. Her fears created tremendous tasks for her until her eyes finally sealed themselves shut.